A versatile dish that spans many cultures and can be made with beef, turkey, or chicken, meatballs are great as a standalone dish on top of rice or noodles, tucked into a pita, or stuffed into a roll as a sub. The only problem is that if they’re made with lean meat or you overwork the meatballs while shaping them, they can fall apart during cooking — or worse, taste dry instead of moist and juicy. In this recipe, chopped frozen spinach, which is naturally high in moisture, is used to bind the meat.
Servings: 4
Ingredients:
FOR THE MEATBALLS:
- • 1 10-oz package frozen chopped spinach, defrosted and squeezed dry
- • ¼ pound (about 1 cup) crumbled feta cheese
- • 1 tbsp garlic powder
- • 1 tbsp dried oregano
- • Kosher salt, to taste
- • 1 pound ground beef, ground turkey, or ground chicken
- • Cooking spray
FOR THE SAUCE:
- • 1 cup plain full-fat Greek yogurt
- • 2 small cloves garlic, minced
- • 2 tbsp chopped fresh dill
- • Juice and zest of 1 lemon
- • Kosher salt, to taste
- • Pinch of cayenne, optional
- • Steamed rice or cooked orzo, for serving
Directions:
- • Preheat oven to 400ยบ F.
- • Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or foil.
- • In a large bowl, place spinach, feta, garlic powder, dried oregano and 1 teaspoon kosher salt and stir well.
- • Add beef and mix well.
- • Divide the mixture into a dozen portions, shaping them into balls. You should get around 16 meatballs.
- • Space the meatballs evenly on the sheet pan and spray with cooking spray.
- • Roast 20-25 minutes, until browned and firm to the touch.
- • Place yogurt in a small bowl and wisk in garlic and dill.
- • Add lemon juice and zest and stir to combine.
- • Season with salt and cayenne to taste.
- • Serve meatballs hot over rice or orzo, with the sauce.
- • Squeeze additional lemon slices over dish.
