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(1,235)
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)

8 grams carbs; 113 milligrams cholesterol; 433 calories; 18 grams monounsaturated fat; 2 grams polyunsaturated fat; 11 grams saturated fat; 35 grams fat; 1 gram trans fat; 2 grams fiber; 442 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
1,235 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.

Allegra

Subbed out the bread crumbs for almond flour to make it gluten-free. Used 1lb of lamb, 1lb of venison. Came out great!

Cleo

I used all ground turkey for these (no lamb, no beef), and they were so good. Worth the work with the grater for the tomato and onion - turkey has a lot of water, so I added a bit more panko. Baked on parchment paper at 425 for about 20 minutes, and did not use any olive oil. Served with pita, chopped tomato, zucchini, tzitziki and used the same oven to make ratatouille (NYT recipe with chickpeas).

Dorothea

My Yia Yia put together the mixture in the morning then put that in the fridge, pulled it out about 15 minutes prior to frying. And of course you roll the balls in a little bit of flour before frying. I have never been in a Greek home where they are baked in the oven. She used solid Crisco because olive oil was too heavy and interfered with the flavor of the meatballs. She literally had to hide them before we sat down for dinner. Then they were brought out and devoured.

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