Soft and Tender Baked Greek Chicken Meatballs – No Breadcrumbs

These baked Greek chicken meatballs are a gluten free weeknight dinner must! Made with ground chicken, an array of aromatic spices, lots of fresh herbs (dill, parsley, & mint!), a little finely diced red onion, zippy lemon zest, and no breadcrumbs, almond flour, or coconut flour. They come together on a sheet pan in the oven in right around 30 minutes, and boast some serious flavor. A perfect pairing with rice, a fresh salad, and a creamy sauce like our Homemade Dairy Free Tzatziki!

The best baked Greek chicken meatballs

Tender, juicy, easy-to-make, and full of fresh and satisfying flavors – these meatballs are sure to become a staple in your kitchen once you give them a try!

Once I finalized the details of this simple recipe it’s been in our meal rotation weekly as an uncomplicated dinner option that we are not in the slightest bit tired of.

They’re made with an assortment of dried spices that you likely already have on hand in your pantry, a trio of fresh herbs (dill, parsley, and mint!), a bit of finely diced red onion, and just a little lemon zest to brighten them up. YUM.

They’re also dairy free and gluten free since we’re not using milk, feta cheese, or breadcrumbs to make them!

You could serve these meatballs by themselves, as a part of a an appetizer spread, over a simple green salad, alongside your favorite go-to side dishes, or (our personal favorite) – in a rice bowl with a dill and cabbage salad, pickled red onions, and a thick and creamy dairy free tzatziki sauce.

If you love the sound of these gluten free meatballs be sure to check out our recipes for Baked GF Garlic Herb Turkey Meatballs, Gluten Free Italian Meatballs, and our Gluten Free Pan Seared Chicken Patties!

Recipe testing notes

Dark ground chicken vs white meat ground chicken

I tested this recipe with both ground dark meat and ground white meat, and found that we much preferred these meatballs when they were made with dark meat.

I think it’s especially important for this recipe because there is no added richness from eggs, milk, or cheese.

Using dark meat results in a juicier, more tender meatball! You could definitely use white meat instead, but expect a drier and less tender result.

Why no binding ingredient?

Typically, most meatball recipes rely on some type of binder to hold them together.

But because this recipe doesn’t have many any “wet” ingredients, I found that a binder like GF breadcrumbs, coconut flour, almond flour, etc. is pointless, and that they maintain their shape and ideal texture without it.

I also found that with the addition of a binding flour they turned out a bit drier, so for this recipe we’re skipping it for a more moist result!

Less mixing = a more tender meatball

When it comes to meatballs (especially a meatball that doesn’t have a lot of ingredients besides ground meat and spices / herbs), you want to be careful about how much you mix everything together.

The more you mix, the less tender they will be.

To avoid over-mixing, I like to use a large + shallow bowl, and spread the add-ins out evenly along the top of the meat so that they are easily combined with the chicken.

I do sometimes use a spoon (as pictured in the step-by-step photos below), but a fork or a chopstick will do the best job of incorporating all the ingredients without having to mix too much!

Ingredients

These chicken meatballs are made with fresh, wholesome, & pantry-friendly ingredients! You can find the full list of ingredients, along with measurements, in the recipe card below. These are my ingredient notes and recommendations!

Ground chicken

For the most moist, tender meatball, we strongly prefer using dark meat for the ground chicken. You can definitely substitute white meat but your meatballs will likely be a bit drier.

Pantry-friendly spices

Garlic powder, onion powder, oregano, paprika, optional chili flakes, and of course salt and pepper make up the core seasoning blend to give these meatballs their savory flavor.

Finely diced red onion

You’ll want to pretty much dice the onions about as small as you can.

Because they release a little moisture as they cook, the more dispersed that moisture is throughout the meat mixture the better your meatballs will turn out!

You can substitute white onion instead of red.

Fresh herbs

Fresh dill, parsley, and mint are the herbs that I found work the best in this recipe!

If you don’t have them all, feel free to use just one of two of them; although if you’re using only mint I would suggest using no more than 1 tablespoon as it has a stronger flavor than the other two.

Lemon zest

I’ve listed this ingredient as optional, because I’ve made these meatballs with and without it and it’s delicious both ways. Basically, if you don’t have a lemon on hand but you have all the other ingredients there’s no need to run to the store just for that.

It does add a nice bit of brightness though!

How to make baked Greek chicken meatballs

This recipe comes together in just about 30 minutes! Once you mix up the chicken mixture and shape it into meatballs they bake for 25 minutes until golden brown. I always suggest reading through the recipe at least once before you begin so that the recipe flows smoothly.

Step 1: Make the meatball mixture

Add ground chicken, spices, fresh herbs, onion, and lemon zest to a large bowl and stir to combine, being careful not to over-mix!

Step 2: Shape and bake meatballs

Using a cookie scoop or a tablespoon, portion meatballs and roll to shape using wet hands. Evenly space on a parchment lined baking sheet and bake at 425 degrees for 20-25 minutes, until cooked through and golden brown.

Step 3: Serve and enjoy!

Serve hot with a side of tzatziki sauce, as an appetizer, in a rice bowl, or with your favorite side dishes.

Storage and reheating recommendations

These meatballs should keep in the refrigerator for 4-5 days.

They can be reheated in the oven on a low-ish temp (325-350 degrees), until warmed through, or in the microwave.

If you have extra you’d like to freeze they can be frozen for up to 3 months in a sealed container and defrosted overnight in the fridge.

Serving suggestions

Our favorite way to eat these meatballs is in a rice bowl situation with some type of fresh salad or slaw, some Pickled Red Onions, and our Dairy Free Tzatziki.

For a super-easy-shortcut dinner option you could serve over rice and just quickly chop up some cucumber, tomatoes, red onion, and herbs and toss together with vinegar, olive oil, and salt, and grab your favorite store-bought sauce to go with it. If you eat dairy, feta cheese would be an absolutely delicious add-on!

They also make an excellent appetizer or pairing with your favorite green salad!

If you enjoyed these baked greek chicken meatballs, we’d love it if you would take 5 seconds to rate and review it below! It’s also super helpful for other readers if you share any modifications you made to the recipe. 

Thank you for sharing your kitchen with NK. We’re so grateful you’re here!

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