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meatballs in marinara sauce topped with crumbled feta cheese and parsley
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5 from 3 votes

Homemade Meatballs With Marinara Sauce

Easy homemade meatball marinara recipe. Easy, juicy, and full of flavour! Meatballs with marinara sauce "keftedes" are a popular Greek appetizer or quick high-protein dinner idea!
Prep Time20 minutes
Cook Time1 hour 25 minutes
Additional Time5 minutes
Total Time1 hour 50 minutes
Course: Greek Appetizers
Cuisine: Greek
Keyword: greek appetizers, meatballs, meatballs with marinara sauce
Servings: 20 meatballs
Calories: 165kcal
Author: Ria Mavrikos

Ingredients

Marinara Sauce

  • 1 can of Italian peeled plum tomatoes 398 ml/14 fl oz
  • 2 garlic cloves diced
  • 1 white onion finely diced
  • 1 tablespoon fresh basil lightly chopped
  • 1 teaspoon dry oregano
  • 1 teaspoon seasoning salt
  • 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
  • 2 teaspoons white granulated sugar
  • 1/2 cup water
  • 1/4 cup dry white wine pinot grigio, pinot gris, or sauvignon blanc - Optional
  • 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes optional for some extra heat
  • salt and pepper to taste

Meatball "keftedes" Ingredients

  • 700 grams lean ground beef
  • 1 egg lightly beaten with a fork
  • 1 medium size white onion grated
  • 2 garlic cloves minced
  • 1 teaspoon yellow mustard
  • 1/4 cup fresh Italian or flat-leaf parsley finely chopped
  • 1/4 cup fresh mint finely chopped
  • 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
  • 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
  • 2 teaspoons seasoning salt
  • 1 tablespoon dry oregano
  • 1/4 cup breadcrumbs or panko Japanese breadcrumbs
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • crumbled feta to sprinkle on top optional

Instructions

  • As a first step, you'll need to prepare the marinara sauce.
  • Peel the white onion and garlic cloves. Finely dice the onion and garlic.
  • In a small saucepan, combine the oil, onions, and garlic. Simmer on low heat for 10 minutes or until fragrant, and the onion and garlic have softened. Keep the oil on low so that the onions and garlic don't burn.
  • Add in the can of whole plumb Italian tomatoes and 1/2 cup of warm water.
  • Add in two teaspoons of sugar.
  • Add in seasoning salt, dry oregano, and fresh basil
  • Stir all ingredients and simmer on low to medium heat uncovered for an hour. Over time, the water will begin to evaporate, and the marinara sauce will thicken.

Step by step instructions for meatballs:

  • Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F on convection bake
  • Peel one white onion. Grate the onion using the cheese grater side on a box grater.
  • Mince the peeled garlic and set it aside.
  • Finely chop the Italian parsley and the mint. Set aside.
  • Beat one egg lightly in a large bowl with a fork
  • Add in the lean ground beef, olive oil, grated white onion, garlic, parsley, mint, dry oregano, Worcestershire sauce, yellow mustard, seasoning salt, and lemon juice to the large bowl and mix well together.
  • Add the breadcrumbs to the mixture and use your hands to mix all the ingredients.
  • Use your hands to shape the meat mixture into small round balls similar in size to a golf ball. Repeat the process until all the mixture is used.
  • Place the meatballs on a single layer on the baking tray (leave about half an inch distance in between the meatballs)
  • Place the meatballs in the preheated oven and bake at 350 degrees F on convection bake for 25-30 minutes or until the meatballs are fully cooked and not pink inside.

Notes

  1. It's best to keep the size of each meatball the same so that they can cook evenly.
  2. The marinara sauce will need about an hour to cook on a low to a medium simmer, so it's a good idea to start the marinara sauce first so that it has time to cook while you prepare the meatballs. The longer the marinara sauce cooks, the sweeter and more flavourful the sauce will be.
  3. While you can use other meats such as ground turkey or ground chicken, fattier meats will result in more tender and juicy meatballs.

Nutrition

Serving: 1g | Calories: 165kcal | Carbohydrates: 6g | Protein: 11g | Fat: 10g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 7g | Cholesterol: 42mg | Sodium: 349mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 1g