Welcome back to my kitchen, today we’re making together some Greek Style Zucchini Meatballs with feta cheese and mint! A complete main dish to be served from May to September, if you want to respect the seasonality of the zucchinis. I then added the cheese and the mint as indicated in the recipe kindly given to me by a friend.
I tried them for the first time at a child’s birthday, these baked zucchini meatballs were among the crispy and tasty snacks for adults. I fell in love with them, fresh and delicate at the same time. The mint gives an intense aroma and the cheese, one of my favorites, feta. You can replace the Greek feta with some ricotta salata if you don’t like the former. Or as I did in the video recipe if you forget to buy it.
I made the video recipe with step by step to help you in preparing this simple main dish with zucchini. So it will seem like you are in the kitchen with me while you follow the simple and quick steps. Very few ingredients, I’m sure most of them you already have at home like: breadcrumbs, salt and pepper, a whole egg, and some grated cheese. You just need to run to your trusted greengrocer for two zucchinis, a quick stop to the supermarket for the feta and we can start!
If you are zucchini lovers like me, you cannot miss all the zucchini recipes I’ve presented over the years. From stuffed zucchini with minced meat, in the version with sauce or without, to zucchini and tuna meatballs to the simpler pan-fried zucchinis to be served as a side dish. You can find all the recipes in the links below, each clickable and will take you directly to the recipe you wish to read.
Any sharing or comment is always appreciated, in fact, you can find the box with social channels at the bottom of this recipe! Remember that I am waiting for you every morning in the Group and on the Facebook Fan Page of Le Ricette di Bea with the Recipe of the Day!
- Difficulty: Very easy
- Cost: Very cheap
- Rest time: 30 Minutes
- Preparation time: 5 Minutes
- Portions: 2 people
- Cooking methods: Oven
- Cuisine: Greek
- Seasonality: Spring, Summer
- Energy 565.65 (Kcal)
- Carbohydrates 46.39 (g) of which sugars 5.39 (g)
- Proteins 31.50 (g)
- Fat 29.06 (g) of which saturated 15.59 (g)of which unsaturated 10.26 (g)
- Fibers 4.06 (g)
- Sodium 1,754.19 (mg)
Indicative values for a portion of 250 g processed in an automated way starting from the nutritional information available on the CREA* and FoodData Central** databases. It is not food and / or nutritional advice.
* CREATES Food and Nutrition Research Center: https://www.crea.gov.it/alimenti-e-nutrizione https://www.alimentinutrizione.it ** U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. FoodData Central, 2019. https://fdc.nal.usda.gov
Ingredients for Greek Style Zucchini Meatballs with cheese and mint
- 2 zucchinis (medium-large)
- 3.5 oz feta cheese (or ricotta salata)
- 3.5 oz breadcrumbs (finely)
- 2.8 oz cheese (grated)
- 1 pinch salt
- 1 pinch pepper
- 2 leaves mint (or dried mint as in my case)
- 1 egg
This diet recipe with zucchinis does not include the use of extra virgin olive oil; baking remains healthier compared to pan-fried meatballs or even fried ones. Since I’m on a diet and had zucchini and cheese with two slices of bread on today’s menu, I thought of combining everything and making these tasty Greek style zucchini meatballs. I invited my friend Gaia for lunch, and we devoured them all!!!
Do you want to prepare the Greek sauce you see in the photos? A simple sauce with Greek yogurt, chives, and a pinch of paprika. This morning, I skipped the paprika, simply mixing yogurt and dried chives. Easy, fresh, and quick! If you want to read the recipe, click the blue lettering here: Greek sauce.
Tools for Greek Style Zucchini Meatballs
- 1 Bowl
- 1 Grater
- 1 Baking Tray
- 1 Parchment Paper
- 1 Oven
- 1 Scale
- 1 Knife
- 1 Cutting Board
- 1 Colander
Steps for Greek Style Zucchini Meatballs Recipe
Considering the 30-minute rest, let’s start this recipe with zucchinis. Wash the two medium-large zucchinis under running water. Pat them dry with kitchen paper or a cloth. Place them on a cutting board and, using a knife, remove both ends. Now, take a bowl with high edges. Place a manual grater inside and start grating the zucchinis on the julienne side. If you have an electric grater, you can use it safely. Always be careful with your hands in both cases.
Then place the now shredded zucchinis in a colander and let them drain for at least 30 minutes. Do not rush and do not proceed to the next step right away; this wait time is very important for the success of this main dish. Removing and squeezing out excess water by hand with gentle pressure will aid in preparing the Greek style meatballs.
After this time, we are ready to preheat the oven in static mode to 356 degrees Fahrenheit. Take the bowl with high edges again, pour the drained zucchinis into it. Add the amount of grated cheese and breadcrumbs. Work for a few seconds with your hands. Crumble the feta cheese or the ricotta salata directly into the bowl with the zucchinis. Sprinkle with a pinch of salt and pepper, add the mint leaves after finely chopping them or dried mint as in my case. Finally, add the whole egg. Now we are ready to work our mixture.
Position a rectangular baking tray in front of you, place a sheet of parchment paper inside. Then start working the ingredients with your hands, applying good pressure so that all parts can bind. We will now form our Greek style meatballs. As the meatballs are ready, place them spaced apart on the tray. If necessary, you can use two trays. It depends on the size of your meatballs. I made 12 slightly flattened meatballs with two medium-large zucchinis. If you want to make smaller meatballs, you can do so easily; there is no rule or specific weight for this recipe.
Sprinkle the meatballs with a pinch of breadcrumbs and bake for at least 20 minutes. After this time, we’ll switch the mode from static to grill, keeping the temperature at 356 degrees Fahrenheit. This will create a nice crispy crust on the surface of the Greek style meatballs. Do you smell the mint? I love it!!!
Meanwhile, let’s prepare the Greek sauce, pour a jar of strained Greek yogurt into a nice large bowl, add a sprinkle of chives and paprika if you like; otherwise, skip it. Work with a spoon until you reach a nice smooth and homogeneous consistency.
We are now ready to serve our Greek style zucchini meatballs to our family or guests. Just a reminder, I’m here every day with more easy, quick, and economical recipes like this one! Enjoy your meal!!!
Remember that for any doubts or clarifications, you can write on the social channels and I will be happy to answer. You can also watch and rewatch the video recipe to better understand each step of this zucchini recipe.
Storage
You can store the Greek style zucchini meatballs in a refrigerator container for a couple of days after they have completely cooled at room temperature. Alternatively, you can choose to freeze them in the freezer, always in a sealed container. Before heating, remember to thaw them by placing them first in the refrigerator so they defrost slowly.
