Greek turkey meatballs
This recipe is a bit like what you’d get if you transformed a greek salad into a main course. The turkey meatballs are baked in the oven so they become really crispy, and cutting into them reveals that they’re stuffed full of crumbled feta cheese, red onion and fresh spinach.
Because I’m extra, I also made a totally optional whipped feta to serve with these meatballs. It’s the prettiest light green color from fresh parsley.
Greek turkey meatballs are a perfect meal prep situation as well, because they hold up well in the fridge as well for a day or two. You can freeze the meatballs both prior to baking or even after they’re done baking for an even quicker dinner situation.
Here’s what you need to make Greek turkey meatballs
Ground turkey
Most ingredients are optional in this recipe, but ground turkey is not one you can skip. However you can try subbing out the turkey for ground chicken, beef or lamb. Even pork would be delicious. I usually get my ground turkey from Trader Joe’s (the prices can’t be beat!), but you can usually find ground turkey at most supermarkets.
Feta cheese
What’s better than feta? Not much! Sometimes pre-crumbled feta has an anti-caking agent in it, so I would skip the pre-crumbled stuff for this recipe. Most other cheeses would be great in this recipe, like white cheddar or even goat cheese. If you like blue cheese, give it a try.
Red onion
Greek salads aren’t complete without plenty of thinly sliced red onion, so I added a good amount of it to the meatballs. You can try using different types of onions instead, and you should if you have others on hand, but red onion is my preference here.
Spinach
Spinach is the star of many greek classics like greek pie or spanakopita, so I like adding it to these meatballs. It also makes these meatballs look super pretty with speckles of green! You can easily use kale instead of spinach, but I would stick with fresh spinach versus frozen spinach because frozen spinach could impact the meatball’s consistency.
What should you serve with Greek-style turkey meatballs? There’s no wrong answer here, but a salad tossed with a light vinaigrette or rice pilaf is a good start. I also like thinly sliced red onion, cucumber ribbons, and fresh thyme which is how I served these meatballs. Lettuce wraps would also be a really good idea, either with iceberg or butter lettuce.
Looking for more meatball recipes? Check these out:
Greek turkey meatballs
ingredients:
- 1 lb. ground turkey
- 1 packed cup spinach, roughly chopped
- 1/3 cup crumbled feta
- 1/4 cup finely chopped red onion
- 1/4 cup breadcrumbs
- 2 tablespoon fresh parsley, chopped
- 2 large garlic cloves, finely chopped
- 1 egg
- 5 oz. feta
- 1/2 cup half and half
- 2 tablespoons parsley
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
instructions:
How to cook Greek-style turkey meatballs
- Pre-heat your oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Line a baking sheet with foil. Spray a thin layer of cooking spray on the baking pan and set it aside.
- To make the meatballs, combine the turkey with the spinach, feta, red onion, breadcrumbs, parsley, garlic, and the egg.
- Use a tablespoon to portion out the meatball mixture and use your hands to form each meatball into a sphere. Place the meatballs on the baking sheet, evenly spaced out.
- Bake the meatballs in the oven for 20 minutes until cooked through and crispy on the outside.
- While the meatballs are cooking, combine the feta, half and half, parsley, and olive oil in a blender. Blitz everything together until the feta whips up. Finish by stirring in plenty of black pepper.
- Serve the meatballs hot with plenty of whipped feta, and salad or thinly sliced cucumber and red onion.