The photo appears to show a Greek/Mediterranean-inspired bowl: juicy herbed meatballs over fluffy white rice, with tzatziki, cucumber, tomato, pickled red onion, and fresh herbs.
This recipe makes 4 generous bowls.
Ingredients
For the meatballs
500 g (1.1 lb) ground beef, preferably 85–90% lean
½ medium onion, finely grated
3 garlic cloves, minced
½ cup (30–40 g) finely chopped fresh parsley
2 tbsp fresh mint, finely chopped
1 egg
½ cup (45 g) panko or regular breadcrumbs
1 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp ground cumin
½ tsp paprika
¼ tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp salt
½ tsp black pepper
1 tsp lemon zest
1 tbsp lemon juice
1–2 tbsp olive oil, for cooking
These flavor combinations—particularly parsley, mint, oregano, cumin, onion and lemon—are characteristic of Greek-style keftedes.
K
Kitchn
For the rice
1½ cups (280–300 g) long-grain white rice
2¼ cups water or broth
½ tsp salt
1 tsp olive oil or butter
Tzatziki
1 cup (240 g) plain Greek yogurt
½ cucumber, grated
1 garlic clove, finely grated
1 tbsp lemon juice
1 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
1–2 tbsp chopped dill
1 tbsp chopped parsley
¼ tsp salt
Black pepper, to taste
Squeezing excess water from the grated cucumber keeps the tzatziki thick rather than watery.
M
McCormick
Bowl toppings
1 cucumber, thinly sliced
2–3 tomatoes, sliced or quartered
½ red onion, thinly sliced
2 tbsp chopped parsley
1–2 tbsp chopped mint or dill
Lemon wedges
Optional: crumbled feta
Optional: quick-pickled onions
Step-by-step
1. Make the tzatziki
Grate the cucumber.
Place it in a clean towel and squeeze firmly to remove excess water.
Mix cucumber, yogurt, garlic, lemon juice, olive oil, dill, parsley, salt and pepper.
Refrigerate for 20–30 minutes while you prepare the rest of the meal.
2. Cook the rice
Rinse the rice until the water is relatively clear.
Add rice, water/broth, salt and oil to a saucepan.
Bring to a boil.
Cover, reduce heat to low and cook for about 15 minutes, or according to your rice package.
Turn off the heat and leave covered for another 5–10 minutes.
Fluff gently with a fork.
3. Prepare the meatball mixture
Put the grated onion, garlic, parsley, mint, egg, breadcrumbs, oregano, cumin, paprika, cinnamon, salt, pepper, lemon zest and lemon juice in a bowl.
Add the ground beef.
Mix just until combined. Don’t knead aggressively—the meatballs can become dense.
Shape into approximately 18–20 meatballs, roughly 30–35 g each.
4. Brown and cook the meatballs
Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium to medium-high heat.
Add the meatballs in batches without overcrowding the pan.
Brown them on several sides, turning frequently.
Reduce the heat slightly and continue cooking until the centers are cooked through.
For ground beef, the USDA recommends an internal temperature of 160°F / 71°C. A thermometer is much more reliable than judging doneness from exterior color.
F
Food Safety and Inspection Service
+1
Alternative oven method: Place the meatballs on a lightly oiled baking sheet and bake at about 425°F / 220°C until cooked through and browned, checking the center with a thermometer.
K
Kitchn
5. Assemble the bowls
For each bowl:
Add a generous layer of fluffy rice.
Arrange 4–5 meatballs on top.
Add cucumber slices.
Add tomatoes.
Add sliced red onion.
Spoon a generous amount of tzatziki over or beside the meatballs.
Sprinkle with parsley/mint.
Finish with lemon juice and a drizzle of olive oil.
For the visual style in your photo, keep the ingredients in separate sections rather than mixing them together.
Quick-pickled red onions
These will get you particularly close to the bowl in the image.
1 red onion, very thinly sliced
½ cup vinegar
½ cup water
1 tbsp sugar
1 tsp salt
Combine vinegar, water, sugar and salt. Pour over the onion and let stand for 30 minutes. Refrigerate any unused onions.
Nut & allergen information
This recipe contains no tree nuts or peanuts by default.
However, check packaged ingredients:
Ingredient Possible allergen
Ground beef Usually none
Breadcrumbs/panko Wheat/gluten
Greek yogurt Milk/dairy
Feta Milk/dairy
Tzatziki Milk/dairy
Olive oil None normally
Herbs/vegetables None among the major common allergens
Store-bought breadcrumbs/seasonings May contain wheat, sesame, milk, soy, or traces of nuts
Nut-free version
Use certified nut-free breadcrumbs if you’re cooking for someone with a serious nut allergy, and check every packaged ingredient for cross-contact warnings.
Gluten-free version
Use certified gluten-free breadcrumbs/panko. The rest of the basic recipe is naturally gluten-free, assuming your seasonings and other packaged ingredients are also gluten-free.
Dairy-free version
Replace Greek yogurt with an unsweetened dairy-free yogurt and omit feta.
Approximate nutrition
This varies considerably with the beef, rice quantity and amount of tzatziki, but one of four bowls made with 500 g 90%-lean beef and moderate toppings is approximately:
650–750 calories
35–40 g protein
65–75 g carbohydrates
25–30 g fat
4–6 g fiber
The biggest variables are the fat percentage of the beef, amount of rice, and amount of tzatziki/oil.
Recipe Q&A
Q: Can I use lamb instead of beef?
Yes. Ground lamb gives the meatballs a richer, more traditional Mediterranean flavor. A beef/lamb mixture also works very well.
Q: Can I use chicken?
Yes. Use ground chicken, but cook it to 165°F / 74°C rather than the 160°F guideline for ground beef.
F
Food Safety and Inspection Service
Q: Why are my meatballs dry?
Common causes are overmixing, very lean meat, or overcooking. Grated onion, breadcrumbs and a moderate-fat ground beef help keep them tender.
Q: Why did my meatballs fall apart?
The mixture may need slightly more binding. Make sure the egg and breadcrumbs are evenly distributed, and don’t make the meatballs excessively large.
Q: Can I make them ahead?
Yes. Formed raw meatballs can be refrigerated for up to about 2 days or frozen. Thaw frozen meatballs in the refrigerator before cooking.
K
Kitchn
Q: Can I air-fry them?
Yes. Arrange them in a single layer with some space between them and air-fry around 375–400°F (190–205°C), turning once, until the centers reach the safe temperature.
Q: How long do leftovers last?
Refrigerate promptly in shallow, airtight containers. USDA guidance recommends using most cooked leftovers within 3–4 days and reheating leftovers to 165°F / 74°C.
F
Food Safety and Inspection Service
Q: Can I freeze the finished bowls?
Freeze the cooked meatballs and rice separately. Don’t freeze the cucumber, fresh tomato or tzatziki—their texture is much better when freshly prepared.
Q: How do I make it taste more like the photograph?
Use plenty of fresh herbs, generously browned meatballs, thick tzatziki, very thin red onion, ripe tomatoes, crisp cucumber and a final squeeze of lemon. A little crumbled feta is also excellent.
Q: What should I serve with it?
Warm pita, hummus, Greek salad, roasted vegetables, olives or extra tzatziki all work well.
Food-safety note: Don’t rely on browned exterior color to determine whether meatballs are safe; check the thickest part with a food thermometer.