This Greek Meatballs in Lemon Sauce recipe is a bright, savory, and incredibly comforting dish that brings the fresh flavors of the Mediterranean right to your kitchen. Tender chicken meatballs packed with feta cheese and herbs are seared to perfection and then bathed in a velvety, citrus-infused sauce.
With a rich texture from the egg yolk-thickened sauce and a salty bite from green olives, this dish is elegant enough for guests but cozy enough for a weeknight dinner.
Recipe Details
- Flavor Profile: The dish is vibrant and zesty, featuring strong lemon notes balanced by the savory chicken, aromatic garlic, and the salty punch of feta and olives.
- Texture: The meatballs are tender and moist thanks to the grated onion and feta, while the sauce is silky, glossy, and rich.
- Time: 20 minutes prep, 25 minutes cook time.
- Difficulty: Intermediate. The meatball preparation is simple, but the sauce requires a technique called “tempering” to ensure the eggs create a smooth creaminess without scrambling.
What You’ll Need
To make this recipe, you will need a large skillet to sear the meatballs and simmer the sauce. A medium mixing bowl is required for the meatball mixture, and a smaller bowl and whisk are essential for the sauce preparation. The ingredients rely on lean ground chicken, fresh aromatics like garlic and lemon, and pantry staples to create a sophisticated flavor profile.
Ingredient Notes
- Lean Ground Chicken – This provides a lighter base than beef, allowing the lemon and herbs to shine.
- Feta Cheese – Crumbled feta inside the meatballs adds pockets of saltiness and keeps the meat moist.
- Grated Yellow Onion – Grating the onion instead of chopping it ensures it melts into the meatball, providing moisture and flavor without chunks.
- Lemon Zest and Juice – You need fresh lemons for this recipe. The zest adds aromatic oil to the meatballs and sauce, while the juice provides the necessary acidity.
- Egg Yolks – These are used to thicken the sauce and give it a luxurious, velvety mouthfeel (a technique similar to Greek Avgolemono).
- Green Olives – These add a briny finish to the sauce. You can substitute capers if you prefer a smaller pop of salt.
- Cold Butter – Cubed cold butter is added at the end to mount the sauce, giving it a glossy shine.
Add-ins and Substitutions
- Herbs – Fresh dill or mint would be excellent additions to the meatball mixture alongside the parsley.
- Meat – Ground turkey is a suitable substitute for the chicken if preferred.
- Olives vs. Capers – As noted in the ingredients, you can use 1/4 cup of capers instead of the 1/2 cup of green olives depending on your preference.
How to Make Greek Meatballs in Lemon Sauce
- Mix the Meatballs: In a medium bowl, using a fork, mix together the minced garlic, lemon zest, chopped parsley, panko breadcrumbs, grated yellow onions, crumbled feta cheese, egg, and dried oregano. You also want to add 1 teaspoon of salt and 1/2 teaspoon of pepper. When these ingredients are combined, add the lean ground chicken and mix until just combined. Just be sure you don’t overwork the meat.
- Shape: Roll the mixture into 24-28 meatballs using a cookie scoop or about 1 ½ tablespoon each.
- Sear: Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Drizzle in a little oil. Add the meatballs to the skillet but do not overcrowd (cook in batches if they don’t all fit). Sear the meatballs for 5-7 minutes, flipping to brown all sides evenly, until the meatballs are cooked all the way through. Remove the meatballs to a plate.
- Start the Sauce: Add 2 tablespoons of the butter to the skillet along with the minced garlic and cook for 30 seconds, stirring so it doesn’t burn. Add the flour and whisk. Once the flour cooks for 30 seconds, slowly drizzle in the chicken broth with one hand while you continue to whisk with the other hand.
- Simmer: Allow the sauce to reach a simmer, and continue to cook for 3 minutes or until the sauce thickens a bit. Lower the heat to the lowest setting and let the sauce hang out.
- Temper the Eggs: In a small bowl, whisk together the lemon juice and egg yolks. Once combined, add a tablespoon of the hot sauce from the skillet into the egg mixture while you whisk it. Repeat this step two more times (so a total of 3 tablespoons of sauce should be added to the yolks).
- Thicken: With the heat on the lowest setting, add the tempered yolk mixture to the sauce you have on the stove. Kick the heat up to medium and stir the sauce and allow it to cook for 4-6 minutes or until it thickens to your liking.
- Season: Stir in the nutmeg and lemon zest. Taste and adjust with salt and pepper as desired.
- Finish: Add the last tablespoon of butter to the sauce and allow it to melt in slowly. Add the green olives to the sauce along with the cooked meatballs. Let them heat through for just a minute or two until warm.
- Serve: Serve with fried bread, over buttered orzo, or rice!
Pro Tip: “Tempering” the eggs is the most critical step in the sauce. By slowly adding hot liquid to the egg yolks before adding them to the pan, you bring the eggs up to temperature gradually. If you dump cold yolks directly into the hot skillet, they will scramble and ruin the smooth texture of the sauce.
Recipe Tips
- Don’t Overwork the Meat: When mixing the chicken with the breadcrumbs and herbs, mix only until combined. Overworking ground chicken can lead to tough, rubbery meatballs.
- Grate the Onion: Grating the onion releases its juices, which helps keep the lean chicken moist during cooking.
- Low Heat for Sauce: When adding the egg mixture to the pan, ensure the heat is low initially. High heat can cause the sauce to separate or curdle.
- Cold Butter Finish: Adding that final tablespoon of cold butter at the end creates an emulsion that gives the sauce a professional, glossy sheen.
FAQs
- Can I use ground beef? Ground beef has a stronger flavor that might overpower the delicate lemon sauce. Chicken or turkey is best for this specific flavor profile.
- What if my sauce is too thick? If the sauce thickens too much while cooking, simply whisk in a splash more chicken stock or warm water until it reaches your desired consistency.
- How do I store leftovers? Store the meatballs and sauce together in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Reheat gently on the stove over low heat to prevent the sauce from breaking.
Serving Suggestions
- Orzo: Buttered orzo is the traditional pairing and soaks up the lemon sauce beautifully.
- Bread: Fried bread or a crusty baguette is essential for dipping.
- Rice: Steamed white rice makes for a gluten-free base option.
Make This Recipe in Advance
- Meatball Prep: You can mix and roll the meatballs earlier in the day and keep them covered in the refrigerator until you are ready to sear them.
- Sauce: This sauce relies on the emulsion of eggs and butter, so it is best made fresh right before serving to maintain its silky texture.
Greek Meatballs in Lemon Sauce
- Total Time: 45 minutes
- Yield: 4 Servings (approx. 24 meatballs) 1x
Description
This Greek Meatballs in Lemon Sauce recipe is a bright, savory, and incredibly comforting dish that brings the fresh flavors of the Mediterranean right to your kitchen. Tender chicken meatballs packed with feta cheese and herbs are seared to perfection and then bathed in a velvety, citrus-infused sauce. With a rich texture from the egg yolk-thickened sauce and a salty bite from green olives, this dish is elegant enough for guests but cozy enough for a weeknight dinner.
Ingredients
Chicken Feta Meatballs
- 1 ¼ pound lean ground chicken
- 1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese
- 3/4 cup panko breadcrumbs
- 1/3 cup grated yellow onion (use the large holes of a box grater)
- 5 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 large egg
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon zest
- 1 tablespoon fresh chopped parsley
- 1 ½ teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- Oil, for searing
Lemon Olive Sauce
- 1 ½ cups low-sodium chicken stock
- 2 egg yolks
- 1/3 cup fresh lemon juice + 2 teaspoons lemon zest
- 3 tablespoons salted cold butter, cubed (divided use)
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
- 1/2 cup green olives (or 1/4 cup capers)
- 1/8 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
- Salt and pepper, to taste
Instructions
Mix the Meatballs
In a medium bowl, combine the minced garlic, lemon zest, parsley, panko, grated onion, crumbled feta, egg, oregano, salt, and pepper. Mix with a fork. Add the ground chicken and mix gently with your hands just until combined. Do not overwork the meat to keep it tender.
Shape
Roll the mixture into 24-28 small meatballs (about 1 ½ tablespoons each).
Sear
Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat with a drizzle of oil. Cook the meatballs in batches for 5-7 minutes, turning occasionally to brown all sides, until cooked through. Remove meatballs to a plate.
Start the Sauce
Reduce heat to medium. Add 2 tablespoons of the butter and the minced garlic to the skillet. Cook for 30 seconds. Sprinkle in the flour and whisk for another 30 seconds. Slowly drizzle in the chicken stock while whisking constantly to prevent lumps.
Simmer
Bring the sauce to a simmer and cook for 3 minutes until slightly thickened. Reduce heat to low.
Temper the Eggs (Critical Step)
In a small bowl, whisk together the lemon juice and egg yolks. Take a tablespoon of the hot liquid from the skillet and whisk it slowly into the egg mixture. Repeat this 2-3 times. This warms the eggs gently so they don’t scramble.
Thicken
Pour the tempered egg mixture back into the skillet while whisking. Increase heat to medium and cook for 4-6 minutes, stirring constantly, until the sauce thickens and coats the back of a spoon. Do not boil rapidly.
Finish
Stir in the nutmeg, remaining lemon zest, and season with salt and pepper. Turn off the heat. Stir in the final 1 tablespoon of cold butter and the green olives.
Serve
Return the meatballs to the pan and toss gently to coat and warm through. Serve immediately.
Notes
Tempering is Key: Do not skip the tempering step (step 6). If you pour cold egg yolks directly into the hot pan, you will end up with scrambled egg soup instead of a creamy sauce.
Grated Onion: Grating the onion releases juice that keeps lean ground chicken moist. Do not squeeze the onion dry; use the juices in the mix.
Sauce Consistency: If the sauce gets too thick, simply whisk in a splash more chicken stock or warm water to reach your desired consistency.
Butter Finish: The final pat of cold butter (called “mounting” the sauce) gives it a professional glossy shine and velvety texture.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 25 minutes
- Category: Dinner
- Method: Stovetop / Searing
- Cuisine: Greek-Inspired
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 6 Meatballs with Sauce
- Calories: 410
- Sugar: 2g
- Sodium: 980mg
- Fat: 22g
- Saturated Fat: 9g
- Unsaturated Fat: 10g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 18g
- Fiber: 2g
- Protein: 34g
- Cholesterol: 185mg
Keywords: greek meatballs, chicken meatballs with feta, lemon sauce recipe, avgolemono sauce, mediterranean dinner, healthy chicken recipes, meatballs in white sauce
