When I went to Greece on vacation last year, at one of the restaurants we went to we decided to skip having a main course and we ordered a bunch of mezes or appetizers to share. Among the appetizers were of course some of the classics including tzatziki (a Greek cucumber salad), melitzanosalata (a Greek roasted eggplant salad) and a few others. The one that really caught my attention however was the zucchini balls otherwise know as kolokythokeftedes. They were like meatballs only made with zucchini along with some herbs and feta. They were perfectly round, golden brown, slightly crispy on the outside and warm, soft, moist and tasty on the inside. The zucchini balls were so good and luckily I got to have a lot of them as many at the table passed on them when they heard that they were made with zucchini.
I had been meaning to try making the kolokithokeftedes at home for a while and now that zucchini season is running out it was time to get to making them. I pretty much just started with the recipe that I used for my Greek style zucchini fritters and modified it slightly for the zucchini balls. Where the zucchini fritters could be fairly liquidy and even be poured into the pan to fry the zucchini balls needed to be able to hold their form so I kept adding equal parts whole wheat flour and whole wheat bread crumbs until the mixture could hold the form of a ball. I also added a splash of ouzo to the batter to add a hint of anise that would add that something special that you just can’t quite put your finger on. Despite the fact that my skills at forming perfect balls falls a bit short, the zucchini balls tasted great! I served them with some tzatziki to dip them in and they made a really nice snack. They would also make for a nice light meal. It is always fun trying to recreate dishes that you remember fondly from another time!
Kolokythokeftedes (Zucchini and Feta Balls)
Zucchini, feta and plenty of fresh herbs rolled into balls and fried until light and crispy and golden brown! These zucchini balls are a great appetizer and can be served with tzatziki or marina sauce for dipping.
ingredients
- 2 cups zucchini, grated and squeezed
- 1/4 cup of feta, crumbled
- 1 splash ouzo (optional)
- 1 clove garlic, chopped
- 2 green onions, sliced
- 1 handful herbs (such as mint, dill and parsley), chopped
- 1 egg, lightly beaten
- salt and pepper to taste
- ~1/2 cup flour (I used whole wheat)
- breadcrumbs (I use whole wheat)
- oil for frying
directions
- Mix the zucchini, feta, ouzo, garlic, green onion, herbs and egg and season with salt and pepper.
- Mix in enough flour and breadcrumbs that you can work with the mixture to form balls.
- Form the mixture into balls and dust in flour.
- Fry in oil until golden brown and set aside to cool.
Kolokithopita (Greek Zucchini Pie)
Greek Style Zucchini Fritters
Zucchini and Feta Quiche with a Brown Rice Crust
Roasted Red Pepper and Feta Fritters
Greek Style Zucchini Salad
Ntomatokeftedes (Greek Tomato and Feta Fritters)
Sriracha Teriyaki Chicken Meatballs
Blueberry Zucchini Pancakes
Honey Lemon Zucchini Pancakes
Linda says
September 18, 2009 at 1:23 amWOW, those look great. I'd just hate to have to say the name to save my life!!
Formosan at Heart says
September 18, 2009 at 1:50 amWhat's the sauce in the middle?
Kevin says
September 18, 2009 at 2:04 amFormosan at Heart: That is a tzatziki sauce in the middle.
screwdestiny says
September 18, 2009 at 2:11 amI'm *still* trying to figure out how to pronounce it, but those look awesome!
Divina Pe says
September 18, 2009 at 2:15 amKevin, that's an awesome appetizer.
Lisa says
September 18, 2009 at 2:21 amI have never had these before but they look SO delicious.
Melissa says
September 18, 2009 at 2:41 amThough zucchini and I generally don't agree so well, I'm really quite intrigued by these…I'll have to give it a go!
renee says
September 18, 2009 at 3:25 amsounds great ! i'm going to have to try these!!
Nina Timm says
September 18, 2009 at 3:29 amIf I was at that table with you, you would have had stiff competition eating all the Kolokythokeftedes.They look amazing!!!
Erika says
September 18, 2009 at 3:40 amI made the roasted portobello mushroom salad but I served it alongside achiote (mexican spice) chicken. The salad was amazing!!! And I am a novice in the kitchen, but this recipe was easy to follow! thank you and thanks to Daily Candy which is how I found out about the blog.
Rosa's Yummy Yums says
September 18, 2009 at 5:01 amA scrumptious Greek dish! Yummy!
Cheers,
Rosa
Jan says
September 18, 2009 at 6:29 amYep along with most people, I wont attempt to say it either lol. But they look delish!
Joanne says
September 18, 2009 at 10:15 amMezes are the best. They are my favorite part of Greek meals! Love the feta and zucchini.
TasteMyPlate says
September 18, 2009 at 12:17 pmLove your blog….I'm alwasy drooling when I read it :))
These look fantestic!
Anncoo says
September 18, 2009 at 12:59 pmThis is perfect and looks nice to eat!
foododelmundo says
September 18, 2009 at 1:27 pmOh MY – these look tremendous! You really have outdone yourself this season with the zucchini!
~ Mary
♥peachkins♥ says
September 18, 2009 at 1:36 pmlooks like a great meal to me..
Natalie says
September 18, 2009 at 2:43 pmThese look so delicious! I wish I had one right now, I feel like I can actually taste the crispy texture just by looking at the picture.
This is a great idea for all my extra zucchini!
oneordinaryday says
September 18, 2009 at 4:57 pmThese look fabulous. Great photo too, as always!
lisa says
September 18, 2009 at 5:54 pmThese look fantastic! The splash of ouzo sounds great.
teresa says
September 18, 2009 at 6:20 pmoooh, they're so pretty, i love trying new things like this. do you think these could be baked?
we had your corn and zucchini quesadillas the other day, they were a total hit, thanks!
Tammy says
September 18, 2009 at 6:32 pmGorgeous photograph! I love the sound of Zucchini and Feta Balls; they would make a lovely replacement for run-of-the-mill appetizers. Now…if I could only figure out how to pronounce the name of the dish….
Kerstin says
September 18, 2009 at 8:29 pmHow could people pass on these, they look SOO good?! I like trying to recreate dishes I've had on vacation too!
easy-salad-recipe.com says
March 1, 2012 at 10:22 amTry the google translator. It will pronounce it for you.
Dawn says
September 18, 2009 at 8:51 pmgood Lord Kevin I'm going to have to start blocking your updates! you just kill me. you have the best ideas around, the best.
Lydia (The Perfect Pantry) says
September 18, 2009 at 9:45 pmGreat way to use up both the zucchini and the last of the herbs in the garden. I could make a meal of these.
Chris says
September 18, 2009 at 9:50 pmMan, those look "to die for". I've had and made the plain keftedes before but these look two notches up.
Chris says
September 18, 2009 at 9:55 pmI just copied the recipe to try. I had to come back to comment on the photo too, excellent job.
Meg Kat says
September 18, 2009 at 10:07 pmmmm, those look addictive!
Mary says
September 18, 2009 at 10:28 pmHow unusual!. I've never seen them before but they look and sound delicious.
Paula says
September 18, 2009 at 10:39 pmWow, that's an upscale zucchini patty! Impressive name, too! YUM!
Kristin says
September 19, 2009 at 1:51 amYUM!!! Feta is my favorite and I've been experimenting
with it with different vegetables. These look amazing!!!!
isa says
September 19, 2009 at 5:55 amThese looks delicious!
I just discovered your blog and I love it!
StefanieB says
September 19, 2009 at 10:06 pmI always laugh because I usually go through flickr and see what's new and a couple pictures catch my eye then I go and see what you have updated on your blog and low and behold a couple of the pictures on flickr I liked are yours (I just don't pay attention to who posted them).
Elra says
September 20, 2009 at 12:02 amThis zuke fritter look so good Kevin. Can't really pronounce the name, but it looks superb!
Jeannine says
September 20, 2009 at 12:22 amHi! I just made these and YUM! It was a quick easy recipe as long as you have a Cuisinart. Look forward to making several that I have printed out.
Pam says
September 20, 2009 at 2:07 amWhat a great idea for using up the ever-present zucchini.
Olga says
September 20, 2009 at 8:38 pmThose look great! my dad makes zucchini latkes, but I love the addition of feta in your recipe.
f44444444f says
September 21, 2009 at 10:45 pmMade these last night (and so did 2 other people from my work after I showed them the blog) they were great! I failed at making actual balls. Next time I'll try the fritter version of the recipe.
Ninette says
September 22, 2009 at 1:16 amThese look fantastic!
Kate @ Savour Fare says
September 23, 2009 at 12:19 amThese look terrific. My zucchini fritter recipe is similar (also incorporated feta) so I'd love to try the balls.
A & W says
September 29, 2009 at 9:01 pmOh yummm, I love zucchini, will have to make these before the fresh zucchini is gone!
Noelle says
September 30, 2009 at 3:59 amThanks for the recipe! I made them tonight and loved them! My husband does not even like zucchini and I convinced him with these!
Shalee says
October 6, 2009 at 6:15 amI do not need to know how to pronounce the name of these zuke balls to know that they are fantastic! I had something similar in either Northern Africa or Morrocco, although I am not certain they incorporated Feta. They were found on one of our "street" food ventures while market shopping, so I never had the oppotunity to watch them being made.
So happy you shared this most splendid recipe! I have 10 zukes sitting on the counter from harvest, and I will be making these tomorrow (hoping to freeze a few ~ any ideas on that would be great, i.e. before frying, after frying, or partially frying would be great). Also, what is your preferred oil for frying these?
Awesome blog, and am so happy to have found it ~ love your ideas and recipes!
Peace 😉
Kevin says
October 7, 2009 at 9:26 pmShalee: I had not thought about freezing these. It might be best to just freeze the grated squeezed/drained zucchini and make the batter and cook them after it thaws. I tend to use corn oil for frying things like these zucchini balls.
ElizabethUebler says
October 12, 2009 at 9:40 pm1 word… YUM! I tried these this weekend and they were fantastic. I have become a fan of your blog and visit it daily! Thanks for sharting such yummy ideas!
Diana Moutsopoulos says
October 15, 2009 at 10:47 pmthese look absolutely amazing – i cannot wait to try them!
Olivia says
October 21, 2009 at 8:49 pmYum, I just finished making these and they are delicious! I didn't have fresh herbs so I used dried and I didn't want to deep fry so I baked them (at 400 for twenty minutes on each side) and wow, they are so good… Thanks for the recipe!
terrid614 says
October 25, 2009 at 5:57 pmhi kevin~what is OUZO? (recipe says a splash?) maybe i am having blonde moment?
Kevin says
October 25, 2009 at 11:40 pmterrid614: Ouzo is a Greek anise-flavored spirit. You could easily leave it out or replace it with another anise-flavored spirit.
Candace says
October 30, 2009 at 3:22 pmBalking at zucchini? Heavens! It's the most benign gourd! Oh well their loss and your gain. These look and sound terrific! I'll have to give them a go!
Kathleen says
November 7, 2009 at 10:40 pmjust made this. left out the ouzo (Because that doesn't exist where i live and if it did, it would cost a small fortune). i also used queso fresco instead of feta because that's what i had on hand. DELICIOUS! just slightly mushy, but i think i didn't fry them enough or squeeze enough liquid out of the zucchini.
Blender Benefits says
December 21, 2009 at 2:24 pmTHese look great. I'm going to attempt to make these for our New Years party this year. Thanks!
swedzfish says
January 13, 2010 at 3:22 pmI love all your recipes!You are awesome!
Super Angie says
February 15, 2010 at 3:47 amI made these tonight for our Valentine's Day appetizer. Very good. We didn't have any yogurt for the tzatziki sauce, so we used ranch dressing. Does that make us tacky Americans? 🙂
Raw_Girl says
December 17, 2010 at 2:45 pmGod – that looks sooo delish!!!!
You are a genius, Kevin.
Sherlly says
June 21, 2011 at 3:12 pmI made this yesterday with the tzatziki (without the cucumber) and it was really delicious! I didn't have parsley or ouzo and i hope it didn't make much of a difference. The dish was super good. Thanks for the recipe!
Kristin says
August 18, 2011 at 5:25 pmI LOVE your blog, happened onto it through pinterest and bookmarked it. We must have the same tastebuds. My list of recipes to try just grew incredibly long! Thanks!
dona says
September 6, 2011 at 3:29 pmwonder if these would hold together as patties- for a light lunch that could get put in pitas with tatziki,salad,etc. sort of pan fry them in possibly not that much oil..
Tis the season….
Kevin says
September 6, 2011 at 11:23 pmdona: I do a patty or a fritter version of these here: Greek Style Zucchini Fritters
Elle (thewaybyelle.blogspot.com) says
November 29, 2011 at 10:04 pmThese sound delicious! The recipe is similar to my zucchini patty recipe, but I never would have thought to put the feta cheese in them. What a yummy addition!
Kristina @ ReMadeSimple says
January 26, 2012 at 5:48 pmI want to make this you are making my mouth water. I'm a new follower!
Amy Brocato Pearson says
February 29, 2012 at 10:46 pmDo you know what temperature the oil was for frying?
Kevin says
March 2, 2012 at 11:34 amAmy Brocato Pearson: The oil temperature should be at around 350-365F for frying.
Amy T says
March 6, 2012 at 2:56 pmdo you think we can bake these? I hate the smell of frying anything..I feel like I'm wearing it for days.
Kevin says
March 8, 2012 at 11:29 amAmy T: Although I have not tried it, you should be able to bake these. I would probably go with a panko bread crumb coating to increase the crunchiness of the outside in this case.
Anonymous says
July 1, 2012 at 6:04 pmI just got back from Greece last month and we did the same you did (ordering a lot of appetizers) and these were my FAVORITE! I've been searching for the name and how to make them. Thank you!
Rachel says
July 4, 2012 at 4:09 pmAnother amazing recipe! I made these today and they are so delicious.
Fern @ To Food With Love says
July 8, 2012 at 11:34 amThese look fantastic and I can't wait to make them soon! Thanks for the recipe!
Anonymous says
July 10, 2012 at 10:54 pmCould you think of times and temp if you wanted to Bake instead of fry??
Kevin says
July 10, 2012 at 11:13 pmAnonymous: 400F should be about right.
Pynk says
August 9, 2012 at 5:43 amAbsolutely delicious recipe! I used basil leaves in it but I would love to try it with mint next. =]
Amanda says
December 17, 2012 at 9:16 amI've been trying to look at a few of your recipes and a big square keeps popping up that doesn't have anything on it and there's no way to dismiss it. I have to refresh and that gets ridiculously annoying.
Any idea what it is?
Kevin says
December 17, 2012 at 11:50 amAmanda: Sorry about the popup problems! I am not seeing it but I will try to track it down and disable it. It might be a region specific ad campaign.
Anonymous says
January 4, 2013 at 1:54 amYour recipes have reached me in western australia
and I have been delighted with all I have tried. Thanks, good on you Mate!
Lindsay says
February 2, 2013 at 5:39 pmI know this says it yields about 4 servings, but about how many balls total is that? Thx! Can't wait to try this for superbowl.
Dear Maria says
June 16, 2013 at 10:00 pmJust wanted to share how much I love your blog. I have found several recipes to use and that is wonderful!
Sierra Jaydli says
October 10, 2013 at 12:25 amSo today I made the zucchini and feta balls in class as a lab for Greece, and let me tell you! They are amazing! Sure they look interesting but totally recommend!!!! 😀 especially with like cottage cheese as a dipping with some spices thrown in. At least that's what I did!!! 😀 enjoy!
Myrodia says
November 27, 2013 at 2:58 pmhello, Kevin! i love your blog and i really really like the fact that, being Greek, while i browsed through your greek/greek-inspired recipes, i discovered that you do a really good job interpreting the ingredients and cooking style! i know i'm being picky many times when i look at foreign blogs and see that their "greek" recipes seem very far from the original, but that certainly isn't the case here, so thank you very much 🙂
all the ranting aside, i just wanted to clarify the kolokythokeftedes pronunciation problem!
You see, this is a composite word, consisting of the words "kolokythi" (κολοκύθι = zucchini) and "keftedes" (κεφτέδες = food balls), so the right pronunciation would be ko-lo-ki-tho-ke-ftE-des, with the "th" in "tho" being from the letter "Θ" so it gets pronounced like in "thatch" and not in "the"! i really do hope i clarified this 🙂
kevin says
November 27, 2013 at 3:20 pmMyrodia: I am a big fan of Greek cuisine and I like to try to keep the recipes as authentic as possible! Thanks for pointing out the spelling error! I have fixed it! 🙂
Myrodia says
November 27, 2013 at 11:54 pmno, no, your spelling was correct!! it was indeed "kolokythokeftedes" i just wrote it with an "i" so as to clarify it phonetically! you see, the letter "Υ, υ" when translated in english is written as "Y, y" but still is pronounced as the english "i" or "ee" (i really hope i can get my point across) just like in my name, for example, the "My" is pronounced "Mi"… did i get you all confused? i'm sorry, i'm not really good at explaining, i hope i didn't muddle things instead!
kevin says
November 28, 2013 at 12:08 amMyrodia: Ah, I see what you mean now!
Anonymous says
January 18, 2014 at 9:10 pmKevin,
Do you think it would be possible to fry these in an Actifry?
Thanks.
Mike.
kevin says
January 18, 2014 at 9:27 pmMike: I have not had a chance to try out an Actifry yet but it should work!
Laura C. says
August 14, 2014 at 9:13 amKevin, I have only recently found this blog and love it! I spend all summer in Greece and of course love the food. My lovely Greek neighbour made me something similar but with the filling in filo pastry, lovely. So I tried your recipe and they turned out just great. Love being here in the summer with such an abundance of fresh vegetables and fruits to choose from.
Anonymous says
September 7, 2014 at 11:33 amCan you baked these?
kevin says
September 23, 2014 at 7:15 amAnonymous: Yes these can be baked at say 400F for 20 minutes turning half way through.
Dana C. says
October 3, 2014 at 5:47 amDid you deep fry or pan fry these?
kevin says
October 3, 2014 at 5:15 pmDana C.: I normally pan fry them but you could also deep fry them or even bake them.
Amy says
January 20, 2016 at 12:16 amoops. ate the whole batch myself. 😀
kevin says
January 20, 2016 at 1:36 pmAmy: I do that all the time as well! 🙂
ErYkah says
August 5, 2017 at 5:02 pmDelicious!! Just made them with a cottage cheese based tzaziki. Best recipe I've made in a while, thanks! Just one comment, there's no wishing listed for bread crumbs.
kevin says
August 7, 2017 at 11:05 pmErYkah: I'm glad you like it! Love the sound of a cottage cheese style tzatziki!