Turn dinner into a Mediterranean feast with these healthy Greek turkey meatballs with orzo and tzatziki! Filled with garlic and herbs, these meatballs are packed full of flavor, high in protein, and perfect for a weeknight dinner.
There is nothing I love more than a good bowl dinner; add some protien, carbs, veggies, and a good sauce, and you’ve got yourself a delicious and balanced meal. I’ve shared many loaded bowl-style dinners before, like my sheet pan halloumi bowls and my Mediterranean steak bowls, so these baked Greek turkey meatballs with orzo and tzatziki are just another delicious (and easy) recipe you can add to your repertoire.
These Greek turkey meatballs are inspired by a traditional Greek meatball recipe, also known as keftedes. While typically made with beef and pork, I opted to make them with ground turkey to make the meatballs leaner and the overall dish higher in protein.
To ensure these bowls are full of flavor, I also added a homemade tzatziki sauce. While it is very easy to make, if you want to cut down on prep time, simply buy a store-bought tzatziki sauce instead.
Why You’ll Love Them
- High in Protein – With over 40 grams of protein per serving, these Greek turkey meatball bowls are healthy and protein-packed meals.
- Full of Flavor – The combination of fresh herbs and tzatziki sauce ensures that each bite is full of Greek flavors.
- Great for Meal Prep – The Greek turkey meatballs keep well in the fridge and freezer making them a great make-ahead meal.
Ingredients + Substitutions
- Ground Turkey – To ensure the bowls are packed full of lean protein. I used lean ground turkey, however, you can use ground beef or chicken if preferred.
- Egg – To bind the meatballs and add some more protein.
- Breadcrumbs – To ensure the meatballs are moist and tender. You can use regular or panko breadcrumbs, or gluten-free breadcrumbs if needed.
- Onion and Garlic – To flavor the turkey meatballs. The recipe calls for red onion and garlic cloves, but you can use onion powder and garlic powder if needed, see the notes section of the recipe card for details.
- Herbs – A combination of oregano, mint, dill, and parsley to flavor the meatballs and tzatziki.
- Orzo – To add some complex carbohydrates. You can use regular or whole wheat pasta or use couscous or quinoa instead.
- Veggies – A combination of red onion, cucumber, and tomatoes to add some Greek-style veggies.
- Kalamata Olives – While optional, they add some more Greek flavors.
- Feta – To add some more protein and some salty flavor.
- Greek Yogurt – To make the homemade tzatziki sauce. You can use whole milk, 0% Greek yogurt, or regular yogurt instead. If you’re looking to save time, you can use store-bought tzatziki sauce.
- Olive Oil – To dress the orzo.
- Lemon Juice – To balance the flavors of the tzatziki sauce, you can also add some lemon zest if desired.
- Salt and Pepper – To season.
Dietary Adaptions
To Make them Gluten-Free: Use gluten-free breadcrumbs and swap the orzo for quinoa.
To Make them Dairy-Free: Swap the Greek yogurt for coconut yogurt and use dairy-free feta cheese.
Red’s Nutrition Tip
Pairing these Greek turkey meatballs with orzo, one of the highest protien grains, feta cheese, one of the best high protein cheeses, and tzatziki, made from Greek yogurt which is one of the best high-protein, low-calorie foods, helps to increase the overall protein content of the dish by over 15 grams per serving.
Serving Suggestions
These Greek turkey meatball bowls are a balanced meal idea with protein, complex carbohydrates, fiber, and healthy fats. They can also easily be customized to meet your personal dietary needs, for example:
- To make them higher in protein, double the meatball recipe to add more turkey meatballs to every bowl.
- To make them lower in fat, use 0% Greek yogurt and low-fat feta cheese and omit the olives.
- To make them low-carb, swap the orzo for cauliflower rice.
- To make them higher in fiber, add some leafy greens.
Storage + Reheating
To Refrigerate: Allow the Greek turkey meatballs to cool completely, then add them to an airtight container and store them in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. The orzo, veggies, and tzatziki sauce can be stored in separate airtight containers in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
To Freeze: Once cooled, you can freeze cooked meatballs by adding them to an airtight container and storing them in the freezer for up to 3 months. Freezing the orzo, veggies, and tzatziki sauce is not recommended.
To Reheat: Once thawed, the turkey meatballs can be reheated in the oven in a baking dish at 300°F for 10-15 minutes, or reheated in a pan on medium heat for 2-5 minutes or until warmed through. The meatballs can also be reheated in the microwave for 1-2 minutes or until warm.
More Ground Turkey Recipes:
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Greek Turkey Meatballs with Orzo and Tzatziki Sauce
Ready in 30 minutes, these Greek turkey meatballs with orzo, tzatziki sauce, and feta are a healthy, protein-packed meal that is full of flavor.
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Prep Time: 15 minutes -
Cook Time: 15 minutes
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Total Time: 30 minutes
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Yield: 4 bowls 1x
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Category: Dinner
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Method: Baked
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Cuisine: Greek
Prep Time:
Yield:
Category:
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Cuisine:Ingredients
Greek Turkey Meatballs:
- 1 pound ground turkey
- 1 egg
- 1/2 cup bread crumbs
- 1/4 red onion, minced
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 tablespoons fresh mint, finely chopped
- 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 pinch black pepper
Tzatziki Sauce:
- 1 cup plain Greek yogurt
- 3/4 cucumber
- 2 cloves garlic, finely minced or grated
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice (about 1/2 lemon)
- 1 teaspoon dried dill
- 1 teaspoon dried parsley
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
Bowls:
- 1 1/2 cups orzo, dry
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
- 1/4 cucumber, diced
- 1/4 red onion, sliced
- 1/4 cup kalamata olives, pitted and halved (optional)
- 1/4 cup feta cheese, crumbled, plus more for serving
- Salt and pepper
- Fresh mint, to serve
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- In a large bowl, add the ground turkey, egg, bread crumbs, red onion, garlic, mint, oregano, salt, and black pepper. Using your hands or a fork, gently mix until everything is well incorporated.
- Roll the meatball mixture into 2-tablespoon balls, placing them onto the baking sheet once formed, until all the turkey is used, and you have about 16 mini meatballs.
- Transfer the baking sheet to the oven to bake for 14-16 minutes until the turkey meatballs are cooked through to an internal temperature of 165°F when tested with a meat thermometer.
- While the turkey meatballs are cooking, cook the orzo. Bring a medium pot of well-salted water to a boil, add the orzo, and cook as per the package directions until tender, and then drain. Return to the pot, drizzle with 2 tablespoons of olive oil, and toss until well coated.
- (Note: Skip this step if you are using store-bought tzatziki.) While the orzo is cooking, make the tzatziki sauce. Cut 3/4 of the cucumber lengthwise, use a small spoon to remove the seeds, then use a box grater to shred the cucumber into fine pieces. Place the shredded cucumber into a paper towel and, using your hands while holding it over the sink, squeeze the paper towel to remove as much excess water from the cucumber as possible. Then transfer the cucumber to a small bowl with the Greek yogurt, minced garlic, lemon juice, dried dill, dried parsley, and salt, and stir to combine. Taste and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper as needed, then set aside.
- In a medium bowl, add the halved cherry tomatoes, remaining 1/4 diced cucumber, diced red onion, kalamata olives, and feta cheese, season with salt and pepper, and toss until well combined.
- Once the turkey meatballs are cooked, prepare the bowls. Layer each bowl with orzo and veggies, top with cooked meatballs, a dollop of tzatziki sauce, a sprinkle of feta cheese, and fresh mint leaves.
- Any leftover turkey meatballs can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months. Leftover orzo, veggies, and tzatziki sauce can be stored in separate airtight containers in the fridge for up to 5 days.
Notes
To Use Garlic Powder: Swap every 2 garlic cloves for 1 teaspoon of garlic powder.
To Use Garlic Powder: Swap the red onion in the turkey meatballs for 1/4 teaspoon of onion powder.
To Use Fresh Parsley: Swap the dried parsley for 2 tablespoons of minced fresh parsley.
To Use Fresh Dill: Swap the dried dill for 2 tablespoons of minced fresh dill.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 bowl
- Calories: 583 calories
- Sugar: 8 grams
- Fat: 17 grams
- Carbohydrates: 66 grams
- Fiber: 4 grams
- Protein: 41 grams
Oh this looks so inviting! So I match the macros correctly, what kind of ground turkey? 98% lean?
It’s a good one! The macros are based on 93/7 ground turkey.
Great recipe! Very flavourful & filling.
Thank you for sharing, Beverly!