Greek Meatball Pitas With Feta

(2)

Easy Middle Eastern-inspired lamb meatballs (aka, kofta) are the centerpiece of tonight’s easy dinner. The kofta are seasoned with onion, mint, cumin, and garlic and shaped into football-shaped orbs, which makes for more deliciously crispy crust in every bite. You’ll pile the meatballs, cucumber, and tomato onto warm pita that’s slathered with a zippy lemony mint and yogurt sauce. Finally, it’s all finished off crumbles of briny feta. Start with hummus and crudités to make the meal even more filling. Pro tip: Don’t overwork the kofta mixture, otherwise it might become gluey. Instead, you want it to just come together until they’re easy to grill.

Greek Meatball Pitas With Feta Recipe
Photo: Caitlin Bensel
Hands On Time:
30 mins
Total Time:
30 mins
Yield:
4 serves

Ingredients

  • ½ cup plain whole-milk Greek yogurt

  • 2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice (from 1 lemon)

  • 3 tablespoons finely chopped fresh mint, divided

  • 1 ¼ teaspoons kosher salt, divided

  • 1 small red onion

  • 1 ½ pounds ground lamb

  • 3 cloves garlic, finely chopped

  • 2 teaspoons ground cumin

  • Cooking spray, for grill pan

  • 4 6-in. pitas, warmed

  • 1 Persian cucumber, sliced

  • 1 tomato, sliced

  • 2 ounces feta cheese, broken into pieces

  • 2 tablespoons olive oil

Directions

  1. Stir yogurt, lemon juice, 1 tablespoon mint, and ¼ teaspoon salt in a small bowl; set aside.

  2. Cut onion in half lengthwise. Finely chop 1 onion half and thinly slice remaining onion half; set aside.

  3. Heat a large grill pan over medium-high. Mix lamb, finely chopped onion, garlic, cumin, and remaining 2 tablespoons mint and 1 teaspoon salt in a large bowl until well combined. Form into 20 small, oblong meatballs. Coat grill pan with cooking spray. Cook meatballs until browned and a thermometer inserted in thickest portion registers 160°F, turning once halfway through, 7 to 8 minutes.

  4. Spread yogurt mixture on warm pitas. Top with meatballs, thinly sliced onion, cucumber, tomato, and cheese. Drizzle with oil.

Nutrition Facts (per serving)

649 Calories
35g Fat
41g Carbs
40g Protein
Nutrition Facts
Calories 649
% Daily Value *
Total Fat 35g 45%
Cholesterol 129mg 43%
Sodium 1102mg 48%
Total Carbohydrate 41g 15%
Total Sugars 4g
Protein 40g

*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.

Related Articles