Greek Meatballs 

By Lidey Heuck

Published July 17, 2024

  • Christopher Testani for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Simon Andrews.
Media 1 of 1
Total Time
1¼ hours
Prep Time
15 minutes
Cook Time
30 minutes, plus at least 30 minutes’ chilling
Rating
5(1,162)
Comments
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These meatballs are inspired by keftedes, a traditional Greek meatball made with beef and sometimes pork or lamb and seasoned with a mix of herbs and spices. While variations of  keftedes abound, many include fresh bread crumbs, grated onion and tomato, along with lots of fresh mint and parsley. The tomato lends the meatballs a hint of sweetness and acidity, and also helps make them incredibly moist and tender. While not traditional, this recipe opts for panko instead of fresh bread crumbs, for ease. Rather than being softened with milk to form a panade, the bread crumbs go into the meatball mix on their own and soak up the flavorful juices from the onion and tomato. Serve these meatballs with homemade tzatziki, a simple salad and pita on the side, or in tomato sauce for a hearty, comforting dinner.

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Ingredients

Yield:About 30 meatballs (4 to 6 servings)

  • ½ cup (lightly packed) grated red or yellow onion (from about ½ large onion)

  • 1 medium tomato, grated (about 5 ounces)

  • 1 pound lean ground beef

  • ½ pound ground lamb or pork

  • ½ cup panko bread crumbs 

  • 1 large egg, lightly beaten

  • ⅓ cup finely chopped fresh mint

  • ⅓ cup finely chopped fresh parsley

  • 2 large garlic cloves, grated or very finely minced

  • 1 teaspoon dried oregano

  • 1 teaspoon ground coriander

  • ½ teaspoon ground cumin

  • Salt and pepper

  • ¼ cup olive oil

  • Tzatziki, salad and pita (all optional), for serving

Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (4 to 6 servings)

12 grams carbs; 112 milligrams cholesterol; 447 calories; 17 grams monosaturated fat; 2 grams polyunsaturated fat; 11 grams saturated fat; 34 grams fat; 1 gram trans fat; 2 grams fiber; 446 milligrams sodium; 22 grams protein; 2 grams sugar

Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

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Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Place the grated onion and tomato in a fine-mesh sieve over the sink and stir a few times, pressing on the mixture to drain the excess liquid. (Some moisture should remain; do not squeeze in a dish towel.) Transfer the remaining onion and tomato to a large bowl.

  2. Step 2

    Add the beef, lamb, panko, egg, mint, parsley, garlic, oregano, coriander and cumin, plus 1 ½ teaspoons salt and ½ teaspoon pepper; mix gently but thoroughly.

  3. Step 3

    Using a 2 tablespoon-scoop or two spoons, form meatballs that are about 1 ½ inches wide. Place them on a plate, cover and chill for at least 30 minutes, and up to 24 hours, to allow the meatballs to firm up.

  4. Step 4

    In a large (12-inch) skillet, heat the oil over medium-high. When the oil is hot (it should sizzle immediately if you drop a bread crumb into the pan), fry the meatballs in 2 to 3 batches, flipping occasionally and lowering the heat as necessary to prevent them from getting too dark, until browned all over and just cooked through, 5 to 7 minutes.

  5. Step 5

    Transfer the cooked meatballs to a paper towel-lined plate, and serve hot or warm with any combination of tzatziki, salad and pita, if desired.

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Ratings

5 out of 5
1,162 user ratings
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Comments

Maggie Bee

About a year ago, I discovered that dried onion - I buy the big container in the spice aisle at Costco - can go into meatballs, hamburgers, meatloaf, or even my sourdough bread dough, all added dry, right in the beginning. It saves an incredible amount of time (and tears) to not have to grate or mince a raw onion, and works perfectly. I use roughly a third of the amount of dry for fresh.

carrie

Could these be cooked in the oven rather than pan frying?

Marla

How does one grate a tomato? I've never tried before.

William

Would tomato paste work as a sub?

Ella

Due to the current heat wave, I opted not to do any sort of cooking in the home. Instead, I made oversized meatballs, sprayed them with olive oil, and popped them on the grill! With tzatziki and some zuchini pasta salad, it turned out amazing.

Katy

Compliments from my whole family! Served on pita with Tzatziki sauce and tomato, cucumber, red onion salad. My biggest headache was grating the tomato and I just ended up chopping it into small pieces instead. How do people do this?

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