Heads-up: A bunch of ingredients overlap but have been written out twice to be more clear! These Greek Meatball Bowls make a delicious and satisfying meal! Featuring juicy meatballs seasoned with a blend of spices and herbs, paired with refreshing cucumber-tomato salad, fluffy couscous, and a zesty lemon-herb sauce, this meal bursts with flavor and so much texture in every single bite. Whether you're cooking for your family, meal prepping for the week, or hosting a dinner party, these Greek Meatball Bowls are sure to impress.
PREP: Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Generously grease a dark-colored rimmed sheet pan with cooking spray and set aside. Add flour to a small bowl and set aside.
MEATBALLS: Peel the onion and cut in half, saving one half for later. Grate the other half on the large holes of a cheese grater until you have a completely filled ½ cup measure of grated onion. Add onion to a large bowl. Add remaining meatball ingredients (except for the flour). Season to taste with salt and pepper (I add ¼ tsp pepper and ¾ tsp salt). Gently knead the ingredients until they are integrated.
MEATBALLS, CONT.: Use a tablespoon measuring spoon to scoop a heaping spoonful of the meat mixture and roll it into an evenly-sized ball. Repeat with the remaining meat mixture to make around 25 meatballs. Working with one meatball at a time, roll to lightly coat in the flour, shaking off the excess. Arrange the meatballs, spaced apart, on the sheet pan.
BAKE: Generously spray the meatballs with cooking spray and bake for 15 minutes. Then use a metal spatula and your fingers (careful, they're hot!) to gently flip the meatballs over to the other side. Bake for another 5-8 minutes, or until nicely golden brown and baked through. (If using turkey, bake for 18 minutes, flip, and bake for 5-8 more minutes.)
LEMON-HERB SAUCE: Meanwhile, place the parsley, cilantro, jalapeños, garlic, lemon juice, water, cumin, plus salt (to taste, I add ½ tsp) in a mini blender or food processor. Pulse until mixture is evenly chopped, scraping down the sides as necessary. Stir in the oil and pulse just until emulsified (don't over-blend!). Taste and add more salt or lemon juice as desired.
COUSCOUS: Meanwhile, pour 1 cup water into a small pot. Add in 1 teaspoon olive oil and bring to a boil. Once boiling, remove the pot from heat. Stir in the uncooked couscous and cover the pot with a lid. After about 2-4 minutes the liquid should be absorbed; fluff couscous with a fork. Stir in ¼ cup of the lemon-herb sauce, 1 tablespoon lemon juice, and about ¼ teaspoon each of salt and pepper (again, to personal preference).
VEGGIES: Very thinly slice the reserved half of the red onion. Add to a bowl with the cucumber and tomato. Season with salt and pepper (just a pinch) and toss to combine. Optional: If you have some leftover herbs, chop 'em up and stir them in here too.
SERVE: Set out four plates. Use the back of a spoon to spread ¼ of the Greek yogurt across the bottom of each plate. Sprinkle with salt to taste. Divide the couscous evenly between plates. Divide cucumber-tomato salad evenly between plates. Divide meatballs evenly between plates. Optional: drizzle a touch of olive oil over everything. Spoon the remaining lemon-herb sauce evenly on top and enjoy immediately. Charred/toasted pita for dipping is also so good!
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Notes
Note 1: Couscous: When it comes to couscous, there are different varieties available, but we're using small-grain or Moroccan couscous for this recipe. (Small-grain couscous has a fine texture and is the perfect size for steaming, which allows it to cook very quickly.) The recipe method outlined only works with this type of couscous. (It won't work with larger pearl couscous or any other type of grain.)Note 2: Toasting pitas: To toast the pitas, spray both sides of the pita with olive oil cooking spray and char directly over the gas flames (at medium to medium-low heat) for a few seconds. Use tongs to flip until pitas are lightly charred.Note 3: Calories above are for the entire recipe, for just a serving of meatballs it is 278 calories.