Muscle-Building Greek Meatballs

Keftedes, Greece’s beloved herb-laced meatballs, often appear at family tables as a casual meze. Here lean poultry meets cooked quinoa, feta, mint, and oregano before a quick bake keeps them juicy.

Serves 4 · 20 min prep · 22 min cook

Estimate for one serving

• 445 cal
• 48g protein
• 18g carbs
• 20g fat
• 3g fiber

Every recipe here is free to read.

Ingredients

• 1.5 lb ground chicken or turkey (93% lean)
• 1 cup cooked quinoa
• 3/4 cup crumbled feta cheese
• 1/2 cup fresh parsley
• 1/4 cup fresh mint
• 4 garlic cloves
• 1 large egg
• 2 tsp dried oregano
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• 1.25 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp black pepper
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 cup plain Greek yogurt
• 1/2 medium cucumber
• 2 tbsp lemon juice
• 1 cup cherry tomatoes

Instructions

1. 1Preheat the oven to 400°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. 2Finely chop the parsley and mint and mince the garlic.
3. 3In a large bowl combine the ground meat, cooked quinoa, half the feta, herbs, garlic, egg, oregano, cumin, salt, and pepper.
4. 4Mix gently until just combined, then roll into 20 equal meatballs about 1.5 inches wide and place them on the prepared sheet.
5. 5Drizzle or brush the meatballs lightly with olive oil.
6. 6Bake 18 to 22 minutes until firm, lightly browned, and the internal temperature hits 165°F.
7. 7While the meatballs bake, grate or finely dice the cucumber and stir it into the Greek yogurt with lemon juice and salt and remaining oregano for a quick tzatziki.
8. 8Halve the cherry tomatoes and crumble the remaining feta.
9. 9Remove the meatballs from the oven and let them rest 3 minutes so juices settle.
10. 10Plate five meatballs per serving, spoon tzatziki generously over or beside them, and scatter tomatoes and extra feta on top.
11. 11Drizzle any remaining olive oil and a final squeeze of lemon if desired.
12. 12Pack extras with extra yogurt sauce for high-protein meal-prep dinners that reheat beautifully.