food & drink

Greek inspired meatballs

On February 8, 2021 by
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I love meatballs and I love Greek food, so I decided to combine the two. This dish is a Greek inspired twist on a classic meatball. It’s also gluten free, paleo, whole 30, keto, and SO easy to make. As healthy and easy as these meatballs are, they are equally delicious. You truly won’t miss any of the bad stuff…I promise lol. The key here is the flavor you get from all of the fresh herbs, citrus, and other quality ingredients. 

Dress: Orange Maxi

For this recipe I used ground beef and ground pork. A true Greek meatball would probably use lamb, but I wanted to utilize ingredients that were more accessible and realistic for me (and you!) to have in the fridge. With that being said, you could easily substitute the meat in this dish for lamb, turkey, chicken, etc. and it would probably be just as delicious. **If you decide to use poultry, always make sure it is cooked fully through to 165 degrees Fahrenheit! 

In addition to the meat, this recipe includes grated red onion, grated garlic, lemon zest & juice, fresh parsley, dried oregano (I also used za’atar but you can omit and go for more oregano), almond flour and egg. The almond flour is used in place of breadcrumbs for this recipe, which is what makes it compliant with all of the diets listed above. 

Combine all the ingredients in a bowl and mix together; being cautious not to overwork the meat. You just want to get everything incorporated together. At this point you can put the mixture into the fridge for a little bit to make creating the meatballs a little easier.

I used a scoop to create a uniform size for all of the meatballs. This recipe yielded exactly 24 meatballs for me. Preheat your oven to 400F. Put the meatballs onto a greased or lined baking sheet. Brush the top with a little oil or butter before placing them into the oven to help them brown up. Cook for approximately 20 minutes or until cooked through.

I feel like you really can’t eat these meatballs without tzatziki. It truly makes the meal. That’s the only nonnegotiable, so you can have fun with how you serve these besides that. I served these on a bed of tzatziki, with cucumber, kalamata olives, Mediterranean herb feta cheese, sliced lemon, and garnished with fresh dill.

These meatballs are great as a snack or a full meal. You can serve them with hummus, pita, salad, grilled veggies, (cauliflower) rice, or just straight up by themselves. These would be a great addition to any happy hour, mezze platter, game day spread or your work week meal prep. They are light, delicious, and so versatile. Let me know how you end up serving yours!

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Ingredients

  • 1/2 lb ground beef

  • 1/2 lb ground pork

  • 1/4 cup red onion, grated

  • 2 garlic cloves, grated

  • 1/4 cup almond flour

  • juice and zest of 1 lemon

  • 1/2 tsp dried oregano

  • 1/2 tsp za’atar (can sub for more oregano)

  • 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley

  • 1 egg

  • salt & pepper

  • oil or butter for brushing

  • Optional

  • 1/4 cup chopped fresh mint

  • fresh dill for garnish

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Directions

  • Combine all ingredients in a large bowl. Preheat oven to 400F.
  • Use a scoop or your hands to form mixture into balls. Makes approximately 24. Chill mixture to make forming meatballs easier.
  • Place formed meatballs onto a greased or lined baking sheet, making sure they aren’t touching one another. Brush tops of meatballs with a little oil or butter to help with browning.
  • Cook at 400F for approximately 20 minutes or until cooked through.
  • Serve with tzatziki, fresh dill, pita, or whatever else your heart desires! Enjoy.
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