A simple Greek Classic one-pan dinner packed with bright, lemony potatoes and meatballs.
The Greek classic Lemony beeftekia me patates is a one-pan Greek lemony potatoes and meatballs dinner. It’s the fresh, lemony version of the hearty meatballs and potatoes in tomato sauce I showed you how to make a few episodes back. The Greek-style meatballs are baked with potatoes in a zesty lemon sauce. It’s simple to make with basic ingredients and comes together in no time. All you do is pop it in the oven, forget about it, and end up with a delicious dinner on the table that everyone will love.
Beeftekia are larger, elongated meatballs, and I use my fool-proof meatball recipe that turns out perfectly every time. My food processor makes finely chopping the onion and parsley quick and easy, and then I blend all the meatball ingredients together. And just like that, you’re ready to form the meatballs. The dressing for the potatoes is simple and as lemony as you like it, and the potatoes soak up all that lemony goodness while they cook. This will be one of your favorites, too!
Why will I make this often?
Irresistible, luscious
Bright lemon sauce
Melt in your mouth,
Beefy, herb meatballs
Tender, pillowy potatoes,
Super simple dinner in a snap!
What are the ingredients for meatballs?
Lean ground beef -I prefer to use a blend around 90% to keep it lean, but still have enough fat to keep the meatballs soft and juicy.
Onion –finely chopped in the food processor or by hand.
Garlic cloves -adds the slightly pungent but buttery spiciness.
Fresh parsley -I love the fresh herb in the meatballs.
Unseasoned breadcrumbs -to make sure the flavors of the dish shine. You can substitute gluten-free breadcrumbs or even mashed potatoes.
Milk -adds moisture and keeps the meatballs tender.
Shredded parmesan cheese -optional
Eggs -binds the meatballs to keep them from falling apart.
Dried oregano -earthy, herbiness Greek’s love.
Dried mint -goes so well with lemon while adding freshness to the meatballs. You can use fresh if you have it!
Salt and freshly ground black pepper -seasons and melds all the flavors together.
Crushed red pepper flakes -optional for a bit of heat.
What do I need to make lemony potatoes?
Potatoes -cut into ¾-inch thick slices and soaked in cold water. I like using the Yukon potatoes because they’re so creamy, but russet would be fine, too.
Olive oil -I use good quality extra virgin that tastes great to add more flavor.
Fresh lemon juice -it’s the only kind to use.
Mustard -I had Dijon, but a grainy mustard would be good, too.
Salt & freshly ground black pepper -potatoes love salt and need a good bit, but you may not need as much as usual because of the lemon.
Dried oregano -using the same herbs in the meatballs and potatoes seasons both and lets the herb come through.
Crushed red pepper flakes -if you like more or less heat than we do, use what your family likes.
Cumin powder -adds a deep warm earthiness to the lemony potatoes.
Water -or chicken broth for light but additional flavor.
How do I prepare the meatball ingredients?
Preheat the oven to 400 °F, 200 °C. Chop the garlic in the food processor until minced. Add the parsley and pulse until finely chopped. Transfer to a bowl with the ground beef. Add the onions to the food processor and pulse until finely chopped. Whisk the milk and egg together.
How do I make the meatballs?
In a large mixing bowl, combine all the meatball ingredients and knead well to combine and evenly distribute everything. Form golf-sized meatballs or burger patties.
How do I prepare the potatoes?
Drain the water from the potatoes and place the slices in a 9 x 13-inch baking dish or lasagna pan. Combine the olive oil, mustard, grated garlic, and lemon juice in a mixing bowl. Whisk well to combine. Pour this marinade over the potatoes. Season them with salt, pepper, cumin, and oregano. Toss to coat. Pour the water over the potatoes, making sure that they are covered halfway. Add more water if needed.
How do I pull it all together?
Place the meatballs/patties on top of the potatoes. Cover with foil and bake for 40 minutes. Remove the foil and bake for an additional 35-40 minutes, uncovered, or until the potatoes are fork-tender and the meatballs/patties are golden.
How do I serve lemony roasted potatoes with meatballs?
All you need to serve alongside these potatoes and meatballs is a good crusty bread. However, I garnish the whole thing with fresh parsley and put out some olives and feta for everyone to add their own.
Can I make this ahead?
The meatballs can be made a day ahead and stored in the refrigerator. They can also be formed and stored in the freezer for up to 3 months. Either helps get dinner on the table in a cinch!
Do you have more meat and potato meals?
Beeftekia me Patates: Greek Roasted Potatoes with Meatballs in Tomato Sauce
Soutzoukakia Smyrneika with the Best Mashed Potatoes: Greek Baked Meatballs
Greek Lamb & Potatoes in the Oven (kokkinisto)
Greek Chicken Drumsticks & Potatoes Sheet Pan Dinner
A Mediterranean Meal that Won’t Heat up Your Home Lemony Chicken & Potatoes in the Air Fryer
Watch the Video:
LEMONY BEEFTEKIA ME PATATES: LEMONY ROASTED POTATOES WITH MEATBALLS
Ingredients
For the Meatballs:
- 2 pounds lean ground beef
- 1 onion, finely chopped
- 2-3 garlic cloves
- 1 bunch parsley (1/2 cup chopped)
- 1 and ½ cups unseasoned bread crumbs
- 1 cup milk
- ½ cup shredded parmesan cheese, optional
- 2 eggs
- 2 teaspoons dried oregano
- 1/2 teaspoon dried mint
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- ¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes, optional
For the Potatoes:
- 8 potatoes, cut into ¾ inch thick slices, soaked in cold water
- ½ cup olive oil
- ¼ cup fresh lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon mustard
- 1-2 teaspoons salt, or to taste
- Freshly ground black pepper
- 2 teaspoons dried oregano
- Pinch of crushed red pepper flakes
- ¼ teaspoon cumin powder
- 2 cups of water or chicken broth
Garnish:
- fresh parsley leaves, or chopped
Instructions
Directions
Preheat the oven to 400 °F, 200 °C.
To Make the Meatballs:
Place the ground beef in a large bowl.
Chop the garlic in the food processor until minced. Add the parsley and pulse until finely chopped. Transfer to the bowl with the ground beef
Add the onions to the food processor and pulse until finely chopped.
Whisk the milk and egg together.
In a large mixing bowl, combine all of the meatball ingredients and knead well to combine and evenly distribute everything.
Form golf-sized meatballs or into burger patties.
To put it all together:
Drain the water from the potatoes and place the slices in a 9 by 13-inch baking dish or lasagna pan.
Combine the olive oil, mustard, grated garlic, and lemon juice in a mixing bowl. Whisk well to combine. Pour this marinade over the potatoes. Season them with salt, pepper, cumin, and oregano. Toss to coat.
Pour the water over the potatoes making sure that they are covered halfway. Add more water if needed.
Place the meatballs/patties on top of the potatoes.
Cover with foil and bake for 40 minutes.
Remove the foil and bake an additional 35-40 minutes, uncovered, or until the potatoes are fork-tender and the meatballs/patties are golden.
Garnish with fresh parsley.
Enjoy!
Notes
Make-Ahead Tips: The meatballs can be made 1 day ahead and stored in the refrigerator. They can also be formed and stored in the freezer for up to 3 months.
Please help, I can’t see where you add the 1T of mustard in the LEMONY ROASTED POTATOES WITH MEATBALLS?
My husband and I are of Greek descent and cook our families Greek dishes often.
Thank you very much, we enjoy your recipes.
Hi Joanne! So sorry about that. I added the missing step to the recipe card. The mustard gets whisked together with the olive oil and remaining dressing seasonings. Hope this helps and thanks for taking the time to let me know about this mistake 🙂
Yum. I added more lemon and used white potatoes with skin.
Hello,
I don’t see how much grated garlic you are suppose to add to the lemon juice and oil for the potatoes. The garlic isn’t listed under the potato ingredients. Thank you!
I made this for tonight’s dinner and WOW!!! Lemony goodness, so easy to make and so flavorful. This dish will definitely become a regular in my home. Thanks Dimitra 👌
Fantastic! Love to hear when people enjoy my recipes! 🙂
These taste as close as possible to what my Thea ( aunts) would cook in Greece. Our family lives in Athens but originally were from Chios. We serve these with feta on the side it’s delicious. Thank you for all of your recipes!
That’s fantastic to hear! Bringing that authentic taste from Greece means a lot. Serving it with feta sounds deliciously traditional. I’m thrilled you’re enjoying the recipes—thank you for sharing your family’s tradition! If you ever want more Greek-inspired dishes or have any questions, feel free to reach out. Thanks so much for being here!!
That seems like a long time to cook the meatballs. My inclination would be to put them in on the last 40 mins (that even seems too long?). They aren’t dry?
What type of potatoes? Thin skin or russets? Thanks
For **Lemony Beeftekia me Patates**, I recommend using **thin-skinned potatoes**, like Yukon Gold or red potatoes. They hold their shape well, soak up the flavorful sauce beautifully, and don’t require peeling (unless you prefer to). Russets tend to break apart more easily and might not give you the same creamy texture. Enjoy! 😊
These bring me back home
can you use ground turkey instead of beef.
Hei! I have tried many of Dimitra’s recipes, and now also this one.
1/2 kg of meat made 10 meatballs. I discovered after 40 min cooking that my oven was on 150 C, so next 40 min baked on higher temp – 210 C with fan. Potatoes baked perfectly, but meatballs were slightly overcooked. Maybe I will add some zucchini or beetroot into meatballs next time for juicyness. I would also add more sauce as it was so tasty.
Thank you Dimitra!
Thank you for sharing your experience! It sounds like you made some delicious adjustments. I love the idea of adding zucchini or beetroot to the meatballs for extra juiciness—that’s a great way to keep them moist. And more sauce is always a good call, especially if it was so tasty! I appreciate your feedback, and I’m glad you’re enjoying the recipes. Happy cooking!
I made this with ground turkey breast as that’s all I had in the house and wanted to use what I had here. It was absolutely delicious. So flavourful. Love your recipes!
I’m so glad you enjoyed it, even with the ground turkey breast—it’s always great to use what you have on hand! Thank you for your kind words, and I’m thrilled you’re loving the recipes. 😊
We had this for dinner last night. This is absolutely delicious.
I’m so glad you enjoyed it! Thank you for giving the recipe a try—it means so much to hear your feedback.
I’m in the middle of making this. How long does one soak the potatoes?
Soak the potatoes for about **30 minutes to 1 hour** in cold water. This helps remove excess starch, making them crispier on the outside and fluffier on the inside when baked. After soaking, drain and pat them dry before adding seasoning. Enjoy! It’s going to be delicious!
I have these cooking in the oven right now.
Smells amazing we cant wait to try them.
Love your recipes and You Tube Chanel from a fan in New Zealand
Thank you so much for your kind words and support all the way from New Zealand! I’m so glad you’re enjoying the recipes, and I hope the dish turns out amazing. Let me know how you like it once it’s out of the oven! 😊 Happy cooking!
What is the best way to cook the extra meatballs I have from this recipe? Have you ever cooked them in a cast iron? I don’t have an air fryer and when I made this recipe they came out very dry in the oven so I wanted to try cooking them like a burger on a cast iron skillet. If I did how long would you recommend them being cooked for?
Cooking them in a cast iron skillet is a great idea! It’ll give them a nice crust while keeping the inside juicy. Here’s what I’d recommend:
1. **Preheat your skillet** over medium heat and add a little olive oil.
2. **Sear the meatballs** for about **2-3 minutes per side**, turning to brown them evenly.
3. **Lower the heat to medium-low**, cover the skillet, and cook for another **5-7 minutes**, shaking the pan occasionally to prevent burning.
4. **Check for doneness**—they should reach an internal temperature of **160°F (71°C)**.
Since these are lemony meatballs, you could deglaze the pan with a little lemon juice and water at the end, then let them simmer for a minute to soak up that flavor. That’ll help keep them moist too! Let me know how they turn out. 😊