Greek chicken meatballs feature a blend of fresh herbs and spices and seared to perfection on until tender. Top them with a fresh cucumber tzatziki sauce.
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Greek food is one of our favorite cuisines to make during the week because it's always healthy and flavorful. It's why our Instant Pot Greek Chicken and Rice and One Pan Greek Chicken are so popular! And I'm sure this greek chicken meatball recipe will be no different!
Why You'll Love This Recipe
- It's really healthy, but not lacking in flavor because of the fresh herbs and spices.
- It's easy to meal prep!
- Naturally gluten-free.
- It takes less than 30 minutes to make!
Ingredient Notes and Substitutions
For the meatballs
- Ground chicken: you can also use ground turkey if you have that on hand.
- Egg: this helps bind the meatballs together.
- Almond flour: grab a blanched almond flour, which means the almonds are peeled before ground. Pack it down in the measuring cup to measure, like brown sugar. You could swap this for breadcrumbs or gluten-free bread crumbs as well.
- Shallot: this variety of onion is small and mild. I love using this in recipes like meatballs or dressings because they don't need cooked first to mellow out the bite.
- Herbs/spices: garlic, fresh oregano, dried basil, kosher salt.
- Lemon juice: I always had some sort of acid to my dishes to bring balance, and lemon juice is the perfect ingredient for Greek recipes.
- Toppings: feta cheese, kalamata olives, fresh parsley, lemon zest or fresh mint.
For the Creamy Tzatziki Sauce
- Creamy base: I like to use a mixture of paleo mayo and coconut cream to keep this dairy-free, but traditional Greek yogurt is a great option.
- English cucumber: this variety has a mild skin that doesn't need peeled.
- Herbs/spices: garlic, dill, salt and lemon juice.
- Quality extra virgin olive oil
How to Make Greek Chicken Meatballs (step by step)
- Mix the meatballs: Add the chicken, egg, almond flour, shallot, garlic, oregano, basil, salt and lemon juice to a large bowl. The best way to really incorporate everything is by using your hands. Don't be afraid to get them dirty!
- Roll: Grab a cookie scoop or tablespoon to scoop the mixture out and roll them into balls (it should make 14-15 meatballs).
- Cook: Add the prepared meatballs to a skillet with hot olive oil and sear them until they're crisp and cooked through, about 8-10 minutes, turning them 2-3 times.
How to make Tzatziki
- Add all of the ingredients to the bowl of a food processor and pulse 10-15 times until combined and the cucumber breaks down into small bits. If you don’t have a food processor, finely chop or grate the cucumber and mix the ingredients in a bowl.
- Serve the meatballs with a drizzle of tzatziki, crumbled feta, olives or parsley if desired. We love this with greek roasted vegetables, lemon orzo, asparagus or rice. It’s also great inside a wrap or pita!
Expert Tips
- Wet your fingertips with a bit of water if you find the meatballs are sticking to your hands too much.
- Use fresh herbs when you can, it makes a difference!
- Use a meat thermometer to know when the meatballs are done. They should reach an internal temp of 165°F.
- Don't get the skillet too hot! The outside of the meatballs will sear and get crispy before the inside of the meatballs are cooked all the way through.
What to Serve with Greek Chicken Meatballs
- Classic greek salad with tomatoes, onion, olives and greek dressing.
- Roasted greek vegetables: throw zucchini, eggplant, red onion and bell peppers on a baking sheet and drizzle with olive oil and salt. Bake at 425°F for about 30 minutes.
- Cucumber tomato and avocado salad (see notes in the blog post to add greek flavors to it).
- Garlic roasted mini peppers
- Air fryer asparagus
- Orzo with fresh lemon
More Healthy Greek Recipes
Recipe
Greek Chicken Meatballs with Creamy Tzatziki Sauce
Greek chicken meatballs feature a blend of fresh herbs and spices and seared to perfection on until tender. Top them with a fresh cucumber tahini sauce.
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Servings: 4 people (3-4 meatballs each)
Calories: 403kcal
Ingredients
Greek Chicken Meatballs
- 1 pound ground chicken
- 1 large egg
- 1/2 cup blanched almond flour packed
- 1 small shallot finely chopped
- 1 clove garlic minced
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh oregano or 3/4 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1/2 teaspoon dried basil
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 2 tablespoons of avocado or olive oil
- Toppings: Crumbled feta cheese, kalamata olives or parsley
Tzatziki Sauce
- 3/4 cup paleo mayo (we use Primal Kitchen)
- 1/4 full-fat canned coconut milk shaken to mix together
- OR sub mayo and coconut milk for 1 cup plain greek yogurt
- 1 English cucumber roughly choopped
- 1 clove garlic
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 tablespoon fresh dill or 1 teaspoon dried dill
- 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
Recommended Equipment
- Heavy-bottom skillet (i.e. cast iron)
Instructions
- Add the chicken, egg, almond flour, shallot, garlic, oregano, basil, salt and lemon juice to a large bowl. Use a wooden spoon or clean hands to mix until just combined.
- Roll the mixture into tablespoon-size balls (it should make 14-15 meatballs). Wet your fingertips with a bit of water if you find the meatballs are sticking to your hands too much.
- Heat a large skillet or dutch oven over medium-high heat and add 2 tablespoons of oil. When the oil is hot and shimmers, add the meatballs and sear until crisp and cooked through, about 8-10 minutes, turning them 2-3 times. The internal temperature should reach 165°F. Remove the pan from the heat while you prepare the tzatziki sauce.
- To make the tzatziki, add all of the ingredients to the bowl of a food processor and pulse 10-15 times until combined and the cucumber breaks down into small bits. If you don’t have a food processor, finely chop or grate the cucumber and mix the ingredients in a bowl.
- Serve the meatballs with a drizzle of tzatziki, crumbled feta, olives or parsley if desired. We love this with greek roasted vegetables, lemon orzo, asparagus or rice. It’s also great inside a wrap or pita!
Notes
- Dairy-free: use the mayo and coconut milk in the tzatziki sauce and omit feta cheese to top.
- Nut-free: swap the almond flour for 1/3 cup of tapioca flour.
- To store: place any leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight then reheat in a skillet until warmed all the way through.
Nutrition
Serving: 4meatballs with sauce | Calories: 403kcal | Carbohydrates: 9.3g | Protein: 30.2g | Fat: 23.5g | Cholesterol: 152mg | Sodium: 568mg | Fiber: 1.5g | Sugar: 4.3g
Did you make this recipe?Mention @What_MollyMade or tag #whatmollymade!
Erica says
Question....
The suggested sides ding include the recipe for the side pictured (roasted potatoes) with the meatballs. I tried searching the site but don't see any recipes that match. Can you please provide the link or recipe?
Molly Thompson says
Hey Erica! If you scroll up in the body of the post there are quick directions for the roasted greek veggies! Just add potatoes in there as well:)