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