Greek Meatballs with Tzatziki Sauce

Greek Meatballs with Tzatziki Sauce are perfect for dinner or an appetizer! Loaded with spices, lemon zest and even feta cheese, they are sure to please anyone who loves Greek flavors!

The past couple days the weather in Denver has been absolutely gorgeous! Mid 70’s, sunny, everything you dream about when you think of spring. Now here I am reading the weather forecast for the weekend and we have a 100% chance of snow tomorrow and a 70% chance Sunday with highs in the upper 30’s.

I can’t even explain how disappointing this is. Of course it’s expected, that’s spring in Colorado, but man was I sad when I read that! Instead of spending my weekend outside, I’ll be huddled up in my hoodie next to the fire. I’m just hoping it’s not as bad as the blizzard we got a few weeks ago.

Since grilling dinner and sitting outside on the deck (I had my eye on these Chicken Teritaki Skewers) is out of the question, the next best option is to make these Greek Meatballs with Tzatziki Sauce. I’ve been on a meatball kick lately. I think it’s because I love little bites that are packed with flavor, which is exactly what these meatballs are.

Generally I stick to using ground turkey when I make meatballs, but my husband loves beef so every now and then I treat him to it, plus it’s probably good for me to get a little extra iron in my diet. As another alternative you could use ground lamb. These Greek meatballs are full of flavor and include spices you might not be expecting.

The beef is seasoned with a combination of parsley, oregano, coriander, cumin and a touch of cinnamon. The warm spice of the cinnamon along with the coriander and cumin are so delicious with the fresh lemon zest and juice that are also in the meatballs.

Since these are Greek meatballs feta cheese is a must! I stuffed each meatball with a cube of feta, but if you don’t want to fuss with that just mix some crumbles in with the meat mixture. A good dip/sauce is a must with these meatballs and I couldn’t resist making tzatziki sauce, which is just one of the best sauces ever if you ask me. I used the same recipe that I used for these Greek Lemon Chicken Skewers. Hopefully you wont be confined to huddling by the fireplace this weekend, but if you are these Greek meatballs should help make staying inside more bearable.

More Meatball Recipes

Skillet Enchilada Meatballs

Slow Cooker Teriyaki Meatballs

Skillet Meatballs in Marinara Sauce

Buffalo Chicken and Blue Cheese Stuffed Meatballs

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Greek Meatballs with Tzatziki Sauce

Yield: Approximately 20 meatballs

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Cook Time: 12 minutes

Total Time: 32 minutes

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Ingredients

Greek Meatballs

• 1 pound lean ground beef
• 1/4 cup panko breadcrumbs or gluten-free breadcrumbs
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh leaf parsley
• 3 tablespoons grated onion
• 1 clove garlic, grated
• Zest of a lemon
• 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 1 egg
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• Kosher salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste
• 2 ounces feta cheese, cubed or crumbled

Tzatziki Sauce

• 1 cup shredded cucumber
• 1 1/2 cups plain non-fat Greek yogurt
• Juice of half a lemon
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh dill
• 1/2 teaspoon grated garlic or 1/4 teaspoon granulated garlic
• Kosher salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 450° F. Line a baking sheet with foil and spray it with cooking spray.
2. In a large bowl whisk together the panko, parsley, grated onion, garlic, lemon zest and juice, egg, spices, salt and pepper. If you aren't planning to stuff the meatballs with a cube of feta add the feta crumbles to the mixture.
3. Add the ground beef to the mixture and combine with your hands being careful not to over-work the meat mixture. Form approximately 1 tablespoon sized meatballs. If you are stuffing the meatballs with feta, stuff a small cube of feta into the center of each meatball making sure it is completely covered.
4. Place the meatballs on the prepared baking sheet, spray the tops with cooking spray, then place the baking sheet on the center rack of the oven and bake for approximately 12-15 minutes or until golden brown.
5. Make the tzatziki sauce while the meatballs are baking by combining all of the ingredient in a medium sized bowl and stirring together until combined.
6. Remove the meatballs from the oven and serve with the tzatziki sauce.

Nutrition Information:

Yield: 4 Serving Size: 1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 362Total Fat: 16gSaturated Fat: 6gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 7gCholesterol: 150mgSodium: 192mgCarbohydrates: 13gFiber: 2gSugar: 4gProtein: 41g