Baked Beef and Feta Meatballs

These baked beef and feta meatballs are salty, savory, and easy to prepare, perfect for a quick weeknight dinner. Paired with a sweet and spicy harissa-maple sauce, they are great on pita or salad.

5 from 3 votes

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Prep Time: 20

Cook Time: 20

Inactive time: 20

Servings: meatballs

Calories: 101kcal

Equipment

Ingredients

2 tablespoons oregano (loosely packed; minced, or use 2 teaspoons dried oregano)
2 tablespoons parsley (loosely packed; minced, or use 2 teaspoons dried parsley)
1 egg
2 tablespoons Greek yogurt
½ cup crumbled feta cheese
½ cup panko
2 teaspoons shawarma spice blend (see Note 1)
Pinch Aleppo pepper (or crushed red pepper to taste)
1 pound 90/10 ground beef (see Note 2)
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon black pepper
Neutral oil (for greasing)

Harissa-maple sauce (optional):

For serving:

Hummus
4 pitas (lightly toasted)
Pinch of oregano (minced)
Pinch of parsley (minced)

Instructions

Soak the panko:

Lightly grease a baking sheet with neutral oil and set aside. Preheat the oven to 400ºF.
Combine the oregano, parsley, egg, Greek yogurt, and feta in a bowl. Whisk to form a chunky paste. Add the panko, shawarma spice blend, and Aleppo pepper. Stir to combine and set aside for 10 minutes.

Make the meatball mixture:

Add the ground beef, salt, and black pepper. Mix well with your hands, breaking up any large pieces of feta as you do so.

Form the meatballs:

Roll the mixture into 1-inch meatballs. Transfer them to the prepared baking sheet.

Bake the meatballs:

Transfer the baking sheet to the oven for 18 to 20 minutes, flipping the meatballs midway through cooking until they reach 160ºF.

Make the harissa-maple sauce (optional):

Combine the harissa paste, maple syrup, extra virgin olive oil, and lemon juice in a bowl. Whisk until smooth. Taste and add a pinch of salt to taste. Set aside.

To serve:

Transfer the meatballs to a large serving platter and finish with a pinch of minced oregano and parsley. Spoon hummus onto warm pitas and pile the meatballs on top. Finish with a drizzle of harissa-maple sauce. Enjoy!

Notes

Note 1: If you don’t have the shawarma spice blend, use the following:

1 teaspoon ground cumin
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
½ teaspoon paprika
¼ teaspoon turmeric powder

For a more robust flavor, you can add a pinch of ground coriander, allspice, and cardamom if you have them.

Note 2: I recommend leaner beef with a 90/10 fat ratio, but you can make these with 80/20 or 85/15; I found the fattier beef to be a bit unctuous with the feta.

Nutrition

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