GreekMeatballs, or keftedes, boast a rich blend of ground beef, fresh herbs, and spices, creating a bold flavor profile with juicy interiors and crispy exteriors. Serve these completely irresistible meatballs in toasted, warmed pita with fresh veggies and a quick tzatziki sauce for one of the best meals ever!
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. If desired, make pickled red onions with one half (See Note 1) or save for another recipe. Grate the other half on the large holes of a cheese grater until you have a completely filled ½ cup of grated onion. Add onion to a large bowl. Add remaining meatball ingredients (except for the flour). Season to taste with salt & pepper (I add ¼ tsp pepper and ¾ tsp salt). Gently knead the ingredients until they are integrated, being careful not to overwork the meat.
MEATBALLS CONT.: Use a tablespoon measuring spoon to scoop a heaping tablespoon of the meat mixture and roll it into an evenly-sized ball. Repeat with the remaining meat mixture to make around 24-27 meatballs. (I find it helpful to lightly grease my hands with cooking spray to make rolling the balls easier.) 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. 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/charred on each side and baked through.
TZATZIKI: Meanwhile, prepare optional tzatziki. (See Note 2.)
SERVE: Lightly toast the pita (Note 3). Spread 2 tablespoons of plain Greek yogurt inside each pita and sprinkle with salt to taste. Layer in lettuce, cucumber slices and, if desired, add in pickled red onions (Note 1). Add 4-5 meatballs on top and drizzle lots of sauce over the pitas and enjoy immediately.
Video
Notes
Note 1: Pickled onions: We love pickled red onions on these; here's my super-simple version: Very thinly slice half the red onion and place it in a bowl. Top with 2 tbsp red wine vinegar, 1/2 tsp salt, and 1-1/2 tsp sugar. Stir to dissolve sugar. Toss every 5-10 minutes or so until softened (~30 mins). I usually start these first and stir throughout the process.Note 2: Tzatziki sauce: Nothing beats this homemade sauce with these meatballs! You can make it the day before. To make: grate an unpeeled Persian or Englishcucumber on the largeh oles of a cheese grater to get a full 1/2 cup. Line a small bowl with a few paper towels (or a clean kitchen towel) and place the grated cucumber on top. Squeeze out as much extra moisture as you can; add to a bowl with 1/2 cup plain Greek yogurt, 1 tsp minced garlic, 1 tbsp lemon juice, 1/2 tsp lemon zest, 1-1/2 tbsp olive oil, 1-1/2 tsp red wine vinegar, 1/4 tsp salt, & 1/8 tsp pepper. Stir and refrigerate until ready to use.Note 3: Toasting pitas: To toast the pita, 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.Nutrition information is calculated for four meatballs, without pita or tzatziki.