Keftedes – Greek Meatballs

Recipe By Constantina
Rating
Published Jul 10th
Prep 20m Cook 30m Additional - Ready In 50m
Servings 6 servings Calories 626.7

Here is a fried Greek meatball – Cyprian style. These are made with grated potatoes; a little different than the islands of Greece. Squeeze some lemon on them and have a taste of Cyprus.

Recipe Ingredients

  • oil for frying
  • ¼ cup fresh lemon juice
  • 5 white potatoes, peeled
  • 2 pounds ground beef
  • 1 large onion, grated
  • ¾ cup dry bread crumbs
  • 1 cup chopped fresh parsley
  • ⅓ cup dried mint, crushed
  • ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • zest from 1 lemon
  • 2 eggs, beaten
  • 1 ½ tablespoons salt
  • 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
  • lemon wedges

Cooking Directions

  1. 1 Heat oil in a deep-fryer or large saucepan to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C).
  2. 2 Place the lemon juice in a large bowl. Coarsely grate the potatoes into the lemon juice, stirring well to prevent browning. Stir in the ground beef, onion, bread crumbs, parsley, mint, cinnamon, lemon zest, eggs, and salt and pepper. Mix well, and shape into oblong balls about 1 inch thick and 2 inches wide.
  3. 3 Place meatballs in hot oil in batches; do not crowd. Fry until golden brown, and cooked through, about 6 to 7 minutes per batch. Serve with lemon wedges.

Nutrition Facts

  • Calories 626.7
  • Carbohydrate 46.9 g
  • Cholesterol 153.8 mg
  • Fat 35.3 g
  • Fiber 8.1 g
  • Protein 33.6 g
  • Saturated Fat 9.6 g
  • Sodium 1977 mg
  • Sugar 4.4 g

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Chef's Notes

If desired, the onion can be chopped in a food processor. Process until very fine and mushy; We have determined the nutritional value of oil for frying based on a retention value of 10% after cooking. The exact amount will vary depending on cooking time and temperature, ingredient density, and the specific type of oil used.

Reviews

  1. kellymc125 Nov 3, 2013 05:34 PM
    Didn't find these to be like what I know. Added cinnamon allspice and fresh dill rolled them in flour before frying and I got what I was looking for. I also serve this on lemon/parmesan orzo with a healthy squeeze of lemon
  2. bcdh13 Aug 27, 2012 02:48 AM
    These were ok. Next time I make these I'm going to cut back on the mint as it was overpowering and add about 1 tablespoon crushed garlic to add to make these less bland.
  3. Brenda Briscoe May 21, 2012 01:21 PM
    My elder mom whom I take care of every Sunday just loved this. I was loking for something with mint and basil and different and this fit the bill and fill our bellies quite Yummy! I served it with Tzatzike Sauce for dipping.
  4. Marie Jan 18, 2012 02:21 PM
    These were very good! However I baked them (uncovered) at 400 degrees until done then I poured a simple pasta sauce over them and baked them for just a few more minutes then sprinkled feta on top. They were DELICIOUS! (I served with white rice)
  5. akp2889 Jan 5, 2012 12:56 AM
    Excellent! I added crumbled feta as well. Just delicious.
  6. Elle Oct 29, 2011 09:17 PM
    Mmmmmmm! This brings back fond childhood memories. My Dad used to make these and I'm so happy to have found the recipe. These taste exactly like I remember.
  7. Tinak Aug 24, 2009 06:55 PM
    i really like this recipe...i follow the recipe as is..i fried them at suggested temperature and i had no problem. the only thing i change was i used 1lb grounded pork and 1lb grounded beef. i didn't use lemon zest and i added a teaspoon of oregano..and they came great.. i hope this helps out - Read more ...
  8. Deb May 13, 2009 10:51 PM
    I love this recipe but i don't add any potato to it. Instead of frying i bake them in the oven for 30mins at 350F if they were cold to start with.
  9. Tim Gonzalez-Wiler Apr 13, 2009 08:00 PM
    These meatballs are DELICIOUS but very greasy. And it's hard to not burn them at the temperature suggested. My thermometer said 275 degrees and I still couldn't get them both cooked through and not burned. I baked the second half of the batch at about 400 degrees for maybe 30 minutes. I also didn't have - Read more ...
  10. amy Mar 23, 2009 02:19 PM
    Yum!!!! I grilled on the Foreman rather than frying (cut a large potato in half and set the pieces upright in the bottom corners to keep the lid from smashing the meatballs) and served with spaghetti noodles tossed with garlic oil and basil. My husband loved them!!!!
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