Juicy, fragrant chicken meatballs taste even better on a warm pita with plenty of hummus. Paired with summer vegetables, it’s a dinner you’ll want on repeat.
A chicken meatball recipe I can’t stop eating
I have not been able to stop eating this chicken meatball pita recipe. I’ve made it multiple times, and each time, it just tastes better and better. It also makes for really perfect leftovers the next night. Win-win!
How to make this chicken meatball pita recipe
You’ll need some fresh herbs, ground chicken, and a few other ingredients to make this recipe, but it’s worth the effort, I promise!
The spice mixture
These Villa Jerada spices do the heavy lifting for the flavor of these meatballs. I use their Aleppo pepper seasoning ALL the time, but the Villa Jerada Kefta Rub is just fantastic. It has an amazing flavor and works exceptionally well in chicken meatballs. If you don’t have this brand of rub, you can use a different brand like Ziyad or Zamouri Spices. Alternatively, you can make a similar blend at home to approximate the flavors. These are the proportions I recommend:
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon ground coriander
- ½ teaspoon paprika
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ¼ teaspoon cayenne
- ¼ teaspoon dry mint
- Pinch of ground cinnamon
It won’t be exactly the same, but it’ll give you a somewhat similar flavor profile. You can adjust any of the spices to your preference. The proportions above will give you just over a tablespoon of spice mixture, which is exactly what you need for the meatballs.
What you need
Here’s everything you need to make this chicken meatball pita recipe.
- Fresh herbs and aromatics: You’ll use shallot, garlic, scallions, fresh oregano, and fresh parsley as the aromatic base of the meatballs.
- Spices: The meatballs are spiced with Villa Jerada’s Kefta Rub and Aleppo Pepper. I also add salt and black pepper.
- Filler and binder: I use Greek yogurt, one egg, and panko to bind the meatballs together.
- Meat: I use ground chicken, but if you prefer ground beef, pork, or turkey, they will also work well here!
- Vegetables: I add zucchini, halved cherry tomatoes, and a sliced shallot to the skillet right before baking. These act as an additional veggie topping for the pitas!
How to make it
- Step 1: It starts with the meatballs. I do recommend processing all the fresh ingredients–parsley, oregano, garlic, and shallot–in a food processor to speed up the prep time! Combine all the minced aromatics with the greek yogurt and egg in a bowl and mix until smooth.
- Step 2: Make the meatball mixture. Add the chicken, spices, and panko and mix with your hands until well combined. At this point, you can fry or microwave a small piece until cooked through to taste and ensure the meatballs are seasoned to your liking.
- Step 3: Make the meatballs! Roll the mixture into tablespoon-sized meatballs. Fry until well-browned on the first side, about 4–5 minutes. Flip and cook for 1 minute before turning off the heat.
- Step 4: Add the veggies. Add zucchini, halved cherry tomatoes, and a sliced shallot around the meatballs. Transfer them to an oven at 425ºF and bake for 20–25 minutes or until the meatballs reach 165ºF and the vegetables are tender. You don’t want the zucchini to be too overcooked!
- Step 5: Finish the meatballs. I like to broil the top of the vegetables for a couple of minutes, but you don’t need to do that if you don’t want to!
- Step 6: Warm up the pitas. While the broiler is still on, you can throw the pitas under it, or you can heat them according to package directions. I usually throw them under the broiler for 1 or 2 minutes, or I’ll pop them over the flame of my gas stove for 30 seconds or so.
How to serve
On each warm pita, add a couple of tablespoons of store-bought hummus. I like to cut the meatballs in half and arrange them on top. I find adding cut-side-down meatballs into the hummus holds them in place better than using whole meatballs. Spoon the tomatoes and zucchini on top. You can finish with minced oregano and parsley if you like. A little squeeze of lemon juice at the end is also delicious!
What to serve with these chicken meatball pitas
I love to serve this with roasted baby potatoes. I halve baby potatoes, season them all over with salt and pepper, and drizzle them with olive oil. Right after I roll the meatballs, I add the baking sheet with potatoes to the preheated oven. Usually, I can time it so that the meatballs are ready to go in when there are about 20 minutes left on the potatoes, so they finish cooking around the same time!
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“Great recipe! My whole family was very impressed!”
–Cassandra S., Independent Recipe Tester
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–Vic S., Independent Recipe Tester
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Chicken Meatball Pita
Ingredients
- 1 shallot (about 2 ounces, peeled and minced)
- 4 cloves garlic (peeled and minced)
- 2 scallions (trimmed and minced)
- ¼ cup oregano leaves (minced, plus more for serving if desired)
- ¼ cup parsley leaves (loosely packed, minced; plus more for serving if desired)
- ⅓ cup Greek yogurt
- 1 egg
- 1 pound ground chicken
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 tablespoon kefta spice rub (see note 2)
- 2 teaspoons Aleppo pepper (or use a pinch of crushed red pepper to taste)
- ¾ cup panko
- ½ pound zucchini (trimmed and diced)
- ½ pound cherry tomatoes (halved)
- 1 shallot (about 2 ounces, peeled, halved lengthwise, and each half thinly sliced lengthwise)
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil (divided)
- Salt and pepper to taste
For serving:
- ½ cup store-bought hummus
- 4 pieces pita (or flatbread)
- Lemon wedges
Instructions
Make the meatballs:
- Preheat oven to 425ºF.
- Combine the minced shallot, garlic, scallions, oregano, parsley, Greek yogurt, and egg in a large bowl and mix until combined.
- Add the chicken, salt, black pepper, kefta spice rub, and Aleppo pepper and mix with your hands until combined. Add the panko and mix until combined. The mixture should hold together without feeling too dense. If you like, you can fry or microwave a small piece of the mixture until cooked through to taste test. Adjust the seasonings as needed.
- Roll the mixture into tablespoon-sized meatballs and set aside. The mixture should yield 15–16 meatballs.
Fry the meatballs:
- Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large, ovenproof skillet over medium heat. Once hot, add the meatballs in an even layer and fry for 4–5 minutes until golden brown. Once the meatballs release easily from the bottom of the skillet, flip them and cook for 1 minute. Turn off the heat.
Bake the meatballs:
- Add the zucchini, tomatoes, and sliced shallot around the meatballs in the skillet. Drizzle with 1 tablespoon olive oil and a big pinch of salt and pepper. See note 3.
- Transfer to the oven for 20–25 minutes or until the meatballs reach 165ºF and the zucchini is tender but still a bit crisp.
- Broil for 2–3 minutes to brown the tops of the vegetables. Remove from the oven but leave the broiler on.
- Place the four pitas under the broiler and cook for 1–2 minutes until warmed through. Remove and transfer to four plates.
To serve:
- Spoon 1 to 2 tablespoons of hummus on each piece of pita. Cut the meatballs in half and add 4 to 6 meatball haves on top of the hummus, depending on the size of your pita. Spoon the zucchini and tomatoes over each pita. Finish with more minced parsley or oregano, if you like. Enjoy!
Notes
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon ground coriander
- ½ teaspoon paprika
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ¼ teaspoon cayenne
- ¼ teaspoon dry mint
- Pinch of ground cinnamon
Everyone loved it! We skipped the pita and just served the meatballs with roasted potatoes as your post suggested and hummus and it was so satisfying!
Amazing!!!
Thank you!