Baked Greek Meatballs and Potatoes with Garlic and Lemon

This one-dish dinner could not be easier! Simply load Greek meatballs and potatoes with herbs and spices, then bake them in a garlic and lemon sauce until everything is juicy and flavorful. 

If you or someone in your house is a “meat and potatoes guy,” this easy dinner recipe is about to become a favorite. I jazz up the standard meatballs and potatoes with bold Greek seasonings, keeping things easy in the best way without compromising on flavor.

Like my Italian Chicken Meatballs, baking meatballs in the oven means this recipe is essentially a sheet-pan dinner with a Mediterranean upgrade. There’s no need to fuss by the stove, simply throw everything in a baking dish, top with lemony, garlicky Ladolemono Greek Salad Dressing and carry about your business. 

The salad dressing doubles as a sauce, keeping the meat juicy and infusing everything with loud Greek flavor. What’s best: The potatoes soak up the pan drippings in the best way. It’s a satisfying meal all in one, but you may want to gift yourself with warm Pita Bread to take advantage of anything left in the pan. 

Table of Contents

1. Ingredients for Baked Greek Meatballs and Potatoes
2. Ingredient Spotlight
3. How to Make Baked Meatballs and Potatoes
1. Prep the Meatball Mixture, Ladolemono Sauce, and Veggies
2. Make the Meatballs and Bake
4. What to Serve with Meatballs and Potatoes
5. There’s More Than Just Spaghetti with Meatballs! 
6. Greek Meatballs and Potatoes Recipe

Ingredients for Baked Greek Meatballs and Potatoes

This recipe is far from shy, layering flavorful meatballs with a punchy lemon and garlic sauce, all seasoned liberally with Mediterranean spices and fresh aromatics. The best part? It’s all made of pantry staples and easy to find ingredients! You’ll need:

• Bread: A soaked piece of sandwich bread keeps the meatballs from drying out as they cook. Feel free to use gluten-free bread. 
• Ground beef: Lean ground beef stays nicely juicy without being too heavy, but you can use other ground meat here. Just be sure to adjust the cook time accordingly. 
• Onion: I like yellow onion’s sweet and biting balance in the meatball mixture and the mild sweetness of red onion with the potatoes. Any color you have on hand will be fine for each. 
• Garlic is essential to Greek cooking, adding a sweet and savory depth of flavor.
• Egg binds the meat mixture together.
• Herbs: Add freshness, lightening things just enough. I like parsley and mint, but dill would also work (or a combination of your choosing). 
• Seasoning: Oregano, coriander, cumin, and nutmeg bring a quintessentially Greek flavor profile that’s aromatic, savory and warming. If your spice drawer needs a refresh, you can find each of these and more at our spice shop. Salt and pepper enhance the flavor. 
• Potatoes: Soak up the delicious drippings from the meatballs, as well as the lemony garlicky sauce. I like the tender creaminess of Yukon gold, but feel free to swap in what you have. 
• Ladolemono: Greek Salad Dressing: This sauce coats the meatballs and veggies, keeping them tender and imparting a boldly bright garlicky flavor. To make it, you’ll need lemon juice, oregano, garlic, salt, pepper and olive oil. (I recommend this rich and robust Greek olive oil.)

Ingredient Spotlight

Oregano is a fragrant herb from the mint family. While the fresh leaves and stems are rather mild, when they’re dried they take on an assertive concentrated flavor. Oregano is often what gives Greek food its distinctly earthy, peppery undertone and savory aroma! 

There are many varieties of oregano, with Greek, Italian, and Mexican being the most famous. Any variety will work in this recipe, but I love the boldly aromatic note of a true Greek oregano here. Either way, look for leaves that are nice and fresh. They should be green–rather than brown–and have a strong smell. 

• TRY IT: Find authentic Greek oregano leaves or bunches at our shop.
• BEST SUBSTITUTE: Italian seasoning. 

How to Make Baked Meatballs and Potatoes

There are two benefits to baking (rather than pan-frying) meatballs. First, it’s so much easier, as you simply need to throw them in the oven. Second, you keep all the flavor in the dish, and the potatoes soak up all that goodness as they cook. Here are the steps:

Prep the Meatball Mixture, Ladolemono Sauce, and Veggies

• Get ready. Position a rack in the center of the oven and heat to 375°F. While your oven heats up, make the Ladolemono Sauce by whisking together 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice, 1 to 2 teaspoons dried oregano, 1 minced garlic clove, and 3/4 teaspoons salt and pepper in a bowl. Keep whisking as you slowly drizzle in 3/4 cup olive oil. Set aside for now.
• Soak the bread. Place the bread in a small bowl and cover with water (or milk, if you like). Set aside for a few minutes until the bread is so tender and fully soaked that it falls apart. Use your hands to wring out excess water, then crumble into a medium mixing bowl.
• Prepare the Greek Meatballs. To the bowl with the bread, add 1 1/2 pounds lean ground beef, 1 grated onion, 2 minced garlic cloves, 1 large egg, 1/4 cup chopped parsley and/or mint. Season with 1 teaspoon dried oregano, 1 teaspoon ground cumin, 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg, and a big pinch of salt and pepper. Use your hands to knead the mixture until well combined. 
• Assemble a bed of veggies. Scrub and slice 4 Yukon gold potatoes into chunks or cubes. Arrange in the bottom of a 9×13 baking dish. Halve and thinly slice 1 red onion and sprinkle it on top, then season everything with a big pinch of salt and pepper. 

Make the Meatballs and Bake

• Make the Greek Meatballs. Form the meat mixture into about 15 small meatballs, tucking them in between the potatoes and onions as you go. Pour the ladolemono all over the meatballs and potatoes. 
• Bake. Cover the baking dish with a piece of foil and bake in the heated oven until the meatballs are nearly cooked through, about 30 to 40 minutes. Uncover and return the dish to the oven for another 10 to minutes, or until the meatballs are fully cooked through and the potatoes are golden and tender. 
• Finish and serve. Garnish with more fresh herbs and serve. 

What to Serve with Meatballs and Potatoes

Both the meatballs and veggies are incredibly juicy and tender–as is the goal! You’ll want some good crusty bread or Pita Bread to soak up all the drippings. To start, bring contrast with a crisp salad to complement the richness. Greek Salad with its crunchy bell peppers or Maroulosalata with its fresh herbs and crisp romaine lettuce both come to mind. 

If you’re in the mood to indulge–perhaps for a dinner party or date night in–keep it Greek with Ouzo, Greek anise-flavored liqueur. I like to mix mine with honey, lemon and mint. And for dessert, there’s just nothing quite like Homemade Baklava.

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