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Greek Baked Meatballs

Looking for a quick and loaded with flavor appetizer for game day? Look no further than these Greek Baked Meatballs. Just mix together the ingredients, roll into balls and bake for only 12 minutes into super moist and juicy Greek meatballs.

This is a sponsored post on behalf of The Motherhood.

Overhead shot of a plate of Greek Baked Meatballs and chopped veggiesMy favorite part of Football is the food. It wouldn’t be a proper game without some tasty appetizers. Ideally, you want appetizers that require little prep, come together easily and will satisfy the most hungry of guests. Baked meatballs do just that.

Ingredients for Greek Baked Meatballs

  • Ground beef and lamb: The main base for meaty flavor. The combination of textures works well and beef helps to pare down the rich flavor of lamb.
  • Breadcrumbs and milk: Helps moisten and create softness in baked meatballs. More on this later.
  • Chopped red onion: Adds bursts of flavor and texture
  • Mezzetta Pitted Greek Kalamata Olives: Creates a nice saltiness to enhance flavors of the meat.
  • Egg: Helps hold baked meatballs together.
  • Greek seasoning, dried oregano, salt, and pepper: Flavor enhancers that work well in many savory recipes.
  • Lemon zest: Lots of lemon flavor without the tanginess of lemon juice.

Process shot of two images showing ingredients in a bowl for Greek Baked Meatballs and hand mixing it together

How to bake meatballs in the oven

  • Preheat oven to 425º F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or foil.
  • Stir together breadcrumbs and milk to soak up.
  • Combine ground beef and lamb, breadcrumb mixture, red onion, Kalamata olives, egg, Greek seasoning, oregano, salt, pepper and lemon zest.
  • Roll the meat mixture into 18 balls, roughly 1-½ inches in diameter and place on prepared baking sheet.
  • Bake 12-14 minutes, or until outsides are browned and internal temp reaches 165º.

Plate of Greek Baked Meatballs and veggies next to a bottle of Mazzetta Kalamata olives

I use Mezzetta products for a lot of my cooking, including their Imported Greek Golden Peperoncini which could also be served with these baked meatballs. They maintain the highest standards of quality by sourcing only the finest olives from Greece for their Pitted Greek Kalamata Olives. All from small family farms that they’ve been working with for more than thirty years.

Eighteen raw Greek meatballs on a baking sheet about to be cooked

Oven baked meatball tips

  • If using ground lamb, combine with ground beef to balance out the flavors
  • Use 85% lean ground beef. The extra fat will create much juicier meatballs and better flavor.
  • Roll the meat mixture into even balls. If meatballs are different sizes they will bake unevenly.
  • Line baking sheet with parchment paper or foil for easy cleanup.
  • Higher oven temp works better to brown outsides of meatballs and speeds up baking time.
  • Baked just until browned and internal temp reaches 165º. Overbaking will dry out meatballs.
  • Serve immediately for best texture and flavor. If prepping ahead of time, keep warm under foil until ready to serve.

Eighteen just baked Greek meatballs on a baking sheet

Should you mix breadcrumbs with milk for meatballs?

It’s best to combine breadcrumbs with milk and let sit before mixing into the meat. The breadcrumbs will soak up the liquid, creating wonderful softness and airiness to baked meatballs. Otherwise, they would just be baked balls of dense meat.

Checking internal temp of Greek Baked Meatballs with a digital thermometer

Why do you add eggs to meatballs? This helps hold the meatballs together and is a critical ingredient.

How long do you bake meatballs in the oven at 425º?

Bake 12-14 minutes until browned. The higher heat works best to brown the outside of meatballs while perfectly cooking the insides to 165º.

Chopped red onion, cucumber and tomatoes on a cutting board

How to prep meatballs ahead of time

Baked meatballs can be prepared ahead of time then baked when ready to serve. Prep 1-2 days ahead of time and store uncooked meatballs in the fridge. Let sit at room temp about 30 minutes before baking.

Try freezing them for easy leftovers: Prep meatballs and store them in a sealed container in freezer up to two months. Defrost in fridge 1-3 days before baking. Note: Some liquid from the meats may come out when defrosting. Simply drain, bring to room temp, then bake as directed.

Serving suggestions for Greek meatballs

These baked meatballs are so loaded with flavor they are delectable on their own. For additional flavors serve with tzatziki sauce, feta, and chopped veggies such as red onion, cucumbers, and tomatoes.

More meatball recipes you may like

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Overhead shot of plate of Greek Baked Meatballs and veggies
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5 from 6 votes

Greek Baked Meatballs

Greek Baked Meatballs are a quick and easy appetizer for game day. Super moist, juicy and loaded with flavor.
Course Appetizer
Cuisine Greek
Keyword baked meatball, Greek meatballs, oven baked meatballs
Prep Time 12 minutes
Cook Time 14 minutes
Total Time 26 minutes
Calories 170kcal
Servings 18 baked meatballs
Author: Matt Ivan
Did you know? Servings and ingredient amounts can be adjusted on all my recipes. Click the green number above to change.

Ingredients

  • ÂĽ cup panko breadcrumbs, use almond meal for keto meatballs
  • ÂĽ cup whole milk
  • 1 pound ground beef, 85% lean
  • 1 pound ground lamb
  • ½ cup chopped red onion, plus half an onion
  • ½ cup chopped Mezzetta Pitted Greek Kalamata Olives
  • 1 large egg
  • 1 teaspoon Greek seasoning
  • 1 teaspoon dried oregano
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • ½ teaspoon pepper
  • Zest of one lemon
  • 1 medium cucumber
  • 1 pint cherry tomatoes
  • ½ cup feta cheese, crumbled or block
  • tzatziki sauce, optional for serving

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 425Âş F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or foil and set aside.
  • In a small bowl, stir together breadcrumbs and milk. Let sit 5 minutes or until liquid has been soaked up.
  • In a large bowl, combine ground beef and lamb, breadcrumb mixture, ½-cup onion, olives, egg, Greek seasoning, oregano, salt, pepper and lemon zest. Using your hands to mix works best to incorporate well. 
  • Roll the meat mixture into 18 balls, roughly 1-½ inches in diameter. Set on prepared baking sheet 1-inch apart. Optional: let meatballs sit at room temp 15-30 minutes before baking for more even cooking.
  • Bake 12-14 minutes, or until outsides are browned and internal temp reaches 165Âş. Remove from oven and serve immediately.
  • While Greek meatballs are baking: Cut remaining red onion into thin slices. Cut cucumber into quarters lengthwise, then into smaller cubes. Cut tomatoes in half. If feta is in a block cut into smaller cubes.
  • Spread veggies onto a serving dish and top with baked meatballs and tzatziki sauce. Serve with toothpicks for an easy party appetizer.

Notes

  • Be sure to soak the breadcrumbs in milk before adding to the meat. This is an important step for proper texture.
  • For keto meatballs, substitute bread crumbs with almond meal.
  • The extra fat in 85% lean ground beef will create much juicier meatballs and better flavor.
  • Roll the meat mixture into even balls. If meatballs are different sizes they will bake unevenly.
  • Line baking sheet with parchment paper or foil for easy cleanup.
  • Overbaking will dry out meatballs.
  • Serve immediately for best texture and flavor. If prepping ahead of time, keep warm under foil until ready to serve.
Nutrition Facts
Greek Baked Meatballs
Amount Per Serving (1 meatball)
Calories 170 Calories from Fat 108
% Daily Value*
Fat 12g18%
Saturated Fat 5g31%
Cholesterol 52mg17%
Sodium 216mg9%
Potassium 217mg6%
Carbohydrates 3g1%
Fiber 0g0%
Sugar 1g1%
Protein 10g20%
Vitamin A 195IU4%
Vitamin C 6.7mg8%
Calcium 50mg5%
Iron 1.4mg8%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
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Greek Baked Meatballs
Appetizer Recipes | Beef Recipes | Keto Recipes | Recipes

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10 Comments

  1. 5 stars
    I love Greek flavors, and these meatballs have it all! I would make a giant batch of these and freeze some so I could pull them out and use them throughout the week! Thanks for the delicious recipe!

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