Juicy Roasted Greek Meatballs – Keftedakia
Juicy bite-size Greek meatballs seasoned with herbs and baked to perfection.
For someone who prefers mostly vegetable based dishes, there is one red meat dish that I will always say yes to: Keftethakia. Bite-size (or a little bit larger) meatballs made from ground beef or ground pork, along with all those tasty Greek herbs (especially fresh mint as both my grandmothers used) and then fried in olive oil, today it is mostly beef. The meat was ground at home if you were lucky enough to have a meat grinder. There was plenty of stale bread added, along with a few eggs which stretched the meat to feed a lot more people.
I’m sharing our delicious family recipe! Although I love keftethakia (keftedakia), I don’t like frying so here is a baked version. Same flavor but easier!
Keftethakia in the old days was a necessary food at field trips, picnics and parties and they were always present (in a small amount) as a meze when drinking an ouzo. And they were recommended to be consumed at room temperature. Nowadays, it is hard to come by a good plate of keftethakia, usually some taverns will have good ones, and it has been years since I have had them at a party as people do not make them at home any more and sadly you mostly likely will find chicken nuggets instead.
My favorite way is hot off the frying pan along with a big plate of boiled greens with lemon and olive oil. Keftethakia should not be confused with biftekia. Keftethakia are smaller, usually fried and have more bread in them, whereas biftekia are grilled with less bread or breadcrumbs.
While I love keftethakia I too rarely make them at home because frying is such a hassle, especially when you have to fry dozens of these. But you can try baking them. You need to make sure though to keep them moist as you will not be frying. My recipe here basically includes all the ingredients of my favorite keftethakia and then I bake them, making sure they are well coated with olive oil. You will save some time and fat. Nutritionally, this is mostly protein, accompanied by the herbs. Do not forget to squeeze lemon over them right before eating, this makes them taste great but also helps you absorb more iron from the meat. These are best accompanied with greens (horta) or salad or other vegetables such as beets. Unfortunately nowadays they are served with fried potatoes. If you do bake them, they are better consumed warm.
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Juicy Roasted Greek Meatballs – Keftedakia
Ingredients
- 1 pound (450 g) ground beef *not extra lean otherwise the meatballs will be dry
- 1 large onion finely chopped (I use a food processor)
- 1/3 cup chopped fresh mint
- 1 egg
- ¼ cup (60 ml) olive oil
- ½ teaspoon salt
- pepper
- ½ teaspoon cumin
- 1 tablespoon ouzo
- 2 tablespoon red wine vinegar
- 2 tablespoons breadcrumbs (I use from barley rusks)
- All purpose flour
Instructions
- In a large bowl add the beef and the rest of the ingredients, except the flour and only 2 tablespoons of olive oil.
- Mix well. Traditionally here in Greece we knead the beef until all the ingredients are well combined, about 5-10 minutes.
- Cover the bowl and let it sit in the refrigerator for at least an hour. This will make a difference in the taste.
- Preheat the oven at 350 degrees Fahrenheit (180 Celsius).
- Brush a pan with olive oil.
- Roll into meatballs, about 1-1 ½ inch in diameter. Roll in flour and place on pan.
- Add a small amount of olive oil on each meatball. I recently bought a bottle that sprays olive oil using an air pump, which worked beautifully for this.
- Bake for about 30 minutes, turning over half way. You can check with a food thermometer to make sure the meat is done (should be 160 degrees Fahrenheit).
- Put under broiler for 5 minutes to get the meatballs crunchy.
Hi! Is using an air fryer a good midway alternative between stovetop frying and baking? What would the instructions be there?
HI Elena
We are loving all the recipes we have made on the 30 day med diet so far.. even my Israeli, meat obsessed husband has not complained. So Im very excited to make him meatballs tomorrow and see his happiness ha ha! However, I have no ouzo. Is it just for flavour? Can I use fennel seeds?
Many thanks
Use gluten-free panko bread crumbs. I also add leeks to mine. Taught by my Greek grandmother.
Hi Elena … I too would love to see metric measurements for all your recipes as I have to convert before making each dish. I really love your recipes. Thanks.
Excellent. Thanks fo another delicious recipe.
Hi, does anyone know if these meatballs can be made and left overnight to bake the next day.
Thankyou
Hi Linda, Yes, you can make them overnight, cover well and refrigerate.
One more delicious recipe!
Can I suggest that you use metric system too?
Many people don’t know and having trouble trying to convert ounces/pounds and cups to grams or F to C…
I made these today. Delicious!!! Thank you for another wonderful recipe
How many balls does this recipe make? Can you freeze the meatballs once cooked? If so, how do you reheat them?
Thanks.
I made these for my Greek boyfriend last night and he absolutely loved them! He said he hadn’t tasted anything like these since he was a child in Crete, when he would eat them as fast as his mother made them 🙂 I followed the recipe almost exactly (except I didn’t have ouzo so used 7-star Metaxa instead!) and it was a winner. I served the meatballs with my famous Briami and WHAT a meal it was. I am Jewish but Greek in another life, I suspect! Thank you, Elena.. I will be trying more of your recipes! Kali Orexi!
Thank you Sue! I’m glad you (and the Greek boyfriend) enjoyed them! The Metaxa sounds like a great idea!
Would the French Pernod be a good substitute? I know, its not Greek, but looking for another good flavor substitute that might be in my cupboard.
Dear Elena
I avoid gluten wherever possible, do you thin chickpea flower will work with keftedakia?
evharisto!
It should be OK, you need the bread to provide some volume. Although unless you have celiac or a diagnosed gluten sensitivity, there is no need to avoid gluten, as research does not appear to show any benefit.
Can ground lamb be used to make these meatballs? I have some from my local farmer to use up and these look so good. :-) Also, I’m not familiar with ouzu…is there a good substitute?