Lemony Chicken Meatballs with Whipped Feta and Pesto

Lemon chicken meatballs on whipped feta with pesto.

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Lemony Chicken Meatballs with Whipped Feta and Pesto

Juicy lemony chicken meatballs are the kind of easy, fresh dinner I could genuinely eat on repeat. Packed with herbs, garlic, and lemon, they're served over creamy whipped feta with a big basil pesto drizzle, and feel just as at home on a weeknight table as they do at a dinner party.

Prep Time15

Cook Time10

Total Time25

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Mediterranean

Keyword: chicken meatballs, mediterranean chicken meatballs

Servings: servings

Calories: 470kcal

Author: Kate Phillips

Ingredients

For the lemony chicken meatballs -

1 lb ground chicken (500g)
Zest of 1 lemon
3 garlic cloves crushed
¼ cup pitted olives finely chopped
⅓ cup breadcrumbs
⅓ cup Greek yogurt
1 tablespoon dried thyme
1 teaspoon chili flakes or red pepper flakes
Small handful of parsley finely chopped
½ teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon fish sauce
Black pepper

For the whipped feta -

7 oz creamy feta (200g)
¼ cup Greek yogurt
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon lemon juice
Black pepper

To serve -

Fresh basil pesto
A handful of chives finely chopped
1 teaspoon chili flakes or red pepper flakes

Instructions

Mix the meatballs.
To a large bowl, add the ground chicken, lemon zest, crushed garlic, ¼ cup of chopped olives, ⅓ cup breadcrumbs, ⅓ cup Greek yogurt, 1 tablespoon of dried thyme, 1 teaspoon chili flakes, chopped parsley, ½ teaspoon of salt, 1 teaspoon of fish sauce, and a good grind of black pepper.
Use a spatula or spoon to combine into a cohesive mixture.
Roll the meatballs.
Lightly wet your hands (this prevents the mixture from sticking to them), then scoop up a heaped tablespoon of the meatball mixture. Roll it into a ball in your hands. Place directly into your air fryer basket, then repeat with the remaining mixture.

You should get roughly 20 to 24 meatballs, depending on how large you make them.

Air fry the meatballs (see notes below for pan-frying and oven instructions).
Air fry for 10 minutes at 400°F (200°C), until lightly golden and cooked through. Depending on the size of your air fryer, you may need to cook them in batches - you don't want them massively piled on top of each other in the basket.
Make the whipped feta.
While the meatballs cook, add the feta, ¼ cup Greek yogurt, 1 tablespoon of lemon juice, 1 tablespoon of olive oil, and a very good grind of black pepper to a food processor or blender. Blend until smooth and creamy.
Add a little extra olive oil or Greek yogurt if it's a bit thick or struggling to blend.
Assemble and serve.
Spoon most of the whipped feta onto the base of a serving platter. Arrange the chicken meatballs on top, then drizzle with the pesto, scatter with chives, and an extra sprinkling of chili flakes, or red pepper flakes, for color.

Notes

HOW TO TELL IF YOUR MEATBALLS ARE COOKED: You'll know they're cooked through if they're not pink in the middle when you cut into them - and if you have a probe thermometer, the internal temperature should be at least 165°F (74°C).

PAN-FRYING INSTRUCTIONS: Drizzle 1 tablespoon of olive oil into a large frying pan or skillet and set it over medium-high heat. Add the meatballs, and cook for about 10 minutes, turning often, until they're golden and charred on the outside, and cooked through. If you find they're taking on too much color, reduce the heat slightly.

OVEN BAKE INSTRUCTIONS: Heat your oven to 425F (220°C fan) and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Arrange the meatballs on the baking sheet, then pop them into the oven for 15 to 20 minutes, until gorgeously golden and cooked through.

PREP AHEAD: Mix and roll the meatballs up to 24 hours ahead of time, then store them in a covered container in the fridge and cook them when you're ready. Once they're cooked, they'll keep for 3 to 4 days in the fridge - you can enjoy them cold or reheat them in the microwave or air fryer.

INGREDIENT NOTES AND SUBSTITUTIONS: Swap the ground chicken for ground turkey, beef, pork, lamb, or a plant-based alternative. If you don't like olives, you can leave them out, or add capers, or sundried tomatoes instead. You can skip the fish sauce if you don't want to use it - I really recommend it for adding a lovely, deep, umami flavor that salt alone can't replicate, and I promise it doesn't make the meatballs taste fishy!

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