Greek Meatballs are one of those timeless recipes that never go out of style. Tender, herb-packed, and deeply savory, they’re simple enough for a weeknight dinner but special enough for guests.
These traditional Greek meatballs, also known as keftedes, rely on fresh parsley, oregano, garlic, and a touch of mint for their unmistakable Mediterranean flavor. Serve them warm with tzatziki and pita for a classic experience.
This is a dependable, well-balanced Greek meatball recipe you’ll come back to again and again.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Bold Mediterranean flavor from fresh herbs and garlic
- Juicy interior with a lightly crisp exterior
- Simple pantry ingredients
- Perfect for meal prep
- Easy to fry, bake, or air fry
- Family-friendly and freezer-friendly
- Delicious hot, warm, or room temperature
What Is Greek Meatballs?
Greek meatballs, or keftedes, are traditional Mediterranean meatballs made with ground beef or lamb, fresh herbs, onion, and warm spices. Unlike Italian meatballs, Greek keftedes often include mint and oregano for a bright, herbal finish.
They are typically pan-fried until golden brown and served with tzatziki sauce, pita bread, and fresh vegetables.
Ingredients (& What They Do)
** You can find the full recipe ingredients and instructions on the printable recipe card below.
Ground Beef – Provides rich flavor and structure. An 80/20 blend keeps the meatballs juicy.
Onion – Adds moisture and natural sweetness. Finely grate or mince for even texture.
Garlic – Essential for authentic flavor.
Fresh Parsley – Brightens the meat mixture.
Dried Oregano – Adds classic Greek depth.
Fresh Mint – Gives traditional keftedes their signature herbal note.
Egg – Binds the mixture together.
Breadcrumbs – Absorb moisture and keep the texture tender.
Salt and Black Pepper – Balance and enhance flavor.
Olive Oil – Used for pan-frying and adds subtle richness.
How to Make Greek Meatballs
** You can find the full recipe ingredients and instructions on the printable recipe card below.
- Prepare the mixture
In a large bowl, combine ground beef, grated onion, garlic, parsley, oregano, mint, egg, breadcrumbs, salt, and pepper. Mix gently until just combined. - Shape the meatballs
Roll into evenly sized balls, about 1½ inches wide. Do not overwork the mixture. - Heat the oil
Warm olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat until shimmering. - Cook until golden
Add meatballs in a single layer. Brown on all sides, turning occasionally, about 8–10 minutes total. - Check doneness
Internal temperature should reach 160°F. Remove and drain on paper towels.
Serve warm with tzatziki and lemon wedges.
Recipe Tips
- Grate the onion instead of chopping for better moisture distribution.
- Chill the mixture 20–30 minutes before shaping for easier handling.
- Avoid overcrowding the pan to ensure browning.
- Turn gently to maintain shape.
Substitutions and Variations
- Use ground lamb for deeper flavor.
- Substitute ground turkey for a lighter option.
- Bake at 375°F for 18–20 minutes instead of frying.
- Add crumbled feta inside each meatball for a surprise center.
- Air fry at 350°F for 10–12 minutes, flipping halfway.
What Can Go Wrong (and how to fix it)
Dry Meatballs
Use higher fat ground beef and avoid overcooking.
Falling Apart
Add more breadcrumbs or ensure egg is fully incorporated.
Dense Texture
Do not overmix the meat mixture.
Uneven Browning
Maintain steady medium heat and rotate regularly.
What to Serve With Greek Meatballs
Greek Meatballs pair beautifully with:
- Tzatziki sauce
- Pita bread
- Greek salad
- Lemon rice
- Roasted potatoes
- Hummus and olives
Storage and Reheating
Store cooled Greek meatballs in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
To reheat, warm in a skillet over medium heat or bake at 325°F until heated through.
Freeze cooked meatballs for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight before reheating.
Time-Saving Tips
- Mix ingredients the night before.
- Shape meatballs ahead and refrigerate until ready to cook.
- Bake a double batch and freeze half.
- Use a cookie scoop [paid link] for uniform sizing.
How to Repurpose Leftovers
- Stuff into pita wraps with lettuce and sauce.
- Slice into grain bowls.
- Serve over orzo or rice.
- Add to a Mediterranean pasta salad.
- Layer into a meatball gyro sandwich.
People Also Ask (FAQs)
What makes Greek meatballs different from Italian meatballs?
Greek meatballs use oregano and mint instead of basil and Parmesan, giving them a fresh, herb-forward flavor.
Can Greek meatballs be baked instead of fried?
Yes. Bake at 375°F for 18–20 minutes or until the internal temperature reaches 160°F.
What sauce goes with Greek meatballs?
Tzatziki is the traditional pairing. Garlic yogurt sauce also works well.
Can you freeze Greek meatballs?
Yes. Freeze cooked meatballs in a single layer before transferring to a freezer-safe container.
Are Greek meatballs served hot or cold?
They are best served warm but can also be enjoyed at room temperature as part of a mezze platter.
Final Thoughts
Greek Meatballs are a foundational Mediterranean recipe worth mastering. They’re flavorful without being complicated, flexible without losing authenticity, and always satisfying.
Once you make these traditional keftedes from scratch, they’ll become part of your regular dinner rotation.
Pan-Fried Greek Meatballs With Tzatziki Sauce – [Keftedakia Greek Recipe]
Equipment
- Knife
- Box Grater [paid link]
- mixing bowls
- Measuring Cups [paid link]
- Measuring Spoons [paid link]
- Fine mesh sieve [paid link]
Ingredients
Tzatziki Sauce
- 1 English Cucumber hot house cucumbers or substitute 1 large standard cucumber
- 1 tsp Kosher Salt fine, more or less to taste
- 1 cup Greek Yogurt plain
- 1 Lemon juice freshly squeezed tastes best
- 1 tbsp mint freshly chopped, spearmint
- 2 tsp Garlic minced
- 1/4 tsp Ground Black Pepper more or less to taste
Greek Meatballs
- 20 oz Ground Beef (1.5 lbs), 85% lean ground beef or a combination of ground beef and lamb.
- 1 cup Bread Crumbs I use panko but plain bread crumbs are also fine here. Gluten-free can get a little gummy.
- 1/2 cup Milk or water or beef stock
- 1 cup Onion grated
- 4 tsp Garlic minced
- 2 large Eggs
- 2 tbsp Mint chopped
- 2 tsp Dried Oregano
- 1 tsp Kosher salt fine
- 1/2 tsp Ground Black Pepper
- 1/4 tsp Ground Cinnamon gives a warm flavor to the meatballs
- Olive Oil for the skillet
Instructions
Tzatziki Sauce
- Peel the cucumber and cut it in half lengthwise. Remove seeds, if necessary. Usually, with an English cucumber, this is not needed. Shred into a bowl using the large holes of the box grater [paid link].
- Transfer the cucumber to the wire mesh sieve and toss with the salt. Hang the sieve back over the bowl and allow it to drain for 30 minutes. The salt draws out excess moisture leaving the concentrated flavor of the cucumber. You can skip this step, however, this may result in tzatiki sauce that is runny from the excess water.
- Once the allotted time has passed, squeeze the cucumbers with your hands or wrapped in a tea towel to remove any additional water and transfer them to a medium bowl. Add the Greek yogurt, lemon juice, mint, garlic paste, and ground black pepper. Mix well. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes or up to 2 days for the flavors to meld.
Greek Meatballs
- Combine the ingredients in a large mixing bowl [paid link]. mix with your hands until combined and all the liquid as absorbed into the breadcrumbs.
- Shape the meat mixture into 18 equal meatballs. Heat the oil in a large non-stick skillet over medium heat. Cook the meatballs until browned and cooked through, about 10 minutes. If working in small batches, you may opt to keep these warm in the oven while the other batches cook.
- Drain the matballs on paper towels. Serve warm.
Notes
Storage tips
- Store: For making meatballs ahead or storing leftovers, meatballs should be cooled completely and stored in an air-tight container or zip-top bag in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
- Reheat: To reheat meatballs, you can use the microwave, conventional oven, or air fryer.
- Microwave, heat at 50% power in 30-second intervals until heated through.
- Conventional Oven – Heat in a 325-degree F oven for 10 to 15 minutes or until heated through.
- Air fryer – heat at 400 degrees F for 9 minutes or until heated through.
- Freeze: After the meatballs are fully-cooked, be sure to allow them to cool completely. Flash freeze on a silicone or parchment-lined rimmed baking sheet until frozen through. Remove from sheet to a freezer-proof container or zip-top freezer bag for up to 3 months. Defrost and reheat as directed above.
Variations on Greek Meatballs [Keftedakia]
- Greek Beef Meatballs– That’s this recipe! For Greek beef meatballs follow the recipe below.
- Greek Chicken Meatballs [or Greek Turkey Meatballs] – Replace the beef with an equal amount of ground chicken or turkey. Since chicken and turkey are naturally a little less flavorful than beef, you may find you need to add a little extra salt and spices to amp up the flavor. Do this by adding the seasonings and making a small meatball and cooking it off and tasting it. Adjust the seasonings as needed and repeat until you achieve your desired flavor.
- Greek Lamb Meatballs – Replace the beef with an equal amount of ground lamb. Follow the rest of the instructions and ingredients as described.
- Beef and Lamb Meatballs [Gyro Meatballs] – Replace half of the beef with an equal amount of ground lamb. Follow the rest of the instructions and ingredients as described.
- Greek meatballs with feta – add 4 oz of crumbled feta to the meatball mixture and lightly mix it in (at the end). Proceed with the recipe as directed.
- Gluten-Free Meatballs- For the meatballs, replace gluten-free panko with the regular panko breadcrumbs. The yogurt in tzatziki is naturally gluten-free but be sure to check your yogurt packaging to be sure.
- Dairy-free Meatballs – For the meatballs, simply omit the milk and replace it with water or stock like beef, vegetable, or chicken.
- Dairy-Free Tzatziki Sauce [Plant-based Tzatziki Sauce] – For dairy-free tzatziki sauce, start with a coconut milk-based vegan yogurt (not coconut flavored dairy-based yogurt) in equal amounts this recipe, and follow the instructions for the tzatziki sauce as described. If you cannot locate dairy-free vegan coconut milk yogurt, both Target and Whole Foods sell a plant-based, dairy-free tzatziki sauce that you could use for this recipe.
- Egg-free Meatballs– Eggs act as a binder in the meatballs holding them together while they cook. If you chose to omit the egg, the milk and breadcrumbs will still work well at helping the meat keep its shape. You may need to be a little careful while turning the meatballs to make sure they retain their shape.
- Vegetarian Meatballs – For a great base recipe, check out these vegetarian meatballs from Dishing out Healthy. I would then omit the Italian seasoning and add the Greek seasonings described below in the recipe below.
Other Serving Suggestions for Keftedakia
If you are looking for more ways to serve these greek meatballs, you can try any of these serving suggestions:- Greek meatballs with rice – buttered long-grain, white rice.
- Greek meatballs in tomato sauce with white rice and toasted pine nuts
- Greek meatball soup with lemon and orzo
- Greek Meatballs with Rice Pilaf with toasted pine nuts.
- Gyros wrap with hummus, cucumber salad, red onions, and kalamata olives. Top with tzatziki sauce and a crumbling of fresh feta for the perfect Greek street food.
Nutrition
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I’m 16 and I cooked this. It was sooo good and so easy to make. 10/10 recommend. They are so juicy and tender it’s crazy!!!
Thank you. I’m glad you enjoy this.
These meatballs look amazing! I am making these tomorrow evening! Thank you sooo much for sharing! Can’t wait ! :)