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Keftedes (Greek Meatballs)

These juicy, flavorful Greek meatballs combine the best and freshest Greek herbs and spices for a mouthwatering meze. They can be snacked on alone or served with pita and tzatziki for an authentic Greek meal.

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 20 minutes

Servings: 32

Ingredients

  • 1/3 cup whole milk
  • 1 slice stale bread (trust us), cubed
  • 1 medium onion, grated
  • 4 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1/3 cup olive oil
  • 1 pound ground beef
  • 1/2 pound ground lamb or pork
  • 2 large eggs, one whole, one just the yolk
  • 1/4 cup mint leaves, finely chopped
  • 1 tbsp ground coriander
  • 1 tsp oregano
  • 1/2 tsp cinnamon
  • 1/2 tsp nutmeg
  • 3 lemons, zested and juiced
  • Salt and pepper to taste
  • Flour (to coat)
  • 1 1/3 cup chicken broth

Preparation

  1. Add cubed bread and milk to a bowl. Let soak for 5 minutes.
  2. Heat 2 tbsp olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Cook onions and garlic until fragrant and translucent. Set aside to cool.
  3. Squeeze excess milk out of bread cubes. In a large mixing bowl, combine bread cubes, ground beef, ground lamb or pork, one whole egg, fresh mint, all the spices, 1 tbsp lemon zest, and salt and pepper to taste. Mix by hand until all ingredients are well-combined.
  4. Form the mixture into balls about the size of a ping pong ball. Roll in flour to coat and set aside.
  5. Add 1/4 cup olive oil to the same large skillet and heat over medium-high. Turn down to medium and add meatballs (you will probably need to cook them in batches). Cook for about 10 minutes until cooked evenly on all sides.
  6. Remove meatballs with a slotted spoon and place on a paper towel-lined plate to drain excess grease.
  7. In another bowl, whisk together lemon juice, one egg yolk, and chicken broth. Add to the skillet with the rest of the lemon zest and add the meatballs back in with the lemon mixture. Cook on medium for another 5 minutes or until lemon sauce thickens.
  8. Let cool slightly and serve in a bowl with toothpicks or on plates with pita and tzatziki!