Baked Chicken and Feta Meatballs

By Yasmin Fahr

Published Sept. 27, 2022

Baked Chicken and Feta Meatballs
David Malosh for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Barrett Washburne.
Total Time
30 minutes
Rating
5(953)
Comments
Read comments

Filled with feta, yogurt and oats to keep the chicken tender and flavorful, these meatballs lean Mediterranean, but they’re subtle enough to play well with others. Though they anchor any meal as the main character, they welcome a wide range of supporting cast members. You could roast broccoli, asparagus or other vegetables with a similar cooking time in another sheet pan in the oven, or add heartier vegetables like delicata squash to the oven first, since they take a bit longer to cook. Serving the meatballs in a bowl of leftover tomato sauce or your favorite marinara would be a winning combination, too. Use them to add heft to salad, or (gently) drop them into a brothy soup just until warmed. 

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Ingredients

Yield:4 servings
  • ¾cup finely crumbled feta
  • ¼packed cup fresh mint leaves, finely chopped
  • ¼cup old-fashioned rolled oats
  • 1tablespoon plain thick yogurt (such as labneh) or Greek or Icelandic yogurt
  • 1teaspoon dried oregano
  • ½ to 1teaspoon red-pepper flakes
  • Kosher salt
  • 1pound ground chicken or turkey (preferably dark meat)
  • 2tablespoons olive oil
  • 1lemon, halved
Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (4 servings)

327 calories; 23 grams fat; 7 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 10 grams monounsaturated fat; 3 grams polyunsaturated fat; 7 grams carbohydrates; 2 grams dietary fiber; 1 gram sugars; 25 grams protein; 428 milligrams sodium

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

    Heat the oven to 425 degrees. In a large bowl, mix ½ cup feta with half the chopped mint, plus the oats, yogurt, oregano, red-pepper flakes and 1 teaspoon salt, breaking up any lingering feta chunks with your hands. Add the chicken, gently combining until it’s lightly speckled with green dots.

  2. Step 2

    Drizzle the oil on a sheet pan and use your hands to spread it around. Use your oiled palms to shape the chicken into 1- to 1¼-inch loosely firm but not compact balls; lightly roll them in the oil on the sheet pan when shaping to coat them and prevent them from sticking. You should have 18 to 20 meatballs. Once the meatballs have all been rolled out, spread them out evenly on the sheet pan.

  3. Step 3

    Cook meatballs until the bottoms are browned and the centers are no longer pink, 15 to 18 minutes.

  4. Step 4

    Squeeze half of the lemon over the pan, then use a wooden spoon to move the meatballs around, turning the browned side up, and scraping up any browned bits on the pan. Transfer to a bowl or leave in the pan and top with the remaining feta and mint. Cut the remaining lemon half into quarters and serve at the table for squeezing on top.

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Ratings

5 out of 5
953 user ratings
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Comments

M Clark

These little meatballs by themselves are nice, but I think they'd really shine with a zesty, herbaceous" supporting dish." I served them with zucchini noodles, feta, and mint and liked it, but I think a hearty Greek salad with olives, cucumbers, tomato, red onion, and herbs would be the perfect pairing. They have nice, subtle flavor but are asking to be paired with more!

Laura

These are fantastic! They are easy, quick, and have great flavor. I used chicken and they turned out super moist. Definitely the best meatball I’ve ever made. Be sure to lightly mix the ingredients and just drop them on the sheet as a loose ball, don’t compact. I put them on a bed of arugula, with hummus, tzatziki, pickled onions, kalamata olives and cucumber. Pita would be a nice addition.

PEvers

I’m thinking these would be nice with gyro fixings (diced tomato, cucumber, onion, tzatziki, pita). Sometimes I deconstruct it, all chopped in a bowl with added lettuce and some rice pilaf. Thoughts?

chrishpl

These were easy and tasty. Subbed basil and parsley (what I had) for mint; worked out fine but I have the feeling the mint might play off of the oregano a little better-I'll use that next time and see. As per suggestion used sour cream (again, what I had) in lieu of Greek yogurt. Had parchment paper already on my sheet pan so used that. Heated up leftover rice (w/ dill and parsley) while the meatballs cooked, and served with steamed broccoli. Was a nice pairing. Definitely will make again!

J

Made one small substitution (I replaced the yogurt with sour cream bc that's what I had on hand). I served this with saffron basmati rice - so delicious.

Jeanne

Delicious! Adaptations: I put all of the feta into the meatballs and used breadcrumbs instead of oatmeal. Instead of the recommended sauce, I made one of tahini-yogurt-and-lemon juice. (Softened the tahini with some boiling water.) Added cumin and some red pepper to the sauce. Baked 15 minutes. Served room temperature.

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