Meet your new weeknight dinner hero: Greek chicken meatballs! Easy to make and ready in just 30 minutes. They're tender, juicy, and packed with flavor from fresh dill and spices. Do yourself a favor and make a double batch so you can freeze half for another busy night.
Trust me, these Greek chicken meatballs deserve a spot in your dinner rotation. This Greek-inspired version proves that meatballs can do a lot more than top a bowl of spaghetti. Add crisp cucumbers, juicy tomatoes, feta, warm pita, and your favorite sauce to bring it all together.
Keep serving simple: set everything out on the table and let everyone build their own plate. One person can load up a pita while another makes a rice bowl, all from the same batch of meatballs.
Why You'll Love These Greek Chicken Meatballs
- Layers of flavor. The fresh dill and spices give these meatballs BIG flavor in every bite. Don't forget the tzatziki sauce for even more flavor!
- Easy and versatile. Swap ground turkey for the chicken or shape into patties for Greek-inspired burgers.
- Customize at the table. Everyone can choose how they like it; tucked into a pita, piled over rice, over a salad and with their own toppings.
- Bake and forget. After shaping into balls, pop them in the oven for 18 minutes and prep the sides.
Ingredients You Need
This ingredient list cover the meatballs and the tzatziki sauce.
- Chicken: Choose ground chicken that’s about 92–94% lean. Ground turkey works here, too, if that’s what you prefer.
- Egg: Helps bind the meatballs together.
- Garlic: Finely mince the garlic cloves so they blend well in the tzatziki sauce.
- Olive Oil: Ground chicken is a leaner meat so adding a touch of olive oil helps keep them moist and tender while they bake.
- Dill: Plenty of fresh dill gives these meatballs their flavor. If you don’t have fresh, dried dill works too. Check the recipe notes for the amount to use.
- Lemon: Adds wonderful freshness.
- Red Onion: Dice it finely so you get a little onion flavor in every bite without any big chunks.
- Vinegar: Similar to the lemon, adds freshness.
- Cucumber: Finely dice or shred the cucumber, just like the red onion. I prefer mini cucumbers because they have fewer seeds. If you’re using a regular cucumber, scoop out the seeds before chopping or shredding.
- Pantry Seasonings: Along with salt and pepper, you'll see paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, dried oregano, and red pepper flakes.
How to Make Greek Meatballs
Start by mixing all the meatball ingredients together in one bowl. Yup, everything goes in at once! Use a large spoon or silicone spatula and mix just until combined. Avoid over mixing to prevent dense meatballs.
Scoop out 2-tablespoon portions and gently roll them into balls with your hands. This part can get a little messy, so keep some paper towels nearby. My favorite trick is to lightly coat my hands with nonstick cooking spray before rolling to help keep the mixture from sticking.
Place the meatballs on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and bake for 18 minutes, or until cooked through. Chicken is considered done when an instant read thermometer reads the center of the thickest part as at least 165°F.
Let's Make the Tzatziki Sauce
While the meatballs bake, stir together the tzatziki ingredients in a bowl. This is one sauce I wouldn’t skip! It adds so much flavor and doubles as a dip for pita and fresh vegetables.
Give it a taste before serving and adjust the seasonings as needed.
My favorite way to serve these Greek meatballs is over coconut rice with sliced cucumber, red onion, and plenty of tzatziki, plus warm pita on the side.
Greek Chicken Meatballs
Description
Ingredients
Meatballs
- 2 pounds ground chicken
- 2 teaspoons olive oil
- 1 large egg
- 1 ¼ teaspoons garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 1 ½ teaspoons dried oregano
- 1 ½ teaspoons smoked paprika
- ¼ cup dill, freshly chopped
Tzatziki Sauce
- 1 cup Greek yogurt, full fat
- ½ cup cucumber, finely diced
- ¼ cup red onion, finely diced
- 3 Tablespoons dill, freshly chopped
- 1 lemon, juiced
- ½ teaspoon red wine vinegar
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper, or spray with nonstick spray. Set aside.
- With a large spoon or spatula, mix together all the meatball ingredients in a large bowl.
- Scope a portion of the mixture, 2 Tablespoons worth in size, roll into a ball with your hands, and place on the prepared baking sheet. Repeat with remaining mixture. You should have around 28 meatballs.
- Bake for 16-18 minutes, or until cooked through. Chicken is considered done when an instant read thermometer reads the center of the thickest part as at least 165°F.
- Make the tzatziki sauce: Stir together the tzatziki ingredients in a bowl. Set aside. (I recommend prepping other fixings you prefer as well).
- Serve warm meatballs with tzatziki sauce over rice with your preferred fixings. Store leftovers covered tightly in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.
Notes
- Make Ahead Instructions: To make ahead, you can complete steps 2 and 3, then cover the unbaked chicken meatballs tightly and refrigerate for up to 1 day before baking.
- Freezer Instructions: You have 2 choices: (1) you can bake the meatballs and then freeze them or (2) freeze the meatballs raw. To freeze after baking, let the meatballs cool completely, then place in a freezer-friendly container and freeze up to 2 months. To freeze before baking, form meatballs, then space apart on a lined plate or baking tray and freeze for 1–2 hours or until they’ve “set” and will no longer stick together. Place in a freezer-friendly container and freeze up to 3 months. Bake frozen raw meatballs for 20-22 minutes, or until the internal temperature reaches 165°F.
- Chicken: You can substitute ground turkey for the chicken.
- Fresh Dill: You can substitute dried dill (1 teaspoon for meatballs and ¼ teaspoon for tzatziki.)
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