Description
Delicious and healthy Greek Turkey Meatballs made with lean ground turkey, fresh zucchini, sun-dried tomatoes, and feta cheese. These meatballs are packed with flavor from garlic, oregano, and lemon zest, baked to perfection for a tender and juicy bite. Perfect as a main dish or served as an appetizer with extra feta cheese on top.
Ingredients
Scale
Meatball Ingredients
- 1 small zucchini (trimmed and shredded)
- 1 pound lean ground turkey
- 4 tablespoons breadcrumbs
- 1 large egg
- 1 red onion (finely chopped)
- 2 cloves garlic (finely chopped)
- 3 sun-dried tomatoes (drained and finely chopped)
- 2 tablespoons crumbled feta cheese (plus extra for serving)
- 1 handful flat leaf parsley (finely chopped)
- 1/2 lemon (finely grated zest only)
- 2 teaspoons dried oregano (or use Italian spice mix)
- 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
- Black pepper (to taste)
Instructions
- Drain zucchini: Place the shredded zucchini in a clean dish towel and squeeze out as much liquid as you can to prevent soggy meatballs.
- Mix meatball dough: Place the drained zucchini, ground turkey, breadcrumbs, egg, onion, garlic, sun-dried tomatoes, feta cheese, parsley, lemon zest, oregano, salt, and pepper in a large bowl. Mix thoroughly using a handheld mixer with dough hook attachments until well combined and the mixture forms an even, slightly wet dough. Alternatively, knead by hand for several minutes.
- Shape meatballs: Using approximately 1.5 teaspoons of the mixture per meatball, shape into small balls and arrange them on a lightly oiled baking sheet. Optional: Freeze for 10 minutes to help retain shape during baking.
- Preheat oven: While chilling the meatballs (if doing so), preheat your oven to 410°F (210°C).
- Bake the meatballs: Place the baking sheet in the preheated oven and bake the meatballs for 12-15 minutes, or until cooked through and no longer pink in the center. No need to flip during baking. For a more browned top, optionally place under the grill for 1-2 minutes before serving.
Notes
- Squeezing out excess moisture from the zucchini is essential to avoid soggy meatballs.
- Freezing the shaped meatballs before baking helps maintain their shape but is optional.
- Use lean ground turkey to keep the meatballs healthy and low in fat.
- Serve with extra crumbled feta cheese for added flavor.
- These meatballs pair well with tzatziki sauce or a side Greek salad.
