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Greek Meatballs, also known as Keftedes, are tender, juicy meatballs made with ground beef, red onion, garlic, fresh mint, parsley, oregano, and warm Mediterranean spices. Lightly dusted in flour and pan-fried until golden and crisp on the outside, this Greek meatball recipe is perfect with tzatziki, warm pita, Greek salad, or lemon rice.
Packed with fresh mint, parsley, garlic, and warm spices, these Greek meatballs are tender, juicy, and full of flavor. Milk, egg, and breadcrumbs help keep the mixture moist while holding the meatballs together, so they cook up soft in the center with a crisp, golden crust.
I like to serve them with tzatziki, tuck them into warm pita bread, add them to rice bowls, or pair them with Greek-inspired side dishes for an easy dinner.
What Are Keftedes?
Keftedes are Greek meatballs traditionally made with ground meat, onion, garlic, fresh herbs, breadcrumbs or soaked bread, egg, and seasonings. They are usually shaped into small balls, lightly coated in flour, and pan-fried until crisp on the outside and juicy in the center.
They are often served as part of a mezze platter with tzatziki, pita bread, olives, and salad, but they also make an easy dinner with Greek lemon rice, roasted vegetables, or a simple Greek salad.
Table of Contents
- What Are Keftedes?
- Why You’ll Love This Greek Meatball Recipe
- Greek Meatball Ingredients and Substitutions
- How to Make Greek Meatballs
- Pan-Fried vs. Baked Greek Meatballs
- Tips for the Best Keftedes
- How to Serve Greek Meatballs
- Make-Ahead, Storage, and Freezing Tips
- Frequently Asked Questions
- More Favorite Meatball Recipes
- Greek Meatballs Recipe (Keftedes)
Why You’ll Love This Greek Meatball Recipe
- Flexible cooking options: Pan-fry them for the best crust or bake them for an easier, hands-off option.
- Great for meals or appetizers: Serve with tzatziki as a snack, tuck into pita, or build a Greek-inspired dinner bowl.
- Freezer-friendly: Make a batch now and freeze the leftovers for quick lunches or dinners.
Greek Meatball Ingredients and Substitutions
- Ground beef: I usually make these Greek meatballs with 90/10 ground beef, which has enough fat for flavor but still keeps the meatballs from feeling greasy. A mixture of ground beef and ground lamb is also delicious and gives the meatballs a more classic Greek-inspired flavor. Ground pork or turkey may also be used, though turkey will be leaner and slightly less juicy.
- Red onion: Red onion adds moisture and sweet, savory flavor. Processing it finely helps it blend into the meat mixture without leaving large crunchy pieces.
- Garlic: Fresh garlic gives the best flavor. I do not recommend skipping it.
- Fresh herbs: Fresh mint and parsley are key to the flavor of keftedes. Mint gives the meatballs their bright, fresh Greek flavor, while parsley balances the richness of the beef.
- Panko breadcrumbs: Breadcrumbs help bind the meatballs and hold moisture. Regular breadcrumbs may also be used. For gluten-free Greek meatballs, use gluten-free breadcrumbs.
- Egg and milk: These work together to keep the meatballs tender and moist.
- Seasonings: Oregano, coriander, cumin, crushed red pepper, salt, and black pepper add warm, savory flavor without overpowering the herbs.
- Flour: A light coating of flour helps create the golden, crisp exterior. Skip the flour if baking the meatballs.
Find the printable recipe with measurements in the recipe card below.
How to Make Greek Meatballs
- Finely chop the onion, garlic, and herbs. Use a food processor to finely chop the red onion and garlic, then pulse the parsley and mint. The goal is finely chopped, not pureed.
- Mix the meatball mixture. Combine the ground beef, onion, garlic, herbs, breadcrumbs, egg, milk, and seasonings in a large bowl. Mix gently with your hands or a spatula just until combined.
- Shape the meatballs. Roll the mixture into 2-inch meatballs. Wet your hands with a little water if the mixture sticks.
- Dust with flour. Lightly roll each meatball in flour, then shake off the excess. This helps create a crisp, golden crust.
- Pan-fry until cooked through. Cook the meatballs in batches in a large skillet with olive oil, turning every few minutes, until browned on all sides and cooked to 160°F.
- Rest and serve. Let the meatballs rest for 5 minutes before serving with tzatziki, lemon wedges, pita, or Greek salad.
Pan-Fried vs. Baked Greek Meatballs
Pan-fried Greek meatballs have the best flavor and texture because the flour coating creates a lightly crisp, golden crust. This is my favorite method when serving them as an appetizer or mezze-style with tzatziki.
Baked Greek meatballs are easier and less messy. They do not get quite as crisp, but they are still tender and flavorful. To bake the meatballs, skip the flour coating, arrange them on a parchment-lined baking sheet, and bake at 400°F for 15-20 minutes, flipping halfway through.
Tips for the Best Keftedes
- Do not overmix the meat. Overmixing can make meatballs dense and tough.
- Finely chop the onion and herbs. Large pieces can make the meatballs harder to shape.
- Use fresh mint. It gives keftedes their classic fresh flavor.
- Dust lightly with flour. Too much flour can taste powdery or burn in the skillet.
- Cook in batches. Crowding the pan causes the meatballs to steam instead of brown.
- Use a meat thermometer. Ground beef meatballs should reach 160°F.
How to Serve Greek Meatballs
Serve Greek meatballs as an appetizer with homemade tzatziki sauce, lemon wedges, and warm pita bread, or add them to a mezze platter with delicious homemade hummus, baba ganoush, whipped feta dip, olives, cucumber, tomatoes, and roasted vegetables.
For dinner, pair them with Greek lemon rice, roasted eggplant, or Greek lemon potatoes. They are also delicious tucked into pita wraps with French fries, shredded lettuce, tomato, red onion, cucumber, tzatziki, and a drizzle of lemon tahini dressing.
Greek meatballs are also wonderful added to salads. Try adding them to my Mediterranean chickpea salad, pearl couscous salad, chopped Mediterranean salad, or Mediterranean orzo salad. You can also serve them with a simple Greek salad for a lighter meal.
Finally, turn them into bowls with fluffy cooked quinoa or rice, chopped cucumber, tomatoes, feta, olives, and tzatziki.
Make-Ahead, Storage, and Freezing Tips
- To make ahead: Mix and shape the meatballs up to 24 hours in advance. Store them covered in the refrigerator until ready to cook.
- To store: Keep leftover cooked meatballs in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
- To freeze uncooked meatballs: Arrange the shaped meatballs on a parchment-lined baking sheet and freeze until solid. Transfer to a freezer-safe bag or container and freeze for up to 3 months.
- To freeze cooked meatballs: Cool completely, then freeze in an airtight container for up to 3 months.
- To reheat: Reheat in a 375°F oven for 5-10 minutes or in an air fryer at 350°F for 3-4 minutes, until warmed through.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, you can make Greek meatballs with dried herbs, but they will taste less fresh than meatballs made with fresh mint and parsley. If using dried herbs, start with a small amount since dried herbs are more concentrated. I would use dried oregano as written, plus about 1 teaspoon dried parsley and ½ teaspoon dried mint in place of the fresh herbs, then adjust to taste next time.
Ground beef works well, especially 90/10 ground beef. For a richer flavor, use a mixture of ground beef and ground lamb. Ground pork or turkey may also be used, but lean turkey can make the meatballs less juicy.
The meat mixture was probably overmixed, packed too tightly, or made with very lean meat. Mix gently, roll lightly, and avoid overcooking.
More Favorite Meatball Recipes
If you try making this Greek meatballs recipe, I’d love to hear what you think! Please leave a comment and a star rating below, your feedback helps other readers discover (and enjoy) this recipe too. Thank you so much! 💛
Greek Meatballs Recipe (Keftedes)
Ingredients
- 1 small red onion, peeled and roughly chopped
- 3 cloves garlic
- ½ bunch fresh parsley, thick stems removed
- 8 large fresh mint leaves
- 1 pound ground beef, 90/10 preferred
- ½ cup panko breadcrumbs
- 1 large egg
- 2 tablespoons whole milk
- 1 teaspoon ground coriander
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- ½ teaspoon ground cumin
- ½ teaspoon crushed red pepper
- 2 tablespoons olive oil, plus more as needed
- ½ cup all-purpose flour
Instructions
- Chop the onion and garlic: Add the red onion to a food processor and pulse until finely chopped. Add the garlic and pulse again just until minced. Do not process into a paste. Transfer the mixture to a large mixing bowl.
- Chop the herbs: Add the parsley and mint to the food processor and pulse until finely chopped. Transfer the herbs to the bowl with the onion and garlic.
- Make the meatball mixture: Add the ground beef, panko breadcrumbs, egg, milk, coriander, salt, black pepper, oregano, cumin, and crushed red pepper flakes to the bowl. Gently mix with your hands or a spatula until just combined. Avoid over-mixing, which can make the meatballs tough.
- Shape the meatballs: Roll the mixture into small 2-inch meatballs and place them on a large plate. Wet your hands with a little water if the mixture starts to stick.
- Coat with flour: Add the flour to a shallow bowl. Lightly roll each meatball in the flour, then shake off any excess. The coating should be thin, not heavy.
- Pan-fry the meatballs: Heat the olive oil in a large skillet set over medium heat. Add the meatballs in a single layer, leaving space between each one. Cook in batches if needed.
- Brown and cook through: Fry the meatballs for 8-10 minutes, turning every 2-3 minutes, until browned on all sides and cooked through. The internal temperature should reach 160°F.
- Rest and serve: Transfer the cooked meatballs to a paper towel-lined plate and let them rest for 5 minutes. Serve warm with tzatziki, lemon wedges, pita bread, salad, or Greek lemon rice.
Notes
- Other meats: Ground pork, ground turkey, or ground lamb may also be used. Keep in mind that leaner meats, especially turkey, may be less juicy.
- Fresh herbs: Fresh parsley and mint give these meatballs their bright, fresh flavor. Dried herbs may be used in a pinch, but the flavor will be different and less fresh.
- Breadcrumbs: Panko breadcrumbs help bind the meatballs and keep them tender. Regular breadcrumbs may also be used.
- Flour coating: The light flour coating helps the meatballs brown and form a crisp exterior. Shake off excess flour before frying.
- Do not overmix: Mix the meatball mixture just until combined. Overmixing can make the meatballs dense.
- Cook in batches: Avoid crowding the skillet. Crowded meatballs will steam instead of brown.
- Baking option: To bake, skip the flour coating and place the meatballs on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Bake at 400°F for 15-20 minutes, flipping halfway through, until the internal temperature reaches 160°F.
- Storage: Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
- Freezing: Cool completely, then freeze in an airtight container or freezer-safe bag for up to 3 months.
- Reheating: Reheat in a 375°F oven for 5-10 minutes or in an air fryer at 350°F for 3-4 minutes, until warmed through.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
These Greek meatballs were part of Friday’s dinner menu and they were absolutely delicious and loved by all . Thank You so much Jessica !
Thank you, Edward! I am so happy they were a hit on Friday night and loved by everyone. I really appreciate you taking the time to comment!
Jessica, my mouth is watering in anticipation of making this recipe. Can’t wait… BUT will have to as I have no ground beef. Cheers Robin in Qualicum Beach
Made this over the weekend using Ground Bison. Very tender and flavorful.
Thanks for the feedback, this recipe with ground bison sounds amazing 🙂
Followed the recipe exactly .. maybe a little more meat because it came pre packed . I have paired meatballs with a premade Tzatziki yogurt dip and I know this will become a family favorite . It is not quick to make, but it’s worth the time .
Thank you from saving us from another salmon dinner.