Greek Chicken Meatballs : Ugly Duckling Bakery

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These Greek Chicken Meatballs with Olives and Feta are made with ground chicken and fresh herbs, feta cheese, and Kalamata olives. They’re the perfect balance of savory and salty, and, even better, you can make them in 30 minutes.

Serve your chicken feta meatballs with orzo or stuff them into a meatball wrap with a drizzle of tzatziki or my lemon herb tahini sauce. So read on to learn all the tips and tricks, or just grab your ground chicken, hit that Jump to Recipe button, and let’s make Greek chicken meatballs!

plate of Greek chicken meatballs with olives and feta along with pita, orzo, lemon, cucumbers and tomatoes.

Ingredients

These Greek chicken meatballs are made with the classic trinity for how to make meatballs and meatloaves: a pound of meat, one egg, and a half-cup of panko or other breadcrumbs. To get a delicious Mediterranean chicken meatball, you add:

Buttermilk: Buttermilk adds fat and flavor. It also helps break down meat proteins to make a more tender meatball (see the FAQs for more information about panades).
Kalamata olives: These Greek black olives are easy to find and often come pitted, which is why I use them. Feel free to use any black olive.
Feta: Feta is a soft, salty cheese made from all or mostly sheep’s milk, with up to 30% goat’s milk allowable. I prefer the creamier French version pictured here, but any feta will work.
Garlic and herbs: oregano is common in Greek cooking, but you can use mint, thyme, parsley, or rosemary in these meatballs. Use one or a combination of fresh herbs.
Lemon zest: the touch of lemon brightens up the mixture and really makes the flavors sing.

Note that you don’t need extra salt because the olives and feta are salty enough.

Please see the recipe card below for complete information on ingredients and quantities.

Variations and substitutions

Sub ground turkey for the ground chicken.
Sub gluten-free panko or make your own breadcrumbs from a couple slices of stale bread.
Sub any type of milk for the buttermilk. It will contribute a bit of fat but may not have the same tenderizing effect on the ground chicken.

Recipe tips and tricks

Step 1: Heat your oven and line a roasting pan with parchment paper or a bit of oil. This prevents your meatballs from sticking to the pan.

Step 2: In a large mixing bowl, mix together your panko and buttermilk or other milk. Stir them together well so the liquid soaks into the bread crumbs. Then add the other ingredients one by one except for the chicken and egg. Just chop and add.

Step 3: Once all of the ingredients except for the chicken and egg are added to the bowl, mix these well with a spoon or spatula. Add the chicken and egg and use your hands to gently mix until well combined. Don’t overwork the mixture, or your chicken meatballs won’t be tender.

glass bowl with panko, garlic, olives, feta, and other ingredients.

mixture of ground chicken, feta, and olives, and herbs in a glass bowl.

If you have time, let the mixture rest in the refrigerator for 30 minutes to set up.

Tip from the wise quacker: make the meatball mixture ahead of time and leave the bowl in the refrigerator for up to 12 hours.

Step 4: Form the mixture into one and a half inch meatballs, leaving a little space between the meatballs.

unbaked chicken meatballs with feta and olives on a parchment-lined sheet.

Step 6: Bake the chicken meatballs for about 15 minutes or until the internal temperature reaches 165 °F (74 °C) and they are starting to turn golden brown. Shake or turn the meatballs once or twice during cooking for even browning. Serve immediately.

baked chicken meatballs with olives and feta on a parchment-lined sheet.

What to serve with Greek chicken meatballs

Check out this post and read more about how to serve meatballs for dinner. Here are some of my favorite things to serve with these Greek chicken meatballs:

Homemade pita or falafel waffles (fawaffle!)
Lemon orzo
A Mediterranean-inspired side salad like this orzo pesto salad, pumpkin couscous salad, or peach and burrata Caprese salad. Or make a simple tomato and cucumber or raw carrot salad.
A sauce like tzatziki or this sumac dressing.
And an adult beverage like a dry martini or a dry, white wine like a sauvignon blanc. If you want to try a Greek wine, look for Assyrtiko, which are grapes from Santorini that produce a dry, acidic white.

Recipe FAQs

What is a panade?

A panade (or panada) is a paste made of milk and bread. It’s commonly used in meatballs and meatloaf to keep the meat tender – one of the reasons why meat is cooked in milk in Bolognese sauce or my sausage ragù.

Are these traditional Greek meatballs?

No. Keftedes or keftethes are a traditional Greek meatball made with ground lamb or sometimes ground beef. My Mediterranean chicken meatballs are more Greek-style or Greek-inspired than a true Greek recipe.

How should I store these meatballs?

Store cooked meatballs in the refrigerator for up to five days. Cooled meatballs can also be frozen in an air-tight freezer bag for three to six months.

What can I do with leftover feta?

Feta is a key ingredient in Greek salads made with cucumbers and tomato, but you can use it in these savory feta and spinach muffins. Or make a quick shakshuka for one happy person for breakfast.

Do you love meatballs? Here are some of my favorites:

Love this recipe? Please leave a 5-heart 💜💜💜💜💜 rating in the recipe card below. Let me know how much you loved it, or any problems you had, in the comments section further down.

Recipe

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