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Spicy Oregano Meatballs with Grilled Vegetables and Tzatziki…a simple summer dinner with such wonderful flavor. Pan-seared meatballs with fresh oregano and chili flakes, tossed with summery grilled veggies, and a tasty lemon herb vinaigrette. Serve these spicy meatballs with creamy tzatziki sauce for a cooling touch. Truly one of those dinners that everyone at the table will love…especially if served with a side of fries.
I’m not sure if you can tell or not, but I’m really trying to embrace summer dinners. I want them fresh, colorful, fun, and well – different.
The fresh and colorful part is usually pretty easy. Thankfully I have access to so much incredible produce right now from both our garden and local stores.
But the coming up with different recipes part? Well, that’s a little trickier. I’ve mentioned before that sometimes I feel like summer recipes can be a repeat of tomatoes and corn, grilled chicken, lots of pesto, and plenty of caprese salads. Nothing wrong with that, but variety is nice too!
I scratched my brain a bit for this recipe and ended up being so excited with how it turned out. I feel like it’s different, but still simple, and of course, super flavorful.
The idea stemmed from my brother’s love of Greek food and meatballs. So I simply combined the two loves and added some summer herbs and vegetables.
Plus, fries on the side. Because something about a summer dinner requires a big plate of fries on the side.
The details – start with the meatballs
The meatballs…I seasoned the ground meat (I like to use a mix of ground chicken and ground pork) with shallots, smoked paprika, and plenty of fresh oregano. I then rolled everything into balls…and done. The chili flakes give them a really nice spiciness, but use them to your taste.
Once the meatballs are formed, I let them sit while I prep the vegetables.
Now the veggies and vinaigrette
This vinaigrette is sweet, tangy, and herby, with basil, oregano, thyme and lemon. It’s also got a slight kick from some chili flakes. And the honey keeps things sweet…a nice balance to the spicy.
If you love a lot of vinaigrette, double the recipe. This is that good, and adds a lot of flavor to the dish.
For the vegetables, I use a mix of red peppers, zucchini, and yellow summer squash. I like to toss them with olive oil, then grill them until lightly charred. If you don’t have a grill, you can easily roast these up in the oven, or saute them in a skillet.
When the veggies are finished cooking, toss them with the vinaigrette and let them sit while you cook the meatballs.
Cook the meatballs and finish it up
The rest is pretty simple. You’ll pan cook the meatballs until crisp on the outside and cooked through inside. This really only takes a few minutes, the process is quick.
To serve, I toss the meatballs with the grilled vegetables, then pile everything over some fresh naan. Then drizzle on some creamy tzatziki sauce plus the remaining vinaigrette.
All that’s left is to add a sprinkle of feta cheese and you’re done.
My only recommendation? Fries on the side!!
Delicious!
Looking for other simple summer dinners, try these:
Spinach Ricotta Gnocchi with Sage Butter and Cherry Tomatoes
Spicy Southern Style Shrimp with Lemon Basil Orzo
30 Minute Pineapple Chicken with Coconut Rice
Lastly, if you make these Spicy Oregano Meatballs with Grilled Vegetables and Tzatziki, be sure to leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating! Above all, I love to hear from you guys and always do my best to respond to each and every comment. And of course, if you do make this recipe, don’t forget to tag me on Instagram! Looking through the photos of recipes you all have made is my favorite!
Spicy Oregano Meatballs with Grilled Vegetables and Tzatziki
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 pounds ground chicken, pork, or a mix
- 1 shallot, chopped
- 1/4 cup fresh oregano, chopped
- 2 teaspoons smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- kosher salt and black pepper
- 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 2 zucchini or yellow squash, sliced into rounds
- 2 bell peppers, quartered
- 1 cup tzatziki
- 1/2 cup crumbled feta
- naan, for serving
Lemon Herb Vinaigrette
- 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 2 tablespoons honey
- juice of 1 lemon
- 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
- 1/4 cup fresh basil, chopped
- 2 tablespoons fresh oregano, chopped
- 2 tablespoon fresh thyme, chopped
- 1 clove garlic, grated
Instructions
- 1. Add the meat, shallot, oregano, paprika, chili flakes, and a pinch of salt, and pepper to a bowl. Mix until combined. Coat your hands with a bit of oil and roll the meat into rounded tablespoon-size balls (will make 16-18 meatballs). Set aside. 2. In a bowl, toss the zucchini and peppers with 1 tablespoon olive oil, salt, and pepper. Preheat the grill or grill pan to high. 3. Meanwhile, make the vinaigrette. Combine all ingredients in a glass jar and whisk until smooth. Taste and adjust the salt and pepper.5. Grill the peppers and zucchini until softened, 3-4 minutes per side. Remove from the grill to a serving plate and toss with half the vinaigrette.6. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat and add 2 tablespoons of oil. Add the meatballs and sear until crisp and cooked through, about 8-10 minutes, turning them 2-3 times. Transfer to a plate.7. Serve the meatballs warm, tossed with the vegetables. Add a large dollop of tzatziki to each plate, then crumble the feta over top. Enjoy with naan and/or french fries.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Did you make this recipe? Please rate & comment below.
Would it be possible to roast the veggies and meatballs?
Hi Nicole,
Sure, I don’t see why not. I hope you love this recipe, please let me know if you give it a try!
Very delicious and easy to prepare. I added a bit of left over Israeli couscous to the grilled veggies…. This recipe is definitely a keeper!!
Hi Cynthia,
Amazing!! I love to hear that this recipe was a hit, thanks so much for making it! Have the best weekend!❄️
I may have missed it..but I can’t find anywhere what I’m supposed to do with the other half of the vinaigrette? Which is delish BTW!
Hi Krista,
Thanks for giving the recipe a try! You can use the other half of the vinaigrette when serving or just save it for later:) Please let me know if you have any other questions! xx
I made this for dinner a few days ago. We just wrapped up the leftovers. It was very good, healthy and easy. I made the recipe as is, except instead of cooking the meatballs in a skillet, I flattened them a little and used the grill. A ‘no pan’ night. I will make this again, but use ground lamb and cook more veggies. Thanks for a great recipe!
Hey Kim,
Happy Friday! Thanks a bunch for trying this recipe out and sharing your feedback, I love to hear that it was a hit! xTieghan
This dish came out so so well when I made it last night, and today as lunch was even better! While I made the meatballs, I had time to get the tzatziki made since I had all the ingredients. I didn’t have fresh oregano so I subbed in about 3 heaping tsps of dry. It came out perfect. Thanks so much for having such an amazing and creative catalogue of recipes for us!
Hey Nicole,
Happy Friday!! I love to hear that this recipe was a winner, thanks a lot for trying it out! ☀️xx
Yum! Loved this meal! Tastes so fancy but it was pretty simple to prepare.
Hey Christine,
Awesome!! I love to hear that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks so much for giving it a go! Have the best week:) xT
Sorry if this has been asked, but trying to be better about making larger batches off food and freezing some. Do you think I could make these and freeze them? Also, is it ok to make the meatballs ahead of time (aka during nap time) and put them in the fridge? Thank you! Can’t wait to try this recipe!
Hey Sarah,
Yes to both, totally fine to do;) I hope you love the recipe, please let me know how it turns out! xTieghan
Omg!! Soooo good and my 18mo daughter absolutely loves them ♥️ Thank you for yet another amazing recipe ?
Awe love to hear this Sarah!!
I rarely review anything but this…THIS! Half Baked is our go to cooking website. We have never ever made anything that wasn’t delicious, but this was next level. Definitely worth making. The feta, tzaziki, bit of spice in the meatballs and the vinaigrette. Goodness. Be sure and make extra of that herbal vinaigrette. I kept drizzling more onto my plate. So good for dipping naan into.
Hey there! Thanks so much for giving this recipe a try, I’m so glad you enjoyed it! Have a lovely week! xTieghan
#4 in the directions is missing, unless it was a typo 🙂
Thanks for letting me know! xTieghan
Do you think ground lamb would be good in this?
I was wondering the same thing
Amazing! Every component of this is so delicious. One of these days I’ll make the homemade naan to go with it. Thank you for my new favorite meat recipe.