Description
Mediterranean Meatball Stuffed Pitas are packed with juicy herb-seasoned beef meatballs, crisp tomato cucumber salad, and a creamy mint yogurt sauce—all tucked into warm pita pockets. This easy 30-minute dinner is fresh, flavorful, and perfect for busy weeknights.
Ingredients
Scale
For the Tomato Cucumber Salad
- 1 Persian cucumber, thinly sliced
- 6 oz cherry tomatoes, halved
- 1/4 cup red onion, finely chopped
- 1/4 cup red wine vinegar
- 2 tbsp chopped dill
- 1 tsp sugar
- 1 tsp salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
For the Mint Yogurt Sauce
- 1 cup Greek yogurt (or coconut yogurt)
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 2 tbsp lemon juice
- 1 small bunch fresh mint
- 2 tsp honey
- 1/2 tsp salt
For the Meatballs
- 1 lb lean ground beef
- 1/4 cup red onion, finely chopped
- 1/2 cup panko bread crumbs
- 2 tbsp fresh oregano (or 1 tbsp dried)
- 2 tsp thyme (fresh or dried)
- 1 tbsp lemon zest
- 6–8 kalamata olives, pitted and finely chopped
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1–2 tbsp flour (optional, for dusting)
- Oil for pan frying
For Serving
- 4–6 pita pockets, warmed
- Arugula or microgreens
- Optional: crumbled feta, lemon wedges
Instructions
- Make the salad: In a large bowl, toss together cucumber, tomatoes, red onion, red wine vinegar, dill, sugar, salt, and pepper. Refrigerate until ready to serve.
- Make the mint yogurt sauce: Add yogurt, olive oil, lemon juice, mint, honey, and salt to a high-speed blender. Blend until smooth. Set aside.
- Prepare the meatballs: In a large bowl, mix ground beef, red onion, panko, oregano, thyme, lemon zest, chopped olives, and salt. Form into 2-tablespoon-sized meatballs.
- Optional step: Lightly dust meatballs with flour for extra browning.
- Cook the meatballs: Heat a large skillet over medium heat and add enough oil to coat the bottom. When hot, add meatballs and cook 8–10 minutes, turning occasionally, until browned and cooked through (internal temp 160°F). Transfer to a plate.
- Assemble: Stuff each warm pita with greens, tomato cucumber salad, meatballs, and drizzle generously with mint yogurt sauce. Serve immediately.
Notes
- Ground turkey or chicken can be substituted for beef.
- If you don’t have a blender, finely chop the mint and whisk the sauce by hand.
- Store leftovers separately in airtight containers for up to 3–4 days.
- For extra flavor, add crumbled feta or a squeeze of fresh lemon before serving.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Category: Main course
- Method: Pan-fried
- Cuisine: Mediterranean
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 stuffed pita
- Calories: 480 kcal
- Sugar: 7 g
- Sodium: 780 mg
- Fat: 24 g
- Saturated Fat: 8 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 14 g
- Trans Fat: 0.5 g
- Carbohydrates: 40 g
- Fiber: 4 g
- Protein: 28 g
- Cholesterol: 85 mg