Keftedakia - Fried Meatballs - Real Greek Recipes

4.84 from 18 votes

Keftedakia - Fried Meatballs

These deep-fried meatballs are flavored with coriander, garlic, fresh mint, and parsley. They have scrumptious crispy outsides and juicy, soft insides!

Prep Time15

Cook Time20

Course: Main Course, Side Dish

Cuisine: Greek

Keyword: Dinner, fried, spiced

Servings: meatballs

Calories: 100kcal

Ingredients

For The Meatballs:

500 grams ( 2.2 pounds) lean ground beef
100 grams (1 small) onion
2 large garlic cloves
1 medium-sized egg
5 tablespoons olive oil
80 grams (2.8 oz) bread with crust removed, ideally stale
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
3-4 small spearmint leaves minced
2-3 tablespoons fresh parsley chopped
½ teaspoon dried oregano
salt & pepper
flour
frying oil
lemon wedges to serve with

For The Yogurt Dip:

150 grams (⅔ cup) Greek yogurt
3 tablespoons lemon juice
2-3 spearmint leaves minced
salt and pepper

Instructions

Make The Yogurt Dip:

Combine all of the ingredients for the dip in a small bowl and set aside.

Make The Meatballs:

Soak the bread in water to soften, then squeeze it to release the excess water.
Blend the onion and garlic in a small food processor until finely minced.
Combine the soaked, squeezed bread, the garlic and onion, with the ground beef, olive oil, red wine vinegar, parsley, spearmint, egg, coriander, and oregano.
Knead the mixture well until all of the ingredients fully combine.
Shape into small bite-sized round meatballs (about 40 grams each) and set aside.
Half-fill a pan with frying oil or a small cooking pot and heat over high heat.
NOTE: A frying pan will yield crispier meatballs while a cooking pot will yield more tender, juicier meatballs.
Roll each meatball in flour to coat. Shake to remove excess flour (it's easier to do if you place the meatball in a small fine-mesh sieve).
Dip the meatballs one by one in the hot oil without overcrowding them. The oil temperature should read 175°C / 347°F on an instant-read thermometer.
Deep fry meatballs for 3-4 minutes on each side (if using a frying pan and they're not submerged in oil). Or for 4-5 minutes overall if using a cooking pot and they're submerged in oil.
Transfer to paper towels for a few seconds to drain excess oil.
Serve with lemon wedges, fresh chopped parsley, and the yogurt dip or Greek Tzatziki for dipping!

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