Description
Make tender Greek meatballs (Keftedes) served in a bright, tangy lemon sauce.
Ingredients
Scale
- 1 lb ground beef or a mix of beef and lamb
- 1/2 cup breadcrumbs
- 1/4 cup finely chopped onion
- 1 large egg, lightly beaten
- 2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1/2 teaspoon dried mint
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 2 tablespoons olive oil, for frying
- 1 cup chicken broth
- 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
- 2 large eggs, beaten lightly (for sauce thickener)
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch
- 1 tablespoon fresh dill, chopped (for garnish)
Instructions
- In a large bowl, combine the ground meat, breadcrumbs, onion, 1 egg, parsley, oregano, mint, salt, and pepper. Mix gently with your hands until just combined; do not overmix.
- Roll the mixture into small, uniform meatballs, about 1 inch in diameter. You should have about 20-24 meatballs.
- Heat the olive oil in a large, deep skillet over medium heat. Brown the meatballs in batches on all sides. Remove the browned meatballs and set them aside. Drain excess fat from the skillet, leaving about 1 tablespoon.
- Pour the chicken broth into the skillet and bring it to a simmer, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom. Return the meatballs to the skillet. Cover and cook over low heat for 15 minutes, or until the meatballs are cooked through.
- While the meatballs cook, prepare the lemon sauce base. In a small bowl, whisk together the 2 lightly beaten eggs and the cornstarch until smooth.
- Remove the skillet from the heat. Slowly whisk the lemon juice into the egg-cornstarch mixture.
- Temper the egg mixture: Take about 1/2 cup of the hot broth from the skillet and slowly whisk it into the egg mixture. This prevents the eggs from scrambling.
- Pour the tempered egg mixture back into the skillet with the meatballs and broth. Return the skillet to very low heat. Stir gently and continuously until the sauce thickens slightly, about 3 to 5 minutes. Do not let the sauce boil once the egg is added.
- Serve the meatballs immediately, spooning the lemon sauce over them. Garnish with fresh dill.
Notes
- For moister meatballs, use a combination of ground beef and ground lamb.
- You can bake the meatballs at 375°F for 15 minutes instead of pan-frying them before simmering.
- This dish pairs well with rice pilaf or roasted potatoes.
- Prep Time: 20 min
- Cook Time: 35 min
- Category: Dinner
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Greek
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 5 meatballs with sauce
- Calories: 380
- Sugar: 3
- Sodium: 450
- Fat: 22
- Saturated Fat: 8
- Unsaturated Fat: 14
- Trans Fat: 0.5
- Carbohydrates: 18
- Fiber: 1
- Protein: 28
- Cholesterol: 110