Greek Meatballs in Lemon Sauce (Keftedes)
A delightful twist on classic Greek keftedes, these meatballs are seared and simmered in a lemony butter sauce, offering a perfect blend of savory and citrus flavors.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Total Time: 50 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings
- Category: Main Course
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: Greek
- Diet: Regular
Ingredients
Scale
- 7 oz ground pork
- 14 oz lean ground beef (85/15 recommended)
- 1 large egg
- 3.5 oz crustless bread (torn into pieces)
- ½ cup white wine (for soaking bread)
- ½ cup yellow onion, finely minced
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- ½ tsp ground cumin
- 1 tsp dried oregano (plus extra for serving)
- 2 tsp dried parsley (or 2 tbsp fresh minced)
- 1 tsp fine sea salt (plus extra for the sauce to taste)
- ½ tsp black pepper (plus extra for the sauce)
- Olive oil for frying
- 4 tbsp butter
- 4 tbsp all-purpose flour
- 2 cups hot water or stock
- 8–10 tbsp fresh lemon juice
Instructions
- Tear the crustless bread into smaller pieces and place it in a small bowl. Pour ½ cup white wine over the bread and let it soak for 2–3 minutes until softened.
- Combine ground pork and beef with the egg, minced onion, garlic, cumin, oregano, parsley, 1 tsp salt, and ½ tsp black pepper.
- Add the wine-soaked bread to the meat and crumble it into the mixture.
- Shape the mixture into 15 oval meatballs, roughly 2.5 oz each, and refrigerate for 1 hour.
- Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat and sear the meatballs until browned all over.
- Transfer the seared meatballs to paper towels to drain.
- Melt 4 tbsp butter in a separate pan, add 4 tbsp flour, and cook to form roux.
- Whisk in hot water or stock and lemon juice, then add the meatballs and simmer gently for 20 minutes.
- Serve warm with sauce.
Notes
Chill the formed meatballs for an hour to help them hold together during searing. Adjust lemon gradually for preferred tartness.