Greek Turkey and Zucchini Meatballs on a Cloud of Feta with Tzatziki Sauce - photo 1
← Recipes

Greek Turkey and Zucchini Meatballs on a Cloud of Feta with Tzatziki Sauce

Pikantne Main Dishes Lunches European cuisine 60 min Medium 12 wyświetleń ~46.03 PLN - (0)
Rate:
(0)
Start Cooking

Description

This dish is a modern and light interpretation of classic Greek meatballs, known as 'keftedes'. Instead of traditional lamb or beef, we use tender ground turkey, which combined with juicy grated zucchini creates incredibly moist and fluffy meatballs. Aromatic herbs like fresh mint and dill, along with lemon zest, transport us straight to the sunny Greek islands. The dish is served in a unique way – on a creamy 'cloud' of whipped feta cheese, which provides the perfect salty and spicy backdrop for the mild meatballs. The whole is complemented by a refreshing homemade tzatziki sauce, made with thick Greek yogurt, crunchy cucumber, and garlic. It’s a composition of flavors and textures: the softness of the meatballs, the creaminess of the feta, the crunch of the cucumber in the sauce, and the freshness of the herbs. It is perfect as an elegant main course for a light lunch or dinner, served with pita bread or a simple salad.

Ingredients (18)

Servings:
4
  • Ground turkey 500 g
  • Zucchini 1.2 szt.
  • Red onion 100 g
  • Garlic 3 ząbki
  • Chicken egg 1 szt.
  • Breadcrumbs 50 g
  • Fresh mint 0.5 pęczek
  • Fresh dill 0.7 pęczek
  • Dried oregano 2 g
  • Lemon 1.5 szt.
  • Extra virgin olive oil 0.3 łyżek
  • Greek yogurt 300 g
  • Cucumber 1 szt.
  • Feta cheese 200 g
  • 🌿 Przyprawy
  • Salt 0.1 szczypt
  • Pieprz czarny świeżo mielony 2 szczypty
  • ✨ Opcjonalne
  • Chili flakes 1 szczypta
  • Kalamata olives 50 g
💰 Szacowany koszt dania: ~46.03 PLN (11.51 PLN/porcję)

💡 Kliknij na składnik aby oznaczyć jako użyty

Preparation steps

Tzatziki Sauce

1

Start by preparing the sauce so that the flavors have time to meld. Wash the cucumber thoroughly, do not peel it. Grate it on a coarse grater into a bowl. Sprinkle the grated cucumber with a pinch of salt, mix, and set aside for 10-15 minutes. The salt will draw out excess water from the cucumber.

Ingredients: Cucumber, Salt
Use a large bowl and a vegetable grater. Leaving the skin on the cucumber will add color and texture to the sauce. This step is crucial to prevent the sauce from being watery.
2

After 15 minutes, transfer the grated cucumber to a fine sieve or a clean kitchen towel and squeeze out all the water very thoroughly. You should end up with a fairly dry cucumber mixture. Place the drained cucumber into a clean bowl, add 250g of Greek yogurt, 1 clove of garlic (5g) pressed through a garlic press, the juice of half a lemon (about 15 ml), 1 tablespoon of olive oil (15 ml), and 5g of chopped fresh dill. Season with a pinch of salt and mix everything thoroughly with a spoon. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.

Ingredients: Cucumber, Greek yogurt, Garlic, Lemon, Extra virgin olive oil, Fresh dill, Salt
The best way to squeeze out the cucumber is to wrap it in cheesecloth or a towel and twist it. The less water, the thicker and tastier the sauce will be. Chilling the sauce will allow the flavors to meld and intensify.

Feta Cloud

3

In a food processor or a tall blender container, place 200g of crumbled feta cheese, 50g of Greek yogurt, 1 tablespoon of olive oil (15 ml), and the zest of half a lemon. Blend on high speed for 2-3 minutes until you achieve a smooth, fluffy, and uniform mixture. If necessary, scrape down the sides of the container halfway through blending. Transfer the finished cream to a bowl and place it in the refrigerator.

Ingredients: Feta cheese, Greek yogurt, Extra virgin olive oil, Lemon
Use a food processor with an 'S' blade or an immersion blender. If the mixture is too thick, you can add an extra teaspoon of yogurt. The goal is to achieve a consistency similar to thick whipped cream.

Meatballs (Keftedes)

4

Prepare the vegetables for the meatballs. Wash the zucchini and grate it using a coarse grater. Just like the cucumber, sprinkle it with a pinch of salt and set aside for 10 minutes, then squeeze out the excess water very thoroughly. Peel the red onion and chop it into very small cubes. Peel the remaining 2 cloves of garlic (10g) and either press them through a garlic press or chop them very finely.

Ingredients: Zucchini, Red onion, Garlic, Salt
Draining the zucchini is just as important as draining the cucumber. Too much water in the zucchini will cause the meatballs to fall apart while frying. The finer you chop the onion, the better it will combine with the meat mixture.
5

In a large bowl, place 500g of ground turkey. Add the squeezed zucchini, chopped onion, garlic, 1 egg, and 50g of breadcrumbs. Finely chop the mint leaves and the remaining dill (about 15g) and add them to the bowl. Add 2g of dried oregano, the zest of a whole lemon, a pinch of salt, and two pinches of freshly ground pepper. Gently mix all the ingredients with your hand, just until combined. Do not knead the mixture for too long.

Ingredients: Ground turkey, Zucchini, Red onion, Garlic, Chicken egg, Breadcrumbs, Fresh mint, Fresh dill, Dried oregano, Lemon, Salt, Pieprz czarny świeżo mielony
Use a large bowl to have the freedom to mix. It's best to mix the ingredients by hand – this allows you to feel the consistency. Overworking the meat mixture can make the meatballs tough and dense after frying.
6

Moisten your hands with a little cold water so the mixture doesn't stick to them. Take portions of the mixture (about 1 heaping tablespoon) and shape them into neat, round balls the size of a walnut in your hands. Place them on a board or a large plate. You should get about 20-24 meatballs from the given amount of ingredients.

Try to make all the meatballs similar in size – this way they will fry evenly. You can use an ice cream scoop to portion the mixture, which will ensure perfectly uniform balls.

Frying and Serving

7

In a large skillet, heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil (30 ml) over medium heat. When the oil is hot (but not smoking), carefully place the meatballs in the skillet, leaving space between them. Fry in batches for about 6-8 minutes, turning regularly, until they are evenly golden brown on all sides and fully cooked through. Transfer the finished meatballs to a plate lined with paper towels to drain excess fat.

Ingredients: Extra virgin olive oil
The best choice is a frying pan with a diameter of 28-30 cm with a non-stick coating. Do not overcrowd the pan, as this will lower the temperature of the fat and the meatballs will start to boil instead of frying. To check if they are ready, you can cut one meatball in half – the meat inside should be a uniform color, without any pink traces.
8

It's time to serve. On each of the four plates, spread a generous portion of the feta cloud, creating a well in the center. In the well, place 5-6 hot meatballs. Drizzle everything with tzatziki sauce. Garnish the dish. You can optionally sprinkle chili flakes for a bit of heat, add a few Kalamata olives, and decorate with fresh mint leaves. Serve immediately.

Ingredients: Chili flakes, Kalamata olives, Fresh mint
The contrast in temperature between the hot meatballs and the cold sauces is key to this dish. Use the back of a spoon to artistically spread the feta cream on the plate. Serve with warm pita bread or a light salad of tomatoes and cucumbers.

Fun Fact

💡

The word 'keftedes' (κεφτέδες), meaning Greek meatballs, comes from the Turkish word 'köfte'. This illustrates the centuries-old culinary influences of the Ottoman Empire on Greek cuisine. In Greece, there are countless regional variations of keftedes, for example, with the addition of cinnamon, ouzo, or even cooked in tomato sauce.

Best for

Lekki obiad Elegancka kolacja Letnie przyjęcie w ogrodzie Spotkanie z przyjaciółmi

Tips

🍽️ Serving

The dish is complete on its own, but it pairs perfectly with warm, fluffy pita bread for dipping in sauces. It can also be served with a simple Greek salad (horiatiki) or herb-roasted potato wedges. A chilled white wine, such as Greek Assyrtiko, is a great drink to accompany it.

🥡 Storage

Store the meatballs, tzatziki sauce, and feta cream separately in tightly sealed containers in the refrigerator for 2-3 days. The meatballs are best reheated in a pan with a little olive oil or in an oven preheated to 180°C for 10 minutes to regain their crispiness. The sauces should not be heated.

📸 Ugotowane przez społeczność

Zaloguj się, aby dodać zdjęcie
Dodaj zdjęcie gotowej potrawy

Po zatwierdzeniu przez moderatora otrzymasz 10 punktów doświadczenia.

🍲

Nikt jeszcze nie dodał zdjęcia. Bądź pierwszy!

Comments (0)

Be the first to comment on this recipe!

Add a comment

You might also like

Chicken and Vegetable Tortilla 30 min

Chicken and Vegetable Tortilla

Mexican cuisine
Zielone oliwki marynowane z serem feta 15 min

Zielone oliwki marynowane z serem feta

New Year's Eve
Creamy curry with pumpkin, chickpeas, and spinach 60 min

Creamy curry with pumpkin, chickpeas, and ...

Indian Cuisine
Autumn Tart with Pumpkin, Forest Mushrooms, and Goat Cheese 120 min

Autumn Tart with Pumpkin, Forest Mushrooms...

Main Dishes
Autumn Salad with Roasted Pumpkin, Kale, and Maple-Tahini Dressing 60 min

Autumn Salad with Roasted Pumpkin, Kale, a...

Salads
Pumpkin cream soup 60 min

Pumpkin cream soup

Soups

Recipe Categories

Main Dishes
Main Dishes in: Christmas Eve Dinner

Main courses are the heart of every meal - hearty, delicious, and full of nutrients. Meats: beef, pork, poultry, and lamb in various versions. Fish and seafood: baked, fried, grilled, and stewed. Vegetarian dishes: tofu, tempeh, legumes as the main protein. Casseroles: pasta, potato, vegetable wi...

See all recipes in this category
Lunches
Lunches

Lunches are the main meal of the day - filling, balanced, and full of flavor. Traditional two-course lunches: soup and a main dish in Polish tradition. Pork chop with potatoes and cabbage - a classic of Polish lunches. Dumplings with meat, cheese, and fruit - hand-formed delicacies. Beef goulash,...

See all recipes in this category
European cuisine
European cuisine

European cuisine is a mosaic of culinary traditions from the Old Continent - from Spain to Scandinavia. Valencian paella and tapas from Spain - sunshine on a plate. Boeuf bourguignon and ratatouille from France - elegance and finesse. Wiener schnitzel and strudel from Austria - Central European c...

See all recipes in this category
Reklama