Greek turkey meatballs with tzatziki
Juicy, herby meatballs flecked with feta and spinach, baked on one pan and dunked in cool tzatziki.
- 45 min total
- 20 min hands-on
- Anyone can make this
- Serves 4
- About $3.01 a serving
- 350 calories
- Good the next day
Dolly says: Make the full amount. It’s just as good for lunch the next day.
Ingredients
For 4 servings.
- 1 large egg
- 1 lb ground turkey
- 1 cup baby spinach, finely chopped
- ½ cup feta cheese, crumbled
- ¼ cup red onions, finely chopped
- 3 cloves garlic, minced, divided
- ⅓ cup panko breadcrumbs
- 1 cup plain greek yogurt
- ½ english cucumber
- 1 tbsp fresh dill, chopped
- ½ lemon, juiced
- 4 pita bread, warmed (optional)
From your pantry
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- 1 tsp salt, divided
- ¼ tsp black pepper
Each serving has about 350 calories, 33 g protein, 11 g carbs and 19 g fat, and costs about $3.01 at typical US grocery prices. Both are estimates from what the recipe uses.
Missing something?
- No ground turkey? Ground chicken works.
- No baby spinach? Kale or arugula works.
- No feta cheese? Goat cheese works.
- No red onions? White onions or yellow onions work.
- No panko breadcrumbs? Plain breadcrumbs work.
- No plain greek yogurt? Plain yogurt or sour cream works.
- No english cucumbers? Cucumbers or mini cucumbers work.
- No lemons? Limes work.
- No pita bread? Naan or flour tortillas work.
Steps
Tap an underlined word for a quick explanation.
the oven to 400°F, line a with and rub the paper with the oil.
Preheat. Preheating means turning the oven on before you start, so it’s fully hot when the food goes in. Food that starts in a cold oven cooks unevenly and doesn’t brown the same.
How you’ll know: The oven beeps or its light clicks off, usually 10 to 15 minutes after you turn it on.
Sheet pan. A sheet pan is a flat metal baking tray with a low rim all the way around. The rim catches juices, and the wide surface lets food spread out and brown.
How you’ll know: Everything fits in one layer with a little space between the pieces.
Parchment paper. Parchment paper is a nonstick, oven-safe paper for lining pans. Food lifts right off and cleanup is easy, but don’t swap in wax paper or put parchment under the broiler.
How you’ll know: It lies flat in the pan, and the food slides off when you lift it.
Crack the egg into a large bowl and beat it with a fork.
Add the turkey, spinach, feta, onion, 2 cloves of garlic, panko, oregano, ¾ teaspoon of salt and the pepper, and mix gently with your hands until just combined.
Dolly’s tip: Ground turkey is soft and sticky. That’s normal, and it’s why the meatballs stay juicy.Food safety: Wash your hands, the board and the knife with hot soapy water after touching raw meat, and don’t rinse raw chicken in the sink.
Roll into balls about the size of a golf ball and set them on the pan with a little space between each. You’ll get about 20.
Dolly’s tip: Wet your hands every few meatballs so the mixture doesn’t stick.for 18 to 20 minutes, until lightly and 165°F in the center of one of the biggest.
Bake. Baking means cooking in the oven with dry heat all around the food. It cooks evenly from every side, so you can mostly leave it alone.
How you’ll know: It’s golden on top and passes the recipe’s check, like a clean toothpick or the right temperature.
Brown. Browning means cooking until the outside turns brown, which is where a lot of savory flavor comes from. Give food room and time without stirring, or it steams and stays gray.
How you’ll know: The food looks brown rather than gray, and the kitchen smells toasty and savory.
Timer: 19 min
Food safety: Ground turkey and ground chicken are done at 165°F, with no pink left anywhere in the pan.
the cucumber while they , squeeze out the water in a paper towel, and it into the yogurt with the last clove of garlic, the dill, lemon juice and of salt.
Grate. Grating means rubbing food across the holes of a grater to make fine shreds or flakes. It spreads cheese, garlic or ginger evenly through a dish so it melts right in.
How you’ll know: Even shreds fall off the back of the grater, and you stop while the piece is still big enough to hold.
Bake. Baking means cooking in the oven with dry heat all around the food. It cooks evenly from every side, so you can mostly leave it alone.
How you’ll know: It’s golden on top and passes the recipe’s check, like a clean toothpick or the right temperature.
Stir. Stirring means moving food around with a spoon or spatula so it cooks evenly and doesn’t stick. Unless the recipe says constantly, every so often is plenty, and it gives food time to brown.
How you’ll know: When you drag the spoon across the bottom, nothing is sticking or scorching.
Pinch. A pinch is what you can hold between your thumb and two fingers, less than an eighth of a teaspoon. It’s a small, forgiving amount, so there’s no need to measure.
How you’ll know: It’s a light sprinkle you can barely see on the food, not a little pile.
Dolly’s tip: Squeezing out the water keeps the tzatziki thick instead of runny.Serve the meatballs with the tzatziki for dunking and warm pita on the side.
Plan this in Dollop, and get the grocery list
Dollop puts this dinner on a night that suits your week, lists only what you still need to buy, and walks you through each step while you cook.
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