These Greek meatballs are a delicious treat! You can serve these meatballs as a crowd pleasing appetizer or a complete meal.
If you love Mediterranean recipes as much as we do and are a big fan of moussaka, green lentil soup and falafel, you’re going to love this Greek classic. It’s an easy meatball recipe that’s bursting with flavor in every bite!
What are keftedes?
Keftedes are Greek meatballs and they are made with lamb or a combination of beef and lamb. They are traditionally fried in a pan; however, I’m going to show you how to make Greek meatballs in the oven as well. They’re moist and packed with fresh Mediterranean flavors thanks to bold spices and herbs such as thyme, cumin, and mint.
What are keftedes made of?
Keftedes are made of ground beef and lamb, spices such as mint, thyme, cumin, and cinnamon. These tasty meatballs are very tender inside as they include grated onion and bread crumbs.
Preparation instructions
In a large bowl or in a food processor, mix ground lamb and ground beef. Add in bread crumbs and grated onion to the mixture and mix well. Then, add minced garlic, egg, and the spices and pulse until fully combined.
Shape the meatballs and set them aside. Heat the olive oil in a pan and cook the meatballs for about ten minutes, stirring a couple of times so they cook evenly. Note how the cinnamon and cumin give a very nice flavor to the lamb and beef.
Or, try these other approaches to this recipe:
- Baked Greek meatballs: Follow the recipe to make the meatballs as mentioned in the recipe. Instead of cooking them with olive oil, preheat the oven to 375F and line a baking sheet with aluminum foil. Place the meatballs on the baking sheet and coat them with just a little bit of cooking spray. Bake the meatballs in the oven for about 20-25 minutes until they are brown and fully cooked. This is a great method for making lots of tasty meatballs when you’re feeding a crowd.
- Greek lamb meatballs: Leave out the beef and use 1 1/2 lb ground lamb to make the meatballs. The instructions are the same.
Side dishes
These tasty meatballs can be the centerpiece of a beautiful dinner when paired with a few easy slides. Here are a few of our favorites to consider!
You can serve them with homemade pita bread or naan and homemade tzatziki sauce or tahini sauce.
Can you freeze keftedes?
Yes! They freeze very well. You can freeze these meatballs cooked or uncooked:
- If cooked: Once all the keftedes are cooked and cooled completely, place them in a Ziploc bag and freeze them up to one month. Thaw them in the fridge and reheat in the microwave or in a pan.
- If uncooked: Shape the meatballs and place them on a baking sheet. Place the baking sheet in the freezer for one hour until the meatballs are frozen. Then place them in one single layer in a Ziploc bag and freeze them for up to one month. Thaw them in the fridge and follow the instruction in the recipe to cook them.
Notes and tips for the perfect Greek meatballs
- To make tender meatballs that are not dry, grate the onion and add it directly to the beef and lamb mixture. The juice of grated onion gives moisture to the meatballs.
- Use a cookie or ice cream scoop to ensure evenly shaped and portioned meatballs.
- If you don’t use a food processor on hand, make sure you mix the ingredients very well in a large bowl using your hands.
- If dried mint is not available, use two tablespoons of fresh chopped mint.
- When cooking the meatballs in a pan, make sure you don’t overcrowd the pan. Overcrowding the pan will cause the meatballs not to cook evenly.
Easy Greek Meatballs Recipe (Keftedes)
Ingredients
- 1 lb ground beef 90% lean
- 1/2 lb ground lamb
- 2 tbsp bread crumbs
- 1 onion grated
- 5 cloves garlic minced
- 1 egg
- 1 tbsp dried mint
- 1 tsp dried thyme
- 2 tbsp lemon juice
- 1 tsp lemon zest
- 1 1/2 tsp cumin
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
- 2 tbsp olive oil for cooking
Instructions
- Place the ground beef and lamb in the bowl of a food processor. Pulse a few times so they're combined.
- Add in bread crumbs, onion and garlic. Pulse again for a couple of times.
- Add in the egg, dried mint, thyme, lemon juice, lemon zest, cumin, cinnamon, salt and pepper. Pulse for about 30 seconds until all the ingredients are perfectly combined.
- Shape the meatballs using an ice cream or cookie scoop and place them on a baking sheet. If the mixture is too sticky, wet your hands and then shape them.
- In a large pan, heat the olive oil and place the meatballs to cook.
- Cook the meatballs for about 10 minutes and stir them a couple of times to make sure they're brown on all sides and cook evenly.
- Serve with pita, Mediterranean salad and tzatziki sauce.
Notes
- You can use 1 1/2 lb ground lamb instead of beef.
- Baked Greek meatballs: Preheat the oven to 375F and line a baking sheet with aluminum foil. Place the meatballs on the baking sheet and bake for 20-25 minutes until they are brown and fully cooked.
- To make tender meatballs that are not dry, grate the onion and add it directly to the beef and lamb mixture. The juice of grated onion gives moisture to the meatballs.
- Use a cookie or ice cream scoop to ensure evenly shaped and portioned meatballs.
- If you don't use a food processor on hand, make sure you mix the ingredients very well in a large bowl using your hands.
- If dried mint is not available, use two tablespoons of fresh chopped mint.
- When cooking the meatballs in a pan, make sure you don't overcrowd the pan. Overcrowding the pan will cause the meatballs not to cook evenly.
Beth
My daughter asks for meatballs daily, so I am excited to try this new recipe! I also appreciate that I can freeze these cooked or even uncooked! Game changer!
Shadi HasanzadeNemati
Enjoy Beth! These Greek meatballs are so good!
Noelle
I love to make meatballs for appetizers, I can’t wait to try this recipe!
Shadi HasanzadeNemati
Greek meatballs are perfect appetizers! Enjoy!