This post may contain affiliate links. Please see our disclosure policy.
These greek meatball bowls are made with juicy and tender turkey and beef meatballs, a lemon oregano rice pilaf, and a 5 minute tzatziki. This recipe will show you how to make all three in under 45 minutes for a meal that anyone will love!
Looking for more meatball recipes? Try my Simple Italian Meatballs, my 5 ingredient Turkey Meatballs, or my Thai Coconut Curry Meatballs.
Table of Contents
- The best parts about this recipe
- Chef Tips
- Ingredient Notes:
- Step by Step Instructions:
- Freezing meatballs
- Storage & Reheating
- Additions and Substitutions
- FAQ
- Recipe:
- If you liked these Turkey and Beef Greek Meatball Bowls:
- Korean Meatballs with Garlic Veggie Yakisoba Noodles
- Lemon Asparagus Orzo
- Lemon Pepper Salmon Bowl
- Turkey and Beef Greek Meatball Bowls Recipe
The best parts about this recipe
- It’s got a little bit of everything – protein, carbs, veggies + a creamy, tangy sauce to bring everything together.
- The meatballs are made in the oven, which frees you up to make the other parts of the dish.
- Everything comes together in 45 minutes!
What people have said about this recipe:
Chef Tips
- For the lemon oregano rice pilaf, make sure to lower the heat after adding the chicken broth and water. Cooking the rice on low heat helps get that nice fluffy texture, and prevents the rice from sticking to the bottom of your pan.
- Don’t skip the panko breadcrumbs in the meatballs, as this helps absorb the juices and fats from the meatballs, and prevents the juices from seeping out while cooking in the oven. Another trick to keeping the meatball juices inside is to cook them until they are just done (try not to overcook). You know this by using a meat thermometer (165F), or by breaking one open to see if it’s still pink.
- Squeeze the water out of the shredded cucumber to ensure the tzatziki doesn’t get too watery. If you don’t immediately see any water from the cucumber, toss it with a pinch of salt and wait 5 minutes.
Ingredient Notes:
Ground meats – I use the 80/20 ground beef, and the 93/7 ground turkey and 1 lb for each. Feel free to use a higher fat content ground beef here.
Spices – The warm spices like paprika, coriander, cumin, and garlic powder gives this a mediterranean or greek type of flavor, which goes super well with the tzatziki sauce and rice pilaf.
Oregano – I use dried oregano in the rice pilaf, but fresh oregano (or other fresh herbs) would be really lovely here, and to garnish the top of the bowl.
Veggies (Peas, Kale, Cucumber) – I add peas and kale to the rice pilaf to add more greens into the bowl. You can either use fresh or frozen peas – the cooking time is the same. For the kale, make sure to de-stem this before adding to the rice. The pre-chopped kale usually still has stems, so I recommend buying your own bunch of kale.
Step by Step Instructions:
Step 1: Dice the onion, garlic, and dill
Step 2: Start the Rice Pilaf
- Heat a large pan on medium-high heat. Add 1 tablespoon of olive oil, diced yellow onion, and a big pinch of salt. Saute for 3-4 minutes, then add chopped kale and another big pinch of salt. Saute until slightly wilted (about 2 minutes), then add minced garlic and dried oregano. Stir, then add green peas.
Step 3 : Cook Rice Pilaf
- Wash and drain jasmine rice, add to the pan with a large pinch of kosher salt. Stir, then add chicken broth and water. Cover, reduce heat to low, and cook for 20 minutes. After 20 minutes, turn off the heat and let sit for 10 minutes with the cover on.
Step 4: Preheat the Oven and Assemble Meatballs
- Preheat the oven to 400F. As the rice pilaf cooks, assemble the meatballs. Mix all meatball ingredients (except olive oil) in a bowl. Scoop mixture onto a baking sheet (about 2 tablespoons per ball) and round smooth. Space meatballs 1″ apart, then drizzle olive oil over them.
Step 5: Bake Meatballs
- Bake for 13-16 minutes, until the tops are golden brown.
Step 6: Make Tzatziki
- While meatballs cook, make tzatziki. Shred cucumber, toss with a pinch of salt. In a bowl or jar, add yogurt, mayo, salt, garlic powder, pepper, lemon juice, and dill. Squeeze water out of cucumber and add to the jar. Mix and adjust seasoning to taste.
Step 7: Plate the Dish
- Plate pilaf with 3-4 meatballs, a lemon wedge, and fresh dill. Top with some tzatziki and fresh cucumber slices. If you’re meal prepping this bowl, add 2 scoops of tzatziki and fresh cucumber slices in a separate container.
Freezing meatballs
If 2 lbs of meat is too much for you to finish in a week, you can freeze the cooked meatballs and reheat anytime. After the meatballs are cooked, cool them, freeze on a sheet tray or plate for 1 hour, then store them in a freezer safe bag.
Storage & Reheating
Storage: Store the ingredients separate and in an airtight container for up to 3 days. You can keep the rice and meatballs together, however I recommend storing the tzatziki separately, and to wait until the same day to cut the Persian cucumber for the bowl.
Reheating: Reheat the rice pilaf and meatballs on the stovetop in a non-stick pan with a splash of water. Steam and cook for 5 minutes, or until warmed. In a pinch, the microwave also works.
Additions and Substitutions
Additions:
- Pickled red onions – would be great for flavor and color
- Cucumber Tomato and Olive Salad – would be great for more fresh components and more veggies!
- Feta Cheese – I love a sheep’s milk feta, and this would be a great addition to the bowl
- Fresh chopped mint – would be a lovely garnish
Substitutions:
- Kale – If you’re not a big fan of kale, you can replace this with chard or any other harder leafy green (I wouldn’t use spinach or soft leafy greens here, as it’ll turn into mush after cooking with the rice).
- Ground beef or turkey – if you don’t have either of these on hand, feel free to substitute with ground pork or ground chicken.
- Greek yogurt – Instead of greek yogurt for the tzatziki, feel free to substitute sour cream.
FAQ
The easiest way to know when the meatballs are done is to use a meat thermometer. If the center and internal temperature is at 165 or higher, then they are done. Otherwise, you can cut one in half and check to see if the inside is still pink.
No, you can also sear them on a pan on each side, and add 1/2 cup of water and let them braise until they’re finished. Alternatively, you could air fry the meatballs for 12-15 minutes at 400F.
VIDEO TUTORIAL:
Recipe:
Print
Turkey and Beef Greek Meatball Bowls
- Total Time: 45 minutes
- Yield: 6 servings 1x
Description
These greek meatball bowls are made with juicy and tender turkey and beef meatballs, a lemon oregano rice pilaf, and a 5 minute tzatziki. This recipe will show you how to make all three in under 45 minutes for a meal that anyone will love!
Ingredients
For the Meatballs:
- 1 lb ground beef
- 1 lb ground turkey
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon ground coriander
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 2 eggs
- 1/2 cup panko breadcrumbs
- 1/4 cup chopped dill
- Freshly ground black pepper
- 1/2 lemon (1 tablespoon of juice, 1/4 lemon zested)
For the Rice Pilaf:
- 1 1/2 cups jasmine rice
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 yellow onion, diced
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 4 cups curly kale (pre-chopped for convenience)
- 1 cup fresh peas (frozen works too)
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
- 2 cups chicken stock
- 1 cup water
For Easy Homemade 5-minute Tzatziki:
- 1/2 cup plain Greek yogurt
- 2 tablespoons mayo (optional)
- 1 tablespoon chopped dill
- 1/4 lemon (1 tablespoon juice), save the remaining half of the lemon to wedge for garnish
- 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
- Black pepper
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 Persian cucumber, shredded
For the Bowl:
- 4 Persian cucumbers
- 1 lemon, cut into wedges
Instructions
- Dice the onion, garlic, and dill.
- Heat a large pan on medium-high heat. Add 1 tablespoon of olive oil, diced yellow onion, and a big pinch of salt. Saute for 3-4 minutes, then add chopped kale and another big pinch of salt. Saute until slightly wilted (about 2 minutes), then add minced garlic and dried oregano. Stir, then add green peas.
- Wash and drain jasmine rice, add to the pan with a large pinch of kosher salt. Stir, then add chicken broth and water. Cover, reduce heat to low, and cook for 20 minutes. After 20 minutes, turn off the heat and let sit for 10 minutes with the cover on.
- Preheat the oven to 400F. As the rice pilaf cooks, assemble the meatballs. Mix all meatball ingredients (except olive oil) in a bowl. Scoop mixture onto a baking sheet (about 2 tablespoons per ball) and round smooth. Space meatballs 1″ apart, then drizzle olive oil over them.
- Bake for 13-16 minutes, until the tops are golden brown.
- While meatballs cook, make tzatziki. Shred cucumber, toss with a pinch of salt. In a bowl or jar, add yogurt, mayo, salt, garlic powder, pepper, lemon juice, and dill. Squeeze water out of cucumber and add to the jar. Mix and adjust seasoning to taste.
- Plate pilaf with 3-4 meatballs, a lemon wedge, and fresh dill. In a separate container, add 2 scoops of tzatziki and fresh cucumber slices.
Equipment
Notes
Tip 1 – For the lemon oregano rice pilaf, make sure to lower the heat after adding the chicken broth and water. Cooking the rice on low heat helps get that nice fluffy texture, and prevents the rice from sticking to the bottom of your pan.
Tip 2 – Don’t skip the panko breadcrumbs in the meatballs, as this helps absorb the juices and fats from the meatballs, and prevents the juices from seeping out while cooking in the oven. Another trick to keeping the meatball juices inside is to cook them until they are just done (try not to overcook). You know this by using a meat thermometer (165F), or by breaking one open to see if it’s still pink.
Tip 3 – Squeeze the water out of the shredded cucumber to ensure the tzatziki doesn’t get too watery. If you don’t immediately see any water from the cucumber, toss it with a pinch of salt and wait 5 minutes.
Tip 4 – You can make the meatball mixture and form them ahead of time (up to 3 days before you cook them).
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 25 minutes
- Category: Easy gourmet
- Method: Stovetop, oven
- Cuisine: global
I love this recipe! Big fan of the generous amounts of dill. Planning on having this in my rotation for weeknight dinners. Thank you Jackie <3
you’re so welcome Amy! glad you enjoyed <3