Baked Greek Chicken Meatballs

I’m always looking for ways to sneak more flavor into weeknight dinners without adding extra time to my cooking routine. Greek food does that naturally with all those fresh herbs and tangy feta cheese. These chicken meatballs bring together oregano, mint, parsley, and garlic in a way that makes your kitchen smell like a Mediterranean restaurant.

The best part? You can make a big batch and freeze half for those nights when you have zero energy to cook. I serve mine with tzatziki sauce and pita bread, but they’re just as good tossed into a salad or stuffed into a wrap for lunch the next day. Ground chicken keeps them lighter than beef or pork, so you can eat three (or five) without feeling like you need a nap afterward.

These meatballs work for meal prep Sundays, busy weeknights, or even when you want to impress someone without actually impressing yourself into exhaustion.

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What Kind of Ground Chicken Should I Use?

Ground chicken comes in different varieties, and for meatballs, you’ll want to pay attention to the fat content. Ground chicken breast is the leanest option, but it can make your meatballs a bit dry, so I’d recommend going with regular ground chicken that includes some dark meat for better moisture and flavor. If you can only find ground chicken breast, don’t worry – the feta cheese and olive oil in this recipe will help keep things juicy. Some stores also carry ground chicken thigh, which is fattier and will give you the most tender meatballs, though they might not hold their shape quite as well.

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Options for Substitutions

These Greek meatballs are pretty forgiving when it comes to swaps:

• Ground chicken: You can easily swap ground chicken for ground turkey, which has a similar texture and flavor. Ground lamb would give you a more traditional Greek taste, though it’s richer. Ground beef works too, but keep in mind it’ll change the flavor profile a bit.
• Feta cheese: If you’re not a fan of feta or don’t have any, try using ricotta salata or even grated parmesan. The flavor will be different, but they’ll still add that salty, tangy element.
• Fresh herbs: Don’t have fresh parsley or mint? You can use dried versions – just cut the amount to about 1/3 of what’s called for since dried herbs are more concentrated. So use about 2-3 tablespoons dried parsley and 1 teaspoon dried mint.
• Red onion: Yellow or white onions work just fine here. Red onion adds a slightly sweeter, milder flavor, but any onion will do the job.
• Oregano: This is pretty essential for that Greek flavor, so I’d recommend keeping it in if possible. But in a pinch, you could use Italian seasoning which usually contains oregano along with other herbs.

Watch Out for These Mistakes While Cooking

The biggest mistake with chicken meatballs is overworking the meat mixture, which creates dense, tough meatballs instead of tender ones – mix just until the ingredients are combined and stop there.

Ground chicken is much leaner than beef or pork, so it dries out quickly if you overbake it, meaning you should check for doneness around the 20-minute mark with an instant-read thermometer (they’re done at 165°F).

To keep your meatballs from sticking to the pan and falling apart when you flip them, make sure to use enough parchment paper or give your pan a light spray of cooking oil, and resist the urge to move them around too much while they’re baking.

For extra moist meatballs, try adding a tablespoon of Greek yogurt or an extra drizzle of olive oil to the mixture, which helps compensate for the lean meat without changing the flavor.

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What to Serve With Greek Chicken Meatballs?

These meatballs are perfect tucked into warm pita bread with tzatziki sauce, sliced cucumbers, and tomatoes for an easy weeknight dinner. I love serving them over a bed of fluffy rice or couscous with a simple Greek salad on the side – the lemon vinaigrette from the salad actually complements the herbs in the meatballs really nicely. If you want to make it more of a mezze-style meal, put out some hummus, olives, and roasted red peppers so everyone can build their own plates. You can also skewer these meatballs and serve them as appetizers at your next gathering, which always disappears fast at my house.

Storage Instructions

Store: These Greek chicken meatballs keep really well in the fridge for up to 4 days in an airtight container. They’re great for meal prep since you can just grab a few throughout the week to toss in salads, wraps, or serve with some tzatziki sauce.

Freeze: You can freeze these meatballs for up to 3 months, which is super handy for busy weeknights. Let them cool completely, then arrange them on a baking sheet to freeze individually before transferring to a freezer bag. This way they won’t stick together and you can grab just what you need.

Reheat: Warm them up in the oven at 350°F for about 10-15 minutes, or pop them in the microwave for a quick minute or two. If they’re frozen, let them thaw in the fridge overnight first, or add a few extra minutes to the reheating time.

Estimated Nutrition

Estimated nutrition for the whole recipe (without optional ingredients):

• Calories: 1100-1250
• Protein: 110-125 g
• Fat: 62-72 g
• Carbohydrates: 18-24 g

Ingredients

• 2 lb ground chicken
• 1 cup red onion (finely diced into 1/4-inch pieces to help meatballs hold together)
• 3/4 cup feta (I use President Crumbled Feta for a saltier tang)
• 4 garlic cloves (freshly minced for best flavor)
• 3/4 cup fresh parsley
• 1.5 tbsp mint
• 2.5 tsp oregano
• 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
• 1/2 tbsp olive oil (I prefer Filippio Berio extra virgin for mildness)
• salt
• black pepper

Step 1: Prepare Ingredients and Preheat Oven

• 1 cup red onion, finely diced
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• 3/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped
• 1.5 tbsp mint, chopped

Preheat your oven to 400°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

While the oven heats, finely dice the red onion into 1/4-inch pieces—this size is key because it helps the meatballs hold together as they cook.

Mince the garlic cloves fresh (pre-minced garlic loses potency), and finely chop the fresh parsley and mint.

Having everything prepped before mixing ensures you can work quickly once the chicken is exposed to air, which helps maintain its texture.

Step 2: Mix Meatball Base

• 2 lb ground chicken
• red onion and garlic mixture from Step 1
• fresh parsley and mint from Step 1
• 3/4 cup feta, crumbled
• 2.5 tsp oregano
• 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
• 1/2 tbsp olive oil
• salt and black pepper to taste

In a large bowl, combine the ground chicken with the diced red onion, minced garlic, chopped herbs, crumbled feta, oregano, and red pepper flakes.

Drizzle in the olive oil and add a pinch of salt and black pepper to taste.

Mix gently with your hands just until everything is evenly distributed—overmixing develops gluten in the chicken and creates dense, tough meatballs.

I like to use crumbled feta rather than shredded because it distributes more evenly and adds wonderful pockets of salty tang throughout each bite.

Step 3: Form and Bake Meatballs

• chicken mixture from Step 2

Using slightly damp hands (this prevents sticking), gently form the mixture into meatballs about 1.5 inches in diameter and place them on the prepared baking sheet, spacing them about 1 inch apart so heat circulates evenly around each one.

Bake for 25 minutes until the meatballs are cooked through and lightly browned on the outside.

Step 4: Serve

Remove the meatballs from the oven and let them rest for 2-3 minutes before serving.

Serve warm with rice, fresh salad, and creamy tzatziki sauce on the side for dipping.

Baked Greek Chicken Meatballs

Delicious Baked Greek Chicken Meatballs recipe with step-by-step instructions.

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 15 minutes mins

Cook Time 30 minutes mins

Total Time 45 minutes mins

Servings 4 servings

Calories 1175 kcal

Ingredients

  

• 2 lb ground chicken
• 1 cup red onion (finely diced into 1/4-inch pieces to help meatballs hold together)
• 3/4 cup feta (I use President Crumbled Feta for a saltier tang)
• 4 garlic cloves (freshly minced for best flavor)
• 3/4 cup fresh parsley
• 1.5 tbsp mint
• 2.5 tsp oregano
• 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
• 1/2 tbsp olive oil (I prefer Filippio Berio extra virgin for mildness)
• salt
• black pepper

Instructions

 

• Preheat your oven to 400°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. While the oven heats, finely dice the red onion into 1/4-inch pieces—this size is key because it helps the meatballs hold together as they cook. Mince the garlic cloves fresh (pre-minced garlic loses potency), and finely chop the fresh parsley and mint. Having everything prepped before mixing ensures you can work quickly once the chicken is exposed to air, which helps maintain its texture.
• In a large bowl, combine the ground chicken with the diced red onion, minced garlic, chopped herbs, crumbled feta, oregano, and red pepper flakes. Drizzle in the olive oil and add a pinch of salt and black pepper to taste. Mix gently with your hands just until everything is evenly distributed—overmixing develops gluten in the chicken and creates dense, tough meatballs. I like to use crumbled feta rather than shredded because it distributes more evenly and adds wonderful pockets of salty tang throughout each bite.
• Using slightly damp hands (this prevents sticking), gently form the mixture into meatballs about 1.5 inches in diameter and place them on the prepared baking sheet, spacing them about 1 inch apart so heat circulates evenly around each one. Bake for 25 minutes until the meatballs are cooked through and lightly browned on the outside.
• Remove the meatballs from the oven and let them rest for 2-3 minutes before serving. Serve warm with rice, fresh salad, and creamy tzatziki sauce on the side for dipping.