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Home » Recipes » Main Dish Recipes

Greek Meatballs - Keftedes

Published: May 8, 2017 · Modified: Aug 15, 2021 by Colleen 17 Comments

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Greek Turkey Meatballs, or Keftedes, are usually made with a combo of ground beef and, or lamb. This is a recipe with much leaner ground turkey instead. Because I'm baking these meatballs, and not frying them, there's no added fat.

A pita bread topped with meatballs on a plate

Meatballs: a Global Cuisine

Although these are Greek turkey meatballs, you can find a meatball in the cuisines of nearly every culture. What other dish is so versatile, so affordable and so easy to make? So you can eat them in Italy (polpettes), Sweden (kottbullar), Mexico (albondigas), Indonesia (bakso), and all places in between. Read more about the origins of meatballs here A Food That Transcends Cultures.

A close up of meatballs

Versatile Meatballs

There's no lack of yum though. All of the seasonings in these make them super flavourful. Meatballs are very easy to make, and they are the best for freezing. I love that you can flavour them however you like, or toss them in sauces, like these Sweet & Sour Meatballs and Hoisin Meatballs. You can even serve them as party snacks with a dip, like these Cajun Meatballs. These Greek Meatballs are delicious served on grilled pita smeared with Tzatziki.

A Pita topped with sauce, meatballs and vegetables on a plate

Healthier Meatballs with Ground Turkey

It's really easy to keep your meatballs healthier. If you use lean ground turkey or chicken and bake, instead of frying your meatballs, you are eliminating a ton of fat and calories. And if you have an air fryer, try Air Fryer Turkey Meatballs (Gluten-Free) All the flavour is from the seasonings that you use.

How To Eat Meatballs

These tasty meatball morsels are perfect as appetizers on their own. (Maybe with a shot of ouzo).They are just as good cold as they are warm. But, for us, this was dinner. I grilled some pita and tossed cherry tomatoes and kalamata olives in lemon juice. We spread those warm pita with tzatziki and piled them up with meatballs and the tomatoes and olives, along with red onion slices. And, this was one fine dinner. Seriously good.

You can also serve these meatballs on their own, with a Greek salad. Or, put into a sub sandwich, or, really, these guys are versatile. That's why I always make extra to freeze. When I'm feeling crunched for time or just plain lazy, there are always meatballs.

You can easily make these gluten-free, or paleo, by eliminating the panko crumbs or subbing a gluten-free breadcrumb. Or, you can add one more egg to the meat mixture to eliminate the bread altogether.

A close up of meatballs

Food on a blue plate

Greek Meatballs – Keftedes

These delicious Greek Turkey Meatballs, or Keftedes, are made with lean ground turkey and baked, not fried.
5 from 3 votes
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Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Mediterranean
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 25 minutes
Servings: 24 meatballs
Calories: 37kcal
Author: Colleen Milne

Ingredients

  • 1 lb lean ground turkey
  • ¼ cup panko bread crumbs
  • 1 large egg
  • 2 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 clove garlic minced
  • ¼ cup fresh parsley finely chopped
  • 3 tablespoon dried mint
  • 2 tablespoon fresh oregano finely chopped
  • ¼ teaspoon nutmeg
  • ¼ teaspoon cinnamon
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
US Customary - Metric

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 400°
  • Line a baking sheet with parchment
  • Combine all ingredients in a large bowl
  • Roll meat mixture into 2" balls, and place on baking sheet
  • Bake 20 minutes, turning halfway through

Notes

Note that the nutrition facts are for one meatball, since these are also great served as appetizers, and serving sizes vary depending on the purpose.
If serving on a pita, like this recipe, plan on 4-5 meatballs per pita.

Nutrition

Serving: 1g | Calories: 37kcal | Protein: 4g | Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 17mg | Sodium: 66mg | Potassium: 65mg | Vitamin A: 90IU | Vitamin C: 0.9mg | Calcium: 7mg | Iron: 0.4mg
Tried this Recipe? Pin it for Later!Mention @TheFoodBlog or tag #thefoodblog!

Food on a blue plate

Greek Meatballs (Keftedes)

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Carrie Mihalkanin

    August 29, 2019 at 3:05 pm

    Hi, Do you have the recipe for the Tzatziki too? They look yummy!

    Reply
    • Colleen

      August 29, 2019 at 6:12 pm

      Hi Carrie, absoluely! From the home page, just type tzatziki in the search box. These really are yummy. Enjoy!

      Reply
  2. Rebecca Kirkpatrick

    October 06, 2018 at 8:01 am

    What about the dipping sauce?

    Reply
    • Colleen

      October 06, 2018 at 8:30 am

      Hi Rebecca, I used homemade tzatziki here. There is a link in this meatball recipe, or you can try: https://www.thefoodblog.net/tzatziki/

      Reply
  3. Isabelle @ Crumb

    May 20, 2017 at 9:11 am

    Love this healthier take of keftedes! I often substitute ground chicken or turkey in my recipes, but I've never thought to try them in keftedes, mostly because I love ground lamb so much... after seeing your lovely sandwich, though, I may just have to skip the lamb just this once. 🙂

    Reply
    • Colleen

      May 20, 2017 at 3:25 pm

      Thanks Isabelle! Lamb is tradional, but turkey works really well, too ?

      Reply
  4. [email protected]

    May 19, 2017 at 6:15 pm

    I am with you - not a fan of lamb. I adore Greek food and don't know what I haven't made these! I have them pinned, so will be making them soon. Yum!

    Reply
    • Colleen

      May 19, 2017 at 8:04 pm

      Thanks, Terri! Hope you enjoy them! 🙂

      Reply
  5. Maresa | Breakfast for Dinner

    May 19, 2017 at 3:31 pm

    I like the idea of substituting turkey in these Greek Meatballs. Looks like such a perfect summer dinner - pinning for later!

    Reply
    • Colleen

      May 19, 2017 at 3:45 pm

      Thanks Maresa, you can do these on the grill, too, to really make it a summer dinner!

      Reply
  6. Karen Ahmed

    May 19, 2017 at 9:28 am

    I've had this on my bucket list for a while! Yours look deeelish!

    Reply
  7. Nick Stamoulis

    May 15, 2017 at 12:02 pm

    Meatballs are so versatile! We like to swap ground turkey for ground beef in most recipes in our house. It's better for you and just as tasty with the right seasonings.

    Reply
    • Colleen

      May 15, 2017 at 12:07 pm

      Hi Nick! I am totally in agreement with you on swapping the ground beef for turkey. Another bonus is that it's usually more economical, as well. Thanks for commenting!

      Reply
  8. [email protected]

    May 12, 2017 at 11:12 am

    I am a big fan of lamb, but I'm sure that these ingredients and flavours are superb with ground turkey too! I should try making these (and meatballs in general) more often. I like that they're baked too - I tend to do meatballs in a frying pan, so I'd imagine this is a little easier. Glad to know that they freeze well too. Cheers!

    Reply
    • Colleen

      May 12, 2017 at 1:39 pm

      Hi Sean! Meatballs are the best, and if you like lamb, these would be perfect.

      Reply
  9. Risa

    May 09, 2017 at 3:32 am

    Thanks for the recipe! I can't wait to make them! I have a silly question...do you freeze the extras after baking? Before baking? And how do you reheat? Thanks!

    Reply
    • Colleen

      May 09, 2017 at 7:50 am

      Hi Risa; not silly at all! I always freeze them after baking. Its easiest to pre-freeze them on a cookie sheet, and then they can be packed into a freezer bag. To reheat, you can put them on a baking sheet in a single layer, cover with foil and put in a 350° oven until heated through. I would love to hear back about how your meatballs turn out. Enjoy!

      Reply

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