Ground turkey meatballs loaded with feta cheese, garlic & Mediterranean herbs & spices then served with an herby homemade tzatziki sauce! These baked Mediterranean meatballs are perfect for an easy weeknight dinner!
There’s nothing I love more than a good meatball recipe! (And there’s quite a few of them on the blog now.😉) But whenever we’re craving something fresh and vibrant – we always go for these Greek-inspired meatballs!
Made with a base of lean ground turkey, lots of salty feta, minced onion and garlic then tossed with Mediterranean herbs and spices and baked to perfection! We serve them with my homemade tzatziki sauce that’s to die for! The creaminess from the sauce paired with your herby meatballs is a match made in heaven!
Ingredients For Your Greek Meatballs
Ground turkey: We use 93% lean and 7% fat ground turkey for ours. (Ground chicken can be used instead.)
Panko breadcrumbs: I love using panko breadcrumbs for meatballs because it gives them a light and airy texture. (Classic breadcrumbs can be used instead. Just note that your meatballs will be a little more dense.)
Egg: You’ll need 1 egg for this recipe!
Feta cheese: Always buy a block of feta cheese and crumble it yourself. (Block feta has such better flavor than store bought feta crumbles.)
Onion: Red or white onion both work for this recipe. Always finely mince your onion for the best results! (It helps to keep your meatballs intact and you won’t be biting into any large chunks of onion.)
Garlic: Every meatball recipe needs a little garlic! 2-3 minced garlic cloves will go into your meatball mixture!
Spices: Dried oregano, dill, cumin, salt and black pepper are all needed to season your meatballs!
Homemade tzatziki sauce: A zesty Greek yogurt sauce made with garlic, herbs and grated cucumber! It’s the perfect compliment to your Mediterranean style meatballs! (Store bought tzatziki sauce can be used instead.)
How To Make Mediterranean Turkey Meatballs
1. Make the tzatziki (if using my homemade recipe). Mix your tzatziki ingredients together in a bowl then cover it and store it in the refrigerator while you prepare your meatballs.
2. Preheat your oven. Turn your oven on to to 400 degrees and line a baking sheet with parchment paper (or spray a baking dish with cooking spray).
3. Form your meatballs. Then add your meatball ingredients to a large bowl and mix them together with your hands. Form the mixture into 1 inch balls and place the balls on your prepared baking sheet. (Alternatively, you can brown the meatballs in a saute pan for a few minutes on each side before placing them on the pan to bake.)
4. Bake. Then place the pan in the oven and bake for 15-20 minutes.
5. Serve! Once done, serve immediately with your tzatziki sauce and fresh lemon wedges and enjoy!
Why brown the meatballs first? Ground turkey can look a little gray/unappealing once it’s been cooked. By browning the meatballs, we’re adding a little bit of color and developing a flavorful crust all around it.
Serving Suggestions
Whether making these for a healthy family dinner or serving them as an appetizer – it’s always a good idea to pair them with some easy sides and condiments. Here are a few of our favorites to help get you started:
- White rice/rice pilaf
- A simple side salad
- Pita bread/naan bread
- Roasted veggies: Broccoli, asparagus & zucchini would all be great options!
- Hummus
- Roasted potatoes: Try these Crispy Herbed Potatoes!
Serving these for an appetizer party?! Make a fun spread by serving them with different types of hummus, feta dip, homemade tzatziki and fresh lemon slices for your guests to enjoy!
Let’s meal prep them! These meatballs are perfect for an easy meal prepped lunch! Divide your favorite rice/rice pilaf into containers, place your meatballs on top with some chopped tomatoes & cucumber and spoon your tzatziki into separate cups to serve on the side!
FAQ’s
- I don’t like ground turkey! Can I use a different type of meat instead? Yes! Ground chicken would also be amazing in this recipe.
Why you’ll love this Greek meatball recipe!
- So easy! Just mix, roll & bake! Make your tzatziki sauce the day before for even less prep work!
- Simple ingredients! Most of these ingredients are pantry staples you already have at home!
- A healthy dinner option! Ground turkey is a great source of lean protein + the added protein & veggies in your tzatziki sauce! Serve them with white rice or pita bread fro a well rounded meal!
More meatball recipes you might like:
- Marry Me Chicken Meatballs
- Italian Chicken Meatballs with Herbed Ricotta
- Crockpot Cranberry BBQ Meatballs
- Sticky Orange Chicken Meatballs
[Made one of my recipes? Tag my Instagram @kalefornia_kravings & leave a review in the comments – I love seeing what you create!]
Mediterranean Turkey Meatballs with Homemade Tzatziki
Ingredients
For the Greek meatballs:
- 1 lb. ground turkey (or ground chicken)
- ¼ cup white onion, chopped
- ⅓ cup panko breadcrumbs
- ⅓ cup feta cheese
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 egg
- 2 tsp dried oregano
- 1½ tsp dried dill (or 1 Tbsp chopped fresh dill)
- 1½ tsp cumin
- 1 tsp salt
- ¼ tsp black pepper
For the tzatziki:
- 1 cup plain greek yogurt
- 2 Persian cucumbers, grated
- 1 Tbsp chopped fresh dill
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 2 Tbsp lemon juice
- 1 Tbsp olive oil
- ½ tsp salt
- Cracked black pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Make the tzatziki. Place the grated cucumber in a few paper towels or in a cheese cloth, wrap it up and wring out as much liquid as possible.Add the cucumber to a large mixng bowl along with the rest of the ingredients and stir until fully combined. (Taste and adjust the pepper, if needed.) Cover the bowl and refrigerate while you prepare the meatballs.
- Preheat the oven. Preheat your oven to 400 degrees and line a baking sheet with parchment paper (or spray a baking dish with cooking spray).
- Prepare the meatballs. Mix the ground chicken, onion, breadcrumbs, feta cheese, garlic, egg, dried oregano, dried dill, cumin, salt and black pepper together in a large bowl. Form the mixture into 1 inch balls and place them on your prepared baking sheet.(Sometimes I'll lightly coat my hands with olive oil to make rolling them easier.)
- Bake. Place the meatballs in the oven and bake for 15-20 minutes. (Alternatively, you can brown the meatballs in a skillet before baking them. If browning them first, I'd suggest checking the meatballs at 13 minutes to see if they're done. Sometimes they'll cook faster this way.)
- Serve. Serve the meatballs warm with fresh lemon wedges and a big spoonful of tzatziki on the side.
These were very good. My 4 year old even loved them and he only eats like 5 things haha! I did scale back on the lemon zest & juice (I only used 1/2 lemon for juice and zest) and thought the lemon flavor was still plenty present in the cooked meatball. I also used fresh dill.
Hi Jennifer! Yayy that’s so great to hear! I’m so happy you all enjoyed the recipe! 🙂
These were fantastic! The meatballs alone were great, but the tzatziki sauce just added to the dish!
Thank you so much Julie! I’m so glad you enjoyed them! 🙂 The tzatziki really does make the dish!😉
They’re delicious. They’re great for meal prep. I doubled the recipe and have tons of meatballs in my freezer for fast lunches and dinners.
Hi Noelle! That’s awesome – so happy you can use these for your meal preps! 🙂
These were so delicious! We said the meal was as good as eating out at our favorite Greek restaurant. Will definitely make this again! I am drooling thinking about it.
Omg yayyy! I’m so happy you enjoyed them! 🙂
Very delicious!!! My family, especially my teenager loved these meatballs! I’ll be making this again. Thanks for the recipe!
Yayyy! I’m so happy everyone enjoyed them Linda! 🙂
Delicious. Just ate these two days ago and heading to the store to get more ingredients. I am lazy so bought pre-made tzatziki sauce. :).
Hi Debbie! Omg that makes me so happy, I’m so glad you’re enjoying them! 🙂 (Haha sometimes we use premade tzatziki too!😉)
Obsessed with this recipe and continuously sharing it with friends and family. Way to go!
That’s so great to hear Carley! Thank you so much for sharing! 🙂
Hi Caitlin , there is a photo of a bowl with the turkey meatball ingredients , this might be an odd question but what is the yellow ingredient above the red onion to the left ?
Thank you , going to make them soon they sound delicious
Hi Mena! Not an odd qustion at all – it’s minced garlic. (It came out a little more yellow-green when I edited the photo.🤭) I hope that helps! And I hope you love them!
This is a great recipe – my husband even liked it. The spice & texture of the meatballs is perfect. The Tzatziki sauce was terrific. Leftovers were fought over. LOL. Will make again. I served it in bowls with quinoa cooked in chicken broth, the meatballs and tzatziki and a tomato cucumber salad. It was so filling for such a healthy meal.
Loved it
Yayy! So happy to hear they were a hit!
I’ve made this twice now and my family has loved them! Didn’t have to changed the recipe at all. I served with lemon rice. Chefs kiss
Delish, make them at least 3 times a month.
This was really good, my husband loved it. I am always looking for new dishes to try and am glad I tried this one.
These were so yummy! I made them last night without breadcrumbs and cooked them on the stovetop in a pan with olive oil. They were a little messy rolling and putting together, but they came out so juicy and flavorful, I will definitley be making again! Next time I double the recipe without bread crumbs I will probably do 1 egg instead of two. Thanks for the recipe!
Is that the Mediterranean salsa pictured with this recipe?
Hi there! No it’s not (I made a simple salad of chopped tomatoes, cucumber, kalamata olives and feta cheese and tossed it all in olive oil, red wine vinegar, salt and pepper.) My Mediterranean salsa would be delicious with it though! 🙂
Delicious!!!
These meatballs were so incredibly good! I am def going to be making these again
They were ok. I couldn’t eat them without the sauce though, maybe I would have preferred these with lamb and not turkey lol
Hi Chanel, I’m sorry the meatballs weren’t amazing for you. I’m glad you liked them with the sauce though! Trying them with lamb sounds like a great idea. 🙂
These meatballs were delicious! I will definitely make these once more.
I’ve tried many Greek turkey meatball recipes. This one is by far the best!
Love this so much! So happy you enjoyed it! 🙂