Mediterranean Chicken Meatballs with Couscous & Tzatziki

Preparation time: 90 minutes | Serves: 4 people

I went on a real Greek tangent this summer, testing new recipes, buying endless rolls of phyllo pastry and visiting Greek restaurants around Sydney. Some would say I’m manifesting the perfect Euro summer, swimming around the Mediterranean paradise (this is half true), but I’ve simply found that the primary ingredients (fresh herbs, lots of lemon, olives and yoghurt) are the perfect flavours for warmer months.

This is a great meal prep/hosting recipe, and while I do make the meatballs myself, feel free to swap them with store bought meatballs if you’re running short on time (or patience). I like to serve this dish with a big dollop of my homemade tzatziki, you can find the recipe here.

As usual, head to the recipe notes for my top tips and suggestions.

Ingredients

For the meatballs

• 1 kg chicken mince

• Handful of fresh mint, parsley and dill

• 1 egg

• 2 tbsps. bread crumbs

• 1 tsp.

• 2-3 garlic cloves

• 2 tsps. ground cumin

• 1 tsp. dried oregano

• 1 tsp. black pepper

• Juice of half a lemon

• Big pinch of salt

• 1 tbsp olive oil

For the couscous salad

• 2 cups couscous

• 2 tbsps. + 1/4 cup Pukara Estate extra virgin olive oil

• 1 large tomato

• 2 cucumbers

• Handful of Kalamata olives (optional)

• Juice of 1 lemon

• 1 tsp. honey

• Salt, according to taste

• Fresh dill, to serve

Method

1. Roughly chop the herbs and garlic in a food processor.

2. Swap to a smooth blade and add the remaining ingredients (except the oil). Blitz till the mix comes together.

3. Use your hands to shape into medium sized meatballs (rub oil over your hands to prevent the mix from sticking).

4. Air fry at 180ºC for 18-20 minutes. Brush with oil and flip mid way to ensure even cooking.

5. Meanwhile, boil 2 cups of water with 2 tbsps. of olive oil, salt and a squeeze of lemon.

6. Add couscous and turn off the heat. Cover and let steam for 5-10 minutes.

7. Fluff couscous with a fork, then transfer into a salad bowl to cool.

8. Dice the cucumber, tomato and olives (if using) and add them to the couscous.

9. Whisk remaining olive oil, lemon juice, honey and salt for the dressing. Toss with the salad.

10. Serve with a handful of fresh dill and my homemade tzatziki.

RECIPE NOTES

1. Can I use lamb or beef mince instead of chicken?
You can swap the mince for lamb or beef, but remember to adjust the cooking time. You might need to add more seasoning as well - according to taste.

2. Can I mix the meatballs by hand?
I love using a food processor but these meatballs can easily be mixed by hand. Use gloves or a rubber spatula to make the process easier.

3. Can I cook the meatballs in the oven or pan?
Preheat the oven to 180ºC and line a baking tray with baking paper. Arrange the meatballs so they don’t overlap and cook for about 30 minutes. Brush the meatballs with oil and turn mid way to ensure even cooking. If cooking on the stove, heat a bit of oil and place the meatballs in an even layer, turning ever so often to brown evenly and cook through.

4. Can I reduce the amount of couscous or change the quantity?
The golden ratio for cooking couscous is 1:1 (1 cup water to 1 cup couscous). Feel free to adjust the quantity as desired.

4. Can I meal prep this recipe?
Yes! This is a great big batch recipe, easy for meal prepping. The meatballs can be stored in the fridge for a week and the salad for up to 3 days.