This post may contain affiliate links.
These easy Greek Meatballs are so flavorful and the perfect addition to rice or hummus bowls or eaten on their own. Your favorite Greek flavors come together to create a meatball your family will go crazy for! These also freeze great for later!
GREEK MEATBALLS
Greek flavors are among my favorite to cook with.
When Mike and I spent time in Greece a year ago I was in my happy place.
I loved eating Greek salads, hummus, pork souvlaki, tzatziki and fresh seafood.
These Greek Meatballs use many of the ingredients I love so much including fresh mint, parsley, oregano along with the ground beef.
These herbs mixed with the beef have a unique flavor that works really well together.
When I make these Greek Meatballs I like to make a double batch and freeze half for later.
That makes meal time super easy during the week.
My kids went back-to-school last week and these easy meatballs are one of the recipes I make and have on hand when things start to get crazy with school and sports.
We rotate between a lot of meatball recipes like these Mediterranean Baked Turkey Meatballs, Baked Chicken Meatballs, Beef Kafta Meatballs, and Air Fryer Meatballs.
The Ohio Beef Council and I are here today to celebrate back-to-school and pack your families meals with healthy protein.
One of my favorite way to use these meatballs is in rice, couscous or hummus bowls.
It makes meal time fun for my kids too. I set out a variety of ingredients and let them create their own bowl.
Recipe Ingredients
- Ground Beef
- Red Onion
- Garlic Cloves
- Breadcrumbs
- Fresh Parsley and Fresh Mint
- Dried Oregano
- Dried Basil
- Extra virgin olive oil
Ingredients to Include in a Hummus or Rice Bowl
The options are endless when it comes to what you can put in a rice or hummus bowl but lets talk about my favorites!
- Dip: Hummus is a great base in a bowl with meatballs. I especially love this roasted red pepper hummus or this lemon hummus. I also like using baba ghanoush or a white bean dip.
- Grain: There are a lot of grains that work well in these bowls. Try white, jasmine or brown rice, couscous, bulgur or farro.
- Vegetables: Fresh vegetables make a nice addition to a rice or hummus bowl. I especially like chopped cucumbers, tomatoes, green onion, red onion and zucchini.
- Fresh Herbs: Load up that bowl with fresh herbs like basil, parsley, dill and mint.
- Yogurt: A Mediterranean style bowl isn’t a bowl unless it has a big dollop of yogurt in it. Try a Tahini style yogurt dip or use Greek or plain yogurt.
- Cheese: I love adding creamy feta cheese to my bowls. I look for a big block of feta and crumble it myself or you can use pre-crumbled feta cheese.
Why is Beef Healthy?
- This school year, thousands of Ohio families will buy beef. Ohioans spend $4.1 billion each year on beef to use in healthy meals, which is a nutritious, high-quality protein choice for any time of day.
- A 3-ounce serving of beef (about the size of an iPhone) provides more than 10 essential nutrients and 25 grams of protein for less than 200 calories.
- In a 3-ounce serving of beef, students will get nutrients they may be lacking in – like protein, iron and zinc – which aid in brain development and cognition and support a healthy immune system.
- Protein helps keep kids focused during the school day, and the B vitamins in beef provide students with energy to perform at their best.
- Beef is an excellent source of high-quality protein, which is one of the most satisfying nutrients. Eating a protein-rich diet will help students feel full all day and prevent overeating during meals.
- For student athletes and active kids, there is no better choice than beef. The protein in beef helps build muscle and provides enough energy to support kids on-the-go.
What is Beef Farming Like?
- There are 17,000 beef farming families in Ohio, who are committed to providing excellent care for their animals, protecting the environment for future generations and producing safe, healthy beef. Meet Ohio beef farmers who may live near you at www.OhioBeef.org.
- The Ohio beef community includes more than just farmers! Small business owners, community leaders, animal caretakers, nutritionists and environmentalists are all dedicated to producing safe, wholesome, nutritious beef.
- Although many believe that industrial farming has taken the place of family farms and ranches, 97 percent of beef farms are family-owned and operated.
- Ohio beef farmers have a passion for the land, the livestock and farming as a family. Watch this short video to learn how the Vollborns, a multi-generation beef farming family from Bidwell, Ohio, work hard every day to care for their cattle and produce safe, wholesome beef for our families.
Here are some tips on how to buy and cook beef:
- Save a bundle by buying larger cuts of beef and slicing them on your own at home! Not planning to feed a crowd? Freeze smaller pieces of beef individually to use later. Learn more ways to save when buying beef.
- If you need to get dinner on the table in a flash, use your Instant Pot! Did you know that you can safely cook frozen beef in an Instant Pot without thawing? Prepare fork-tender beef, including ribs, brisket and stew meat, in a fraction of the time needed for braising or slow cooking.
- Ground beef can be used in a variety of dishes, making it a family favorite. When purchasing, be sure to select ground beef with a bright, red color that is firm to the touch and doesn’t have excessive liquid in the package. Store ground beef in your refrigerator for 1-2 days, or in the freezer for up to 4 months.
- Ground beef is a go-to when feeding a hungry family in a hurry, but remember not to over-mix it when preparing to cook. Over-mixing ground beef will result in burgers, meatballs or meatloaves that are too firm and compact.
Other Meatball Recipes You Might Like:
CURRY MEATBALLS
PORK MEATBALLS
CROCKPOT TURKEY MEATBALLS
BAKED RIGATONI WITH CHICKEN MEATBALLS
SLOW COOKER MEDITERRANEAN BEEF MEATBALLS
SKILLET TOMATO BASIL MEATBALLS
Greek Meatballs
These easy Greek Meatballs are so flavorful and the perfect addition to rice or hummus bowls or eaten on their own. Your favorite Greek flavors come together to create a meatball your family will go crazy for!
Ingredients
- 1/2 of a small red onion, finely chopped
- 4 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 1/2 pounds ground beef {I use 80/20}
- 1 cup normal breadcrumbs
- 1 egg
- 1/4 cup fresh parsley, finely chopped
- 5 large mint leaves, finely chopped
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1/2 teaspoon basil
- 2 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/8 teaspoon Black pepper
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 F.
- Put the red onion, garlic, ground beef, breadcrumbs, egg, parsley, mint, oregano, basil, olive oil, salt and pepper in a large mixing bowl and use your hands to mix well. Make sure the mixture is smooth and well combinted.
- Use a large cookie scoop to create a ball and work it into a ball using your hands. Place on a non-stick baking sheet or one that has been sprayed with non-stick spray.
- Spray the meatballs with olive oil or use a small dish and a brush to brush them with olive oil. This helps them brown and crisp on the outside.
- Bake for about 20-25 minutes or until browned and the internal temperature reaches 165 degrees F.
- Serve in a rice bowl or hummus bowl or on their own.
Notes
- To freeze the meatballs: Let them cool completely, put in a freezer safe zip lock bag and place in the freezer.
- When you are ready to eat, let them thaw in the refrigerator and heat as needed. You can reheat them in the microwave, oven or stovetop.
Today’s post is sponsored by the Ohio Beef Council. As always, opinions are 100% my own. Thanks for supporting brands that allow me to create new recipes!
