Greek Mint and Oregano Meatballs with Tzatziki
Inspired by techniques from NYT Cooking and America's Test Kitchen.
This follows the same method as our classic meatballs, but a beef and lamb mixture is flavoured with mint, oregano, cumin and lemon zest, shaped slightly flattened, shallow-fried in olive oil, and served with tzatziki and lemon instead of simmered in tomato sauce.
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Method
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Equipment
- large mixing bowl
- box grater
- clean tea towel
- large heavy frying pan
- instant-read probe thermometer
- plate lined with kitchen paper
Nutrition per serving (estimated values)
| Per serving | Amount |
|---|---|
| Energy | 668 kcal |
| Protein | 41.8 g |
| Carbohydrate | 14.5 g |
| of which sugars | 4.7 g |
| of which free sugars | 0.8 g |
| Fat | 48.6 g |
| of which saturates | 17 g |
| Fibre | 1.8 g |
| Salt | 2.01 g |
Protein per 100 kcal
6.3 g High Protein needs ≥ 10 g
Calculated from USDA FoodData Central ingredient values
Metric · 4 servings
Meatballs
- 50 g day-old white bread, crusts removed, torn small
- 3 tbsp water
- 500 g beef mince, 15% fat
- 250 g lamb mince
- 1 small onion, coarsely grated, juice squeezed out about 120 g
- 1 large egg
- 15 g fresh mint leaves, finely chopped
- 2 tbsp flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped
- 1½ tsp dried oregano
- ½ tsp ground cumin
- 2 garlic cloves, finely grated
- 1 tsp lemon zest, finely grated
- 4.5 g fine sea salt or table salt about ¾ tsp
- ½ tsp ground black pepper
Frying
- 4 tbsp olive oil, for frying
Tzatziki
- 200 g thick Greek yoghurt
- 1 small cucumber (about 150 g), coarsely grated and squeezed dry
- 1 garlic cloves, finely grated
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tbsp dill or mint, chopped
- 1.5 g fine sea salt or table salt about ¼ tsp
To serve
- 1 lemon, cut into wedges, to serve
- 1
Make the tzatziki. Squeeze the grated cucumber hard in a clean tea towel to remove as much water as possible, which keeps the finished sauce thick rather than watery. Stir it through the yoghurt with the garlic, lemon juice, olive oil, dill and the tzatziki salt, then chill until needed.
- 2
Mix the meatballs. Soak the torn bread in the water for 2 minutes and mash to a paste. Add both minces, the squeezed grated onion, egg, mint, parsley, oregano, cumin, garlic, lemon zest, and the meatball salt and pepper, then knead with your hand for 1-2 minutes until well combined and tacky. Rest the mixture in the fridge for 15 minutes so the bread hydrates fully and the herbs have time to flavour the meat.
- 3
Shape the meatballs. With wet hands, roll the mixture into 16-18 balls of about 50g each, then flatten slightly to around 4cm across. A flatter shape cooks through evenly in a frying pan, without needing a long, slow simmer to reach the centre.
- 4
Fry and serve. Heat the olive oil in the large frying pan over medium heat and fry the meatballs in two batches for 10-12 minutes, turning every 2-3 minutes, until deep brown on all sides and a probe thermometer in the centre reads 71°C. Drain briefly on paper, then serve hot or warm with the tzatziki and lemon wedges.
Storage
Keeps in a sealed container in the fridge for up to 3 days; store the tzatziki separately and use within 2 days. The meatballs freeze well for up to 2 months, but the tzatziki does not. Reheat the meatballs gently in a covered pan or the oven until piping hot throughout (74°C). Cool leftovers in a shallow container and refrigerate within 2 hours (within 1 hour on a day above 32°C).
