Greek Meatballs (Keftedes) are one of the most flavor packed, tender, and moist meatballs you will ever make! Packed with classic Mediterranean flavors and served with tzatziki to dip these are the ultimate quick and easy appetizer or main.
Greek Meatballs (Keftedes) Recipe
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Everyone has a classic meatball recipe that they go to on repeat. It's fun to ty recipes from different cultures and these Greek Meatballs are the perfect quick and easy recipe to try. The meatballs are so tender, flavorful and moist. Paired with tzatziki sauce to dip they are a great finger food for entertaining, game days and the holidays.
What are Greek Meatballs (Keftedes)
Greek meatballs (keftedes) are a popular dish made from a combination of ground pork and beef, classic Greek herbs, spices, red onion, and breadcrumbs that are pan fried, baked or air fried until crispy and golden brown. Traditionally they do not include crumbled feta cheese in the meatballs but for our recipe we love the addition of feta! They can be served as an appetizer or main course.
What to Serve with this Dish
- Tzatziki Sauce
- Lemon Garlic Roasted Greek Potatoes
- Pita Bread
- Greek Salad
- Mediterranean Orzo Salad
- Spanakorizo (Greek Feta and Spinach Rice)
Ingredients
- Ground Beef and Ground Pork - traditionally Greek meatballs are made with a combination of ground beef and ground pork. This gives the meatballs the best texture, moisture and flavor. You can swap to use all ground beef, or a combination of ground beef, ground pork, ground turkey, or ground chicken.
- Feta Cheese - this is not a traditional ingredient in Greek meatballs but we love the addition of crumbled feta. It adds a nice salty and cheesy flavor to the meatballs and it also helps keep the meatballs nice and moist.
- Red Onion - finely diced or shredded red onion adds a ton of flavor the meatballs. By finely dicing or shredding the onion it bring outs the juice from the onion that adds additional flavor and moisture to the meatballs.
- Panko Breadcrumbs - these help keep the meatballs moist while baking, you can also swap for plain Italian breadcrumbs or plain breadcrumbs of choice (store bought or homemade breadcrumbs work great).
- Egg - this acts a a binder to keep the meatballs together while cooking.
- Garlic - lots of freshly minced garlic gives these meatballs the most irresistible flavor!
- Herbs and Spices
- Oregano
- Dill
- Cumin
- Mint
- Parsley
- Chili Flakes
- Salt and Pepper
How to Make Greek Meatballs (Keftedes)
Full Printable Recipe at Bottom of page
- Line a sheet pan with edges with parchment paper or foil. If using foil, spray lightly with cooking spray. Preheat oven to 400°F.
- Use a box grater or cheese grater to finely shred the onion, or you can very finely dice the onion with a knife. Add to a large bowl.
- Add all the remaining meatball ingredients to the bowl and mix until evenly combined.
- Use a cookie scooper, ice cream scoop, or tablespoon to scoop the meatballs, this recipe makes about 32 meatballs. Roll the meatballs and place on the prepared sheet pan.
- Bake the meatballs for about 15 – 20 minutes, shake the sheet pan halfway through cooking to flip the meatballs.
- Serve with tzatziki to dip and enjoy!
Tips for the Best Greek Meatballs
- Meat - this recipe is traditionally made with a combination of ground beef and ground pork. This combination yields the most tender, moist and flavor packed meatballs. However, you can swap for any combination of ground beef, pork, chicken or turkey.
- Cooking - traditionally the meatballs are pan fried until golden brown. You can pan pan fry, bake, or air fry the meatballs and the results are great. This is a great recipe for making ahead for dinners or parties as you can fully cook the meatballs the day before and then simply reheat them.
- For Serving - the perfect dip for these meatballs is tzatziki sauce. Homemade or store-bought tzatziki are both great. To cut down on prep the day of serving you can make the tzatziki one day in advance and store in the fridge. The flavors develop overnight and are the perfect accompaniment to these meatballs!
FAQ
Air Fryer – Preheat Air Fryer to 400˚F. Add to the air fryer basket or tray and cook for 5-6 minutes, or until warmed through.
Oven – Preheat oven to 375˚F. Place on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and cook for 10-12 minutes, or until warmed through.
Microwave – microwave for 1 minute. Note this method will not make them crispy again.
Store cooled leftovers in an airtight container or Ziploc bag in the fridge for up to 3-4 days, or freeze following below steps.
Leftovers can be frozen in an air tight container for up to 3 months. To reheat, bake or air fry the meatballs from frozen to reheat, adding 3-4 minutes to the above reheating times.
Yes this is a great make ahead recipe! You can fully prepare the meatballs and leave them on the baking tray covered in the fridge for 1 day until ready to bake. The next day follow the recipes baking directions. Or you can fully cook the meatballs and store them in the fridge for 1-2 days before serving, reheat using the above reheating directions.
For gluten free Greek meatballs use gluten free breadcrumbs.
For dairy free Greek meatballs you can swap the feta cheese for a dairy free cheese or you can omit the cheese. Traditionally these meatballs are not made with cheese but we like to add it in for extra flavor.
More Meatball Recipes
Enjoy!
- Sab
Greek Meatballs (Keftedes)
Ingredients
Meatballs
- 1 lb ground beef (lean or medium)
- ½ lb ground pork (lean or medium)
- 1 medium red onion
- ½ cup panko breadcrumbs
- ½ cup feta cheese (crumbled)
- 6 cloves garlic (minced)
- 1 egg
- 1 tablespoon fresh parsley (minced)
- 1 tablespoon fresh mint (minced)
- 2 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon dried dill
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
For Serving
- Tzatziki (for dipping, store bought or homemade)
- Greek Salad
- Pita Bread
Homemade Tzatziki
- 2 cups Greek yogurt (plain, 2% for thicker sauce or 0% for thinner sauce)
- 1 cucumber (+1 teaspoon of salt)
- 1 clove garlic (medium sized, finely minced or shredded)
- ½ lemon (juiced)
- 1 teaspoon dill (fresh, or ½ teaspoon dried)
- 1 teaspoon salt (or to taste)
Instructions
Greek Meatballs
- Line a sheet pan with edges with parchment paper or foil. If using foil, spray lightly with cooking spray. Preheat oven to 400°F.
- Use a box grater or cheese grater to finely shred the onion, or you can very finely dice the onion with a knife. Add to a large bowl.
- Add all the remaining meatball ingredients to the bowl and mix until evenly combined.
- Use a cookie scooper, ice cream scoop, or tablespoon to scoop the meatballs, this recipe makes about 32 meatballs. Roll the meatballs and place on the prepared sheet pan.
- Bake the meatballs for about 15 – 20 minutes, shake the sheet pan halfway through cooking to flip the meatballs.
- Serve with tzatziki to dip, a side Greek salad and pita bread. Enjoy!
Homemade Tzatziki (Optional)
- Shred cucumber and place in fine mesh strainer over a bowl or plate. Sprinkle 1 teaspoon of salt over the shredded cucumber to draw or water. Let sit for 5 minutes. Squeeze cucumbers to remove remaining water and discard the water.
- In a large bowl combine the Greek yogurt, garlic, lemon juice, dill, drained cucumbers, and 1 teaspoon salt (or to taste).
- Can be served immediately but best served after chilling at least 30 minutes in the fridge for the flavors to develop. After chilling season to taste with additional salt, garlic or dill as desired.
Nutrition
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