Meatballs (Keftedes)

Meatballs are an excellent appetizer for ouzo and tsipouro, but they can also be served as a main dish with a side of fried potatoes. The recipe is so simple and quick that you won’t realize how fast you’ll have them ready.

Ingredients

• 650g ground beef
• Crumbs from 3 medium slices of bread
• 1 medium onion, finely chopped or grated
• 2 tablespoons finely chopped parsley
• 1 teaspoon oregano
• 1 teaspoon fresh mint, finely chopped, or ½ teaspoon dried mint (optional)
• 1 beaten egg
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• Salt and pepper
• Flour for dusting
• Oil for frying

Process

Step 1
Soak the bread crumbs in plenty of water until they swell, then squeeze them well with your hands.

Step 2
In a large bowl, mix the ground beef, onion, parsley, oregano, mint, egg, and 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Add the bread and knead the mixture very well until all ingredients are combined. Let the mixture stand for 15 minutes.

Step 3
Take small pieces of the mixture and shape them into round meatballs. Spread a sheet of parchment paper on the kitchen counter, sprinkle it with plenty of flour, and roll the meatballs on it until they are fully coated with flour.

Step 4
In a wide frying pan, heat enough oil (about 1 ½ finger depth), and when hot, add as many meatballs as the pan can hold and fry them, turning them on all sides until they are golden brown.

Step 5
Remove the meatballs from the pan and place them on a platter lined with paper towels to absorb the excess oil. Continue the process until all meatballs are fried.

Tips

• Instead of frying the meatballs, you can bake them in the oven. Place them all together in a large greased baking dish, drizzle with a little olive oil, and bake in a preheated oven at 200°C for 20-30 minutes, turning them halfway through to brown evenly on all sides.
• Alternatively, for a juicier result, after the first 15 minutes of baking in the oven, you can finish cooking them in tomato sauce. Either add the sauce to the baking dish or transfer the meatballs to the pot where you made the sauce. Continue cooking them for about 10 more minutes and serve with pasta or pilaf. For the tomato sauce, see the related recipe.