Spinach Feta Turkey Meatballs with Yogurt Sauce

Spinach and feta turkey meatballs on plate with fork and topped with fresh herbs.

4 from 1 vote

Spinach Feta Turkey Meatballs with Yogurt Sauce

These simple, juicy spinach feta turkey meatballs are a quick and easy dinner or appetizer to toss together in under 30 minutes. Fresh herbs, sun-dried tomatoes, chopped spinach and feta cheese crumbles. These can be oven-baked, cooked stove top or even air fried--plenty of options. Drizzle over the optional yogurt dill sauce and add these to rice bowls with cucumbers, olives and other favorites!

Prep Time15

Cook Time15

Total Time30

Course: Appetizer, Dinner

Cuisine: American

Servings: meatballs

Author: Lorie Yarro

Ingredients

Meatballs

⅓ cup bread crumbs
¼ -⅓ cup whole milk*
1 lb ground turkey (we use 85% or 93% lean, 99% not recommended)
1 large egg lightly beaten
3 Tbsp sun-dried tomatoes, chopped as much oil removed as possible
½ cup chopped baby spinach
½ c feta cheese crumbles
2 Tbsp fresh chopped parsley
2-3 garlic cloves minced
1½-2 tsp dried oregano
½ tsp dried basil
½ tsp onion powder
½ tsp each, sea salt and pepper
1 Tbsp olive oil

Yogurt Sauce

½ c Greek or plain yogurt full fat for best flavor
¼ c mayonnaise
1 ½ tbsp lemon juice
2 Tbsp fresh dill chopped
1 Tbsp fresh parsley chopped
1-2 garlic cloves minced
drizzle of olive oil
salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

Add the breadcrumbs and milk to a medium bowl and stir to combine. Allow the mixture to sit for about 3-4 minutes (add more milk if this mixture seems too dry, it should be very moist without a lot of excess liquid). Add all the remaining meatball ingredients into the bowl and stir to combine— trying not to overwork the meat any more than to get it all combined.
Scoop and roll into about 1 ½ Tbsp balls (I used a cookie scoop).
To Bake: Preheat oven to 400°F. Line a sheet pan with parchment paper and arrange the meatballs on it. Brush each meatball lightly with olive oil. Bake for about 15-17 minutes or until an internal temperature of 165°F is reached Optional: broil the meatballs in the last 2 minutes for a more golden brown and crispy outside.
Stove top: (For this method, I suggest making the meatballs a bit smaller for more even cooking. If they are too large, that outsides can burn before the centers are cooked.) Heat a large skillet to medium-high heat. Add the 1-2 tablespoons of olive oil and heat until glistening. Add about 8-10 meatballs to the pan at a time, or as many as you can add the won't over crowd the pan. Cook for about 7-8 minutes, turning every 2-3 minutes, until meatballs are browned and internal temperature is 165°F. Continue until all are cooked.
Air Fryer Instructions: Preheat air fryer to 400°F. Brush the grates with olive oil. Add meatballs and brush with olive oil. Air fryer for about 7-9 minutes, flipping halfway through, cooking until 165°F internal temperature.
Make Yogurt Sauce: While the meatballs are cooking, whisk together the yogurt sauce ingredients. Adjust seasoning to taste and thin the mixture slightly with water if desired.
Serve over rice or orzo and top with fresh parsley, feta and lots of the yogurt sauce. We like to add kalamata olives, tomatoes and cucumbers when serving as well. Enjoy!

Notes

For best results, don't over work the meat. Too much handling of the meat can cause the meatballs to be tough and dry. Mix only as much needed to get the ingredients incorporated and then roll into balls. Using clean hands (or with gloves) to mix the ingredients more efficiently.

You can sear the meatballs and then bake for more even cooking but still get the golden crispy outside. Stove top cooking these meatballs is a bit more work to get them cooked without burning. If you prefer, you can sear the outside of the meatballs and then bake until 165°F.

Use an instant-read meat thermometer to avoid over cooking the meatballs. This is the best way to make sure you don't over cook or under cook the meatballs.

Prep these turkey meatballs up to 24 hours in advance before cooking. You can prep and roll the meatballs ahead of time and then cook when ready!

Storage: Refrigerate meatballs in an airtight container for about 3-4 days. You can freeze the meatballs for 3 months. Allow them to cool completely before freezing. This will keep them from losing moisture or becoming overly soggy from ice crystals. I like to freeze them for an hour on a sheet pan to flash freeze before adding to a freezer safe container.

Nutrition