Jacqueline Casey 
I’ve written about my love for all things meatballs in my Chicken Marsala Meatballs recipe. If I were ever to start a food truck it would be called Meatball Mania and serve only various types of Meatballs. Maybe it’s just me, but I hope not! These Chicken, Spinach and Feta Meatballs are full of flavor and the creamy Tzatziki sauce that can be poured on top or served on the side to dip, adds even more flavor. My favorite way to enjoy these is with a quick platter with chopped up raw vegetables like red, orange and yellow peppers, grape tomatoes and cucumbers. I also will typically have some hummus and pita chips and maybe some olives and marinated artichokes. Even though these just take 35 minutes to make, they can also be made in advance and then heat up nicely in the oven, making it even easier and quicker to throw together a nice platter meal. For dinner I typically roll them in a bigger size, but these also make an amazing appetizer and when doing that, I’ll roll them into smaller balls.
Options, Substitutions and Tips!
- When combining the meatballs by hand, try not to overmix/overwork. This will ensure your meatballs are tender.
- I used frozen spinach, but I have used fresh spinach as well. I do not cook the fresh spinach before hand, but do chop it up fairly finely so it is easy to mix into the meatballs. Also in order to get to the equivalent of 1 1/2 cups of frozen chopped spinach, it will take an entire bag of fresh spinach. It’s quite a bit of chopping and now I prefer to use frozen spinach because I find it easier and less time consuming.
- I took my 4 oz. of crumbled feta and placed in a measuring cup. It was just under 1/2 a cup (in case you have feta cheese that is not measured in ounces.)
- When rolling meatballs, they can be any size really-The ones pictured are on the smaller side since I find it easier to feed to the tiny people in my life and these were made more for an appetizer. Whatever size you choose, as long as they are a consistent size they will brown and cook the same.
- When browning the meatballs, wait a few minutes before first turning them, this will help ensure they hold their shape (for example, I waited about 4 minutes before first turning them to a new side).
- I brown the meatballs by giving the handle a little shake back and force which turns most of them and then using tongs to flip over the rest. I keep repeating this process until all sides are mostly browned.
- A prepackaged/premade Tzatziki sauce can be substituted.
- I did not take exact measurements for the Tzatziki Sauce sorry! I will update the next time I make this recipe. It is very easy though and can be done based on taste by just combining the ingredients and then adding extra seasoning or more cucumbers.
- As I mentioned before, these are great for making ahead because they really do taste just as good reheated. They can be kept in the refrigerator for up to 3 days or in the freezer for 4 months.
Chicken, Spinach and Feta Meatballs with Tzatziki Sauce
Spinach, feta and garlic are added to ground chicken and rolled into meatballs. First browned, then baked or further cooked on a stovetop, then served with tzatziki sauce on top or on the side. These are a great addition to any Mediterranean platter.
- Large Mixing Bowl, Small Mixing Bowl, Large Frying Pan, Oven-Safe Baking Dish or Tray
Chicken, Spinach & Feta Meatballs
- 2 lbs Ground Chicken
- 2 cloves Garlic
- 1 large Egg
- 1 cup Seasoned Breadcrumbs
- 1½ cups Frozen Chopped Spinach
- 4 oz. Crumbled Feta Cheese
Tzatziki Sauce
- 2 cups Greek Yogurt
- Cucumber
- 2 Garlic Cloves ((or Garlic Powder))
- Squeeze of Lemon
- Salt and Pepper to season
- (optional-Dill)
Chicken, Spinach & Feta Meatballs
Place frozen spinach in colander in the sink. Run warm water over the spinach to defrost, breaking apart large clumps. Keep spinach in the colander in sink for the water to drain.
Mince garlic cloves. Add ground chicken, egg, seasoned breadcrumbs, garlic, crumbled feta and defrosted chopped spinach into a large mixing bowl. Using hands, mix all ingredients together and then begin rolling into balls. Meatballs can be any size depending on preference, as long as they are all mostly uniformed in size so they brown and cook evenly.
Add a little oil to large frying pan and heat up. Add meatballs and begin browning for 7-10 minutes.
Transfer to a baking dish and cook in oven at 375 degrees for 15 minutes or continue cooking on stovetop for another 10 minutes. Time will vary based on meatball size. If meatballs are very large, they will most need a longer cooking time to completely cook through.
Quick Tzatziki Sauce
While Meatballs are cooking or baking, prepare tzatziki sauce. Slice cucumber as thinly as possible. Mince garlic cloves or substitute garlic powder.
Mix greek yogurt, thinly sliced cucumber, garlic and lemon juice. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Optional-add a little bit of fresh or dried dill weed.
