Greek Chicken Meatballs

Easy and Flavorful Greek Meatballs

These Greek chicken meatballs are a Mediterranean-style version of my healthy turkey meatballs, loaded with herbs and spices like fresh dill, red onion, and garlic, cumin, oregano, lemon zest, and red pepper flakes. They’re light, flavorful, and baked until golden!

They can be served on their own as an appetizer as part of a mezze platter, but I love them as part of a complete meal for dinner even more. I normally serve them with rice pilaf or this easy couscous recipe and a classic Greek salad with a drizzle of an easy homemade tzatziki sauce. However, you can even replace the chicken in most Greek-inspired recipes with Greek meatballs, like using them in Greek salad with chicken for a twist.

I love Greek food. I always have. I’ve made everything from Greek sheet pan chicken and a Greek chicken burger to Greek chicken kabobs and Greek pasta salad.

These Greek meatballs (Keftedes) have been an instant hit around here and you’re about to find out why!

Why This Recipe Works

• Light and healthy. Using ground chicken makes them leaner than traditional ground beef meatballs. Greek chicken meatballs are also baked, not fried, and use fresh ingredients without any artificial fillers.
• Flavorful. Thanks to the perfect blend of herbs and spices, there are tons of flavors to enjoy. They’re baked until golden on the outside to lock in the flavor while keeping the inside nice and moist. This isn’t always easy to do with lean meat, but we’ve done it here!
• Easily doubled. There’s no limit to how many you can make. If you need more for a larger crowd, double or triple the recipe. They freeze well, so if nothing else, keep some for later.

Find the full printable recipe with specific measurements below.

• Ground chicken: 80% lean ground chicken is what I use. If you can find a combination of ground breasts and thighs, it’ll help with the moisture.
• Large egg: This is what helps to bind the Greek chicken meatballs together and keep them moist.
• Olive oil: A bit of fat is needed to help with moisture since lean meat contains far less fat. It’s also what helps brown the outsides.
• Panko breadcrumbs: To help absorb excess moisture so the Greek meatballs don’t become too moist and fall apart!
• Aromatics & fresh herbs: Fresh dill, finely chopped red onion, minced garlic, lemon zest, ground or dried oregano. Save some dill for garnish too.
• Spices & seasoning: Red pepper flakes, cumin, salt, and pepper.

Substitutions

There are a few ways to tweak this Greek meatball recipe if there are a few ingredients you may be missing, or would rather use. I often substitute the seasonings for this Greek seasoning blend.

Feel free to swap the ground chicken for ground turkey. You can also play around with the herbs. If dill isn’t your thing, you can use basil or fresh parsley instead.

Onion powder will do if you don’t have fresh red onions to throw in there and the same goes for garlic powder if no fresh garlic. No zest? Use lemon juice instead.

Last, to make them gluten-free, swap the Panko breadcrumbs for almond flour instead.

• Combine ingredients. In a large bowl, combine all of the ingredients including ground chicken, egg, olive oil, breadcrumbs, dill, onion, garlic, lemon zest, red pepper flakes, oregano, cumin, salt, and pepper. Use your hands to mix until just combined. It’s important to not overmix.
• Scoop the mixture. Use a small cookie scoop or tablespoon, scoop out the meat mixture and use your hands to roll them into 1 1/2” balls. Place them onto a foil-lined and greased baking sheet. Arrange them in a single layer, not too close together. You want to make sure to leave enough room between each one to brown evenly.
• Bake uncovered. In a preheated 400°F oven, bake for 16-20 minutes or until the center of your Greek chicken meatball is no longer pink. Flip halfway if you want to brown both sides. I would suggest using a thermometer for accuracy without having to break open a meatball. It should have an internal temperature of 165°F.
• Serve. Enjoy it with Romaine lettuce, feta cheese, chopped cucumbers, and tomatoes, in a rice bowl. Drizzle with Tzatziki sauce if desired. See below for other ways to serve them.

Expert Tips

• Do not overmix. This goes for any time you make meatballs. Overworking the meat makes it tough and dry.
• If you only have dried herbs on hand, that’s ok! Just use 1 teaspoon of dry for every tablespoon of fresh.
• Adjust the size of the balls. If you’re serving them as appetizers feel free to use a smaller scoop. As a main meal, you may want to make them a bit larger. You’ll also need to account for the change in cooking time.
• Wet your hands. When rolling the Greek chicken meatballs you may notice they are a bit stickier than regular beef meatballs with higher fat content. Get your hands wet first!
• You can also sear the meatballs in a skillet to brown them first, if you’d like, before putting them in the oven. You can also do this at the end, or place them under the broiler.

Serving Suggestions

These aren’t your traditional saucy BBQ meatballs which is why I always recommend serving them with a little tzatziki sauce or Greek yogurt and fresh mint and cucumbers.

Serve them with rice, and a Greek salad, complete with kalamata olives and feta!

Use them in pita bread and wrap them up with lettuce, red onions, tomatoes, and hummus.

You can even enjoy them with nothing but a fork. They’re just so good!

Storing + Freezing

Keep leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days.

To freeze uncooked meatballs: Place raw meatballs on a baking sheet and freeze them for about 4 hours until solid. Transfer to a freezer-friendly bag and freeze for up to 4 months. Thaw overnight then bake as directed.

Freeze cooked meatballs: Once completely cooled, flash-freeze the cooked meatballs on a baking sheet until solid. This is just so they don’t all freeze together in a lump. Then, keep them stored in a freezer bag for up to 4 months. You can thaw them or reheat them straight from frozen.

Reheating frozen meatballs: Place your Greek chicken meatballs in a baking dish and cover with foil. Bake at 300°F degrees for 20 to 25 minutes or until completely warmed through. You can also let the meatballs defrost in the fridge and reheat them in the microwave.