My dad's Greek meatballs are the perfect quick dinner — and so easy to make

Anneta KonstantinidesNov 9, 2024, 21:33 IST

My dad's Greek meatballs are the perfect quick dinner.Anneta Konstantinides/Business Insider

My dad's Greek meatballs have always been part of my family's weekly dinner rotation.
They're super easy to make, and you probably already have most of the ingredients.

Growing up as a Greek American, certain dishes were always part of my family's weekly dinner rotation.

My parents used food to help my sister and me connect to our Greek roots, introducing us to dishes like pastitsio (like lasagna, but better), avgolemono soup (similar to chicken noodle), and baklava (a holiday classic).

But no recipe is as quick and easy as my dad's Greek meatballs — or keftedes, as we call them. They're the perfect companion to some fries, pasta, or his Greek roasted potatoes.

Here's how to make them.

My dad's Greek meatballs only need a few ingredients, and you probably already have most of them in your fridge and pantry.

My dad's Greek meatballs only require a few ingredients. Anneta Konstantinides/Insider

Before making the meatballs, we just need to do some quick prep.

And his recipe requires very minimal prep. Anneta Konstantinides/Insider

Throw the ground beef in a bowl with the chopped parsley, garlic, egg, and breadcrumbs, plus the salt and ⅛ cup of water.

Throw all your ingredients into a bowl before mixing. Anneta Konstantinides/Insider

Then, mix everything together with your hands.

My dad says it's important not to overmix. Anneta Konstantinides/Insider

Once your mixture is ready, start shaping the meatballs.

The recipe should give you about a dozen meatballs. Anneta Konstantinides/Insider

Pour the flour on a paper towel or plate, then gently roll each meatball in the flour to cover it.

Rolling the meatballs in flour. Anneta Konstantinides/Insider

Pour your oil into a pan — it should be large enough to fit all the meatballs — on medium-high.

Placing the meatballs in the pan with oil. Anneta Konstantinides/Insider

Add the meatballs, one by one, into the pan.

Your pan should be big enough to fit all the meatballs. Anneta Konstantinides/Insider

Use two forks to gently rotate each meatball every two minutes.

Turning the meatballs. Anneta Konstantinides/Insider

It will take about 10 minutes to cook the meatballs.

Cooking the meatballs. Anneta Konstantinides/Insider

Once your meatballs are ready and out of the pan, let them rest.

The finished meatballs. Anneta Konstantinides/Insider

Now, just serve my dad's Greek meatballs with your favorite side dish, and enjoy!

You can serve the meatballs with fries, pasta, or my dad's roasted potatoes. Anneta Konstantinides/Insider

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My dad's Greek meatballs are the perfect quick dinner &mdash; and so easy to make