Flavor-packed tender meatballs with a crispy crust and a light, bright lemon sauce – I’m talking about Greek meatballs (keftedes)! This recipe can serve a crowd as an appetizer, but also makes tasty dinner bowls or pita sandwiches.
These juicy Greek meatballs are called Keftedes or Keftethes (pronounced keh-FTEH-dhes). They are for people who LOVE flavor! I dress up ground beef and lamb with fresh mint, garlic, lemon, and warming spices to create a well-seasoned meatball that is crispy on the outside but tender and juicy on the inside. I finish the whole dish off with a light, lemony sauce made from the meatball’s delicious drippings. YUM!
You’ll usually find Greek meatballs served as an appetizer or as part of a large mezze platter with pita bread, olives, and tzatziki. They also make a delicious main meal, meatball sandwich, or a quick snack.
Serve a few meatballs alongside a simple Greek salad for a low-carb dinner or for something a bit heftier, try them over rice or pasta. However you serve them, this simple recipe is an easy-to-make dinner your family will request again and again!
Ingredients and Substitutions
The seasoning, type of meat, and sauce for keftedes depends on the region and the person making them. For the most part, though, they are an irresistible mixture of ground beef or pork infused with herbs and spices then lightly fried in olive oil. Here’s what you need:
- Ground meat: I use a combination of lean ground beef and ground lamb or pork.
- Whole milk: Keeps the meatball mixture from drying. Use water for a dairy-free option.
- Bread: Day old or toasted bread or pita soaks up the milk, keeping the meatballs tender as they bake.
- Yellow onion and garlic: Swap with green onion, white onion, or shallot.
- Olive oil: To keep the Greek vibes going, I used our Private Reserve Greek EVOO, a medium-intensity oil with hints of fresh herbs and pepper.
- Egg: 1 egg goes into the meatball mixture, and we use an egg yolk to thicken the lemon sauce at the end.
- Mint: Swap with fresh parsley, dill, or a combination.
- Seasoning: Coriander, oregano, cumin, cinnamon, nutmeg, salt, and pepper give the meatballs cozy Greek flavor. (Head over to our spice shop if your pantry needs a refresh!)
- Lemons: Opt for untreated if possible, as we use both the zest and the juice.
- Flour: Gives the meatballs their irresistible crispy exterior.
- Broth: I used store bought chicken broth. Homemade chicken stock or vegetable broth would work as well. I don’t recommend beef broth, though, as it has quite a strong taste that might be overpowering.
How to Make Keftedes
Keftedes aren’t difficult to make, you just need to budget enough time to roll the meatballs in flour. Here are the steps:
Make the Meatball Mixture
- Get ready. Grate 1 yellow onion. Mince 3 garlic cloves. Prepare 1/4 cup of chopped fresh mint. Zest and juice 3 lemons.
- Soak the bread. Cube 1 slice of day old or toasted bread and add to a small bowl. Cover with 1/3 cup whole milk and set aside for 5 minutes or so.
- Meanwhile, saute the onions and garlic. In a large skillet, heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil over medium. Add the onions and garlic and cook until golden and translucent, stirring regularly. Transfer to a large mixing bowl and allow to cool. Set the skillet aside for later.
- Make the meatball mixture. Squeeze out the excess milk out of the soaked bread and add to the bowl with the onions and garlic. Add 1 pound lean ground beef and 1/2 pound ground lamb or pork. Add 1 whole egg, the fresh mint, 1 tablespoon of the lemon zest. Season with 1 tablespoon ground coriander, 1 teaspoon dried oregano, 1 teaspoon ground cumin, 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon, 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg, and a good pinch or two of salt and pepper. Mix by hand until mixture is fully incorporated.
Shape and Fry the Greek Meatballs
- Shape the meatballs. Form the meat mixture into balls (each the size of a heaping tablespoon.) Roll meatballs into flour to lightly coat and place them on a large tray for now.
- Fry the Greek meatballs. In the large skillet you used earlier, heat the remaining 1/4 cup olive oil over medium-high. When the oil shimmers, turn the heat to medium and add the meatballs. Cook, turning occasionally, until fully cooked and well-crusted on all sides, about 10 minutes. (Do this in batches if necessary to avoid overcrowding.)
- Make the lemony sauce. Use a slotted spoon to transfer the meatballs to paper towels to drain. Whisk one egg yolk with 1 1/4 cups chicken broth, the lemon juice, and remaining lemon zest. Carefully discard most of the cooking fat and return the skillet to medium heat. Add the lemon mixture to the skillet, then add the meatballs back in. Cook over medium heat for another 5 minutes until the lemon sauce thickens. Enjoy!
What to Serve with Greek Meatballs
You can turn Greek meatballs into a lunch bowl with a grain, or a meatball sandwich situation–you really can use them just like you would chicken breast. But here’s my absolute favorite way to make this a meal:
- Greek salad as the base.
- Tzatziki sauce for drizzling over everything.
- A few slices of pita on the side. Perfection!
Greek Meatballs (Keftedes)
Ingredients
- 1 slice day-old or toasted bread, cubed
- 1/3 cup whole milk
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, plus 1/4 cup for frying the meatballs
- 1 yellow onion, grated
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 pound lean ground beef
- 1/2 pound ground lamb or pork
- 1 whole egg
- 1 egg yolk
- 1/4 cup chopped fresh mint leaves
- 1 tablespoon ground coriander
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 3 lemons, zested and juiced
- Kosher salt
- Black pepper
- All purpose flour, for dredging
- 1 1/4 cups chicken broth
To Serve (optional)
Instructions
- Soak the bread. Add the bread to a small bowl and cover with the milk. Set aside for 5 minutes or so.
- Meanwhile, saute the onions and garlic. In a large skillet, heat 2 tablespoons of the olive oil over medium. Add the onions and garlic and cook until golden and translucent, stirring regularly. Transfer to a large mixing bowl and allow to cool. Set the skillet aside for later.
- Make the meatball mixture. Squeeze out the excess milk out of the soaked bread and add to the bowl with the onions and garlic. Add the ground beef and lamb (or pork), whole egg, fresh mint, spices, 1 tablespoon of the lemon zest, and a good pinch or two of salt and pepper. Mix by hand until mixture is fully incorporated.
- Shape the meatballs. Form the meat mixture into balls (each the size of a heaping tablespoon.) Roll meatballs into the flour to lightly coat and place them on a large tray for now.
- Fry the Greek meatballs. In the large skillet you used earlier, heat the remaining 1/4 cup olive oil over medium-high. When the oil shimmers, turn the heat to medium and add the meatballs. Cook, turning occasionally, until fully cooked and well-crusted on all sides, about 10 minutes. (Do this in batches if necessary to avoid overcrowding.)
- Make the lemony sauce. Use a slotted spoon to transfer the meatballs to paper towels to drain. Whisk the egg yolk with chicken broth, lemon juice, and remaining lemon zest. Carefully discard most of the cooking fat and return the skillet to medium heat. Add the lemon mixture to the skillet, then add the meatballs back in. Cook over medium heat for another 5 minutes until the lemon sauce thickens.
- Finish and serve. Serve hot in bowls with pita bread, Greek salad and Tzatziki sauce. Or serve in pita pockets as sandwiches, or over rice, if you prefer.
Video
Notes
- Shop this recipe: Visit our shop to browse quality Mediterranean ingredients, including the olive oil and spices used in this recipe.
- How to store and reheat leftovers: Leftover meatballs will keep in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. Reheat in a skillet with some EVOO over medium heat until warmed through.
Nutrition
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Followed this recipe but replaced the meat with ground turkey and OMG, my family gobbled it up. Amazingggg
Awesome! Thank you for sharing!
What does the egg yolk do in the sauce? Is it just a thickener? Could you substitute cornstarch? I’m allergic to eggs and I know how to make the meatballs without them but I’m not sure what to substitute for the sauce. Any suggestions?
Hi Deborah, it does thicken the sauce but it is part of the flavor profile of this recipe. You can omit and use a tiny bit of cornstarch.
These were delicious and tasted just like my grandmother used to make. But, I have to say it is a LOT OF WORK. Et took me about three hours from set up to finish. I love the taste, but the next time, I make them I will leave the sauce out and I will cook them in the oven. Thanks. BB
So glad you enjoyed them, Barbara! Thanks for sharing your suggestions!
This was great! So flavorful and exactly what I was craving. Thank you for the recipe!
Wonderful, Amanda! Thank you!
We had just finished our dinner when I read your menu post and those meatballs made me salivate ; ) can hardly wait to enjoy your recipe , thank you for sharing
Alice, I can’t wait to hear what you think once you try them!
Does it matter what kind of flour used?
You can change the flour to what you have or what you prefer to use. I am not sure it makes such a huge difference 🙂
Is the onion and garlic for the lemon sauce or the actual meatballs
Hi, Melissa! The lemon and garlic are for the actual meatballs.
Just made this one tonight and it was delicious. This is not a new dish for me, although you’re recipe is one I will be keeping.
Keep up the good work, and thank you for sharing!
Dimitri, I so appreciate your kind comment! So glad to know this recipe is a keeper for you!
Hi Suzy,
Made these last week, wow so yummie tasty! With greek salad and Tzatziki.
As I didn´t fry the onions and garlic on beforehand, just mixed them in raw, it kept the Keftedes moist enough, even using normal dry bread crumb, as I do in Polpette and Japanese meatballs, too. Also, the minced pork helped keeping them soft, containing a little more fat than the beef.
In my Polpette recipe, I add crumbled Ricotta cheese, which also helps to keep them soft and tender. I´ll try this in my Keftedes next time, see how it results. Might work with Feta, too.
Just made these for a brunch yesterday! They were so yummy! They were a great addition to a Mediterranean spread! I also made the artichoke egg dish! Lovely brunch meal!
I want to make these for a friend to take them over to her family for their dinner along with a salad. My question is do you leave the meatballs in the broth, or keep them separate until they heat them up that evening. She just lost her mother and I wanted to make something tasty but easy for her to get ready.
My kids (aged 4 and 8) LOVED these meatballs! I used very lean ground turkey and I think the milk-soaked bread was the key to keeping them super moist. I also baked them in the oven (18 min @350 degrees) instead of frying them. I still made the lemony sauce and it was a hit as well!
Awesome, Colleen! Love this variation. Yes, the milk-soaked bread is key!
YUMMPSY!!!
Yay! Awesome
That was delicious! And I’m very picky when it come to Mediterranean food! Kids loved it as well. The lemon zest makes this dish completel!
Yay! So glad everyone enjoyed it!
Loved this recipe! Flavor is amazing. 3 lemons was a lot for me as my lemons were large. I think about 1/4 cup suited my taste. I love how your recipes use fresh ingredients but I will admit I took a short cut with the garlic paste and bought it already made. Thank you for your wonderful recipes!
Kathleen, so glad to hear it! And definitely love that you adapted the recipe to suit your needs 🙂
These meatballs are stellar! I love the deep flavors. I didn’t change a thing! I made your avocado salad to go with it. Excellent and thank you for the recipes.
I wanted to try to make these for a party but was hoping to grill them as to free up my kitchen, have you tried that? Also, is the pan sauce to finish them a must? I will have dipping sauces, but as I want to grill I was thinking I would omit finishing them with the egg, lemon sauce, but not if that will take too much away from the flavor. Any thoughts?
Hi Natalie, sure…you can probably skewer the meat on wooden skewers and grill outdoors. Here is another version (different spices) that uses the grill. It’ll be a good guide for you: https://www.themediterraneandish.com/kofta-kebab-recipe/