Since making gyros a couple weeks ago, I’ve had tzatziki on my mind. The problem is, we never have Greek yogurt on hand for very long because I eat it all by the spoonful straight from the container almost right away (yeah, I’m a barbarian. So what?). I knew that if I were going to make meatballs with tzatziki it would have to be right away, or the yogurt would be consumed in less than 48 hours. I tweaked my basic meatball recipe to include lots of fresh parsley and some dried oregano and the results were fantastic. I used to think the addition of bread and milk to meatballs were just there for filler, but they also keep the meatballs fluffy and tender. I served these with a green salad and we ate them for dinner, but they would make a great appetizer as well.
Meatballs with Tzatziki
Print this recipe1 lb ground beef (or 1/2 ground beef, 1/2 ground pork)
1 small onion, finely diced
1-3 cloves garlic, chopped finely
1 tablespoon cooking oil
1 egg, beaten
1/2 cup breadcrumbs or 1 slice of day old bread (crust removed), cut into small pieces
1/4 cup flat-leaf parsley, chopped
1 teaspoon dried oregano
salt & pepper, to taste
at least 3/4 cup of tzatziki, for servingPreheat oven to 350F.
In a large bowl, soak breadcrumbs in milk. Meanwhile, chop the onion, garlic, and parsley. Beat an egg in a small bowl. Heat oil in a large skillet, when hot add the onions and cook until tender, about 5-7 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for another minute. Remove from heat.
Add the ground meat, onion, garlic, beaten egg, parsley, oregano, salt, and pepper to the large bowl and mix thoroughly by hand. Form the meatballs into the size of golf balls. If the mixture is too wet, add more bread or breadcrumbs. Place the meatballs on an aluminum foil-lined baking sheet lightly brushed with oil. Bake for 25-35 minutes, or until meatballs are slightly browned and no longer pink in the center. Serve hot, with a generous amount of tzatziki.
Serves 3-4
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