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GREEK KOFTA MEATBALLS WITH TZATZIKI

These Greek Kofta Meatballs with Tzatziki will make your kitchen smell like a Greek restaurant.  The warm, sweet scent of the spices mixed with the fresh herbs creates the most comforting aroma.  Allspice, nutmeg, and cayenne are pulled from the pantry for this recipe.  This unusual combo makes people say, “mmmmm, what is in this?”.

Wikipedia defines Koftas as “a family of meatball or meatloaf dishes found in the Indian subcontinent, South Caucasian, Middle Eastern, Balkan, and Central Asian cuisines.  In the simplest form, koftas consist of balls of minced or ground meat – usually beef, chicken, lamb, or pork – mixed with spices and/or onions”.  Traditionally, koftas are formed around a skewer and grilled. I do not have a grill or skewers in my tiny Class B RV kitchen.  Nonetheless, I still make these meatballs in the shape of a kebab sans the skewer.

Serve these bad-boys up with my homemade tzatziki sauce.  The cool cucumber mint dipping sauce pairs so well with the rich koftas and brightens up the dish.  One of my best food prep tips for being consistent with healthy eating is to have pre-cooked proteins ready to eat throughout the week.  This recipe is perfect to have around, for breakfast, lunch, and dinner.  Serve these on top of a Greek salad, with rice, or with a simple tomato/cucumber salad on the side.

Greek Kofta Meatballs on Greek Platter Close Up

Greek Kofta Meatballs with Tzatziki

Christine Willers
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Total Time 45 minutes

Ingredients
  

KOFTA INGREDIENTS

  • 1 pound 93% lean ground beef
  • ½ pound ground lamb
  • 1 white onion quartered
  • 2 cloves garlic
  • 1 cup fresh parsley stems removed, plus additional for garnish
  • ½ tsp ground cayenne pepper
  • ½ tsp ground nutmeg
  • 1 ½ tsp ground allspice
  • ½ tsp salt
  • ½ tsp pepper
  • 1 tsp extra virgin olive oil

TZATZIKI INGREDIENTS

  • ¼ of an English cucumber
  • 1 - 6 oz container of Fage 0% Greek yogurt
  • ½ garlic clove finely grated
  • Juice of ¼ lemon
  • ¼ tsp salt
  • ¼ tsp pepper
  • ¾ tsp dried dill

Instructions
 

  • Grate the cucumber into a fine mesh strainer using a medium grater. Rest the strainer over a bowl and set aside to allow moisture to drain from the cucumber.
  • In a small bowl, combine the Greek yogurt, garlic, salt, pepper, dill, and lemon juice. Mix to combine and set aside.
  • Add the onion, garlic, and the parsley (reserve some for garnishing) into a food processor and process on high until the onion is broken down into a smooth mixture. Add in the cayenne, nutmeg, allspice, salt, and pepper, and pulse again to combine. If you do not have a food processor, finely grate the onion and garlic and finely chop the parsley.
  • In a large bowl (or in the same food processor if it will fit), mix the beef, lamb, and onion/parsley/spice mixture until well combined.
  • Form into 12 equal-sized kebabs or balls.
  • Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add 1 tsp of olive oil and cook kebabs/balls until browned on all sides and cooked to desired liking, roughly 8-10 minutes. Spoon out grease from the pan as needed and cook in batches if you cannot fit into one pan without overcrowding.
  • While the kebabs are cooking, add the grated cucumber to the tzatziki and mix well.
  • Serve kebobs with tzatziki and garnish with reserved parsley.

Video