• Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
Subscribe
Subscribe by email Connect on Facebook Connect on Pinterest Follow Me on Instagram

Hunter Angler Gardener Cook

Finding the Forgotten Feast

  • Shop
  • Video Course
  • Stories
  • About
    • Public Events
    • Privacy Policy
  • Wild Game
    • Venison Recipes
    • Duck Recipes and Goose Recipes
    • Rabbits, Hares and Squirrels
    • Pheasants, Turkey, Quail
    • Dove Recipes
    • Wild Pig and Bear Recipes
    • My Best Taco Recipes
    • Wild Game Sauces
  • Charcuterie
    • Homemade Sausage Recipes
    • Smoker Recipes
    • Bacon, Jerky, Hams, etc
    • Salami Recipes
    • Confit, Pate, Terrines
  • Fish
    • General Fish Recipes
    • Salmon Recipes
    • Snapper Recipes
    • Crabs, Shellfish and Squid
    • Little Fish and Oddballs
  • Gathering
    • Preservation Recipes
    • Mushrooms
    • Sweet Things
    • Wild Greens and Herbs
    • Acorns, Nuts, Starches
  • Podcast
Home » Greek » Greek Meatballs

Greek Meatballs

By Hank Shaw on February 24, 2013, Updated March 20, 2021 - 9 Comments

Jump to Recipe Pin Recipe Comment
5 from 4 votes
Print Friendly, PDF & Email

Every culture that eats meat makes meatballs, and keftedes, Greek meatballs, are some of the best.

I grew up in New Jersey, where spaghetti and meatballs is on someone’s table 365 days a year, and everyone has his own version: Vermicelli instead of spaghetti. Pecorino cheese. No, Parmesan.

A platter of Greek meatballs
Photo by Holly A. Heyser

Some people use lots of bread in meatballs to make them fluffy. Some use cooked rice. Red pepper flakes? Loathed or loved. Meat in the sauce? Blasphemy with spaghetti and meatballs. You just don’t eat meat with meat sauce, paisan. Capisce?

But these are not traditional Italian meatballs. They are Greek meatballs, and there is a difference, as you will soon see. I make my keftedes with venison, but pork, lamb, beef or really any ground meat will work fine.

What makes these Greek? I use bulgur wheat instead of bread. If you’ve ever had tabbouleh, you’ve had bulgur. I like bulgur, its coarse earthiness compliments the venison. Using it changes the texture of the meatballs, making them firmer and a little meatier-tasting than those with bread. No bulgur on hand? Use breadcrumbs.

Traditionally these Greek meatballs are walnut-sized, more or less. It is a good size, big enough to retain moisture, and you get to cut the ball with your fork, making sure every freshly cut side gets anointed with the tomato sauce that accompanies this dish.

Are they are light as a perfect Italian meatball? No, but they are not supposed to be. These are substantial meatballs, flavored with lots of garlic, parsley and oregano. Mint is an excellent substitution for the oregano if you prefer.

If you want to make your traditional tomato sauce more Hellenic, try adding sweet wine and cinnamon, and grate some mizithra cheese on it instead of parmesan or pecorino. Kali Orexi! You can also serve Greek meatballs with a tzatziki sauce.

Closeup of Greek Meatballs on a platter.
Print Recipe
5 from 4 votes

Greek Meatballs with Venison

This is a riff off traditional spaghetti and meatballs, with a Hellenic touch. It jazzes up one of my favorite comfort foods with a bit more garlic, a bit more sweetness and a chewiness from the bulgur wheat. These are not the fluffy meatballs of an old “red sauce” restaurant, nor the dry orbs that most wild game meatballs become. Any meat works here, by the way. Serve this with spaghetti and grated mizithra cheese, if you can find it. Pecorino or parmesan is just fine, too.
Prep Time30 mins
Cook Time45 mins
Total Time1 hr 15 mins
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Greek
Servings: 8 people
Calories: 240kcal
Author: Hank Shaw

Ingredients

MEATBALLS

  • 1 1/2 pounds ground vension
  • 1/2 cup bulgur wheat
  • 1/2 cup red onion, minced
  • 5 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1/4 cup minced parsley
  • 2 tablespoons minced fresh oregano
  • 1 tablespoons salt
  • 1 tablespoon fresh ground pepper
  • 1 egg, lightly beaten
  • 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg, grated
  • Olive oil for frying, about 1 cup

GREEK TOMATO SAUCE

  • 1 28- ounce can crushed tomatoes
  • 2 tablespoons tomato paste
  • 1/2 minced onion
  • 1 can anchovies in olive oil
  • 1/2 cup sweet red wine, Port or Mavrodaphne
  • 1 cinnamon stick
  • 1 tablespoon dried oregano, crushed
  • salt to taste

Instructions

  • Start by getting the meatball mixture ready. Mix all ingredients in a large bowl. Cover and refrigerate for at least an hour to let the bulgur absorb moisture. Two hours is better.
  • To make the sauce, drain the olive oil from the anchovies into a large saute pan. Over medium-high heat, saute the onions until they are translucent, about 3 to 5 minutes. Add anchovies, mash in the pan and combine with the onions. Add the tomato paste and stir to combine. Cook this until it turns a deep maroon, about 4 minutes.
  • Add the wine and stir to combine. Add the cinnamon stick and bring to a boil. Pour in the crushed tomatoes, combine well and add the oregano and salt. Cook this uncovered over medium-low heat for about 10 minutes. Stir occasionally. If you feel adventurous, run this sauce through a food mill on a medium setting – after you remove the cinnamon stick. Keep warm while you make the meatballs.
  • To make the meatballs, take the meat out and knead it until it forms a cohesive mass. Take an ice cream scoop or tablespoon and make your meatballs.
  • Heat the olive oil in a large saute pan over medium-high heat. Brown the meatballs well in batches so you don't crowd the pan. Set each browned meatball in the sauce to simmer as they come ready. When they are all in, cover the sauce and simmer gently over low heat for 15 minutes before serving.

Notes

NOTE: My ground venison always has pork fat ground with it. If yours has no fat in it, you will need to add some. I'd recommend adding 1/4 pound of bacon to your grind in this case. Some people like ultra lean ground venison, but I am not among them. 

Nutrition

Calories: 240kcal | Carbohydrates: 20g | Protein: 23g | Fat: 7g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Cholesterol: 89mg | Sodium: 1134mg | Potassium: 761mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 6g | Vitamin A: 501IU | Vitamin C: 15mg | Calcium: 99mg | Iron: 5mg
Tried this Recipe? Tag me Today!Mention @HuntGatherCook or tag #HankShaw!

Thanks for Sharing This!

1.1K shares

Filed Under: Appetizers and Snacks, Featured, Greek, Recipe, Venison, Wild Game

Avatar for Hank Shaw

Hank Shaw

Hey there. Welcome to Hunter Angler Gardener Cook, the internet's largest source of recipes and know-how for wild foods. I am a chef, author, and yes, hunter, angler, gardener, forager and cook. Follow me on Instagram and on Facebook.

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Avatar for JakeJake says

    January 12, 2019 at 7:00 pm

    Outstanding! I honestly was a little worried about what adding the cinnamon sticks might do to the flavor of the sauce. As it turns out, it imparted an incredible, yet subtle layer of flavor that I would have never thought to add to a meatball sauce.

    Reply
  2. Avatar for StephansuchStephansuch says

    December 10, 2018 at 4:10 pm

    Is the recipe supposed to say 1-1/2 venison and 1-1/2 other ground meat? Or is it just a duplicate of “1 1/2 pounds”?

    Reply
  3. Avatar for Sharie LewisSharie Lewis says

    November 23, 2015 at 12:56 pm

    I used ground antelope & used 1/2 the crushed tomatoes because I served the meatballs without pasta to 4th graders at a feast. They loved them! I didn’t advertise the anchovies as an ingredient as I wanted everyone to at least try them. They couldn’t get enough. Thank you for the super recipe. It will be my new go to for meatballs. I loved the texture the bulgar wheat added too them.

    Reply
  4. Avatar for Chuck SlackChuck Slack says

    June 24, 2014 at 3:26 pm

    This looks great! Just came home from Nebraska with 15# of ground venison.

    We have Greek friends in Chicago, can’t wait to make this for them!

    Thanks,

    Chuck

    Reply
  5. Avatar for MikeMike says

    April 15, 2013 at 12:26 pm

    Hank: I made the meatballs last night for an appetizer for a dinner party and used ground Mountain caribou from my hunt in BC, Canada. I didn’t have any bulgar but used red quinoa that I had on hand. They were fantastic! I left my meat mixture in the fridge overnight to ensure the quinoa would not be cruchy. I have used anchovies in my red sauces for years and no one can believe they are in there. The cinnamon stick adds beautiful background warmth. Great recipe, thanks! Can’t wait for your cookbook to come out. My copy is on pre-order with Amazon.

    Reply
  6. Avatar for Hank ShawHank Shaw says

    April 13, 2013 at 2:01 pm

    Mike: Nope, it’s not cooked. You need to let the meat mixture sit for a while to let the juices in the meat soften the bulgur. It works great if you let it rest. If you skip this step, you have crunchy meatballs. :-/

    Reply
  7. Avatar for Mike RichardsonMike Richardson says

    April 13, 2013 at 1:59 pm

    Love the sounds of this recipe, is the the bulgar cooked before mixing with the meat?

    Reply
  8. Avatar for Andrea MynardAndrea Mynard says

    February 26, 2013 at 3:03 am

    These look wonderful, great comfort food for the grey February days we’re having. I make meatballs with half venison/half pork mince often (just because I still have lots of meat from our Berkshire piggies in the freezer) and really like the idea of the addition of bulgur wheat and Greek herbs and spices.

    Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating




Primary Sidebar

Hank Shaw holding a rod and reel in the American River

Hi, my name is Hank Shaw; I’m a James Beard Award-winning author and chef. I started this site back in 2007 to help you get the most out of all things wild: fish, game, edible wild plants and mushrooms. I also write cookbooks, have a website dedicated to the intersection of food and nature, and do a podcast, too. If it’s wild, you’ll find it here. Hope you enjoy the site!

More about Hank...

Featured Recipes

Closeup of sliced, smoked venison backstrap on a platter
Venison 101: How to Cook Venison
pickled pike recipe
Pickled Pike
Slices of smoked venison roast on a cutting board.
Smoked Venison Roast
Conejo en adobo on a plate
Conejo en Adobo
A platter of fried walleye with lemon.
Fried Walleye
A plate of pine nut cookies.
Pine Nut Cookies

As Seen In

As seen on CNN, New York Times, Simply Recipes, Martha Stewart, Food and Wine, The New York Times, The Washington Post, Chicago Tribune, Field and Stream, Outdoor Life, and The Splendid Table

Never Miss a Recipe

Receive recipes direct to your inbox.

 

 

Back to Top
  • Home
  • Shop
  • Video Course
  • About
  • Podcast
  • Stories
  • Wild Game
  • Charcuterie
  • Fish
  • Gathering
Subscribe by email Connect on Facebook Connect on Pinterest Follow Me on Instagram

As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

© 2023 Hunter Angler Gardener Cook, All Rights Reserved.

Site built by: Site by Status Forward

1.1K shares
  • Print
  • Pinterest
  • 108Facebook
  • WhatsApp
  • Save
  • Email
1.1K shares
  • 108