Description
These juicy Greek chicken meatballs are made with feta, oregano, and the perfect breadcrumb ratio so they hold together with no milk and no egg. They’re seared until golden, finished in the oven, and served over garlic yogurt with cucumber, quick-pickled red onion, fresh herbs, and sumac. It’s the perfect healthy, high-protein dinner.
Ingredients
Units
For the meatballs
- 1 lb ground chicken (or ground turkey)
- 1/4 cup plain breadcrumbs (the finely ground ones work best, not panko)
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1/2 teaspoon granulated garlic
- 1/2 teaspoon granulated onion
- 2 ounces (about 1/3 cup) crumbled feta cheese
- 1/2 teaspoon fine grain sea salt
- A few spins of freshly ground black pepper
- Avocado oil or another high-heat cooking oil, for the pan (about 1/4 cup)
To serve
- 1 1/2 cups Greek yogurt
- 1 lemon, juiced (about 2 tablespoons), divided
- 1 large clove fresh garlic, pressed or grated
- 1/2 teaspoon fine grain sea salt, plus more to taste
- Freshly ground black pepper
- Thinly sliced red onion
- Thinly sliced cucumber
- Fresh mint (and fresh dill, if you have it)
- Sumac, for garnish
- Pita bread, for serving (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Spread the ground chicken on a plate lined with paper towels and let it sit for 5 minutes to absorb excess moisture (wet meat steams instead of sears).
- In a large bowl, combine the chicken, breadcrumbs, oregano, granulated garlic, granulated onion, feta, salt, and pepper. Mix gently with your hands until uniform. Roll into 10 to 12 meatballs.
- Heat a large 12-inch oven-safe pan over medium-high heat. Add enough oil to coat the bottom of the pan (about 3-4 tablespoons). Add the meatballs and cook until golden brown, turning them every few minutes to brown on multiple sides, about 6-8 minutes.
- Move the pan to the oven and cook until the meatballs are cooked through and the internal temperature of the meatballs reaches 165°F, about 8-10 minutes.
- While the meatballs cook, whisk the Greek yogurt with the fresh garlic, 1 tablespoon of lemon juice, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and a few spins of black pepper. Adjust seasoning to taste.
- Thinly slice the red onion and toss it with the remaining 1 tablespoon of lemon juice so it starts to pickle and soften. Slice the cucumber and prep the herbs.
- To serve, spread the yogurt on the bottom of a large plate. Add the cooked meatballs, top with the cucumber and onion, then the herbs. Finish with sumac and serve with pita bread, if desired.
Notes
- The ratio: Use 1/4 cup of fine, plain breadcrumbs per pound of ground chicken or turkey. No milk or egg needed.
- Dry the meat: Don’t skip the paper towel step. Ground chicken carries extra water, and drier meat sears better and holds together.
- Make it gluten-free: Use gluten-free breadcrumbs to make this dish gluten-free.
- Pan to oven tip: The pan handle stays very hot after coming out of the oven. Keep an oven mitt on it.
- Storage: Refrigerate meatballs in an airtight container for up to 4 days and the yogurt sauce separately for up to 3 days. Reheat in a 350°F oven for about 10 minutes.
- Freezing: Freeze cooked meatballs for up to 3 months. Reheat from frozen at 350°F for 15 to 20 minutes. The yogurt sauce does not freeze well.