Greek Meatballs

This Greek Meatballs recipe captures the exquisite flavors of sun-kissed Greece!  Incredibly rich in flavor, these delicious meatballs will have you coming back for seconds!

Our family loves meatballs.   For many of us they’re linked to childhood memories of comfort food around the family dinner table or a favorite Italian restaurant.  My mom made the best Swedish meatballs along with two others that will forever remain family favorites:  Some deliciously creamy meatballs that she baked with biscuits on top and also her famous barbecue meatballs that have wowed many dinner guests over the years.

What I love about meatballs is they’re not only thoroughly enjoyable to eat, they’re also fun to make – they’re the perfect medium for experimenting with a variety of flavors and ingredients.  Today’s recipe is an example of that fun experimentation.

Our family also loves Greek flavors.  (Our homemade Gyros is one of our favorite go-to dishes.)  So I wanted to create some Greek-inspired meatballs incorporating traditional Greek ingredients and flavors.  And these Greek Meatballs were a total hit!

These Greek Meatballs incorporate the flavors of sun-ripened tomatoes, caramelized red onions, roasted garlic, wine, roasted eggplant, Greek spices and fresh mint, to name a few.

And of course we can’t have Greek meatballs without Kalamata olives. Originating from the sun-kissed regions of southern Greece in the town of Kalamata, they’re famous for their smooth, meaty texture and robust flavor and go perfectly with these meatballs.

Greek Meatballs Recipe

Let’s get started!

First we’re going to get the eggplant going so that can roast while we’re working on the other stuff.  Select an eggplant that is on the narrow side.  Fat ones tend to have more seeds which results in a bitter flavor.  The peel also tends to be bitter in flavor and tough in texture, so peel the eggplant completely.

Dice it into chunks about 1/4 inch in size.  You can make them larger if you prefer.

Don’t worry about tossing them with lemon juice to prevent them from getting brown.  They’re going to get very brown while roasting them anyway.

Toss them with a little salt and the olive oil along with the garlic and spread them out single-layer on a lined cookie sheet.

Roast them in the oven preheated to 425 F for about 20 minutes or until nicely browned, turning once with a spatula after about 10 minutes.  Remove Set aside.  Once cool, peel and mince the roasted garlic.

Let’s make the meatballs!

Combine all of the meatball ingredients in a large bowl.

Combine to incorporate the ingredients, either using your hands or a food processor.

Form the mixture into 1-inch balls, you can make them larger if you prefer.

For Pan-Frying Method:

Heat about 2 tablespoons of oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat and brown the meatballs on all sides.

For Oven Method:

I prefer the seared flavor that frying gives the meat, but if you prefer you can also bake them by laying the meatballs on a lined baking sheet and baking them in an oven preheated to 400 F for about 17-20 minutes.

After frying the meatballs, transfer them to a plate and set aside.

Add the red onions and a little more oil if needed and cook them until soft and caramelized, about 6-8 minutes.

 

Add the red bell pepper and cook for another couple of minutes until softened.

Add the wine and bring it to a rapid boil.  Boil for 2 minutes.

Next we’re going to add the crushed tomatoes.  For the best flavor, I recommend certified canned San Marzano tomatoes from Italy.  They have a flavor and sweetness that just can’t be adequately replicated anywhere else.  Place them in a bowl and crush them.

Add the roasted eggplant, roasted garlic and all of the sauce ingredients, except for the olives, parsley and mint, and bring to a boil.  Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer uncovered for 10 minutes.

Return the meatballs to the sauce, cover and simmer for another 15 minutes.  Add salt and pepper to taste.

Now it’s time to take those lusciously plump Kalamata olives.

Drain them and add them to the meatballs.

Cover and simmer for another 5 minutes then stir in the chopped parsley and mint.

Garnish with some extra parsley and mint and serve with crusty bread, rice or orzo and a Greek salad or leafy green salad.

You can also serve them sprinkled with some crumbled feta cheese.

NOTE:  These meatballs taste even better the next day after the flavors have had time to meld.  So this makes a perfect make-ahead dish.

Enjoy!

For more Greek and Greek-inspired recipes be sure to try our:

• Moussaka
• Gyros
• Greek Burgers
• Greek Chicken
• Tzatziki Sauce
• Greek Lemon Chicken
• Greek Wheat Berry Salad
• Greek Grilled Asparagus Salad
• Greek Seasoning

 

Originally published on The Daring Gourmet on February 25, 2016