Recipes

Spicy Moroccan Lamb Meatballs

October 7, 2020

These spicy Moroccan-inspired lamb meatballs are so tender and so flavorful. Perfect to serve with bread, pasta, rice, or simply eaten by itself!

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This meatball dish is inspired by a lamb meatball appetizer I had at one of my favorite bars. I miss going out with friends and chatting over drinks and apps, so this is my recreation of what I can remember!

It’s a little more tedious than simply throwing raw meatballs into tomato sauce, but these extra steps are what help make them super juicy!

Directions

Preheat your broiler. In a small bowl, add the 1/2 cup panko bread crumbs and 2 tbsp heavy cream. Stir together and set aside to soak while preparing the rest of the meatball mixture.

Roughly chop up 1/2 a large onion and blend it to a pulp. This helps to make the meatballs juicy without having chunks of onion inside.

In a large mixing bowl, add in 1 lb ground lamb, 1 lb ground pork, 1/2 large blended onion, 6 cloves of minced garlic, 2 eggs, 1/2 cup finely-grated Parmesan cheese, 1/4 cup minced fresh parsley, 1 tsp salt, 1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper, 1/2 tsp cumin, 1/2 tsp nutmeg, 1/2 tsp cinnamon, and 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes. Once all the ingredients above are in the bowl, add in the bread crumb and heavy cream mixture.

Use your clean hands to mix the ingredients until evenly combined. Try not to overmix the ingredients.

The mixture should look like this.

Wash your hands and then coat them with oil. Shape mixture with oiled hands into ~24 meatballs (3 tbsp each) and place onto a well-oiled baking sheet.

Do not use parchment paper as I did in the example photos below!!

Place under the broiler on the middle rack of your oven. Cook for 6 minutes, turning the meatballs twice at the 2-minute and 4-minute mark. 

This is what the meatballs should look like after the first 2 minutes.

Turn the meatballs and place them back in the oven.

This is what they will look like after the second 2 minutes.

And then after the last 2 minutes (6 minutes total).

Take the meatballs out of the oven and set aside. Turn off the broiler and turn the oven to 400°F.

Meanwhile, heat up 3 tbsp oil in a skillet over medium heat and add the 1/2 finely diced onion. Cook and stir until the onion is translucent (~5 minutes).

Once translucent, add the 4 minced garlic cloves and cook for another minute.

Add 1 tsp cayenne pepper, 1 tsp red pepper flakes, 1 tsp cumin, 1 tsp dried oregano, 1 tsp dried thyme, 1 tsp sugar, 1 tsp salt, 1/2 tsp freshly cracked black pepper, and 2 bay leaves. Stir until combined and cook for 1 minute.

If you prefer less spicy foods, I suggest adding 1/2 tsp of cayenne pepper instead of a full tsp.

Then, add the large can of crushed tomatoes and bring the sauce up to a gentle boil while stirring occasionally. Add in the 2 tbsp of heavy cream and mix until evenly distributed.

Add the meatballs to the sauce and gently toss until all of them are covered. Pour the meatballs and all of the sauce into a large baking dish or skillet that is oven safe. Bake for 25-30 minutes or until the internal temperature of the meatballs is 160°F and sauce is bubbling.

Top with freshly grated Parmesan cheese and parsley. Serve with bread, pasta, or rice!

Spicy Moroccan Lamb Meatballs

 


AuthorTiffany AngelaCategoryDifficultyIntermediate


These spicy Moroccan-inspired lamb meatballs are so tender and so flavorful. Perfect to serve with bread, pasta, rice, or simply eaten by itself!

Yields6 Servings
Prep Time15 minsCook Time1 hrTotal Time1 hr 15 mins


Meatballs
 1 lb ground lamb
 1 lb ground pork
 ½ large onion, blended
 6 garlic cloves, minced
 2 large eggs
 ½ cup panko bread crumbs
 ½ cup Parmesan cheese, finely-grated
 ¼ cup fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves, minced
 2 tbsp heavy cream
 1 tsp salt
 ½ tsp freshly ground black pepper
 ½ tsp cumin
 ½ tsp nutmeg
 ½ tsp cinnamon
 ¼ tsp red pepper flakes
Tomato Sauce
 28 oz (1 large can) crushed tomatoes
 ½ large onion, finely diced
 4 garlic cloves, minced
 1 tsp cayenne pepper
 1 tsp red pepper flakes
 1 tsp cumin
 1 tsp dried oregano
 1 tsp dried thyme
 1 tsp white granulated sugar
 1 tsp salt
 ½ tsp freshly ground black pepper
 2 bay leaves
 2 tbsp heavy cream
Toppings
 2 tbsp Parmesan cheese, finely-grated
 2 tbsp fresh flat-leaf parsley, minced

Directions
1

Preheat your broiler. In a small bowl, add the 1/2 cup panko bread crumbs and 2 tbsp heavy cream. Stir together and set aside to soak while preparing the rest of the meatball mixture.

2

In a large mixing bowl, add in 1 lb ground lamb, 1 lb ground pork, 1/2 large blended onion, 6 cloves of minced garlic, 2 eggs, 1/2 cup finely-grated Parmesan cheese, 1/4 cup minced fresh parsley, 1 tsp salt, 1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper, 1/2 tsp cumin, 1/2 tsp nutmeg, 1/2 tsp cinnamon, and 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes. Once all the ingredients above are in the bowl, add in the bread crumb and heavy cream mixture. Use your clean hands to mix the ingredients until evenly combined. Try not to overmix the ingredients.

3

Wash your hands and then coat them with oil. Shape mixture with oiled hands into ~24 meatballs (3 tbsp each) and place onto a well-oiled baking sheet.

4

Place under the broiler on the middle rack of your oven. Cook for 6 minutes, turning the meatballs twice at the 2-minute and 4-minute mark. Take the meatballs out of the oven and set aside. Turn off the broiler and turn the oven to 400°F.

5

Meanwhile, heat up 3 tbsp oil in a skillet over medium heat and add the 1/2 finely diced onion. Cook and stir until the onion is translucent (~5 minutes). Once translucent, add the 4 minced garlic cloves and cook for another minute.

6

Add 1 tsp cayenne pepper, 1 tsp red pepper flakes, 1 tsp cumin, 1 tsp dried oregano, 1 tsp dried thyme, 1 tsp sugar, 1 tsp salt, 1/2 tsp freshly cracked black pepper, and 2 bay leaves. Stir until combined and cook for 1 minute. Then, add the large can of crushed tomatoes and bring the sauce up to a gentle boil while stirring occasionally. Add in the 2 tbsp of heavy cream and mix until evenly distributed.

If you prefer less spicy foods, I suggest adding 1/2 tsp of cayenne pepper instead of a full tsp.

7

Add the meatballs to the sauce and gently toss until all of them are covered. Pour the meatballs and all of the sauce into a large baking dish or skillet that is oven safe. Bake for 25-30 minutes or until the internal temperature of the meatballs is 160°F and sauce is bubbling.

8

Top with freshly grated Parmesan cheese and parsley. Serve with bread, pasta, or rice!

Ingredients

Meatballs
 1 lb ground lamb
 1 lb ground pork
 ½ large onion, blended
 6 garlic cloves, minced
 2 large eggs
 ½ cup panko bread crumbs
 ½ cup Parmesan cheese, finely-grated
 ¼ cup fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves, minced
 2 tbsp heavy cream
 1 tsp salt
 ½ tsp freshly ground black pepper
 ½ tsp cumin
 ½ tsp nutmeg
 ½ tsp cinnamon
 ¼ tsp red pepper flakes
Tomato Sauce
 28 oz (1 large can) crushed tomatoes
 ½ large onion, finely diced
 4 garlic cloves, minced
 1 tsp cayenne pepper
 1 tsp red pepper flakes
 1 tsp cumin
 1 tsp dried oregano
 1 tsp dried thyme
 1 tsp white granulated sugar
 1 tsp salt
 ½ tsp freshly ground black pepper
 2 bay leaves
 2 tbsp heavy cream
Toppings
 2 tbsp Parmesan cheese, finely-grated
 2 tbsp fresh flat-leaf parsley, minced

Directions

Directions
1

Preheat your broiler. In a small bowl, add the 1/2 cup panko bread crumbs and 2 tbsp heavy cream. Stir together and set aside to soak while preparing the rest of the meatball mixture.

2

In a large mixing bowl, add in 1 lb ground lamb, 1 lb ground pork, 1/2 large blended onion, 6 cloves of minced garlic, 2 eggs, 1/2 cup finely-grated Parmesan cheese, 1/4 cup minced fresh parsley, 1 tsp salt, 1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper, 1/2 tsp cumin, 1/2 tsp nutmeg, 1/2 tsp cinnamon, and 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes. Once all the ingredients above are in the bowl, add in the bread crumb and heavy cream mixture. Use your clean hands to mix the ingredients until evenly combined. Try not to overmix the ingredients.

3

Wash your hands and then coat them with oil. Shape mixture with oiled hands into ~24 meatballs (3 tbsp each) and place onto a well-oiled baking sheet.

4

Place under the broiler on the middle rack of your oven. Cook for 6 minutes, turning the meatballs twice at the 2-minute and 4-minute mark. Take the meatballs out of the oven and set aside. Turn off the broiler and turn the oven to 400°F.

5

Meanwhile, heat up 3 tbsp oil in a skillet over medium heat and add the 1/2 finely diced onion. Cook and stir until the onion is translucent (~5 minutes). Once translucent, add the 4 minced garlic cloves and cook for another minute.

6

Add 1 tsp cayenne pepper, 1 tsp red pepper flakes, 1 tsp cumin, 1 tsp dried oregano, 1 tsp dried thyme, 1 tsp sugar, 1 tsp salt, 1/2 tsp freshly cracked black pepper, and 2 bay leaves. Stir until combined and cook for 1 minute. Then, add the large can of crushed tomatoes and bring the sauce up to a gentle boil while stirring occasionally. Add in the 2 tbsp of heavy cream and mix until evenly distributed.

If you prefer less spicy foods, I suggest adding 1/2 tsp of cayenne pepper instead of a full tsp.

7

Add the meatballs to the sauce and gently toss until all of them are covered. Pour the meatballs and all of the sauce into a large baking dish or skillet that is oven safe. Bake for 25-30 minutes or until the internal temperature of the meatballs is 160°F and sauce is bubbling.

8

Top with freshly grated Parmesan cheese and parsley. Serve with bread, pasta, or rice!

Spicy Moroccan Lamb Meatballs

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