Healthy and moist chicken meatballs made super flavorful with sun-dried tomatoes, garlic, and feta cheese. Try the Mediterranean inspired yogurt sauce for dunking and dipping your favorite pita.
My take on this recipe.
I’ve always loved Mediterranean flavors—especially the rich, tangy bite of sun-dried tomatoes. So when I can combine them with creamy feta, garlic, and red onion into a healthy little meatball, you know I’m in.
These Mediterranean chicken meatballs have become a go-to in my kitchen, especially for meal prep. I’m always looking for easy ways to add more protein to my day, and these fit right in. I’ve even had them for breakfast, dipped in that cool, herby yogurt sauce—no shame!
By the way, these meatballs would taste great with my Quick & Easy Greek Yogurt flatbread recipe.
Mediterranean Chicken meatballs you will love!
This ground chicken recipe checks the boxes for flavor and tenderness. Salty feta, sweet sun-dried tomatoes, with onion and a good dose of garlic are the perfect combination in such a small package. Frying in a pan, creates a beautiful sear and caramelization which deepens the flavor of these chicken meatballs. The sauce is so easy to throw together and perfect for dipping meatballs and pita bread. Or, you can try Healthy Greek Yogurt Lemon Sauce which I use on my Lemon Pecorino Turkey burgers.
How do you make Mediterranean chicken meatballs?
Once you chop up the feta, sun-dried tomatoes, parsley and onion, you can basically throw everything together in a bowl. (But see my tips for mixing all these flavors together for tender meatballs!)
In the meantime, you can prepare the sauce which has the same flavor ingredients as the meatballs! How easy is that?
When you are ready to cook the meatballs, all you need to do is pan sear them on all sides for a few minutes each, then place a lid on top and cook for a few more minutes until they are cooked through at 165F.
Directions are provided for baking as well.
Recipe tips.
How to make ground chicken moist and flavorful
If you don’t want tough or dry meatballs…….
Use ground chicken with some fat. If you prefer to use 99% fat free ground chicken, please do so. The following tips help with moisture and tenderness.
Handle ground chicken with a light touch. Overworking the ground chicken while mixing in the other ingredients can mean tough meatballs.
Tip! Tip! To reduce the amount of time mixing ingredients into ground meat recipes is to prepare the add-in dry ingredients, such as, panko, herbs, cheese, etc. in a separate bowl and thoroughly mix before adding to the ground chicken.
Look at the colors in that bowl!
Other ingredients that add flavor and moisture to ground chicken or turkey include diced onion, shredded cheese, and condiments like Dijon mustard, mayonnaise or yogurt. Speaking of…..
For this recipe, we use Greek yogurt which acts as a binder to hold the meatballs together. And, yogurt’s fat and moisture content keeps meatballs juicy once they’ve fully cooked. Simply stir a few tablespoons into your ground chicken mixture while mixing in the other ingredients.
Alternatively, add mayonnaise in the ground chicken mixture while mixing in other ingredients. We use mayonnaise in Lemon Pecorino Turkey Burgers. This trick works because the oil and egg yolks in mayonnaise can keep the burgers moist while cooking.
AND, most importantly, do not overcook!
Sun-dried tomatoes, a key ingredient for flavor.
If you look in my freezer at any time, you will see a 5-pound bag of dry packed, sun-dried tomatoes! I like their versatility in all types of recipes.
The vacuum packed sun-dried tomatoes are chewy like dried fruit. I love the concentrated tomato flavor that is slightly sweet, tart, and tangy.
Dry-packed sun-dried tomatoes are typically found in bags in the produce department at the grocery store. You can keep them in an air-tight container in a dry, cool pantry for up to a year, or freeze them like I do.
To finely chop sun-dried tomatoes, use a sharp knife and cut them in half horizontally, then slice across for a fine chop. A kitchen scissor works well for the task too. They slice easily right out of the freezer.
To rehydrate, cut them into the size you want first, then place in a heat-proof bowl, cover with boiling water, and allow to sit for 30 minutes. Alternatively, you can zap them in the microwave with water for about 40 seconds to a minute.
Oil packed sun-dried tomatoes work very well in this recipe. Please feel free to substitute.
Mediterranean Chicken Meatballs
Healthy and moist Mediterranean chicken meatballs made super flavorful with sun dried tomatoes, garlic, red onion, and feta cheese. A Mediterranean Greek yogurt sauce made with the same flavors is great for meatball dunking!
3
servings15
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Chicken Meatball Ingredients
1 pound ground chicken breast meat
1/3 cup crumbled feta cheese
1/4 cup sun-dried tomatoes, drained and finely chopped
1/4 cup finely chopped red onion
1/4 cup panko breadcrumbs, unseasoned
2 finely minced or pressed garlic cloves
2 Tablespoons Greek yogurt (low or regular fat)
2 Tablespoons finely chopped parsley
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
- Mediterranean Yogurt Sauce
1 cup Greek yogurt
1-2 pressed or finely minced garlic cloves
2 Tablespoons finely chopped red onion
2 Tablespoons finely chopped, dry or oil packed, sun-dried tomatoes
2 Tablespoons finely chopped fresh parsley
2 Tablespoons chopped feta cheese
2 teaspoons honey
2 teaspoons lemon juice
Salt and pepper to taste
Pinch dried oregano
Directions
- Add ground chicken to a medium sized bowl. Break it apart into chunks for easy mixing when add the rest of the ingredients.
- In a separate bowl, combine the feta, sun dried tomatoes, red onion, finely minced garlic, parsley, panko, Greek yogurt, salt, pepper, oregano. Combine thoroughly.
- Add the panko, feta mixture to the ground chicken, gently tossing the mixture into the chicken to combine.
- Preheat nonstick or cast iron pan with olive oil over medium high heat. If you don’t have a very large pan and want to cook all the meatballs at once, you can cook two batches at once using another pan.
- Form the meatballs using 3 Tablespoons of mixture for medium sized meatballs. I use a large cookie/ice cream scooper which holds approximately 3 Tablespoons.
- If using the cookie scooper, drop the ball into your hand and roll the mixture into a ball, repeat until you have finished with all the batter.
- Place the meatballs, single layer, in the preheated pan.
- Reduce heat to medium. Do not touch the meatballs for about 3 minutes. You want a crust to form on the bottom before turning over.
- Sear the other side for another 2-3 minutes. Place a lid on the pan and continue to cook the meatballs until they are done at 165F. This will take about 5 more minutes.
- If you prefer to fully bake the meatballs, rather than pan searing, bake on a greased sheet pan at 400 degrees F for 20-25 minutes, depending on the size of the meatball. The internal temperature should reach 165 degrees F.
- Mediterranean Yogurt Sauce
- Combine all ingredients in a bowl, stir, and season with salt and pepper to taste.
Notes
- Serve with my quick and easy Greek yogurt flatbread, roasted vegetables, or in a veggie/grain bowl. These little gems are perfect dipped in Layered Mediterranean Hummus and Whipped Feta Dip.
- Store in a covered contained for 3-4 days. Reheat in the microwave for 30 seconds to a minute. Reheat in a 350 degree F oven, covered with foil, for about 15 minutes.
- Freezing meatballs. Wrap cooked and cooled meatballs in foil and place in a resealable plastic bag for up to two months. To store raw meatballs, form into meatballs and place them on a tray and freeze for about two hours. Transfer to aluminum foil sheets and wrap, then place in a resealable plastic bag for up to two months. Bake frozen meatballs for about 25-30 minutes at 400 degrees F until they reach an internal temperature of 165 degrees F.
- To make ahead, prepare the meatball ingredients in a medium sized bowl, cover and store in the refrigerator over night. The Mediterranean sauce can also be made the night before, allowing the flavors to develop.
- Feel free to use ground turkey or beef in place of the ground chicken.
- Oil-packed sun dried tomatoes add a lot of flavor to the meatballs. I have used vacuum packed sun dried tomatoes in this recipe. If you do, soften them in boiling water for about 15 minutes before using.
- Recipe Update (July 20, 2026): This recipe was updated with improved cooking instructions that finish the meatballs on the stovetop with a lid. This method cooks the meatballs more quickly while helping them retain their moisture for a tender, juicy result.
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