Keftedes (Greek meatballs) - English style

Keftedes (Κεφτέδες) are delicious Greek meatballs which are served as a main course with salad, chips and rice or for parties and the traditional meze.

When used for parties or meze they are called Keftedakia (Κεφτεδάκια), the 'akia' means small. There are many variations of these mouth watering meatballs. Some are cooked using breadcrumbs, some with grated potatoes (some use instant potatoes!) but here you will find out the best way.

I always get in a plate or two of them when we visit Greece, but back home here in England they are a very delicious and easy to make (well that's what Mrs. S says) meal or snack. The difference is in the size of meat balls that you make.

Size matters!

Keftedes - Henry with Nose Henry Getting Ready for Red Nose Day

The other great thing about them is that we have found over the years is that with a little bit of imagination they resemble red noses, as in Red Nose Day in the UK.

On that day we invite friends around for a fund raising supper and these delicious red noses, I mean Keftedes, form the main part of the meal.

Anyway ...

Keftedes - Mrs. S' Original Recipe Mrs. S' Original Recipe

Here you can find out how Mrs. S does it.

That over there on the right is her recipe that she uses and well used it is too.

You can't read it?

Well, OK I'll try and translate it for you to make it easier.

first ...

The ingredients

  • 1lb (500 gr) minced beef

  • 2-3oz (60 -90 gr) Breadcrumbs

  • 1 Egg

  • 1 Chopped Onion

  • Seasoning and Herbs

  • Butter and/or Olive Oil for frying

  • Tin of Tomatoes (or home cooked Greek ones if you're keen)

  • 1/2 pint (300 ml) gravy. Bisto is fine but home made would be better.

That's it! Not much to it is there?

then ...

What to Do

If you want to see and hear it all demonstrated by Mrs. S, jump straight to the video

Keftedes - Raw Big Ones Raw Big Ones Keftedes - Raw Small Ones Raw Small Ones all over the Place
  • Chop the onion.

  • Put the onion, mince and breadcrumbs in a mixing bowl.

  • Squish the whole mix together so that no breadcrumbs or onions are easily visible

  • Roll mix in ball shapes, walnut size for snacks or somewhere between ping-pong and tennis balls for the full size meal ones.

  • Heat up the butter/olive oil in the frying pan.

  • Meanwhile ...

  • Roll the meatballs in flour to help keep them together.

  • Fry them in the pan. Snack ones need to be thoroughly cooked through. Meal sized ones only need a brief fry as they will be further cooked in the sauce later

  • Keftedes Ready to Cook Keftedes Ready to Cook
  • Put tin of tomatoes in the casserole followed by the big keftedes

  • Pour on gravy and more tinned tomatoes until they are covered.

  • Then either ...

  • freeze the mixture until needed

  • or ...

    Keftedes Ready to Serve Ready to Serve
  • cook

and finally ...

The Video

You have read the words. Now see the video ...

The Keftedes Video
Mrs. S shows you how she made the last batch of Keftedes. She made three times the quantity above because it was for that Red Nose party that I mentioned. However it shows you how easy it is

.

Crack open the ouzo, sit back and enjoy it.

Click here to review the method again

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