You don’t need to travel to the Mediterranean to enjoy its flavors. Make these Mediterranean Chicken Meatballs right at home for a delicious taste of the region.
This is one of my favorite go-to recipes to prep on a Sunday and quickly heat up throughout the week as a healthy work lunch or minimal clean-up dinner. Aside from being a quick-and-easy recipe, these Mediterranean Chicken Meatballs are also versatile. You can mix and match the ingredients used for the chicken meatball mixture with any herbs, spices, or chopped veggies you have on hand.
This dish is great on its own, but a side of zesty, Paleo-friendly tzatziki makes it even better. Our dairy-free tzatziki pairs perfectly with these Mediterranean Chicken Meatballs, and it only takes 10 minutes to make. The recipe below makes a generous batch, so if you don’t use it all at once, store the leftovers in a mason jar with an airtight lid in the refrigerator.
Find the Tzatziki recipe here!
These Mediterranean Chicken Meatballs feature two iconic ingredients: spinach and tomatoes. Not only do they complement each other in flavor, but they also offer impressive health benefits. Spinach has anti-inflammatory properties and may help soothe a sore throat, while tomatoes have been shown to help alleviate menopause symptoms.1,2
TIPS:
- If you’re not a fan of chicken, these flavors also work well with ground beef or turkey.
- Keep a small dish of cold water on hand when forming the meatballs. A little cold water on your hands can help keep the mixture from sticking to your skin.
Dietary Restrictions: Autoimmune Protocol (AIP) omissions and substitutions are listed in the recipe ingredients.
Love our recipes? Make going Paleo even easier and download our 7-Day, 14-Day, and 28-Day digital meal plans!
References:
- Akbari, F., Mollaei, M., Argani, P., Daneshfard, B., & Derakhshan, A. R. (2024). Spinacia Oleracea: Exploring the Therapeutic Potential in Persian Medicine and Modern Pharmacology. Current Drug Discovery Technologies, 21(6). https://doi.org/10.2174/0115701638275971240201060710
- Hirose, A., Terauchi, M., Tamura, M., Akiyoshi, M., Owa, Y., Kato, K., & Kubota, T. (2015). Tomato juice intake increases resting energy expenditure and improves hypertriglyceridemia in middle-aged women: an open-label, single-arm study. Nutrition Journal, 14(1). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12937-015-0021-4
Mediterranean Chicken Meatballs
- Recipe by: Isabella Mead
- Serves: 16
- Meal: Dinner
- Serves: 16
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 25 minutes
- Total Time: 30 minutes
Ingredients
1 lb ground chicken
1 egg
1/2 cups red onion, chopped
1/2 cups sundried tomatoes (AIP - omit)
1/4 cups spinach, chopped
2 tsp fresh dill, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tsp oregano
1 tsp black pepper (AIP - omit)
Tzatziki, for serving
Directions
Preheat oven to 400°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or foil.
In a large mixing bowl, combine ground chicken, egg, red onion, tomatoes, spinach, dill, garlic, oregano, and black pepper. Mix thoroughly.
Form mixture into 2-inch balls and place on prepared baking sheet. Bake until cooked through, about 25 minutes.
Remove meatballs from oven and let cool for 5 minutes. Serve with Paleo tzatziki on the side.
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