Greek Meatballs
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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. The perfect pairing is Maroulosalata, a refreshing traditional Greek lettuce 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
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Greek Meatballs
Ingredients
- For the Meatballs:
- 1 pound ground beef or pork, lamb, chicken, turkey (or combination of beef and pork)
- 1/4 cup plain breadcrumbs (paleo: omit, gluten free - use GF breadcrumbs)
- 1/4 cup finely chopped red onion
- 2 cloves garlic ,minced
- 1/4 cup finely chopped Kalamata olives
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh mint
- 1 large egg
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg
- 3/4 teaspoon oregano
- 3/4 teaspoon thyme
- For the Roasted Vegetables:
- 1 medium eggplant ,(choose one that isn't too fat but more slender to avoid too many bitter seeds), peeled and diced into 1/4 inch pieces
- 5 cloves garlic , peels left intact
- 2-3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- For the Sauce:
- 1 medium red onion , chopped
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1 small red bell pepper ,seeded and diced
- 1/2 cup dry red wine ,or use white if using ground chicken or turkey
- 1 28 ounce can crushed tomatoes
- 1/3 cup chopped sun-dried tomatoes in oil , drained
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon thyme
- 1/2 teaspoon oregano
- 1 cup whole Kalamata olives , drained
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh mint
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.Toss the diced eggplant and garlic cloves with a little salt and the olive oil and spread them out single-layer on a lined cookie sheet. Roast 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.
- Combine all of the meatball ingredients in a large bowl. Use your hands or a food processor to incorporate the ingredients. Form the mixture into 1-inch balls (you can make them larger if you prefer).Heat about 2 tablespoons of oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat and brown the meatballs on all sides (See NOTE for oven baking method). Transfer the meatballs to a plate and set aside.
- Add the red onions to the skillet and the oil if more is 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.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. Add the whole Kalamata olives, 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 or leafy green salad. You can also served the meatballs 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.
Notes
Nutrition
Originally published on The Daring Gourmet on February 25, 2016
Hi, I’m Kimberly Killebrew and welcome to Daring Gourmet where you'll find delicious originals, revitalized classics, and simply downright good eats from around the world! Originally from Germany, later raised in England, world-traveled, and now living in the U.S., from my globally-influenced kitchen I invite you to tour the world through your taste buds!
These look soooooo good!! I adore Greek food and kalamata olives are my favorite. (I’ve had Lindsay’s natural kalamatas btw and they’re excellent.) I think this is going to be another family favorite, Kimberly, thank you in advance :)
Thank YOU, Cori! My husband took the leftovers with him to work for lunch and he said his co-workers were clamoring at his office door because the aroma was wafting through the whole clinic :)
Mouthwatering meatballs and such a beautiful and angelic daughter, I feel greatly enriched by your post :) Seeing her enjoying her Lindsay olives just warms my heart. Thanks for sharing your beautiful family and this wonderful recipe, I look forward to trying it.
Thank you, Catherine, I really appreciate that :)
I love that picture of your daughter so much! Pure happiness and light in her eyes! And of course she would with delicious food like this!
Thank you, Michelle, she is such a bundle of joy and we cherish our little ones so much :)
If you want to make this more delicious (and fattening) I would take the cheese mixture Martha Stewart uses in her version of quick “mousakka” and cover the end result of the recipe you see here with that cheese mixture and bake it in the oven….
WOW!!! GLUTTON HEAVEN!!!!
Duane, it’s so funny you mention that because I was *this* close to doing that very thing! I was thinking of using my recipe for Authentic Greek Moussaka as the inspiration and covering these meatballs with that thick, creamy bechamel and baking them in the oven. Well, we think alike, Duane, and I think it’s a sign that I need to make a Creamy Greek Meatballs version :)
Hi Kimberly,
I make that great Martha Stewart “quick mousakka” recipe all the time…
http://www.marthastewart.com/314102/quick-moussaka
As soon as I saw your great Greek meatball recipe here I started salivating and knew I was going to do a merger (with the cheese topping from Martha’s recipe)….
Thanks…
I am diggin’ the flavors in these meatballs! And the roasted veggies just put those over the top.
Thanks, Cookin Canuck! Few things add flavor like roasted garlic and this is definitely the way to enjoy eggplant, too!
WOW!! These look amazing and yummy… full of flavor!!!
Thanks so much, Sara, they were a hit in our family!
I cannot wait to try this out
You’ll love it, Becky! :)
YUM! I am so hungry after looking at this! I’ll have to put it on the meal plan soon!
Thanks, Heather, I’m already getting requests here to make it again! :)
Wowza! I can almost taste them already, and that’s just the description. Then you add those gorgeous photos, and I’m adding things to my grocery list right now! Yum!!
LOL, Dee Dee! :) With all the great ingredients in these it’s pretty much impossible for them not to look good!
These meatballs look like they are just PACKED with flavor. Love! I am definitely making this.
Thanks so much, Brandon, they are indeed packed with flavor!
My daugther (4 1/2) loves olives too, I only buy the darkest and bitterest I can find (my favorite kind) and she loves them. My mother-in-law was shocked to see her eating olives, she’s over 60 and doesn’t like anything that doesn’t grow in Germany. :) And your meatballs look amazing, we would all love a plate of that, meatballs of all kinds are also deeply loved here.
Thanks so much, Adina! That’s hilarious about your mother-in-law, such German pride – love it! :)
WOW! So much flavor going on in this dish. I’m loving the Greek flavors! Sounds delicious.
Thanks, Jessica! :)
These meatballs rock, and I love that you’ve incorporate Greek flavors. I’m a huge olive fan too, so I adore that photo of your daughter enjoying her Lindsay olives. Too cute!
Thanks so much, Renee! :)
I shy away from a lot of Greek food because of the olives but I love eggplant! These meatballs look amazing
Thanks, Bintu!
My 4 year olds love kalamata olives too, they call them “purple olives”. These meatballs look totally amazing!
Thanks, Sara, and that’s awesome! Doesn’t it make you so happy to see your little ones eating and enjoying such healthy superfoods?