These easy greek meatballs are perfectly flavorful and delicious dipped in a dairy-free paleo Tzatziki sauce! Great as an appetizer or as part of a meal over a greek salad. Paleo, Whole30, and keto friendly.
Holy meatball we are in for a treat today! I have to admit that I was dang proud of myself for making BAKED meatballs that totally held their own.
Held their own, as in, the ENTIRE family loved them – not just 1 child but all 3. Big news, big news. Especially for meatballs that have both onions AND green things in them! The horror!
I’m not sure if my kids are just growing up and getting less picky about green things (doubtful), or if the flavor of these greek meatballs is just really THAT good. Latter. Definitely the latter.
Here they are in their uncooked glory. Meatballs are one of those funny foods that are just so much more photogenic in their raw state.
Of course they taste way better after being cooked – not that I have any idea what raw meatballs taste like. Ew, I shouldn’t have even brought it up…
But let’s get away from that and talk ingredients. There are two components to this recipe – the greek meatballs and the Tzatziki and many of the spices I used overlap.
For the meatballs, we start with a combination of ground beef and ground lamb. I think this might be my favorite ground meat combo ever. If you’re more of an all-beef type, feel free to go with what feels right.
Then we have fresh herbs + dried spices, a little almond flour and an egg for binding, lemon zest + juice, and onion + garlic. Nothing to argue with there! These meatballs are super easy since they’re just rolled, baked, and ready to go!
You can either make the tzatziki sauce first and let it chill (so YOU can chill while the meatballs bake!) OR you can whip it up right before serving. Either way, because you’re using coconut cream it should be nice and thick and creamy.
The tzatziki is made in a blender or food processor so there’s not much prep happening. I do recommend grating the cucumber beforehand and squeezing water out to prevent the sauce from being overly watery.
We also have garlic, dill, salt + pepper, lemon, and a bit of cumin for a super flavorful sauce. It’s perfect with these meatballs, but it’s also pretty amazing with literally anything else you might want to dip in it. Just saying!
These Paleo Greek Meatballs are really perfect for anything. You can make a full meal of them with some cauli rice and a greek salad, or serve as an appetizer with toothpicks for dipping!
You can even put the leftover meatballs in your breakfast hash for something fun and easy. This is what I always do with my leftover meatballs!
I hope you’re ready for a recipe that’s packed with flavor, FUN, and legitimately easy to throw together. Grab an apron and start grating those cucumbers because it’s time to start – let’s go!
Paleo Greek Meatballs with Tzatziki Sauce {Whole30, Keto}
Paleo Greek Meatballs with Tzatziki {Whole30, keto}
Ingredients
Tzatziki Sauce:
- 1 can full fat coconut milk chilled until liquid and solid separates completely, at least 6 hours
- 3 cloves garlic
- 1 med cucumber peeled seeded, and grated
- 2 tbsp fresh squeezed lemon juice *
- Zest of 1 lemon
- 3 tbsp dill fresh, chopped
- 3/4 tsp fine grain sea salt *
- Black pepper to taste
- 1/2 tsp cumin *
Meatballs:
- 1 Tbsp olive oil
- 1 lb grass fed ground beef
- 1/2 lb ground lamb pork (or use all beef, if preferred)
- 3 Tbsp blanched almond flour **
- 1 large egg
- 1/4 cup red onion grated
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- Zest of 1 lemon grated
- Juice of 1 lemon about 2 Tbsp
- 2 Tbsp fresh parsley minced
- 2 Tbsp fresh mint minced
- 1 tsp coriander
- 1 tsp cumin
- 3/4 tsp dried oregano
- 3/4 tsp sea salt
- 1/4 tsp fresh ground pepper
Instructions
Make the Tzatziki first:
- Squeeze excess liquid out of the grated cucumber and add to the bowl of a food processor.
- Discard the liquid part of the coconut milk so you are left with the solid cream, and add that to the processor as well, along with the remaining ingredients.
- Pulse/process until fully combined - it won’t be completely smooth. Transfer to a bowl or container and refrigerate while you make the meatballs.
For the Meatballs:
- Preheat your oven to 450 degrees F and drizzle olive oil on a large baking sheet.
- Combine all meatball ingredients (except olive oil) well with your hands until fully combined, careful not to overwork the meat.
- Form mixture into 24 balls and place an inch apart on the baking sheet. Bake in the preheated oven for 15-17 mins or until browned and cooked through, careful not to over bake. Remove from oven and serve with tzatziki sauce and greek salad. Store leftovers covered in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Enjoy!
Recipe Notes
*or to taste
**2 Tbsp tapioca or arrowroot flour can be subbed in for a nut-free version.
Nutrition
Shop Products and Ingredients:
Want More Paleo Meatball Recipes? Try One of These!
Slow Cooker Meatballs in Marinara
Meatball Stuffed Sweet Potatoes
Swedish Meatballs with Mashed Potatoes
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This looks delicious! I think I’ll make some paleo flatbread and eat this in a wrap.
Would it be possible to use coconut cream instead of refrigerated coconut milk? If so, would I use less than 1 can since there isn’t any liquid to get rid of?
How many is considered to be a serving? 1 meatball?
Going to try these for Super Bowl. Thank you for nutrition info. What is the serving size, 1 or 2 meatballs?
The recipe states it makes 24 meatballs and eight servings, so three meatballs is a serving.
Is it one lb beef and 1/2 of lamb and pork or 1/2 lb lamb or pork?
Hi,
Pleasw specify if we are to use cumin as a whole or cumin powder?
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Would this taste ok with ground pork and ground beef? ( I don’t have lamb pork in the house)
The meatballs you share are delicious and spicy. Looks very attractive. I like the food you share.
These are soooooooooooo delicious! I’ve made them several times. I did substitute the lamb for turkey, though. These are a must. Double the recipe!
Is the coriander fresh or dried in this recipe?
Dried
Can the coconut cream be substituted with anything else? This recipe sounds yummy but I’m not paleo so I don’t have that readily available. Wondering if something like sour cream or plain yogurt would work in place? Thank you ?
Full of flavor! Made these last night and husband and I ate half the pan with fixin’s. The fresh herbs and citrus zest make all the difference in making these meatballs feel fresh, light, and healthy. This will be on our monthly rotation!
This recipe is amazing. It’s become a real favorite at our house.
Hi Michele,
I LOVE your recipes. What size can of coconut cream do you use?
Thank you,
Roxanne
My husband claimed these are the best meatballs I’ve ever made!
Your article is very meticulous and impressive to me, I hope to receive more good articles.
Loved it. Such a flavorful dish.
A bazillon ingredients, but so worth it. Next time we will double the recipe because the pan was nearly gone before dinner!
Pretty good post. I just happened to see your blog and wanted to say that I really enjoy reading your blog posts. I hope you will post again soon. Thank you very much for the helpful information.
I just made this and the meatballs are so delicious. I put in the fridge a full fat coconut milk and coconut cream. They’ve been in for over 24 hours and neither. The cream is solid still and the milk is not separate at all. I noticed in the reading of your recipe it says cream. But the ingredient lists says milk. Curious what is too be used. Especially since cream is solid in the fridge and the milk never separated. The milk is defiantly more liquid-y but no solid pieces in it. Therefore nothing to dump our.
is this something else that can be substituted for coconut milk? I have an allergy to it and I would love to make this recipe.