Greek Meatball Pitas With Tzatziki Sauce

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Since becoming a mom, I’ve taken a liking to making meals that are either cook once, eat twice, or give me plenty of leftovers. This meal is great for making extras of to enjoy for lunch the next day or freezing extra meatballs for when I don’t feel like cooking on another night. My toddler doesn’t eat as many vegetables as I would like him too, so this is a great way to add more in his diet.

You can make this with any ground meat; pork, turkey, beef, lamb, or a combination of them. If you use chicken or turkey, just make sure to cook them to 170°F instead of 160°F like listed below. There are plenty of toppings you can add too; tomatoes, cucumbers, lettuce, Kalamata olives, feta cheese, even some couscous would work. Let your kids build their own like they might with a taco. My 16-month-old son likes his deconstructed. He gets pieces of meatball, cucumber, pita, and tzatziki sauce for dipping.

Notes from the Food Scientist

  • Feel free to experiment with other vegetables; spinach, broccoli, bell peppers, your choice! Just be sure to try to squeeze the moisture out of watery vegetables. Another option is to lightly sauté them before adding to the meat mixture.
  • Bread crumbs are added to meatloaf and meatballs for a few different reasons. Texture is the most important feature they provide. They absorb and help retain moisture during cooking while providing a bit of sponginess. They all increase tenderness by preventing the proteins from shrinking. Bread crumbs also combine with the egg to help bind everything together.
  • Keeping the meat mixture cold will help the meatballs maintain their shape by helping the fat stay solidified. Use a chilled bowl or make refrigerate the meatballs for at least 30 minutes after you make them for the best results.
  • When baking meatballs, you will notice a pool of “goo” that leaches out of them. No need to be alarmed, this is just protein. Heat brings it to the surface and it coagulates. It’s more noticeable in ground meats and poultry, but you may have also noticed this happen when cooking salmon. Add a baking rack on top of your baking sheet will keep things separated.
  • If you made extra, you can freeze the meatballs for up to 3 months. Reheat them in the oven at 350°F for about 15 minutes until they reach 160°F

Greek Meatball Pitas with Tzatziki Sauce

A quick and tasty meal the whole family will love. Vegetables add color and nutrition to the meatballs. Make a double or even triple recipe of the meatballs to freeze for quick meals later.
5 from 9 votes
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Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Course Lunch, Main Course, Sandwich
Cuisine Mediterranean
Servings 5 people
Calories 318 kcal

Ingredients
  

Meatballs

  • 1/2 cup panko bread crumbs
  • 1/4 cup milk
  • 1 egg lightly beaten
  • 1½ tsp dried oregano
  • 1 tsp minced garlic minced
  • 3/4 tsp salt
  • 1/2 tsp ground black pepper
  • 2 tbsp red onion finely chopped
  • 2 tbsp chopped fresh parsley
  • 1 med carrot, grated
  • 1/2 cup zucchini, grated
  • 1 lb ground pork

Tzatziki Sauce

  • 3/4 cup greek yogurt plain
  • 1/3 cup seedless English cucumber, grated
  • 1/2 tsp minced garlic
  • 1 tsp lemon juice
  • pinch black pepper
  • 1/4 tsp salt

Pita

  • 4 whole pita breads or pita flatbread
  • 1 sliced tomatoes
  • 1/2 cup English cucumber diced
  • 1/2 cup Feta Cheese crumbled

Instructions
 

Meatballs

  • Preheat oven to 400°F. Line baking sheet with foil and spray with cooking spray.
  • Stir together bread crumbs and milk in a medium bowl. Allow mixture to sit for a few minutes.
  • Add oregano, garlic, salt ,pepper, onions, and parsley to bread crumbs. Mix well.
  • Place grated zucchini and carrots in cheesecloth or heavy paper towel and squeeze out excess moisture.
  • Add zucchini, carrots, and ground pork to bread crumb mixture. Gently mix with hands until combined.
  • Lightly oil hands and form mixture into meatballs or use a large cookie scoop. They should be heaping tablespoon size.
  • Bake meatballs for 13 to 16 minutes until they reach an internal temperature of 160°F

Tzatziki Sauce

  • Place grated cucumber in cheesecloth or heavy paper towel and squeeze out excess moisture.
  • Add the yogurt, garlic, lemon juice, salt, and pepper. Stir well.

Pitas

  • Assemble by layering tzatziki, meatballs, cucumbers, and tomatoes into pita. Top with feta cheese if desired.
Keyword Greek, Meatball, pita, Sandwich

3 thoughts on “Greek Meatball Pitas With Tzatziki Sauce”

  2. 5 stars

    Greek food is one of my favorites! I had never tried to do it at home, today with this recipe I tried it and it was a success.

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