Drizzle these tender and juicy meatballs with a lemon mint sauce adds a fresh flavour that makes these meatballs utterly scrumptious! Enjoy them on their own or in a pita bread.
When it comes to creating recipes, I am partial to Greek food for a few reasons. Growing up I ate Hungarian food which to this day, I so love and appreciate. I started eating Greek food when I moved to the city and happen to be introduced to a Greek restaurant. I couldn’t get enough of it so much so I was a regular and the owners knew me by name. Then years had past and I moved a couple times and it so happened my neighbor who is Greek and his wife French then met his sister Anna. We became close friends and we would celebrate our friendships with dinner parties. The authentic Greek meals I have had over the years have been out of this world! I thought I had won the lottery!! To this day, even after moving again, we still make a point of getting together 🙂
So with that said, I have an appreciation of Greek flavours, and I am still learning. When I made these Greek meatballs, I kept it light using turkey as my meat, rather then lamb, pork or beef. In the future, I will add to my blog.
WHAT MAKES THESE MEATBALLS SO DELICIOUS
- Ground turkey: I used a combination of white and dark meat; the dark meat add more flavour and juiciness to the meatballs.
- Onion
- Garlic: is a must for it’s bold delicious flavour
- Stale bread: this is the traditional way to add bread to Greek meatballs, rather then breadcrumbs; and the Hungarian’s do the same. Remove the crust, and soak the stale bread in water, squeeze out the liquid and crumble it into the turkey mixture.
- Egg: is usually added to bind the mixture and adds flavour
- Extra Virgin Olive Oil: I used a Greek evoo for this recipe
- Mint: prefer to use fresh but dry could be substituted by using a 1/3 of the amount
- Parsley: fresh is recommended
- Seasonings: salt and pepper
WHAT IS LADOLEMONO SAUCE?
This Greek sauce is commonly used as a dressing over salads or sauce to drizzle over meat, fish and seafood. Most often the ingredients are extra virgin olive oil, lemon, oregano, salt and pepper. I replace the oregano with mint as I wanted to keep the flavours balanced and to enhance the meatballs. It is so delicious with the freshness of the lemon and herbs. The Greek olive oil that I use has this silky bold flavour when you eat it this way rather then heating it, as it tends to change the flavour ever so slightly.
MANY WAYS TO ENJOY THESE DELICIOUS MEATBALLS:
- Appetizers: on their own as an appetizer with chunks of cheese, including feta, cherry tomatoes, olives and some veggies.
- Pita Bread : with a variety of veggies, feta cheese, and with dollops of tzatziki; check out my Homemade Pita Bread recipe.
- Pasta dish: they would compliment most pasta dishes in this case the light lemon or with a light cream sauce or tomato sauce
- Meatball Sliders or Sub: add to your favourite ciabatta bun and top it with a tomato sauce
- Meatball stew: by adding the meatballs to a vegetable stew with a broth or sauce
- Meatball casserole: add these to a casserole with cheese and pasta
- Stir-fry: add them to a stir-fry and rice
- Tzatziki Sauce: is my homemade recipe and is absolutely delicious
FEW SUGGESTIONS WHEN MAKING THIS RECIPE
Cooking method: many Greek recipes will say to pan-fry the meatballs, which is always an option. I decided to bake them in the oven with a light brushing of good quality olive oil or vegetable oil. Baking is a quick, healthy option and the clean up is a breeze.
The European way to add bread to meatballs, burgers or a meatloaf recipe is to add stale bread. The crust is removed, and the bread is soaked in water for a couple of seconds, then squeeze out the liquid and crumble it into the meat mixture. I remember my Mom and especially my Grandma would do it that way instead of adding breadcrumbs. Saves you from running out to the grocery store.
I recommend using fresh herbs if all possible. Fresh parsley is most often accessible, however, mint sometimes isn’t. Dry mint can be substituted by adding 1/2 teaspoon. If all possible, I would suggest using good quality extra virgin olive in your recipes for best results.
HOW TO MAKE THIS RECIPE
In a medium bowl, add and combine ground turkey, onion, garlic, egg, olive oil, feta, mint, parsley, salt, and black pepper. Take the stale bread and place it in a bowl of water for a couple of seconds, enough to soak it. Remove and squeeze out the liquid, then crumble it into the bowl with the rest of the ingredients and thoroughly mix with a wooden spoon or your hands, which I prefer. Avoid over mixing.
Shape the meat balls to size of golf balls or slightly smaller, and place on a cooking sheet covered in foil and brush with olive oil or a vegetable oil. Bake for about 20-22 minutes, or until the meat is golden in colour and cooked through. The outer surface on the meat balls should be a little crispy.
Serve these delicious meatballs with a Greek salad and orzo, rice or pasta of your choice to make a complete meal. Greeks often enjoy these types of meals with a salad and rice. I decided to enjoy these meatballs with my Homemade Pita Bread.
MORE FAVOURITE MEATBALL RECIPES
Greek-Style Turkey Meatballs with Ladolemono Sauce
Equipment
- Baking sheet
Ingredients
- 1 lb ground turkey
- 1 onion, chopped
- 2 cloves garlic
- 2 slice stale bread, cut away crust
- 1 egg, beaten
- 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 2 tsp fresh mint, chopped
- 2 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped
- 1/4 cup Greek feta, crumbled
- 1 tsp salt
- ½ tsp pepper
Ladolemono Sauce:
- 4 tbsp olive oil
- 4 tbsp lemon juice
- 1 tbsp mint, chopped
- 1 tbsp parsley, chopped
- salt and pepper
Instructions
- Pre-heat oven to 400°F.
- In a medium bowl, add and combine ground turkey, onion, garlic, egg, olive oil, mint, parsley, salt, and black pepper. Take the stale bread and place it in a bowl of water for a couple of seconds, enough to soak it. Remove and squeeze out the liquid, then crumble it into the bowl with the rest of the ingredients and thoroughly mix with a wooden spoon or your hands, which I prefer. Avoid over mixing.
- Shape the meat balls to size of golf balls or slightly smaller, and place on a cooking sheet covered in foil and brush with olive oil or a vegetable oil. Bake for about 20-22 minutes, or until the meat is golden in colour and cooked through. The outer surface on the meat balls should be a little crispy.
- Whisk together olive oil, lemon juice, mint, parsley, salt, and pepper to make the ladolemono sauce.
- Plate the meatballs and drizzle the mint lemon sauce over them. Serve it on their own with a Greek salad with tzatziki and/or Pita bread.
Notes
Nutrition
When I made the Homemade Pita Bread and added the few veggies with mixed greens and dollops of my homemade Tzakiki Sauce and Ladolemono sauce, it was heavenly!
