This is one of those recipes that may make you sigh audibly when you take that first bite. I know I did. It’s hard to believe something so delicious and flavorful is also so easy to make! These Moroccan meatballs have such a wonderful balance of flavors – warm, slightly spicy, and super fragrant, with the sweetness of the tomatoes and raisins and bright fresh lime juice and herbs stirred in at the end. And the texture of the meatballs is perfect– browned and crispy on the outside, and moist and fluffy on the inside. This recipe was inspired by Evi Aki’s North African Meatballs in her cookbook, Flavors of Africa (the food blogger at Ev’s Eats).
Ingredients and Substitutions
Ground Lamb – ground beef can also be used, or a combo. I recommend going high fat here, but if you want a healthier option you can use lean ground beef or even ground turkey or chicken.Ras el Hanout – this is a Moroccan spice blend you can buy in many grocery stores on online. See below for how to make it yourself with spices you probably already have!Onion and garlicPlain breadcrumbs – panko or regular are both fine, or you can use 2 slices of white bread crumbled up with the crusts removed.Milk – plant-based milk is fine or even water in a pinch.EggCanned diced tomatoes – crushed would work too.Chicken stockRaisins – or another sweet dried fruit, such as currants, chopped apricots, or chopped datesCilantro – or parsley.Lime juice – or lemon juiceCooked rice, quinoa, or couscous for servingPantry essentials- kosher salt and extra-virgin olive oil.
How to make Moroccan Meatballs
First, make the meatball mixture. Mix together some finely diced onion, breadcrumbs, milk, egg, salt, and Ras el Hanout. Add the lamb and combine (using your hands is best to ensure it’s fully combined).Then, brown the meatballs. In a large skillet, heat some olive oil. Then form round meatballs (I like using a cookie scoop for this) and place them in the skillet. Brown for a couple of minutes, then flip and brown for a couple more. Remove to a plate.In the same skillet, make the sauce. Sauté some more onion and add garlic and more Ras el Hanout. Then, add the diced tomatoes, raisins, and chicken broth. Bring to a simmer.Add the meatballs back to the sauce. Simmer uncovered for about 10 minutes, allowing the sauce to reduce and thicken and the meatballs to fully cook.Finally, turn off the heat and stir in some chopped fresh cilantro and/or parsley and lime juice. Season to taste with more salt if needed. Serve!
Where can I buy Ras el Hanout?
You can probably find Ras el Hanout, the warm and fragrant spice mixture that makes these Moroccan Lamb Meatballs extra special, at a specialty grocery store. Unfortunately, I wasn’t able to find it in the grocery store in my town (H-E-B). You can also find Ras el Hanout online. But don’t worry- you can easily make your own!
How do I make my own Ras el Hanout?
For this recipe, simply mix together:
1/2 tablespoon ground cumin, ground coriander, and ground ginger1/2 teaspoon each black pepper and ground cinnamon1/4 teaspoon each ground allspice and cayenne pepper
This will yield the two tablespoons necessary for these Moroccan lamb meatballs. You can easily double, triple, or quadruple these amounts to make it in batch and store for other recipes. Here’s more on how to make Ras el Hanout – I recommend making a big batch to keep in your pantry because you’re going to want to put it on EVERYTHING.
Other Moroccan-Inspired Recipes
Moroccan Butternut Squash, Chickpea, and Spinach StewMoroccan Roasted Butternut SquashSlow Cooker Moroccan ChickenMoroccan Couscous
Other easy meatball recipes
Keftedes (Greek Meatballs) with herb butterEasy Baked all-beef MeatballsSpaghetti and MeatballsPaleo Greek MeatballsGluten-free Harissa Meatballs
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