Keftedes are Greek meatballs, often made with lamb. I have tried many versions of these since I was a child, since I was lucky enough to have Greek-American family friends who cooked lots of delicious Greek foods for parties.
This recipe was created by trial and error after I combined different parts of recipes I found online. These keftedes are quick and easy to prepare, and make a tasty meal served with orzo pasta or rice, and vegetables or a Greek salad on the side.
One thing to remember is that fresh herbs are much preferred! The fresh herbs have so much more flavour than the dried versions, so only use dried if you are really in a hurry or cannot find fresh ingredients. Your meat mixture should look like a spattering of colours.
Ingredients
1 lb. ground lamb
1 medium onion, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, crushed
1/2 c. plain bread crumbs
1 egg, slightly beaten
3 Tbsp parsley, minced
2 mint sprigs, chopped
1/2 tsp allspice
salt and pepper
all purpose flour
3-4 Tbsp oil for frying
Instructions
In a large bowl, combine the meat with onion, garlic, bread, egg, parsley, mint, and allspice. Knead for 2 minutes. Add a few Tbsp of water if the mixture is too dry. Season with salt and pepper. Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour. Roll into 1 – 1 1/2 inch diameter balls. Coat lightly in flour.
Heat oil in a frying pan over medium heat. Fry Keftedes on both sides until crisp, then drain on paper towels.
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