One Pan Greek Meatballs and Lemon Potatoes | Olive & Mango

This one pan or one-pot Greek Meatballs and lemon potatoes dish is literally a family favourites. Greek traditional biftekia me patates/oven roasted lemon potatoes and burgers is one of the most delicious, comforting meals found in every Greek home. The potatoes are super buttery tender cooked in an herby lemony olive oil dressing plus the flavor from the meatballs/beef patties. The biftekia/ Greek homemade Meatballs are so tender and so flavourful thanks to the spices and herbs in them. This dish is a great stand alone meal but even better when served with a side salad – perhaps my Greek Horiatiki Salad or my Classic Greek Lettuce Salad (Maroulosalata). Finish off the dish with an extra squeeze of lemon juice and serve garnished with lemon slices, chopped fresh herbs and crumbled feta and enjoy!

Why You Will Love This Greek Meatballs and Potatoes Recipe

• A dish packed with sooo much flavor
• Soft, buttery and tender potatoes in the middle/inside, juicy meatballs
• Recipe requires simple pantry ingredients
• All you need is one dish
• Easy to make
• Quick to prepare
• A family favorite
• Perfect for entertaining

One Pan Meatballs and Potatoes Recipe Ingredients

• GROUND BEEF: I use lean ground beef for this recipe but many love to make this recipe with half beef half pork for even more flavor. Traditionally this baked meatball recipe is made with beef but if you prefer to make them with ground turkey you can.
• MILK: I recommend using whole milk instead of water to soak the breadcrumbs, as whole milk adds more flavor and rich moisture than using plain water. It also helps keep the beef tender. You can substitute with water or broth though.
• RED WINE VINEGAR: Adds moisture and flavor to the meatballs.
• EGGS: 2 eggs help to bind the meat mixture together.
• SHALLOTS & GARLIC: These add flavor to the meatballs and moisture as well.
• TOMATO: I like to add a Roma tomato to the beef mixture (my mom always adds it to the mix for extra moisture)
• FRESH HERBS: I like to use fresh parsley and fresh mint but if you prefer one over the other feel free to use it alone or a combination.
• BREADCRUMBS: Breadcrumbs help to bind the meatballs together. I like to use regular plain unseasoned breadcrumbs. Feel free to use gluten-free breadcrumbs if needed.
• POTATOES: I almost always use Yukon gold potatoes or yellow potatoes. I always peel my potatoes but that is technically optional. I use to use russet potatoes which are starchier potatoes for this recipe and you can but I find they can be a bit inconsistent in the way they absorb all the liquids so I stick to medium size Yukon gold potatoes.
• LEMONS: Fresh lemon juice is the only way to go here for best flavor. You will need 2-3 lemons for this recipe.
• OLIVE OIL: I use Extra virgin olive oil – Greek if possible. The golden ratio after testing this recipe so many times in ½ cup. If you know Greeks – you know we love our olive oil. If you want to reduce this amount – make sure to replace equal amount with broth or water, but the olive oil not only adds flavour and richness to this dish but makes for an incredible pan sauce so I strongly recommend not skimping out on the olive oil.
• DRIED HERBS & SPICES: Dried Greek oregano, garlic powder, onion powder, ground cumin, ground cinnamon and red pepper flakes is what I use when it comes to dry herbs and spices for this recipe – including salt and pepper of course. Adjust amounts to taste.
• BROTH: I usually use chicken broth or chicken stock but you can definitely use water or vegetable stock in it’s place as well
• MUSTARD: Mustard adds so much flavor. It is optional but I think it adds the perfect tangy savory umami’ish flavor to the braising liquid. I typically use regular prepared yellow mustard but feel free to use dijon mustard for an even stronger kick of flavor. Some recipe call for adding up to ¼ cup of it but I find 1-2 tablespoons enough but feel free to adjust amounts to taste.
• CHICKEN BOUILLON: Also optional but really and truly this is the ingredient that really gives you that restaurant quality flavor in your potatoes – they use it always in Greek potatoes and also Greek Restaurant rice too. A little goes a long way but I always include it!

How To Make One Pan Greek Meatballs and Potatoes

It doesn’t not get easier than this – that is why I love this recipe! Here are the basic steps – full instructions below in recipe card:

1. PREPARE MARINADE/SAUCE: Whisk together the marinade ingredients to combine
2. PREPARE POTATOES: Peel and slice potatoes into wedges, place into roasting pan and toss with broth and ¾ of the sauce. (reserve remaining sauce to drizzle over meatballs)
3. ROAST POTATOES: The potatoes take a lot longer to cook so we bake those off while we make the meatballs – they get a head start in the oven uncovered.
4. PREPARE MEATBALLS: Chop up the fresh herbs with onion, garlic and tomato (I like to use a mini chopper), in a large mixing bowl make panade (breadcrumbs moistened with the milk and red wine vinegar) then add the beef, whisked eggs, herb mixture and remaining dry herbs and spices. Use hands to mix/ stir really well. Shape in to 8 large meatballs.
5. ROAST MEATBALLS WITH POTATOES: Carefully remove potatoes from oven and place meatballs over or nestled between potatoes. Drizzle or brush remaining marinade over them. Return to oven and continue to bake until golden brown and cooked through.
6. SERVE: Let rest a few minutes then serve with extra lemon juice, sprinkle with extra chopped fresh herbs and crumbled feta cheese

Can I Make Any Of This Recipe Ahead of Time?

Yes I would say the meatball or ground beef mixture can be made ahead of time. Here is the breakdown:

• Refrigerate RAW meatball mixture: You can refrigerate raw meatball mixture overnight in an airtight container and shape meatballs and cook the next day.
• Freeze RAW meatball mixture: You can freeze the raw mixture for up to 3 months. To do this, form the meatballs and place them on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat. Flash freeze the meatballs until they are firm. Then, transfer the frozen meatballs to an airtight, freezer-safe container or bag and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw slowly in the refrigerator overnight or at room temperature then use in the recipe.

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