Greek Lamb Meatballs (Keftedes Tiganites)
Pan-fried keftedes are perfectly tender, succulent bites of ground lamb and beef seasoned with the best of the Mediterranean! These crispy Greek lamb meatballs are a stunning addition to a mezze platter with dipping sauces, pita, and vegetables, but they’re also completely satisfying on their own.
Tiganites loosely translates to “little fried” treats and keftedes means “meatballs.” So what do we get when we put them together? Little fried meatballs!
That’s an oversimplification, of course, and there’s nothing “little” about the flavor and texture of these Greek lamb meatballs. With all of the Mediterranean spices, herbs, and cheese in the mix, it’s no surprise that these tender meatballs come out plump, juicy, and absolutely irresistible. And since they’re pan-fried, they take on a magnificent crust that keeps the meatballs neat and easy to bite into.
Table of Contents
As an appetizer, they’re usually served with tzatziki and pita. I could enjoy that combination as a main course any day of the week! But if you want to fill out the meal a little more, include a feta salad and some lemon rice.
Double the batch and freeze half
These also freeze extraordinarily well! I often freeze half of the batch myself — after shaping but before rolling in the flour. Freeze briefly on a baking sheet and transfer to a plastic baggie once solid.
Thaw overnight, dredge in flour, and fry within 2 months.
(Be sure to check the recipe card for a full list of ingredients and quantities)
- Ground Meat – Keftedes are made with beef, lamb, or both. They can easily be made with chicken or turkey too.
- Flour – For dredging before pan frying.
- Red Onion – This sweet, sharp onion is the most common in Greek cooking. But there’s nothing wrong with using white or yellow onions if that’s what you have!
- Egg – If you don’t want to use eggs, you can use ricotta cheese, chia seeds, or even mashed potatoes as a substitute binder. You’ll end up with a pretty different product, of course!
- Garlic – Minced garlic is baked right in for a mouthwatering aroma and nutty, toasted flavor.
- Breadcrumbs – Key for keeping pan-seared meatballs moist and juicy. I use plain breadcrumbs, but you could use Italian or panko.
- Parmesan – If you can get your hands on it, use traditional Greek kefalotyri cheese. It’s a similarly salty, hard cheese, but it has a really unique spice and scent to it that just can’t be matched!
- Mint – Fresh mint can be omitted if not to your taste.
- Seasonings – This recipe includes a menagerie of other Mediterranean dried herbs and seasonings, including ground cumin, ground coriander, dried oregano, salt, and ground black pepper.
- Prepare the Flour. Add the flour to a small bowl for dredging and set aside.
- Prepare the Onion. Grate the onion over a sieve and press down to release excess water. Discard the onion water and transfer the grated onion to a large bowl.
- Mix the Meatball Mixture. Add the remaining ingredients to the bowl with the onion. Use your hands to mix and squeeze the mixture until well combined.
- Shape & Dredge the Meatballs. Roll the mixture into 36 small, walnut-sized balls. Don’t pack them too tightly or else they will come out very tough. Roll them in the flour to coat, gently shake off the excess flour, and place on a tray until ready to fry.
- Fry. Heat the olive oil over medium-high heat until it begins to shimmer. Add the balls, taking care not to overcrowd the skillet, and cook for 7 minutes until browned on all sides. Transfer to a plate lined with a paper towel.
- Serve. Plate the warm Greek lamb meatballs as an appetizer or main course with sides and sauces of choice.
Recommended Tools
- Deep Skillet – A deep skillet, around 3.5 quarts, should be used when pan searing or frying to prevent splatter — keeping you safe from burns and your stovetop clean!
Storing and Reheating
Whether they’re made with beef or lamb, these bite-sized meatballs can be refrigerated for up to 4 days once cooked.
Reheat meatballs in an oven at 300-350 degrees F. I recommend sprinkling them with a bit of water and covering with foil so they don’t dry out while reheating.
Uncooked meatballs can be refrigerated for 24 hours before cooking.
They also freeze extraordinarily well! I often freeze half of the batch myself — after shaping but before rolling in the flour. Freeze briefly on a baking sheet and transfer to a plastic baggie once solid.
Thaw overnight, dredge in flour, and fry within 2 months.
“Regular” meatballs are usually made from pork, beef, or both, whereas keftedes often contain lamb. While a common Mediterranean protein, it isn’t too popular in the United States, but a favorite of mine.
Additionally, its flavor profile is pretty unique. Most “regular” meatballs won’t have the cool, refreshing taste of mint, for example, nor the sweet and lemony flavors of coriander and cumin.
It’s entirely a matter of preference, and it’s actually most commonly made with both. Whether you prefer the earthy, sweet flavor of lamb or savory beef should dictate your decision!
Yes — though they will not be as crispy. Place the tray of flour-coated meatballs in an oven and bake at 400°F for 18 to 20 minutes.
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Greek Lamb Meatballs (Keftedes Tiganites)
Ingredients
- 1 large red onion grated
- 2 lbs ground lamb or beef
- 3 garlic cloves minced
- 2 tsp dried oregano
- 1/4 cup fresh mint chopped
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- 1 tsp ground coriander
- 1/2 cup plain breadcrumbs
- 1 large egg
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese (See Note 1)
- 1 tsp kosher salt
- 1/2 tsp ground black pepper
- 1/3 cup flour for dredging
- olive oil (for frying)
Instructions
- Grate the red onion over a bowl, transfer to a sieve and press to extract excess water. Discard onion water.
- Transfer grated onion to a large bowl along with the lamb, garlic, oregano, mint, cumin, coriander, breadcrumbs, egg, oil, cheese, salt and pepper. Mix using your hands and squeeze mixture until thoroughly mixed.
- Set up small bowl with flour. Shape meat mixture into walnut size meatballs (See Note 2) and roll in the flour to coat. Gently shake excess flour off and place on a tray. Repeat and you should end up with 36 meatballs.
Fried Version
- Heat 1/2-inch of olive oil in a deep skillet until it just starts to shimmer. Fry the meatballs for 7 minutes and brown all over in several batches. Remove and keep warm on a paper towel lined plate.
Baked Version
- Bake in 400°F oven for 20 minutes on parchment lined, rimmed baking sheet.
Serve
- Serve with tzatziki sauce, warm pita for an appetizer on a meze platter or as a main dish with steamed rice and a Greek Feta Salad.
Notes
- A traditional Greek kefalotyri cheese is preferred if you can find it.
- After rolling the meatballs and before rolling in the flour, I often times save half the batch to freeze. Later, when ready to use, thaw and dredge in flour before frying.
- You could also bake these on a tray after dredging in the flour in a 400°F oven for 18-20 minutes if you do not want to fry. They will not be as crispy though.
Nutrition
The information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
What is the temperature of the oil ?
I don’t test the temp, just until it starts to shimmer. I’ve updated the recipe card with new Notes on additional baking version as well.
Made these for a family get together last weekend and everyone loved them! I flattened them into patties so they wouldn’t roll off my tray driving there, but otherwise the recipe was fantastic. Will definitely make again Kevin.
o glad you and th eparty enjoy these Geraldine! Thanks for coming back and letting me know. 🙂
Has anyone tried to cook them in an airfryer?
I have not as of yet, but may need to get one of those to try recipes and update.
These were so good, I loved them. The spices blend together magically for an incredible flavor. Thanks Kevin
Appreciate you coming back to let me know Dave. These are great as main or appetizer, right?! Cheers!