Baked Greek Chicken Meatballs with Creamy Cucumber Dip

By Sprig Originals ✓ · cooked up in Sprig

Soft, juicy little chicken meatballs seasoned with just garlic, oregano and lemon, baked on one tray until golden. They come with a cool cucumber-yogurt dip and warm pita for scooping and stuffing, so kids can build their own. Nothing spicy, nothing chewy, and ten ingredients from the regular shop.

Ingredients

• 1 lb ground chicken
• 2/3 cup panko breadcrumbs
• 1 large egg
• 2 cloves garlic, finely grated
• 1.5 tsp dried oregano
• 2 tbsp olive oil

• 1 cup plain Greek yogurt
• 1/2 English cucumber
• 1 lemon
• 4 pita breads

Instructions

1. Heat the oven to 400°F (200°C) and line a large baking sheet with parchment. Finely grate the zest of the lemon and set the zested lemon aside for the dip.
2. In a big bowl, mix the ground chicken, panko, egg, grated garlic, oregano, lemon zest, 1 tablespoon of the olive oil and a generous 3/4 teaspoon salt with your hands until just combined; do not overwork it or the meatballs turn dense.
3. With damp hands, roll the mixture into 20 golf-ball-sized meatballs (about 1.5 inches) and space them out on the tray. Brush or drizzle with the remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil.
4. Bake for 18 to 20 minutes, until lightly golden and cooked through (165°F / 74°C in the center). No turning needed.
5. While they bake, coarsely grate the cucumber, squeeze out the excess water with your hands, and stir it into the yogurt with 1 tablespoon juice from the zested lemon and a pinch of salt. Chill until serving.
6. In the last 3 minutes, wrap the pitas in foil and warm them in the oven alongside the meatballs. Cut the pitas into wedges and serve with the meatballs and the cucumber yogurt for dipping.

Chef's tips

Nutrition (per serving, estimated)

More from Sprig Originals

Char-Grilled Oysters with Garlic-Worcestershire Butter

Dark Roux Seafood Gumbo with Quick Shrimp Stock

One-Skillet Blackened Cajun Chicken Pasta

Are you this recipe's original author or publisher? Report a problem