moroccan meatballs
Ingredients
- 1 small slice bread toasted and soaked in water or milk until soft
- 1 1/4 lb ground beef lean or ground lamb or a mixture of both
- 1 small red onion grated
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- a small handful cilantro fresh, chopped
- 2 1/2 to 3 tsp about 5 to 6g Ras El Hanout spice blend
- 1/2 tsp about .87g ginger ground
- 1/2 tsp about .88g cayenne more if you enjoy spicy
- salt and pepper
- 3 tbs about 42ml extra virgin olive oil
Shaved Carrot Salad
- 4 carrots peeled (I used rainbow carrots of different colors, but any carrots work here)
- 3 tbs about 48ml orange juice
- extra virgin olive oil
- salt and pepper
- a handful of mint leaves fresh, torn (about 5 or 6 large leaves)
Other Sides to Serve
- cherry tomatoes halved
- shallots or onions thinly sliced
- parley fresh
- olives marinated
- Tztazili sauce or Greek yogurt
- pita pockets or flatbread of your choice
Instructions
- Make the shaved carrot salad first. Using a peeler, go ahead and peel the carrots into ribbons (or you can slice the carrots very thin sticks.) Place carrots and the remaining carrot salad ingredients into a bowl. Toss by hand to combine. Set aside or in the fridge for now.
- If making other fresh sides to serve along, prepare those as well, and save in the fridge. Toss the cherry tomatoes and onions with a little olive oil and lemon juice, if you like, and season with salt and pepper. Save in the fridge.
- If using, prepare Tzatziki sauce per this recipe; plain Greek yogurt is fine too. Save in the fridge for later.
- Prepare a meatball mixture. Squeeze any liquid out of the bread and place in a large mixing bowl. Add the meat, onions, garlic, cilantro, Ras El Hanout, ground ginger, and cayenne. Sprinkle a generous pinch of kosher salt and black pepper. Using clean hands, mix/knead until meat mixture is well combined.
- Divide the meat mixture into small meatballs (mine were about 1 tbsp each). The size here is relative, but they're meant to be small bite-sized meatballs. Arrange the meatballs on a tray and cover. Refrigerate for 30 minutes (if you really don't have the time, you can skip this part. See notes.)
- When you're ready, heat a cast-iron skillet (or a frying skillet) over medium heat. Drizzle the meatballs with some extra virgin olive oil and cook in your hot skillet over medium heat for about 7 minutes or so, turning occasionally, until cooked through and charred. Do this in batches if needed.
- Serve meatballs hot in pita pockets. Add the carrot salad and other prepared toppings in. Or, leave meatballs in a skillet with the shaved carrot salad and other items on the side, let everyone decide how they'd like to enjoy them!
Notes
best moroccan meatballs
These are the best Moroccan meatballs you will make at home Easy, bite-size skillet meatballs, grilled with just a little bit of extra virgin olive oil. But the draw is in big flavors from aromatics and warm Moroccan spices. Serve these meatballs in pita pockets with minty carrot salad, olives, and other fresh items. Or, use them as a little party appetizer.
NOTES
- Cook's Note: If you have the time, it's good to refrigerate the uncooked meatballs for about 30 minutes or so. This just helps them keep their shape. However, if you're working quickly and using already chilled meat, you can probably skip this part.
- Cook's Note: These small meatballs are meant to be grilled, not fried. That's why they are simply drizzled with a little bit of extra virgin olive oil before cooking in a cast iron skillet or pan. Now, you may need to add a little more extra virgin olive oil to the skillet to make sure the meatballs don't stick. Once they hit the skillet, make sure the one side gets a nice "crust" before turning over, this will also help them stay nice and intact.
- Cook's Note: This recipe will yield between 25 to 35 meatballs, depending on size. Served in pita pockets as dinner, it should serve 4 or 5 people. But, if serving as an appetizer along with other items, it should serve a larger crowd (1o or so).
- Ras El Hanout is a complex North African spice blend combining warm flavors like cinnamon, turmeric, cloves, allspice, cardamom, ginger, mace, nutmeg, and a touch of cayenne. Find, all-natural Ras El Hanout here at our online shop.
- Alternative Spice mixture: Ras El Hanout is hard to replicate, so it is best if you use it. However, other variations of Moroccan meatballs call for a mixture of ¾ tsp each cumin, coriander, paprika, and ½ tsp each allspice, ground ginger, and cayenne.
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