Moroccan-Inspired Meatball Recipe
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.
Servings: 4 Servings
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
- ½ teaspoon ground ginger
- ½ 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 ½ teaspoon of red pepper flakes
For the Meatballs
- 2 pounds ground beef
- 2 teaspoons sea salt
- ¼ cup fresh parsley chopped
- 4 cloves garlic grated
- ½ teaspoon Aleppo pepper flakes or ¼ teaspoon of red pepper flakes
For Garnish
- Plain Greek yogurt
- 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
- ¼ cup fresh mint leaves lightly torn
- ¼ 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 1” 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!
Notes
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 (Culina’s plain option is our very favorite).
- Swap (or nix) the aleppo pepper flakes: don’t worry if you can’t find aleppo pepper flakes! Sub them for red pepper flakes (½ teaspoon for the sauce and ¼ teaspoon for the meatballs). If you’re sensitive to spice, omit the aleppo pepper flakes altogether!
- Toast the spices - don’t skip this step, y’all! Not only will toasting your spices make your house smell delightful, but it’ll 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.
- Don’t skip the garnishes - although the meatballs (and sauce) are unbelievably delicious, the garnishes really MAKE this dish! Don’t skip them!
Nutrition
Calories: 749kcal | Carbohydrates: 27.9g | Protein: 53g | Fat: 49.1g | Saturated Fat: 15.4g | Cholesterol: 160mg | Sodium: 2908.9mg | Fiber: 8.3g | Sugar: 12.4g