Greek Meatballs with Mint, Oregano & Quick Tzatziki

By Sprig Originals ✓ · cooked up in Sprig

Tender Greek meatballs built on the traditional trick of stale bread soaked in milk, which keeps them impossibly soft while fresh mint and dried oregano do the heavy lifting on flavor. They're pan-fried in batches in olive oil until deeply browned and crisp at the edges, then piled next to a thick, garlicky cucumber tzatziki. Easy enough for a weeknight, generous enough for a mezze table.

Ingredients

• 1 cup full-fat Greek yogurt
• 1/2 English cucumber, grated on the large holes of a box grater
• 1 clove garlic, finely grated
• 1 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 tsp red wine vinegar or lemon juice
• 1 tbsp chopped fresh dill
• 1/4 tsp kosher salt

• 3 oz stale crusty white bread, crusts removed (about 3 thick slices)
• 1/2 cup whole milk
• 1 lb ground beef (80/20)
• 1 small yellow onion, grated or very finely minced
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 large egg
• 3 tbsp chopped fresh mint
• 2 tbsp chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
• 2 tsp dried Greek oregano
• 1/2 tsp ground cumin
• 1 1/4 tsp kosher salt
• 1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
• 1 tbsp red wine vinegar

• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour, for dredging
• 1/3 cup olive oil, for pan-frying
• 1 lemon, cut into wedges
• Warm pita, sliced tomatoes and red onion, for serving

Instructions

1. Make the tzatziki first so it can chill: pile the grated cucumber into a clean kitchen towel and squeeze hard over the sink until it gives up most of its liquid (you should extract about 1/4 cup). Stir it into the yogurt along with the grated garlic, olive oil, vinegar, dill and 1/4 tsp salt. Cover and refrigerate at least 20 minutes.
2. Tear the bread into rough pieces into a medium bowl, pour the milk over it, and let it sit 5 minutes. Squeeze the bread gently with your hands to break it into a thick paste and pour off any milk that hasn't been absorbed — you want a damp paste, not a soup.
3. Add the ground beef, grated onion (squeeze out excess onion juice first), garlic, egg, mint, parsley, oregano, cumin, 1 1/4 tsp salt, pepper and 1 tbsp red wine vinegar to the bread. Mix with your hands just until evenly combined, about 45 seconds — overworking makes the meatballs bouncy instead of tender.
4. Cover and refrigerate the mixture 15 minutes to firm up (it will be softer than typical meatball mix, which is exactly right). Meanwhile, pinch off a teaspoon, fry it in a dry skillet, taste, and adjust salt in the remaining mixture if needed.
5. With lightly dampened hands, roll the mixture into 20 balls, about 1 1/2 inches each (roughly 1 heaping tablespoon). Roll each lightly in the flour and tap off the excess; set on a plate.
6. Heat 1/3 cup olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high until it shimmers, about 3 minutes (a pinch of flour should sizzle immediately). Add half the meatballs, leaving at least an inch between them, and fry undisturbed 3 minutes until a deep brown crust forms.
7. Turn the meatballs and continue cooking, rolling them occasionally, 5 to 6 minutes more, until browned all over and cooked through (165°F on an instant-read thermometer). Transfer to a paper-towel-lined plate and sprinkle with a pinch of salt.
8. Let the oil come back up to temperature for 1 minute, then fry the second batch the same way, 8 to 9 minutes total. If the pan looks dry, add another tablespoon of oil.
9. Serve the keftedes hot, with the chilled tzatziki, lemon wedges for squeezing, warm pita and tomato and red onion alongside.

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Nutrition (per serving, estimated)

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