A more stunning meatball dinner has never been so easy! These meatballs are made with vibrant Moroccan-inspired flavors, cook right in the sauce, and if you plate them with the yogurt, mint, crushed almonds, and lemon, you are going to feel like an all-star gourmet chef.
If you’re looking for more meatball recipes, we’ve got you! These ground chicken meatballs are incredibly versatile and delicious, these ground turkey meatballs are perfect tossed in marinara and served over noodles, and these pepperoni pizza meatballs make for the yummiest appetizer.
Moroccan Meatballs
These meatballs, inspired by the bold and vibrant flavors in Moroccan cuisine, are an absolute showstopper. Warming spices are lightly toasted, a simple red sauce is stirred in, garlicky meatballs cook directly in the sauce, and then (if you choose to follow our lead), the sauce and meatballs are spooned over a generous smear of greek yogurt that’s drizzled with fresh olive oil and dusted with mint, lemon zest, lemon juice, pepper flakes, and crushed almonds.
That may be the longest sentence I’ve ever written and I’m not sorry. These meatballs are worth it.
If you don’t want to serve them over the yogurt with a pita, these would also be great over rice or even with a baked potato.
Moroccan Meatballs Ingredients
The list may look long at first glance, but everything on it is really simple and easily accessible! Hereโs everything youโll need:
For the Sauce
- 1 tablespoon of extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 small onion
- 4 cloves of garlic, minced
- 1 teaspoon of sea salt
- 2 tablespoons of paprika
- 1 tablespoon of ground turmeric
- 1 tablespoon of ground cumin
- ยฝ teaspoon of ground ginger
- ยฝ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 28 ounces of crushed tomatoes
- 1 tablespoon of fresh lemon juice
- 1 cup of broth
- 1 teaspoon of Aleppo pepper flakes (or ยฝ teaspoon of red pepper flakes)
For the Meatballs
- 2 pounds of ground beef
- 2 teaspoons of sea salt
- ยผ cup of fresh chopped parsley
- 4 cloves of garlic, grated
- ยฝ teaspoon of Aleppo flakes to meatballs (or ยผ teaspoon of red pepper flakes)
For Garnish
- Plain Greek yogurt
- 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
- ยผ cup fresh mint, leaves lightly torn to garnish
- ยผ cup crushed almonds
- 2 tablespoons fresh parsley, finely chopped
- Lemon zest from one lemon
- Flaky sea salt
- Crushed black pepper
Ingredient Variations and Modifications
- Make it dairy-free: to make these meatballs dairy-free, simply swap the plain Greek yogurt for a thick dairy-free yogurt (Culinaโs plain option is our very favorite).
- Swap (or nix) the aleppo pepper flakes: donโt worry if you canโt find aleppo pepper flakes! Sub them for red pepper flakes (ยฝ teaspoon for the sauce and ยผ teaspoon for the meatballs). If youโre sensitive to spice, omit the aleppo pepper flakes altogether!
Spices for Moroccan Meatballs
These meatballs (and the sauce) are so wonderfully spiced! Theyโre loaded with all of the Moroccan spices โ paprika, turmeric, cumin, ginger, and cinnamon โ giving them the most incredible depth of flavor.
How To Make Moroccan Meatballs on The Stove
- Saute the onion and garlic – heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Add in the diced onion and minced garlic and saute for 5 minutes until the onions are translucent and the garlic is fragrant.
- Add the spices – add the spices to the onion and garlic and toss to coat. Toast the onions in the pot for 1 minute.
- Add the tomatoes, lemon juice, and broth – add the crushed tomatoes, lemon juice, and broth to the pot and stir to combine. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to a simmer.
- Make the meatballs – while the sauce is coming to a boil, make the meatballs by combining the ground beef, salt, parsley, Aleppo flakes, and garlic into a bowl. Use a #40 scoop to form your meatballs (or roll 1โ meatballs).
- Simmer the meatballs – gently drop the meatballs into the simmering sauce. Partially cover the pot and keep at a gentle simmer for 45 minutes.
- Garnish, serve, and enjoy – serve over a spread of Greek yogurt with a drizzle of olive oil, fresh mint, crushed almonds, freshly chopped parsley, lemon zest, salt, and pepper. Enjoy!
A Few Tips for These Meatballs
This recipe is pretty straightforward, but if youโre looking for tips and tricks, weโve got you!
- Toast the spices – donโt skip this step, yโall! Not only will toasting your spices make your house smell delightful, but itโll also really enhance their flavor.
- Make the meatballs while the sauce is heating – to be extra efficient, make the meatballs while the sauce is coming to a boil.
- Donโt skip the garnishes – although the meatballs (and sauce) are unbelievably delicious, the garnishes really MAKE this dish! Donโt skip them!
How to Serve Moroccan Meatballs
This dish may seem super fancy and the โstylingโ (how we plated it for the photos) may feel unattainable, but I promise that itโs actually REALLY simple.
To serve your Moroccan meatballs: add a dollop or two of Greek yogurt to your plate, and using the back of a spoon, smear it so that it spreads out a bit on the plate. Drizzle some extra-virgin olive oil over the yogurt, then place your meatballs (with as much sauce as you want) on top of the yogurt, and finish with mint leaves, fresh parsley, crushed almonds, lemon zest, flaky sea salt, coarse ground black pepper, and allepo pepper flakes (if you want some extra spice). Add some toasted pita bread, serve over rice, or for a lower carb option, eat as is!
How to Store and Reheat
Store any leftover meatballs in the refrigerator in an airtight container with the sauce. Store leftover yogurt and other garnishes separately.
To reheat your meatballs, simply microwave them for a minute or so or heat them in a pot on the stovetop over medium heat until warmed through. Then add the yogurt to your plate, followed by the meatballs, and top with leftover garnishes!
Moroccan Meatballs FAQs
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Beef Recipes
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Moroccan-Inspired Meatball Recipe
Ingredients
For the Sauce
- 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 small onion diced
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
- 2 tablespoons paprika
- 1 tablespoon ground turmeric
- 1 tablespoon ground cumin
- ยฝ teaspoon ground ginger
- ยฝ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 28 ounces canned crushed tomatoes
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
- 1 cup broth chicken or beef
- 1 teaspoon Aleppo pepper flakes or ยฝ teaspoon of red pepper flakes
For the Meatballs
- 2 pounds ground beef
- 2 teaspoons sea salt
- ยผ cup fresh parsley chopped
- 4 cloves garlic grated
- ยฝ teaspoon Aleppo pepper flakes or ยผ teaspoon of red pepper flakes
For Garnish
- Plain Greek yogurt
- 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
- ยผ cup fresh mint leaves lightly torn
- ยผ cup crushed almonds
- 2 tablespoons fresh parsley finely chopped
- Lemon zest from one lemon
- Flaky sea salt
Instructions
- Heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Add in the diced onion and minced garlic and saute for 5 minutes until the onions are translucent and the garlic is fragrant.
- Add the spices to the onion and garlic and toss to coat. Toast the onions in the pot for 1 minute.
- Add the crushed tomatoes, lemon juice, and broth to the pot and stir to combine. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to a simmer.
- While the sauce is coming to a boil, make the meatballs by combining the ground beef, salt, parsley, Aleppo flakes, and garlic into a bowl. Use a #40 scoop to form your meatballs (or roll 1โ meatballs).
- Gently drop the meatballs into the simmering sauce. Partially cover the pot and keep at a gentle simmer for 45 minutes.
- Serve over a spread of Greek yogurt with a drizzle of olive oil, fresh mint, crushed almonds, freshly chopped parsley, lemon zest, salt, and pepper. Enjoy!
Recipe Notes
- Make it dairy-free: to make these meatballs dairy-free, simply swap the plain Greek yogurt for a thick dairy-free yogurt (Culinaโs plain option is our very favorite).
- Swap (or nix) the aleppo pepper flakes: donโt worry if you canโt find aleppo pepper flakes! Sub them for red pepper flakes (ยฝ teaspoon for the sauce and ยผ teaspoon for the meatballs). If youโre sensitive to spice, omit the aleppo pepper flakes altogether!
- Toast the spices – donโt skip this step, yโall! Not only will toasting your spices make your house smell delightful, but itโll also really enhance their flavor.
- Make the meatballs while the sauce is heating – to be extra efficient, make the meatballs while the sauce is coming to a boil.
- Donโt skip the garnishes – although the meatballs (and sauce) are unbelievably delicious, the garnishes really MAKE this dish! Donโt skip them!
Would this be good with half beef and half lamb?
Yes!!
Made these this weekend for my MIL birthday. Everyone loved this recipe including my 1 yo. I made pitas and roasted cauliflower to go with it. Highly recommend!
That’s awesome, Corey – thank you so much for sharing! This is one of my very favorite recipes too. Cassy knocked it out of the park!
YUM! I made these tonight and served them with hummus, feta and GF pita bread (from Costco!). I also roasted some cauliflower and had that as the perfect side dish. It was so good! The sauce is super flavorful and this recipe is so easy to make. We have a good amount left over too, which I love. ALSO my toddler approved of this meal which means we will for sure be making it again!
Wahoo!! That’s amazing, Annette. Thank you so much for taking the time to share this with us!
This recipe was so good! Served with rice and roasted curry cauliflower โค๏ธ
YUM! This is one of my very favorite recipes! Thanks so much for sharing, Sophie.