Greek Turkey Meatballs with Barley & Feta Sauce

by

I have a brand new protein & veggie packed dinner for you that might just have you doing backflips in your kitchen. If you’ve been following AK for a while now, there’s a good chance you’ve made one of my epic meatballs recipes (like my famous ginger chicken meatballs). I LOVE making delicious meatball dishes for dinner because they’re super versatile, kid-friendly, and easier to make than you think!

These Greek turkey meatballs have tons of flavorful herbs rolled right into them and are served with beautiful veggies, bright lemon barley, and a creamy, tangy feta sauce. One word to describe a bite of this combo: magical. This dish is the perfect well-rounded dinner with everything you could want – lots of protein, plenty of veggies, grains, and of course, incredible flavors.

Serve this gorgeous bowl with olives, pita, and extra herbs and sauce if you’d like! I included easy ways to prep them ahead of time and even freeze them for later to make weeknight dinners a breeze.

Everything you’ll need to make these Greek turkey meatballs

This recipe is truly one of the best sheet pan meals. Herby Greek turkey meatballs baked on one pan with the veggies, then served with a flavorful lemon barley and a creamy, tangy feta yogurt sauce. YUM. Here’s everything you’ll need to make them:

  • For the sauce: we’re using my go-to creamy feta yogurt dressing that’s the perfect combo of tangy, creamy and salty.
  • For the meatballs: you’ll need some lean ground turkey, an egg & breadcrumbs for binding, red onion, fresh herbs like parsley and mint, dried oregano, and plenty of salt & pepper.
  • For the veggies: the meatballs will bake right up with bell peppers and red onion.
  • For the barley: you’ll get plenty of flavor for the barley with lemon juice, lemon zest, a little butter or olive oil, salt & pepper.

ingredients for Greek turkey meatballs in a bowl

More delicious ways to serve these meatballs

I love the combo of the lemon barley and feta sauce with these healthy Greek turkey meatballs, but you could also:

  • Swap the barley for quinoa, rice, spelled or couscous
  • Try my Homemade Tzatziki Sauce in place of the feta sauce
  • Mix in some pitted, sliced ​​kalamata olives with the barley for extra bites of flavor
  • Serve with pita and extra feta sauce for dipping!

unbaked Greek turkey meatballs and peppers on a sheet pan

Can I make the gluten free?

Sure! Feel free to add 2-3 tablespoons of coconut flour to the meatball mixture instead of the breadcrumbs, or simply use gluten free breadcrumbs.

You can then serve the meatballs with quinoa or rice instead of barley, or simply enjoy them with the sauce.

baked Greek turkey meatballs on a sheet pan with peppers

Tip for forming your meatballs

I recommend wetting your hands, coating them in a little olive oil or spraying your hands with a little nonstick cooking spray before rolling your meatballs to prevent the mixture from sticking. So easy!

healthy Greek turkey meatballs with barley in three bowls

Make these baked Greek turkey meatballs ahead of time

There are two easy ways that you can actually make these Greek turkey meatballs ahead of time and cook them up when you’re ready!

  • From cooked: mix and form the meatballs, then bake them as directed or cook them in a skillet. Once cooked, store them in the fridge for up to 2-3 days until you’re ready to continue with the recipe.
  • From raw: mix and form the meatballs, then place them on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Tightly cover the meatballs with plastic wrap and put them in the fridge until you are ready to cook them. You can prep these meatballs 1-2 days ahead of time. Once ready to cook, simply follow the recipe as written.

    • easy Greek turkey meatballs with barley and feta sauce in bowls

    How to freeze these meatballs for later

    • Cook first, then freeze: place your cooked Greek turkey meatballs and peppers in a freezer-safe, airtight container or bag and freeze them for up to 3 months. * Be sure you don’t overcook the peppers before freezing them. When you’re ready to enjoy, let your container of meatballs & peppers thaw in the refrigerator for a few hours or overnight. When they’re almost done thawing you can make the barley and sauce. Finally, heat the meatballs and peppers in a pan until they’re nice and warm, and serve with the barley and sauce!
    • Freeze before cooking: you can also freeze these meatballs before cooking them! Form your meatballs as instructed, place them on a baking sheet, and put them in the freezer for 1-2 hours. This is called a flash freeze. Then, transfer your frozen meatballs to an airtight, freezer-friendly bag or container and place in the freezer for up to 3 months. To thaw them, simply place them in the refrigerator for a few hours or overnight and then cook them as directed in the recipe.

    Greek turkey meatballs with veggies and barley in a bowl

    Recommended tools

    Check out all of my kitchen essentials here!

    More meatball recipes you’ll love

    Get even more dinner recipes here!

    I hope you love these delicious Greek turkey meatballs with barley and feta sauce! If you make them be sure to leave a comment and a rating so I know how you liked them. Enjoy, xo!

    Greek Turkey Meatballs with Lemon Barley & Creamy Feta Yogurt Sauce

    Delicious Greek turkey meatballs with lemon barley, tender veggies, and a creamy feta yogurt sauce. These healthy baked Greek turkey meatballs are filled with tons of wonderful herbs and make the perfect protein-packed weeknight meal!

    • For the feta yogurt sauce:

    • 1/2 cup plain greek yogurt

    • 1/2 cup feta crumbles

    • 1 tablespoon olive oil

    • 2 teaspoons lemon juice

    • 1 teaspoon lemon zest

    • ¼ teaspoon garlic powder

    • Freshly ground salt and black pepper, to taste

    • 1-3 teaspoons to thin sauce so you can drizzle it over meatballs

    • For the meatballs:

    • 1 pound lean ground chicken or turkey (around 93% lean is best)

    • 1 egg

    • ½ cup breadcrumbs

    • ¼ cup finely diced red onion (from about 1 / 4th large red onion)

    • 3 cloves garlic, minced (or sub ½ teaspoon garlic powder)

    • 3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

    • 3 tablespoons chopped fresh mint

    • ½ teaspoon dried oregano

    • ¾ teaspoon salt

    • Freshly ground black pepper

    • For the veggies:

    • 1 red bell pepper, julienned

    • 1 orange bell pepper, julienned

    • 1 red onion, sliced

    • 1 tablespoon olive oil

    • Freshly ground salt and pepper

    • For the lemon barley:

    • 1 ⅓ cup barley pasta (8 ounces)

    • 1 teaspoon lemon zest

    • Juice from lemon juice (about 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice)

    • 1-2 tablespoons butter (or olive oil)

    • Freshly ground salt and pepper, to taste

    • Optional: ½ cup pitted and sliced ​​kalamata olives

    • To garnish:

    • Fresh torn mint and parsley

    • For serving:

    • Optional: Pita bread

  • First make the feta yogurt sauce: add yogurt, feta, olive oil, lemon zest, lemon juice and garlic powder to the bowl of a food processor or to a blender. Process / blend until smooth and well combined, scraping down the sides as necessary. Add salt and pepper to taste and process once more. If it’s not thin enough, feel free to add 1-3 teaspoons of water so that you can easily drizzle it. Set aside.

  • Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

  • In a large bowl, add the ground chicken or turkey, egg, breadcrumbs, diced red onion, garlic, parsley, mint, oregano, salt and pepper; use clean hands to form into 16 golf ball sized meatballs. Set aside.

  • Tip for forming meatballs: keep a small bowl of water to dip your hands in before forming each meatball. It makes it so much easier!

  • Add peppers and onions to a medium bowl and drizzle with 1 tablespoon olive oil and freshly ground salt and pepper. Toss together then add veggies to the prepared pan and spread out evenly. Next nestle the meatballs in between the veggies. Bake for 17-23 minutes or until a meat thermometer reads 165 degrees F.

  • While the meatballs are cooking, you can make the barley: first cook the barley according to the directions on the package. Once al dente, drain the barley and add back to the pot, then stir in the lemon zest, lemon juice, butter (or olive oil) and season with salt and pepper to taste. I really like to add a lot of black pepper to mine! Lastly, stir in the kalamata olives.

  • To serve: add barley to plates or bowls, then top with meatballs (4 per person) and peppers / onion mixture. Drizzle with the feta yogurt sauce and garnish with fresh torn mint and parsley. I also love adding fresh pita triangles or pita chips on the side as an option, too! Enjoy! Serves 4.

    • This recipe would also be fabulous with my homemade tzatziki sauce.

    Instead of breadcrumbs, feel free to use 2-3 tablespoons of coconut flour as a binder instead of breadcrumbs. This is a great gluten free option, too!

    Feel free to double the sauce if you want more for dipping your pita in!

    See the full post for ways to make the meatballs ahead of time and to freeze them for later.

    Nutrition

    Servings: 4 servings

    Serving size: 1 serving (1/4 of meatballs, barley, veggies & sauce)

    Calories: 565kcal

    Fat: 19.5g

    Saturated fat: 7.2g

    Carbohydrates: 59.8g

    Fiber: 5.1g

    Sugar: 6.2g

    Protein: 39.5g

    Recipe by: Monique Volz // Ambitious Kitchen | Photography by: Eat Love Eats

    Leave a Comment