Sheet Pan Greek Meatballs and Vegetables

a bowl of meatballs with rice and roasted Greek vegetables with a fork and napkin

Sheet Pan Greek Meatballs and Vegetables

Juicy Greek meatballs with a medley of colorful roasted veggies, perfect for healthy meal prep and stress-free weeknight dinners. Ready in 30 minutes or less.

Course Main, Main Course

Cuisine Greek

Prep Time 15

Cook Time 20

Total Time 35

Servings people

Calories 376kcal

Author Amee

Ingredients

16 oz ground beef 90% lean
1/4 cup finely ground pita crackers *I used Trader Joe's brand (you can also use breadcrumbs)
1 egg lightly beaten
1/4 cup feta cheese finely chopped into small crumbles
2 cloves garlic minced
1, lemon juiced and zested, divided
1 tbsp fresh oregano finely chopped
3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 red onion divided- 2 tbsp finely minced and the rest chopped into 1" pieces
2 tsp salt divided
2 tsp freshly ground pepper divided
3 zucchini sliced into 1/2" circles
1 cup cherry tomatoes
3 red peppers sliced into 1/2" chunks
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 tbsp Greek seasoning Penzeys and Cavender's are personal favs
1/2 cup Kalamata olives drained and pitted

Instructions

Preheat oven to 450 degrees F.
Line three baking sheets with parchment paper. Place a cooling rack on top of one of the baking sheets covered in parchment for the meatballs to drain and brush liberally with olive oil. Set aside.
In a large bowl, mix lean ground beef, pita cracker crumbs, beaten egg, finely crumbled feta (I use a mini food processor for the cheese and pita crumbs), minced garlic, 1/2 of the lemon juice (juice of 1/2 a lemon), 1/2 of the lemon zest, fresh oregano finely chopped, 3 tbsp olive oil, 2 tbsp finely minced red onion, 1 tsp salt and 1 tsp pepper.
Mix well, using your hands to thoroughly combine.
Form meatballs into 24, evenly sized, balls. They should be about the size of a golf ball or slightly larger. I use a small scoop for this.
Place meatballs onto the baking sheet with rack (or just place them directly on the parchment-lined pan), and set aside while you prep the vegetables.
In another large bowl, combine chopped vegetables, Greek seasoning blend, remaining lemon juice and zest (of 1/2 the lemon), 1/4 cup olive oil, olives, tomatoes and remaining 1 tsp of salt and 1 tsp pepper. Toss to blend.
Spread vegetables onto the remaining two baking sheets.
Bake meatballs and vegetables for 18-22 minutes. I start checking at 18 minutes and pull them when the meatballs are 165 degrees F.

Notes

You can lower the fat by using leaner beef (92 or 93% lean and low-fat feta cheese) and increase the protein by adding extra meatballs to the individual serving.

To keep your meatballs juicy and tender, use your clean hands to gently combine the ingredients without overworking the meat, which can lead to dense, tough meatballs.

If all three sheet pans don’t fit in your oven at once, stagger the cooking times, starting with the meatballs and then the veggies.

Make sure the meatballs and veggies are spread across the sheet pans in a single, even layer, as overcrowding can cause steaming instead of roasting, resulting in less browning and caramelization.

Nutrition