Mediterranean Meatballs

by Lori Yates April 25, 2023 30 comments

These Greek Chicken Meatballs with herby yogurt dipping sauce are a recipe that can do double duty as a healthy dinner, or as a party bite that can be kept warm in a slow cooker!

A black bowl filled with herby yogurt sauce and Greek chicken meatballs, with a spoon digging in.

Ground Chicken Meatballs

“I have made this recipe so many times in the last year, I don’t even need to look at it anymore. The whole family enjoys them too; you can throw them in a marinara sauce and use them in a meatball sub, or with pasta, or even cold leftovers out of the fridge!”
—Sharon

Now that I’m my 40’s and ever-so-predictably watching my cholesterol, ground beef, pork and lamb recipes are happening in our house less and less (lamb bolognese is saved for a special occasion).

In red meat’s place, I’m definitely turning to ground turkey and chicken wherever possible. Meatballs are one recipe where I don’t feel like they NEED to be beef to be delicious.

In fact, these Greek chicken meatballs are not only one of my favorite New Year’s Eve snacks (along with ham and turkey sliders), but I make them just about every other week as a quick dinner by adding a few side dishes.

So grab a rosemary gin and tonic, and let’s chat about these delicious Mediterranean meatballs. They can be baked or air fried, and served with things like feta, orzo and tzatziki to make them extra special.

Why you’ll love Mediterranean Meatballs

To me, it’s not a party without some meatballs.

When I want pork meatballs, General Tso’s meatballs are my go to. When I want to use ground beef, it’s Korean meatballs. When I want a vegetarian option, it’s black bean meatballs.

And when I want to use ground chicken, these Greek chicken meatballs are what I turn to.

With their simple list of ingredients (most things you may already have in your fridge or pantry), and easy cooking method, these ground chicken meatballs are truly so simple to whip up and pop into the oven as party guests are on their way to your house.

And once baked, these Mediterranean meatballs are easily kept warm in a slow cooker on “low” or “warm” setting with a bit of chicken broth or water in the bottom.

You can also make them a little bit smaller and thread them onto bloody mary skewers at brunch!

Ingredients in small bowls on a white surface, including ground poultry, feta cheese, breadcrumbs, an egg, onions, and herbs and spices.

Greek Chicken Meatballs Ingredients

ground chicken – this is the main ingredient for these meatballs, and a great source of protein!
egg – you’ll need 1 egg, which will act as a binder that helps the meatballs hold together.
breadcrumbs – these add texture and again, help bind the meatballs together. I like panko breadcrumbs (and they’re amazing for buttermilk chicken tenders), but whatever you have on hand will work.
garlic – this adds lots of flavor to these meatballs.
onion – adds even more flavor!
dill – you can use fresh or dried dill for these meatballs, and their yogurt sauce, to add a bright, herbaceous flavor. Use the rest of the bunch of dill to make acini de pepe pasta later in the week.
oregano – this adds an earthy, savory note to the meatball mixture. I usually use dried oregano, but if you happen to have fresh oregano on hand, you can use that, too. Just double the amount if you’re using fresh.
parsley – this will be used in the yogurt sauce, as well as to garnish the finished dish.
salt and pepper – I wouldn’t dream of making meatballs without seasoning them well.
Greek yogurt – this is the main ingredient in the dipping sauce for these Mediterranean chicken meatballs.
feta cheese – this is an optional ingredient, but I like to garnish the finished meatballs with a sprinkle of crumbled feta cheese. Feta lovers won’t want to miss my feta dressing and watermelon and mint salad.

Greek chicken meatballs on a rimmed baking pan.

How to make Chicken Meatballs

Prep: Preheat the oven and spray a rimmed baking pan with cooking spray.
Mix: Stir together the egg, garlic, onion, breadcrumbs, dill, oregano, salt and pepper, and then add the ground chicken to make the meatball mixture.
Roll: Form the meatballs using your hands. They should be about the size of golf balls, and the mixture will be a bit soft, so don’t worry if they’re not perfect. Place them on the baking pan.
Bake: Transfer the meatballs to the oven and cook 16 to 18 minutes or until they reach 165 degrees F in the middle.
Broil: If you want, you can brown the meatballs under the broiler once they’ve finished baking. Broil 2 to 4 minutes or until they’re browned, being sure to watch them very carefully.
Sauce: Make the yogurt sauce by stirring together yogurt, parsley, dill and pepper.
Serve: Garnish the meatballs with feta and fresh herbs, and serve them with the yogurt sauce.

Mediterranean meatballs on a rimmed baking pan with pita wedges, lemon slices and yogurt sauce.

Variations of Mediterranean Meatballs

Can I make greek chicken meatballs with a different type of ground meat?

Absolutely. You are not required to make these Mediterranean meatballs with chicken.

Feel free to make this Greek meatball recipe with ground beef, pork, or turkey.

You could even use a combination of several different types of meat in this Mediterranean meatball recipe. Whatever you prefer is what you should use for these meatballs.

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Air fried Greek Meatballs

Just like my turkey meatball recipe air fryer, these Greek chicken meatballs can be air fried, too!

If necessary, preheat or set your air fryer to 400 degrees F. Spray the air fryer basket with cooking spray.
In batches, transfer the ground chicken meatballs to the air fryer basket and cook 10 to 15 minutes (exact timing will depend on your model of air fryer).
You’re looking to cook them until they are lightly browned and the internal temperature of the meatballs reaches 165 degrees F.
Turn them once about halfway through cooking so that they brown evenly.

Mediterranean chicken meatballs in black bowls with yogurt sauce, pita bread and lemon slices.

Greek Yogurt Sauce for Mediterranean Meatballs

The tangy, herby Greek yogurt dipping sauce I serve with these Greek chicken meatballs is so simple, but my favorite part of this recipe. I love a yogurt sauce for my best Chilean sea bass recipe and kafta, too.

Simply stir together creamy Greek yogurt (which can also be used for a lemon smoothie or even healthy buffalo chicken dip), parsley, dill and ground black pepper. I used fresh herbs here because I had them on hand, but dried herbs work great too.

If using dried herbs, use half the amount of fresh herbs called for in this Greek yogurt sauce for meatballs, since dried herbs have a stronger flavor than fresh herbs.

So, you’d need 1 tablespoon dried parsley and 1-1/2 teaspoons dried dill for the yogurt sauce recipe below. You can also use fresh or dried dill for the herb mayo for my salmon sandwich recipe and in my pimento mac and cheese.

If you have a cucumber on hand and you’d prefer to serve these Greek chicken meatballs with tzatziki, that would also be great.

Or, if you wanted to change things up, you could make spaghetti with Greek yogurt pasta sauce and put these meatballs on top!

Ground chicken meatballs sprinkled with herbs and crumbled feta.

What to serve with Chicken Meatballs:

I don’t only serve these baked chicken meatballs as a party appetizer. In fact, more often than not, I serve them for dinner, with a side of Greek yogurt mashed potatoes or a potato cake (both also great with pistachio crusted chicken).

I’ll sometimes serve these baked chicken meatballs on top of butternut squash noodles or with some roasted glazed carrots or balsamic roasted carrots.

I also love Mediterranean chicken meatballs paired with warm pita bread and orzo.

They’re even great as a meal prep recipe for weekday lunches, served with a simple side of fruit salad.

Greek chicken meatballs on white parchment paper, with crumbled feta, fresh herbs, lemon slices and yogurt sauce.

Ground Chicken Meatballs Storage

STORE. Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
REHEAT. You can reheat these meatballs either in the air fryer again, the oven, or the microwave, until they are warmed through.
FREEZE. To freeze, transfer leftovers to airtight container or freezer bag and freeze up to 3 months.

Mediterranean chicken meatballs in black bowls with yogurt sauce on the bottom.

These Mediterranean chicken meatballs are award winning!

This ground chicken meatball recipe was chosen as a Community Pick in a chicken recipe contest at Food52. This Greek chicken meatball recipe was deemed “as refreshing as it is easy to pull together.” I toasted with a vodka grapefruit cocktail to celebrate the contest win.

Ground Chicken Meatballs FAQs

Why are my chicken meatballs tough?

Chicken meatballs can become tough if you overmix and overwork the meat mixture. Stir everything together until just combined, and gently form them into meatballs while handling them the least amount possible. Also, avoid overcooking.

Why are my chicken meatballs falling apart?

Chicken meatballs might fall apart if the mixture lacks a binding agent. In this recipe, we’re using both egg and breadcrumbs to keep the meatballs from falling apart.

What can I use instead of egg in chicken meatballs?

If you prefer not to use eggs, you can use an egg alternative like a flaxseed egg to help bind the meatball mixture.

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posted by Lori Yates on April 25, 2023 (updated November 7, 2024)

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