Mediterranean chicken meatballs combine ground poultry with sun-dried tomatoes, feta, Parmesan, herbs, egg, and panko. Divide the entire mixture into eighteen similar balls rather than relying on the old conflicting scoop and diameter descriptions. Small, even portions cook more predictably than a tray of mixed sizes.
This recipe makes eighteen Mediterranean chicken meatballs, not six meatballs as the old card suggested. Three each can serve six people alongside substantial sides. The center of each larger meatball should reach 165°F; browned surfaces alone are not a complete poultry-doneness check.
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Why This Recipe Works
Egg and breadcrumbs help bind the mixture, while the cheeses and tomatoes provide seasoning and texture. Mixing gently distributes those ingredients without tightly compressing the meat. Mediterranean chicken meatballs use a baking tray rather than an unlisted frying-oil stage.
The recipe keeps the original quarter-cup amounts of feta and Parmesan and one-third cup sun-dried tomatoes. They belong inside the mixture, not only as a garnish inferred from a photo. Optional lemon is a measured finishing addition.
Ingredients for Mediterranean Chicken Meatballs
Use one pound fresh or fully thawed ground chicken. Whole-wheat panko is measured at a quarter cup, and oil-packed tomatoes are drained and chopped before measuring. The egg is large; garlic and green onion should be small enough to distribute evenly.
These Mediterranean chicken meatballs contain wheat, egg, and dairy. They are not described as automatically gluten-free or egg-free. A tablespoon optional lemon juice is shared across the full batch, and separately prepared rice or tzatziki is additional to the meatballs.
Meatballs
- 1 pound ground chicken (Fresh or fully thawed)
- ¼ cup whole-wheat panko breadcrumbs
- 1 large egg
- ⅓ cup oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes (Drained and chopped)
- ¼ cup crumbled feta
- ¼ cup grated Parmesan
- 2 cloves garlic (Minced)
- ¼ cup chopped green onions
- 2 tablespoons chopped parsley
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice (Optional finish for the whole batch)
How to Make Mediterranean Chicken Meatballs
Heat the oven to 400°F and line a rimmed tray with oven-suitable parchment. Combine all meatball ingredients in a bowl with a spoon or clean hands, stopping once evenly mixed. Divide into eighteen portions, around forty grams each depending on the products, and roll gently to approximately 1½ inches across.
Space Mediterranean chicken meatballs without touching and bake about twenty to twenty-five minutes. Check the centers of larger pieces for 165°F and extend cooking when needed. Rest five minutes on a clean serving plate, then add optional lemon juice. Do not taste raw mixture or reuse utensils that handled raw chicken for the finished food without washing them.
How to Serve
Serve Mediterranean chicken meatballs with a grain, salad, or roasted vegetables. The eighteen-piece yield allows six three-ball plates with sides, or fewer larger portions. It is a count of meatballs rather than an invented per-person calorie value.
Spoon separately prepared yogurt sauce or tzatziki onto individual plates if desired. Keep it separate from stored meatballs. The cooked balls can also go into a sandwich, with bread and fillings chosen as separate serving additions.
Storage
Refrigerate cooked Mediterranean chicken meatballs within two hours, or one hour above 90°F, in shallow covered containers at 40°F or below. Use within three to four days. Keep optional cold sauces in separate containers and respect their own limits.
Freeze cooked meatballs sealed up to two months for quality and thaw in the refrigerator. Reheat to 165°F in the center. If shaping ahead, refrigerate the raw mixture and bake the same day rather than leaving poultry on the counter while other dishes are prepared.
The feta and sun-dried-tomato formula and baking method are adapted from Kelly Gellner’s Mediterranean Chicken Meatballs at Eat Yourself Skinny.
The FDA safe food handling guidance explains prompt refrigeration and temperature checks for perishable foods.
Tips and Variations
Drain excess tomato oil and chop tomato strips small so they do not protrude from the balls. Gently form equal portions rather than packing them firmly. Mediterranean chicken meatballs are easier to check when their sizes are consistent.
A scoop marked 1½ tablespoons is not a two-inch ball guarantee. Dividing into eighteen equal pieces is the useful measure here. Keep the written chicken, cheese, and crumb formula instead of assuming every alternative protein or binder cooks identically.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does the recipe make six or eighteen balls?
Eighteen Mediterranean chicken meatballs. Six refers to possible three-ball portions with sides.
How large should they be?
Divide equally, roughly 40 grams and about 1½ inches across, rather than a conflicting scoop-size claim.
Are sun-dried tomatoes drained?
Drain excess oil, chop, and then measure the third cup.
What temperature is required?
Ground chicken centers must reach 165°F, checked with a thermometer.
Is lemon mandatory?
The finishing tablespoon is optional and shared over all Mediterranean chicken meatballs.
More Recipes to Try
- Greek Pasta Salad
- Lentil Tabbouleh Salad
- Roasted Broccoli and Carrots
- Chickpea Cucumber Salad with Yogurt Dressing
Mediterranean Chicken Meatballs
Ingredients
Meatballs
- 1 pound ground chicken Fresh or fully thawed
- ¼ cup whole-wheat panko breadcrumbs
- 1 large egg
- ⅓ cup oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes Drained and chopped
- ¼ cup crumbled feta
- ¼ cup grated Parmesan
- 2 cloves garlic Minced
- ¼ cup chopped green onions
- 2 tablespoons chopped parsley
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice Optional finish for the whole batch
Instructions
- Heat to 400°F and prepare a rimmed tray with suitable parchment. Gently combine ground chicken, panko, egg, chopped tomatoes, cheeses, garlic, green onion, parsley, salt, and pepper.
- Share the complete mixture into eighteen equal portions, approximately 40 grams each. Roll lightly into roughly 1½-inch balls and space apart on the tray.
- Bake 20–25 minutes, continuing as needed until the centers of larger pieces reach 165°F. Transfer to a clean plate and rest 5 minutes.
- Add optional lemon juice across the batch and serve eighteen meatballs, approximately six 3-ball portions with separately prepared sides.
