Ground turkey meatballs loaded with feta cheese, Mediterranean herbs & spices & served with an herby homemade tzatziki sauce! These baked Greek turkey meatballs are perfect for a protein-packed weeknight meal!
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 some 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.
- 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 storebought 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 Greek Turkey Meatballs
1. Make your tzatziki sauce (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 turkey 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 recipes you might like:
- BBQ Turkey Meatballs
- Teriyaki Pineapple Chicken Meatballs
- Lemon Oregano Chicken with Avocado Greek Salsa
- Baked Greek Shrimp Skillet with Feta
[Made one of my recipes? Tag my Instagram @kalefornia_kravings & leave a review in the comments – I love seeing what you create!]
Greek Turkey Meatballs with Tzatziki Sauce
Ingredients
For the Greek meatballs:
- 1 lb. ground turkey
- ¼ cup panko breadcrumbs
- ¼ cup red onion, chopped
- ¼ cup feta cheese
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 egg
- 2 tsp dried oregano
- 1 tsp dried dill
- ½ tsp cumin
- ½ tsp salt
- ¼ tsp black pepper
For the tzatziki sauce:
- 1 cup plain greek yogurt
- 2 Persian cucumbers, grated
- 1 Tbsp fresh dill (or 1 teaspoon of dried dill)
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 2 Tbsp lemon juice
- 1 Tbsp olive oil
- ½ tsp salt
- Cracked black pepper, to taste
Instructions
To make the tzatziki sauce:
- Wrap your grated cucumber in a few paper towels or place it in a cheese cloth and wring out as much liquid as possible.
- Then add your grated cucumber to a large mixing bowl along with the rest of your ingredients and stir until fully combined. (Taste and adjust your salt and pepper if needed.)
- Cover the bowl and keep your tzatziki in the refrigerator while you prepare the meatballs.
To make the meatballs:
- Preheat your oven to 400 degrees and line a baking sheet with parchment paper (or spray a baking dish with cooking spray).
- 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. Then place the meatballs in the oven and bake for 15-20 minutes.(Alternatively, you can brown the meatballs in a saute pan 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.)
- Once done, serve immediately with your tzatziki and lemon wedges 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!😉