These Greek aromatic burgers or biftekia, as we call them in Greek, are a bit smaller than usual burgers, more aromatic and lighter. I usually make a big batch and freeze some as they are my go-to on those busy days. They are also great for babies and little ones as they are easy to grasp and soft, just remember to leave out the salt if you are making them for babies under 12 months.
Everyone in my family loves them and you can serve them in so many different ways! We usually enjoy them with some healthy and aromatic homemade baked potato wedges or some healthy zucchini fries. If you are feeling more experimental, you could try making a Greek souvlaki wrap using a grilled meatball, a pitta bread and some tzatziki sauce along with some slices of onions and tomatoes.
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Why you should try my recipe
- Full of protein and vitamins.
- Big hit with adults and children.
- Great as a main with some veggies on the side, as an appetizer or in a sandwich.
- Freezable. Store them for up to 2 months. Great for busy days!
Ingredients & How-to
The main ingredients to make the Greek biftekia burgers are ground meat, onion, olive oil, breadcrumbs, egg, vinegar, carrot, tomato, parsley, dry oregano and/or mint, salt and pepper. I’m using 1lb / 500gr of ground meat for this recipe, which is a mix of ground beef and pork, half and half, but if you want you can use only one type of ground meat. I find that the blend works better as the burgers are not very dry but soft and juicy.
01. I start by grating the onion and the carrot. You could either use a hand grater or a food processor, whatever you prefer. The addition of the grated carrot in the mixture, adds a bit of moisture and softness to the end result and well, the more veggies the better, right?!
02. I’m also using one tomato that I grate and add to the mixture. The tomato will also add moisture and make the patties soft after being cooked. The mixture also has an egg that acts as a binder between the meat, veggies and the other ingredients.
03. After adding all the ingredients to a bowl, I mix well for around 4-5 minutes so everything gets well combined. It’s best if you then leave the mixture to rest in the fridge for 15-20 minutes. That will help all the flavors to come out and the breadcrumbs will also absorb any of the excess moisture, so it will be easier to shape.
I use a grill tray to bake them but if you don’t have one then you could use an oven-proof dish. Usually, I get around 16 medium size burgers with these quantities. You can bake all of them or freeze some before they are cooked for another time.
Serving suggestions
We usually have the Greek patties as a main with some veggies on the side and my baked potato wedges. They are also great for lunchboxes and to pack and take out on walks and picnics.
These aromatic patties are perfect for children and babies that follow the baby led weaning method as they are really soft and easy to hold with their little hands. If you are preparing the patties for babies under 12 months, then you could leave out the salt as you should keep the daily salt intake as low as possible.
Storage
You can store any leftover patties in the fridge and have them the next day warmed up. Why not put a couple in your sandwich and have them at work the next day! They can also be frozen for up to 2 months, just put them in a ziploc bag before being cooked and store them in the freezer.
FAQ
You could use some dry oregano and mint in the mixture for greek meatballs. If you don't like the mint flavor though you could leave it out and just stick to the oregano.
Yes, you can. The egg is going to help the patties to keep a nice round shape, so leaving it out might make your patties not look as pretty but they will lose nothing in taste.
Greek patties are suitable for children and babies from 6 months old. Just make sure you leave out the salt when preparing the mixture if you are making the patties for little ones under 12 months old.
Recipe
Greek Meatballs In The Oven - Biftekia
These Greek patties are so soft, juicy and tasty! You could make them in the oven or grill. Serve them with some veggies and wedges or put a couple in your sandwich. Enjoy!
12 pieces
30 minutes
Ingredients
- 1lb / 500gr ground meat (half pork & half beef)
- ⅓ cup of olive oil
- ½ cup of breadcrumbs
- 1 carrot grated
- 1 onion
- 1 tomato
- 1 tablespoon of vinegar
- 2 tablespoons of parsley chopped finely
- 1 egg
- 1 teaspoon of oregano
- 1 teaspoon of mint dry or finely chopped
- salt & pepper
Instructions
- Grate the onion and tomato using a grater or processor.
- Add all ingredients to a big bowl: ground meat, olive oil, breadcrumbs, carrot, onion, tomato, vinegar, parsley, egg, oregano, mint, salt & pepper.
- Mix well for 5 minutes until everything is well combined.
- Leave the mixture to rest for 15-20 minutes in the fridge.
- In the meantime, turn the oven to 180°C/350°F to preheat.
- Take the mixture out of the fridge. Shape into meatballs and pat each one a bit so it flattens out.
- Place them on a grill tray and bake for 30 minutes. Flip them over and bake for 15 more minutes.
Notes
- If you are in a hurry, you can shape them immediately without leaving the mixture to rest in the fridge. It might be a bit more difficult to shape though.
- If you don't have a grill tray, you could use an oven dish. Just leave them 5 more minutes in the oven after you flip them over.
Storage
You can store any leftover meatballs in the fridge for the next day. They also freeze well before being cooked. Consume them within 2 months of being frosted.
Nutrition Info (per serving)
I am not a nutritionist. The nutrition information has been calculated using an on-line calculator, and is intended for information and guidance purposes only. If the nutrition information is important to you, you should consider calculating it yourself, using your preferred tool.
