These healthy Greek Chicken Meatballs are packed with Mediterranean flavor! Made with ground chicken, spinach, herbs, and feta cheese, these flavorful and juicy meatballs are perfect for a quick and easy weeknight dinner.
I love making all types of meatballs. My meatball sliders with whipped ricotta are always a crowd-pleaser and my spaghetti and turkey meatballs is a regular in my dinner rotation. I even make meatless Mediterranean eggplant hummus "meatballs."
But these delicious Greek chicken meatballs are one of my all-time favorite meatball recipes! These healthy meatballs are made with simple, real ingredients and are full of delicious Mediterranean flavors. Made with lean ground chicken, they're a nice change from traditional beef meatballs and are a lot lighter.
To keep these Greek meatballs moist and full of flavor, I mix the ground chicken with spinach, spices, and feta cheese. Then I just pop them in the oven- it's so easy! These meatballs are perfect for busy weeknights.
They're also perfect for meal prep. I love to double the recipe and enjoy these Greek chicken meatballs throughout the week on top of salads, tucked into pita sandwiches with creamy tzatziki sauce or tossed with pasta and tomato sauce.
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Why You'll Love This Dish
- Healthy- chicken is a lean protein that is lower in fat and calories than beef. These meatballs are packed with protein and are low carb/keto-friendly.
- Packed with Flavor- these meatballs are seasoned with a variety of ingredients which give them a distinct Mediterranean flavor.
- Versatile- these flavorful meatballs can be served in a variety of ways, including on a salad, on top of pasta, or in a sandwich.
- Easy- this recipe uses simple, pantry ingredients (like frozen spinach and dried spices) and is so easy to make.
- Perfect for meal prep- double the batch and enjoy these tasty meatballs for lunches and dinners throughout the week.
Doctor's Tips
I mix chopped spinach into these Greek chicken meatballs. Spinach is one of the most nutritious foods you can eat!
It is packed with a wide variety of compounds that are beneficial for your health including several vitamins, minerals, and disease-fighting antioxidants. Spinach is also a rich source of fiber and protein.
Ingredients
Ingredient notes and substitutions (see recipe card below for full ingredient list):
- Ground chicken- I like to use a mixture of dark and white meat chicken rather than chicken breast because it's more flavorful. You can also substitute ground turkey.
- Dried spices- I use a combination of dried spices (onion powder, garlic powder and oregano) to keep this recipe super simple; however, you can use finely chopped onion and garlic cloves, if desired. You can also use fresh herbs like parsley, mint or dill.
- Feta cheese- my secret ingredient that adds a pop or flavor to these meatballs!
- Spinach- I use frozen spinach for convenience but you can use fresh spinach, if desired; if using fresh spinach, cook it first and squeeze out all the water before adding it to the chicken.
- Panko breadcrumbs- you can use gluten-free breadcrumbs if you want to keep this recipe gluten free. You can also leave the breadcrumbs out completely. This will also reduce the carbs if you're following a low carb or keto diet.
How To Make Greek Chicken Meatballs Step-By-Step
See recipe card below for full recipe instructions:
- Step 1- Mix the ground chicken, dried spices, egg, feta cheese, and panko breadcrumbs together in a large bowl.
- Step 2- Scoop the meatball mixture up with a medium cookie scoop and roll them into balls, about 1 ½ inches in diameter. You can wet your hands with a little olive oil or water if the meatballs stick to your hands. Place them in a single layer on a parchment-lined baking sheet.
- Step 3- Brush meatballs with a mixture of olive oil and paprika.
- Step 4- Bake in oven at 400°F for 15-16 minutes until golden brown and cooked through to an internal temperature of 165°F.
Chef's Tips
- You can double this recipe and use these Mediterranean chicken meatballs for meal prep throughout the week.
- To make this recipe gluten free, use gluten-free panko breadcrumbs.
- This recipe is already low carb, but if you want to cut the carbs even more, you can leave out the breadcrumbs.
- I brush a little olive oil mixed with paprika on top of the meatballs to give them a golden brown color as they bake in the oven. If desired, you can turn on the broiler at the end of cooking to give them even more color.
- I use dried spices in this recipe for convenience but you can add fresh herbs for a pop of flavor like fresh mint, parsley or dill.
- You can cook these meatballs in the air fryer. Simply place meatballs in the air fryer basket in a single layer and cook at 370°F for 10-12 minutes until cooked through. This is the air fryer I use and love!
How To Serve These Meatballs
To make these healthy Greek chicken meatballs into a complete meal, there are so many different ways you can serve them. Here are a few ideas:
- Greek chicken meatball bowl- serve the meatballs on a bed of rice or cauliflower rice and add your favorite colorful veggies like cucumbers, tomatoes, red onion, and kalamata olives. Top with a generous scoop of homemade tzatziki, made with Greek yogurt, grated cucumber and fresh herbs.
- On a Greek salad or Israeli salad for a boost of protein
- In pita sandwiches with crisp veggies and tzatziki or hummus
- Tossed with tomato sauce and served over pasta or spaghetti squash for a healthy and hearty dinner
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Recipe FAQs
Leftover meatballs can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days. You can also freeze leftover meatballs to keep on hand for busy weeknights.
When meat is ground, it releases a protein called myosin, which is sticky. To prevent the meatballs from sticking to your hands while you're making them, you can either wet your hands with a little cold water or a little olive oil.
If your meatballs are tough, it could be because you're overworking the ground meat. For a tender and light meatballs, mix the meatball ingredients together with your hands until they're just combined trying not to compact them too much.
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Recipe
Greek Chicken Meatballs
Equipment
Ingredients
- 5 ounces (½ package) chopped, frozen spinach
- 1 pound ground chicken
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder grated or minced
- ½ teaspoon dried oregano
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- 1 egg
- ¼ cup crumbled feta cheese
- ¼ cup panko breadcrumbs
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- ¼ teaspoon paprika
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400°F.
- Defrost the spinach according to package directions. Squeeze all of the water out of the spinach and place it in a large bowl. Add the ground chicken, onion powder, garlic powder, oregano, salt, pepper, egg, feta cheese, and breadcrumbs. Mix to combine. Form the mixture into approximately 16 meatballs, about 1-½ inches in diameter.
- Place the meatballs on the baking sheet sprayed or brushed with olive oil. Mix the olive oil and paprika together in a small bowl. Brush the mixture onto the tops of the meatballs.
- Bake meatballs on the upper shelf in the oven, 15-16 minutes until lightly browned and cooked through to an internal temperature of 165°F. Serve meatballs with desired accompaniments like rice, pasta, pita bread, vegetables, or tzatziki. Or use them to make Greek meatball pita sandwiches.
Notes
- You can double this recipe and use these Mediterranean chicken meatballs for meal prep throughout the week.
- To make this recipe gluten free, use gluten-free panko breadcrumbs.
- This recipe is already low carb/keto, but if you want to cut the carbs even more, you can leave out the breadcrumbs.
- I brush a little olive oil mixed with paprika on top of the meatballs to give the them some golden brown color as they bake in the oven. If desired, you can turn on the broiler at the end of cooking to give them even more color.
- I use dried spices in this recipe for convenience but you can add fresh herbs for a pop of flavor like fresh mint, parsley or dill.
- You can cook these meatballs in the air fryer. Simply place meatballs in the air fryer basket in a single layer and cook at 370°F for 10-12 minutes until cooked through.
Bonnie says
These do not disappoint! I made the recipe using a bunch of fresh spinach (steamed and squeezed dry) instead of frozen. Amazing flavour. Lunch for the week 😊
Dr. Sonali Ruder says
Hi Bonnie, that's great! I'm so happy to hear you enjoyed the recipe. These meatballs are great in salads or sandwiches for lunch (they freeze well too). Thanks for taking the time to leave a review! 🙂
Michelle says
Delicious! I used fresh spinach (cooked drained, and chopped) and Italian breadcrumbs.
Dr. Sonali Ruder says
That's great! So glad to hear you enjoyed the dish! Thanks for leaving a review 🙂
Tiphany says
Hi Sonali,
I made these and they are incredibly moist and very delicious! I've eaten 3 full baked batches of these with pita bread, sliced English cucumber, and Tzatziki sauce. I'm in love!! I did initially use Ground Chicken, but when I ran out of the mixture and wanted to make another match, my local Kroger no longer had any more Ground Chicken, and so I used Ground Turkey. This is my favorite meatball recipe and I'm keeping it on rotation. Thank you so very much for sharing this phenomenal recipe with us!!
Dr. Sonali Ruder says
Great to hear from you, Tiphany! I've been making these meatballs for years- so happy you loved them! Substituting ground turkey for chicken is a great idea. Thanks for leaving a review! 🙂
Julie J Clark says
Easy recipe and Family loves it!
Dr. Sonali Ruder says
Great! So happy to hear you enjoyed the recipe! 😁
Julie F Cotsalas says
Loved These!!! I want to make them in a large quantity for a family reunion. Have you ever froze them and then cooked?
Dr. Sonali Ruder says
That's great- so glad you loved them! Yes, these meatballs freeze well. You can make them ahead of time and freeze them either raw or cooked.
Heidi says
Easy, fast, versatile and delicious! These are going in mt weekly rotation.
Dr. Sonali Ruder says
That's great! I'm so happy to hear that you enjoyed the recipe. Thanks for leaving a review 🙂
Mary V says
Yummy! Even my "picky" eater liked them and said I could make them again!
Dr. Sonali Ruder says
That’s great, Mary! My kids love them too. So glad everyone enjoyed them!
Meenal Parikh says
OMG! These were amazing! We like things spicy so I added fresh grated garlic along with garlic powder. Also added crushed pepper, cayenne pepper, dried mint, and fresh parsley. Served in a Naan bread wrap with a sauce made from Greek yogurt, dill, cucumber, and salt. So yummy!
Dr. Sonali Ruder says
Yay, I'm so glad you liked the recipe! Your additions sound terrific- I like things spicy too. Thanks for leaving a review! 🙂
John R says
Fantastic recipe. Bake the meatballs in a muffin tin. You won’t regret it .
Dr. Sonali Ruder says
I love that idea! Will try it next time. Thanks for your comment! 🙂
Melinda Carpin says
I made these tonight and will definitely make again. I added dry dill weed and seasoning salt instead of kosher salt. Topped them off with a tablespoon of Hollandaise sauce (from a package) This only added 10 calories for a tablespoon. Hubby liked it also an ate 7 chicken balls.
Dr. Sonali Ruder says
That's great, so glad you and your hubby enjoyed them! Dill sounds like a tasty addition! Thanks for leaving a review 🙂
Devon Egan says
Could you use fresh spinach instead of frozen
Dr. Sonali Ruder says
Yes, definitely! You can use a 5-oz package of baby spinach. Just be sure to cook it first and squeeze out all the water before adding it to the meatballs.
Robin Cevasco says
I was wondering if I could substitute kale for spinach in this recipe? I got some from the farmers’ market that, quite literally, came off the truck as they were restocking. I’ve never had this much on my hands before so I’m looking for any & every way to use it up ASAP!
Dr. Sonali Ruder says
Hi Robin, great question! I think the kale would work but it may give the meatballs an earthier/slightly bitter taste compared to spinach. Also, the kale will have a chewier texture than the spinach. If you like the taste of kale, go ahead and try it and see how it goes! Otherwise, here are a few other kale recipes you could try. My sweet potato and kale quesadillas, orecchiette with kale and turkey sausage, roasted butternut squash pasta with kale or my kale chips.
url says
You make it sound so simple! I am definitely going to make it as an appetizer and leftovers with spaghetti,
Thank you for the quinoa spaghetti idea. Never tried it..
sonaliruder says
Thanks for stopping by!