Crisp, flavorful and absolutely delicious. You’re going to love this Greek twist on the Italian classic! These Greek Meatballs with homemade tzatziki are ready to go in 30 minutes.
This is the third time we’ve made meatballs this year… we’re on a roll!
To start, you’ll want to toss your meat into a large mixing bowl. For today’s recipe I used 1 lb. ground pork and ¼ lb. ground beef (that’s what I had on hand). You can use all pork, all beef, or all chicken, the choice is yours. Next you’ll toss in some breadcrumbs along with one egg and a little bit of buttermilk.
To season the meatballs, toss in some minced red onion, minced garlic, lemon juice, lemon zest, dried oregano, dried parsley, coriander, cumin, salt, pepper and Simply Organic cumin & smoked paprika. I know that sounds like an intense list of ingredients, but I promise they all contribute to the amazing flavor going on in these meatballs!
Using your hands (or a spatula if you don’t like getting messy), mix everything together until combined, taking care not to overwork it. You don’t want dense, tough meatballs. Using a spoon or a standard size cookie scoop, shape into meatballs and place onto a lined baking sheet.
Place in a preheated oven and bake for 15-20 minutes or until cooked throughout (internal temperature of 160). If you prefer using the stovetop, place a large skillet over medium heat, add 1 tbsp. olive oil and cook the meatballs until golden brown on each side.
While the meatballs are cooking, grab some yogurt and prepare the the tzatziki sauce. I used Stonyfield Organic Double Cream Yogurt (it’s SO good guys), however, you can use Greek yogurt too. In a medium bowl whisk together the yogurt, squeezed cucumber, garlic, dill, lemon juice, lemon zest, salt and pepper.
Serve the meatballs with a side of freshly made tzatziki, roasted veggies and homemade pilaf (recipe coming soon)!
If you’re looking for an easy & flavorful meal, you’ve gotta give these meatballs a try. They’re a tasty twist on a classic, one I think you’re really going to love! P.S. these freeze/reheat really well too!
Greek Meatballs with Homemade Tzatziki Recipe
Ingredients
For the Meatballs
- 1 1/4 lb ground pork - OR beef OR chicken
- 1/2 cup panko bread crumbs - (white or whole wheat)
- 1 egg
- 2 tbsp buttermilk
- 1/4 cup red onion - minced
- 3 cloves garlic - minced
- 2 tbsp lemon juice
- 1 tsp lemon zest
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- 1/2 tsp dried parsley - (or 1 tsp. freshly chopped)
- 1/2 tsp coriander
- 1/4 tsp cumin
- 1/4 tsp paprika - (regular or smoked)
- 1 tsp kosher sea salt
- 1/2 tsp ground black pepper
For the Tzatziki
- 1 cup Greek yogurt - OR Double Cream
- 1/3 cup English cucumber - diced, juice squeezed out
- 2 cloves garlic - minced
- 1 1/2 tbsp fresh dill - minced
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
- 1 tsp lemon zest
- 1/4 tsp kosher sea salt
- pinch ground black pepper
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line a standard size baking sheet with parchment paper or a baking mat, set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine the meat, breadcrumbs, egg, buttermilk, onion, garlic, lemon juice, lemon zest, oregano, parsley, coriander, cumin, paprika, salt and pepper. Using your hands (or a spatula), mix together just until combined (overworking it will cause the meatballs to be dense).
- Using a spoon or a standard size cookie scoop, shape into meatballs and place onto the prepared baking sheet. Place in the oven and bake for 15-20 minutes or until cooked throughout (internal temperature of 160).
To Make the Tzatziki
- Meanwhile, to make the tzatziki sauce, in a medium bowl whisk together the yogurt, cucumber, garlic, dill, lemon juice, lemon zest, salt and pepper.
- Serve the meatballs with a side of tzatziki.
NOTES
Nutrition
I’m partnering with Simply Organic and Stonyfield as a member of their Clean Plate Club to bring you today’s recipe. I received this product for review, all opinions are my own. Thank you for helping me work with brands I love!
Made these for lunch with rice and I loved them!
Happy you did! Thank you so much!
Loved the meatballs. I didn’t have buttermilk so I used yogurt. Didn’t have bread crumbs so I buzzed some oatmeal in the blender and used that instead. The taste was fantastic and I loved the fact that they baked in just 20 minutes with easy clean up with the parchment paper.
Great! I am glad you shared what you did! That sounds perfect!
I ran across this recipe on Pinterest while searching for new dinner ideas, and I have to say, it was absolutely delicious. I followed your recipe for rice pilaf, also on this site, and it was a perfect accompaniment to the meatballs. Sliced cucumber and tomato wedges and a glass of white wine rounded out this meal, that even my picky 12 year old liked.
I made the meatballs with ground pork, and they had so so much flavor! Just really really good.
That sounds perfect! I am happy you liked it. Thank you for letting me know what you did!
Sound delicious – I will try them in the IP!