Mediterranean Chicken Meatballs with Couscous and a Tangy Greek Yogurt Dressing

Table of contents:

How to Make Mediterranean Chicken Meatballs with Couscous and a Tangy Greek Yogurt Dressing

Ingredients

For the Tangy Greek Yogurt Dressing

• A small tub (4.5oz./125g) of natural Greek yogurt
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 5-6 large basil leaves
• Small handful of fresh parsley (around 4 tablespoons chopped)
• Juice from ½ lemon
• Pinch or two of salt (to taste)
• Pinch of cracked black pepper
  

For the chicken meatballs (makes around 20 balls)

• 14 oz. (400g) ground chicken meat (or turkey)
• 1 lemon
• 1 small yellow onion, finely chopped
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• ½ teaspoon ground white pepper
• Salt (to taste)
• ½ cup parsley, finely chopped
• ½ cup basil leaves, finely chopped
• 1 large egg
• 1 cup breadcrumbs

For the couscous

• 1 cup couscous
• 1 cup hot water (or vegetable stock)
• 1-2 lemon rounds
• Salt and cracked black pepper (to taste) 

For serving (optional)

• A few sprigs of fresh cilantro (or parsley) for garnish 
• Lamb ear lettuce or your favorite green
• Wafer-thin red radish rounds
• Green beans
• Lemon or lime

Equipment needed

• Food processor (for making the yogurt dressing)
• Frying pan/skillet
• Medium-sized bowl (for mixing and preparing the meatballs)
• Kitchen knife and cutting board 
• Cooking tongs
• 2 large dinner plates (for steaming the couscous)

Directions

Step 1 – Prepare the Chicken Meatballs

• In a medium-sized bowl, combine the ground chicken meat, juice from 1 lemon, chopped onion, olive oil, spices, chopped herbs, and egg. 
• Mix well until all ingredients are incorporated. Slowly add the breadcrumbs 1 tablespoon at a time. 
• Mix in breadcrumbs and aim for a thick, firm mixture that will stick to a spoon when upside down. 

Step 2 – Make and Fry Chicken Meatballs

• Spoon around 1 heaped tablespoon of mixture and roll it in the palm of your hand to make small firm balls. 
• Add a splash of oil to a pan on medium heat. Once hot, add the meatballs to the pan and turn or roll them regularly so they cook evenly, this should take around 5-7 minutes. 
• Don’t overcrowd the pan and cook the balls in batches if required. Set balls aside on a plate once cooked.

Step 3 – Prepare Tangy Greek Yogurt Dressing

• Add all the dressing ingredients to a food processor (or Nutribullet) and buzz for 1 minute until smooth. 
• If the mixture looks too dry, add a splash more olive oil (or water). Set aside for use later. 

Step 4 – Make the Couscous

• Boil some hot water (or veggie stock). 
• Place 1 cup of couscous onto a plate and level out. Add enough water to just cover all the couscous on the plate (it’s usually a 1:1 rule for water to couscous but check your packaging for couscous cooking instructions). Add two lemon rounds on top and season to taste. 
• Cover with the other dinner plate and let it steam for around 5 minutes. 
• Once steamed, remove lemon rounds and break up the couscous with a fork. It should be cooked perfectly and be light and fluffy. 

Step 5 – Serve

• Serve chicken meatballs on a bed of couscous along with plenty of greens or salad. 
• Drizzle with lots of the tangy Greek yogurt dressing and season with cracked black pepper. 
• Right before serving sprinkle some loosely chopped cilantro or parsley and a squeeze of lemon or lime.

Healthy and Nutritious Ingredients

At first glance, this recipe and ingredients list may seem a little daunting. Don’t worry, while there are a lot of ingredients used, most are repeated in all three items we are cooking and the shopping list is actually pretty easy (and cheap)! 

Of course, this recipe is loaded with healthy and fresh ingredients you’ll find in the Mediterranean diet, but it’s also open to variations. Not a fan of cilantro? Sub it with fresh parsley or basil instead. Don’t like chicken? Turn it into turkey meatballs instead. 

This recipe is great because it is a balanced and (reasonably) healthy meal that comes together in around 30 minutes. If you’re looking for an extra healthy option, oven-bake the meatballs for around 15 minutes instead of pan-frying. If you are pan-frying your chicken meatballs, be sure to use extra virgin olive oil and keep the heat to medium.

Is Ground Chicken (Mince) Meat Healthy? 

Yes and no. The ground chicken you’ll find on supermarket shelves is likely to be made with a mixture of cuts from the chicken, including skin or fatty parts. If you want lean chicken, ask your local butcher to use chicken breasts to make the ground chicken meat. Chicken breasts are one of the leanest cuts of chicken. 

Ground Chicken or Turkey (Minced Meat)

If you’re after protein-rich food, then both of these meats are great options. So if you prefer turkey, go for it. When it comes to chicken vs turkey nutritionally speaking, there isn’t much difference. It’s going to come down to the cuts of meat that go into the mince. 

In 1 ounce (28 grams) of:

• Chicken breast, there’s 9 grams of protein
• Turkey breast, there’s 8 grams of protein
• Chicken thigh, there’s 7 grams of protein
• Turkey thigh, there’s 8 grams of protein
• Chicken wing, there’s 9 grams of protein
• Turkey wing, there’s 9 grams of protein

The dark meat of chicken and turkey is higher in fat and calories than the white meat. Turkey is slightly leaner overall than chicken. But when it comes to mince, it’s really down to the brand or which cuts of meat your butcher uses to grind the meat for you.

Want More Chicken Recipes?

• Chicken tagliatelle pasta with sun-dried tomatoes
• Za’atar chicken with leek, artichoke hearts, and olives
• Greek chicken souvlaki with creamy tzatziki
• One-pan Greek chicken thighs with roast veg

Nutrition Facts

Mediterranean Chicken Meatballs with Couscous and a Tangy Greek Yogurt Dressing

Byron

Mediterranean chicken meatballs with couscous and a tangy Greek yogurt dressing blends classic Mediterranean ingredients and simply ooz flavor. Ready in 30 minutes.

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 15 minutes mins

Cook Time 15 minutes mins

Total Time 30 minutes mins

Course dips and sauces, Lunch, Main Course

Cuisine Greek, Mediterranean, Moroccan

Servings 4 Main meal

Calories 581 kcal

Equipment

• Food processor (for making the yogurt dressing)
• Frying pan/skillet
• Medium-sized bowl (for mixing and preparing the meatballs)
• Kitchen knife and cutting board
• Cooking tongs
• 2 large dinner plates (for steaming the couscous)

Ingredients

  

For the Tangy Greek Yogurt Dressing

• A small tub 4.5oz./125g of natural Greek yogurt
• 2 garlic cloves minced
• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 5-6 large basil leaves
• Small handful of fresh parsley around 4 tablespoons chopped
• Juice from ½ lemon
• Pinch or two of salt to taste
• Pinch of cracked black pepper

For the chicken meatballs (makes around 20 balls)

• 14 oz. 400g ground chicken meat (or turkey)
• 1 lemon
• 1 small yellow onion finely chopped
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• ½ teaspoon ground white pepper
• Salt to taste
• ½ cup parsley finely chopped
• ½ cup basil leaves finely chopped
• 1 large egg
• 1 cup breadcrumbs

For the couscous

• 1 cup couscous
• 1 cup hot water or vegetable stock
• 1-2 lemon rounds
• Salt and cracked black pepper to taste

For serving (optional)

• A few sprigs of fresh cilantro or parsley for garnish
• Lamb ear lettuce or your favorite green
• Wafer-thin red radish rounds
• Green beans
• Lemon or lime

Instructions

 

Step 1 – Prepare the Chicken Meatballs

• In a medium-sized bowl, combine the ground chicken meat, juice from 1 lemon, chopped onion, olive oil, spices, chopped herbs, and egg.
• Mix well until all ingredients are incorporated. Slowly add the breadcrumbs 1 tablespoon at a time.
• Mix in breadcrumbs and aim for a thick, firm mixture that will stick to a spoon when upside down.

Step 2 – Make and Fry Chicken Meatballs

• Spoon around 1 heaped tablespoon of mixture and roll it in the palm of your hand to make small firm balls.
• Add a splash of oil to a pan on medium heat. Once hot, add the meatballs to the pan and turn or roll them regularly so they cook evenly, this should take around 5-7 minutes.
• Don’t overcrowd the pan and cook the balls in batches if required. Set balls aside on a plate once cooked.

Step 3 – Prepare Tangy Greek Yogurt Dressing

• Add all the dressing ingredients to a food processor (or Nutribullet) and buzz for 1 minute until smooth.
• If the mixture looks too dry, add a splash more olive oil (or water). Set aside for use later.

Step 4 – Make the Couscous

• Boil some hot water (or veggie stock).
• Place 1 cup of couscous onto a plate and level out. Add enough water to just cover all the couscous on the plate (it’s usually a 1:1 rule for water to couscous but check your packaging for couscous cooking instructions). Add two lemon rounds on top and season to taste.
• Cover with the other dinner plate and let it steam for around 5 minutes.
• Once steamed, remove lemon rounds and break up the couscous with a fork. It should be cooked perfectly and be light and fluffy.

Step 5 – Serve

• Serve chicken meatballs on a bed of couscous along with plenty of greens or salad.
• Drizzle with lots of the tangy Greek yogurt dressing and season with cracked black pepper.
• Right before serving sprinkle some loosely chopped cilantro or parsley and a squeeze of lemon or lime.

Video

Keyword 30-minute recipe, Chicken, Chicken meatballs, Couscous, Greek Yogurt, healthy, Meatballs, Yogurt dressing