Meat & PoultryDifficulty: easy
Biftekia (Greek Grilled Meatballs)
Juicy oblong Greek meatballs with grated onion, fresh mint and parsley — grilled until deeply caramelized and served with lemon and oven potatoes. The Sunday-lunch classic.
20
Prep Time
12
Cook Time
4
Servings
Ingredients
Instructions
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1Squeeze the soaked bread dry and crumble it into a large bowl with the minced meat, grated onion with its juice, garlic, egg, parsley, mint, oregano, salt and pepper.
2Knead the mixture with your hands for 3-4 minutes until it becomes smooth and slightly sticky — this binds the meatballs without breadcrumbs.
3With wet hands, shape into 6-8 oblong patties about 2 cm thick. Rest them in the fridge for 30 minutes so they firm up.
4Brush both sides with olive oil. Grill over medium-high coals (or a hot grill pan, 5-6 minutes per side) until deeply caramelized with dark grill marks and cooked through.
5Rest 3 minutes off the heat and serve hot with lemon wedges, oven potatoes and a simple tomato salad.
Chef's Tip
- Grated onion (instead of chopped) melts into the meat and keeps the interior juicy without adding bulk.
More tips ↓Show less ↑
- Squeezed soaked bread — not dry breadcrumbs — retains moisture during the hard grill sear.
- The 30-minute fridge rest firms the patties so they keep their oblong shape over the coals.
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