Embark on a flavorful journey with these Moroccan ground lamb recipes, bringing the exotic tastes of North Africa to your table. Whether you're craving a quick stew or savory meatballs, these dishes are infused with warming spices and aromatic herbs, promising a delightful culinary experience.
Easy Moroccan Ground Lamb Stew
This quick and easy recipe has all the depth of flavors that you get from an all-day slow-cooked tagine meal in just under 30 minutes. Really, in less than 30 minutes you can have this delicious Easy Moroccan Ground Lamb Stew, over a bed of couscous and a side salad on your dinner table. The aroma of this Easy Moroccan Ground Lamb Stew will capture your senses. One bite of the spiced easy Moroccan ground lamb stew and you will know that this is a must go for seconds type of meals.
You have the warming spices of turmeric, cinnamon, ginger and all spice to make your taste buds sing. The ground lamb is super tender with the little pop of earthy chickpeas give you that extra burst of protein. Your house is going to smell amazing! From the delicious aromatics, spices, lamb, herbs and citrus you are going to have your family asking every minute, “When is dinner ready?”
Don’t be stingy with the spices! You are not going to sprinkle spices, but you are going to explore the world of spices with bold flavors. Go big or Go home! We know this seems like a long list of spices. However, once you have them in your stocked pantry, we have loads of delicious recipes for you to try.
Warming spices are good for individuals that have a cold predisposition. Do you always have cold hands and feet? In Traditional Chinese Medicine, when a person has a cold disposition they may benefit from warming and nourishing foods. While lamb seems to be the best option for this hearty stew, you may substitute with ground beef, ground turkey, ground chicken or even tofu to name a few.
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We added dried chopped apricots as this is a very traditional ingredient in Moroccan cuisine. Dried apricots impart this delicious natural sweetness to the entire dish. Tomato sauce is a great option instead of fresh tomatoes when they are not in season. However, you can also use canned tomatoes or even fresh tomatoes if you wish. The only thing you will need to do is adjust the amount of chicken broth to get it to your desired stew consistency.
We chose to use fresh lemon zest only because there was a sale on lemons 10 for $1.00 at our local market. However, preserved lemons are also very delicious and if you have this ingredient, then this would be a lovely addition to your Easy Moroccan Ground Lamb Stew.
Ingredients and Preparation
In a large deep-frying pan or Dutch oven, add olive oil, chopped onion, minced garlic, cumin, paprika, turmeric, allspice, cayenne pepper, coriander and sauté until translucent and aromatic about 1-2 minutes. Add ground lamb and salt and pepper to taste. Cook over medium heat until the lamb browns. Drain any extra oil as desired.
Add tomato sauce, chicken broth, dried apricots, garbanzo beans (chickpeas), cinnamon sticks and cook for about 20 minutes or until the flavors have had a chance to mingle. Remove the cinnamon sticks.
Remove from heat. Add lemon zest and chopped cilantro and serve over a bed of cooked couscous or basmati rice. You can exchange the lamb for ground beef, turkey or chicken or even tofu, but the flavor profile will change. If you don’t have dried apricots, you can exchange with a few dried pitted dates. However, you need only a few dates as they are much sweeter than dried apricots.
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We like extra cinnamon in our Moroccan stew. We add at least 2 teaspoons of cinnamon and sometimes a little more. As your Easy Moroccan Ground Lamb Stew cooks, it thickens.
Best if enjoyed within 3 days and if longer place in a freezer safe container and can be stored for up to 2 months.
Moroccan Lamb Meatball recipe | Easy Meatball recipe
Moroccan-Inspired Harissa Lamb Chili
This Moroccan-inspired harissa lamb chili recipe is a perfect blend of spiced ground lamb, carrots, golden raisins, tomatoes, and chickpeas. This is not a Moroccan recipe but a fusion of Moroccan-inspired flavors blended with American-style chili. This isn't authentic, but it tastes dang delicious.
I love using different spices and flavors in my kitchen, and this harissa Moroccan lamb chili does not disappoint. This one-pot dish reheats well, so it's a great meal to batch prepare for weeknight dinners or lunches. I've tried a few lamb chili recipes, and this is the best lamb chili recipe (in my honest and humble opinion). When I think of "American chili recipes," I think of chili powder, black beans, green onions, and sour cream.
This is not your typical chili recipe- be prepared to have your mind blown. Serve this chili with vermicelli rice or twice steamed couscous. The best meat to use for this meal is ground lamb, however, substitute ground beef, ground turkey, or ground chicken if desired.
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It's important to buy dry couscous and not instant couscous if steaming the couscous above the lamb chili. I highly recommend using golden raisins in this lamb chili. I found two types of harissa at my grocery store. They taste different, but both have great flavor. The harissa adobo has a smoky, deeper flavor, whereas the mina harissa is brighter in flavor. Use any harissa that you like, either store-bought or homemade. Both of the harissa jars that I purchased are not spicy.
Canned beans (chickpeas) and kale are optional ingredients. I highly recommend adding the canned chickpeas. However, if kale is not your thing, omit it. I try to get more vegetables in my recipes and add kale.
Preparation Steps
Peel and chop the onions, garlic, and carrots. In a large soup pot, add 1 tablespoon of olive oil on high heat. Fry the chopped onions and minced garlic cloves in olive oil. Break up the lamb clumps for about 2 minutes. Add the ground cumin, ground coriander, and salt to the browned lamb. Add the chopped carrots, canned tomatoes, harissa, golden raisins, and 8 cups water (or beef broth).
Hint: Keep boiling the chili on high or medium-high heat for about 40 to 45 minutes. While the Moroccan lamb chili is boiling, prepare the couscous or rice. Wash and chop the fresh cilantro and kale. Add the canned chickpeas, kale, and cilantro to the lamb chili.
Here are some simple suggestions:
- Use ground lamb.
- Make it spicy.
- Swap sweet potatoes for carrots.
- Use instant couscous.
Moroccan Lamb Meatballs
These Moroccan Meatballs feature ground lamb (or beef, if you prefer) seasoned with Ras el Hanout, a fragrant and warming Moroccan spice mixture. The meatballs are simmered in a sweet, savory, and fragrant thick tomato sauce with plump raisins. This is one of those recipes that may make you sigh audibly when you take that first bite. I know I did.
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. 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 is a Moroccan spice blend you can buy in many grocery stores on online. 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.
Ingredients for Moroccan Lamb Meatballs
- 1 yellow onion finely diced and divided
- 1/3 cup plain breadcrumbs
- 1/4 cup milk
- 1 large egg
- kosher salt as needed (see notes)
- 2 tablespoons ras el hanout divided (Moroccan spice blend- see notes)
- 1 lb. ground lamb or beef, or a mixture of both
- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 15 oz.
Preparation steps
In a large mixing bowl, mix together half the diced yellow onion, the breadcrumbs (1/3 cup), milk (1/4 cup), egg, 1 teaspoon kosher salt (see notes), and 1 tablespoon of the ras el hanout.
Add the ground lamb to the bowl and mix until everything is just combined (try not to over mix- using your hands is a good way to combine everything but you can use a spoon if you prefer).
Heat the olive oil (2 tablespoons) in a 12" skillet over medium-high heat. Roll the lamb mixture into 1-inch balls (I like using a cookie scoop to measure them equally into my hands, then give them a gentle roll) and place directly in the skillet. When all the meatballs have been added, sear for 1 more minute undisturbed. Flip to the other side (starting with the meatballs that were added to the skillet first) and allow to sear for 2 more minutes. Remove to a plate.
Add the other half of the diced onions to the skillet and sauté until softened and starting to brown (about 3 minutes- there should be plenty of oil and fat left in the skillet but if it's dry you can add some more olive oil). Turn down the heat to medium and add the minced garlic (2 cloves) and the other 1 tablespoon of ras el hanout and sauté for 30 seconds to 1 minute longer, until spices and garlic are fragrant. Add the canned diced tomatoes (15 oz.), the chicken broth (1 cup), and the raisins (1/4 cup), stir together, and bring to a gentle simmer.
Place the meatballs and any juices from the plate into the sauce and simmer uncovered without stirring too much for 10 minutes, or until meatballs are cooked through and sauce has reduced and thickened a bit.
Turn off heat and stir in the chopped fresh cilantro or parsley (1/4 cup) and juice of one lime. Taste and season with more salt if needed.
Ras el Hanout Substitute
If you don’t have pre-mixed Ras el Hanout, you can make your own! Mix together 1/2 tablespoon ground cumin, 1/2 tablespoon ground coriander, 1/2 tablespoon ground ginger, 1/2 teaspoon black pepper, 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon, 1/4 teaspoon ground allspice, and 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper. This will yield the 2 tablespoons needed for this recipe.
Check if your Ras el Hanout already has salt. Some pre-mixed versions contain salt; others do not. This recipe is a great make ahead meal. It reheats well in the microwave or on the stovetop, so you can make it for meal prep, or cook the meatballs and sauce and reheat and make a fresh batch of rice to serve with for dinner.
The provided nutrition information is my best estimate and reflects one serving of the recipe (total servings indicated at top of recipe card). It does not include any added sodium from seasoning to taste, any optional ingredients, and it does not take brands into account. I use an automatic API to calculate this information.
Moroccan Lamb Meatballs with Mint Yogurt Sauce
Beautifully spiced Moroccan Lamb Meatballs served with a Mint Yoghurt Sauce. Stuff into pitas, pass them around at a party or pile over pilaf! This is such a great recipe for lamb mince.
These Moroccan Lamb Meatballs are inspired by a visit to the Lakemba Night Markets (Sydney) during Ramadan, a holy month for Muslims which involves intensive prayer and fasting from dawn to dusk. If you love Middle Eastern food, you’ll be in street food heaven.
One of the (ahem - many!) things I’ve enjoyed from these street stalls are spiced lamb meatballs stuffed into pita pockets. So I’ve created my own version using the spice mix from my Middle Eastern Lamb Koftas recipe.
Key Ingredients
- Lamb mince (ground lamb) - Lamb is a favourite in Middle Eastern cuisine!
- Onion - A key flavour base in most of my savoury dishes! My secret for extra tasty, extra soft meatballs is to grate the onion over the breadcrumbs so it soaks up the juices. It softens the panko which makes the meatballs juicier and more tender. Plus, if you use diced onion you’d need to cook it separately beforehand.
- Panko breadcrumbs - Adds bulk and absorbs moisture so the mixture isn’t too wet to form meatballs. Panko breadcrumbs are easy to find these days in the Asian and breadcrumb aisle of grocery stores.
- Egg - For keeping the meatballs together.
- Spices - Classic Middle Eastern mix.
- Coriander/cilantro - For a hint of freshness and for visual purposes too.
- Pita bread or small Lebanese bread - Anything that can be cut then pried open to stuff.
- Leafy greens - Fresh lettuce, tomato and red onion - For stuffing.
Tips for Perfect Meatballs
- Blitz the fresh mint, lemon and salt with just 1/4 cup of yogurt. Then stir the remaining 1/2 cup of yogurt. Why 2 steps? Because blitzing breaks yogurt and makes it thin and watery.
- Grate the onion into a bowl using a standard box grater. Why grate? Because the strands are fine enough so the onion doesn’t need to be cooked separately before mixing into the meat. Also, the onion juices mix throughout which adds extra flavour.
- Mix - Put all the remaining meatball ingredients in a bowl and mix well with your hands.
- Tip to keep meatballs rounds - Refrigerate the meatballs for an hour to firm up the mixture before cooking. This will help them stay more round as you cook on the stove.
- Pan fry for 8 minutes, rotating to brown all over. These days, I use a spoon and fork to turn the meatballs rather than tongs. I find it easier and also it helps maintain the round shape of the meatballs.
Serving Suggestions
Stuffed in pita pockets, as pictured throughout the post, with fresh lettuce, tomato and onion, drizzled with the mint sauce. Or - make salad bowls! I can see them served on the side of a Pearl Couscous Salad, or toss through a Middle Eastern Chickpea salad. Like a meatball salad. So many possibilities.
The fragrance when these meatballs are cooking is outrageous! These meatballs are based on my fan-favourite Lamb Koftas, flavoured with a special blend of spices that smells so exotic but are everyday pantry staples!
Mint Yogurt Sauce
Set aside 1/2 cup yogurt. Place all other ingredients in a jug that fits the head of a stick blender. Blitz until it turns green - it will be runny. Stir in reserved yogurt (this thickens it again). Refrigerate until required.
Meatball Cooking Instructions
Place all Meatball ingredients in a bowl. Mix well with your hands. Measure out 1 heaped tablespoon, then roll into balls. Repeat with remaining mixture - should have 20 - 24 meatballs.
Heat oil in a large non stick pan over medium heat. Add half the meatballs and cook, turning to brown all over, for 8 minutes, or until cooked through. Transfer to plate.
Additional Tips
- This recipe is also terrific with beef, and very good with chicken and turkey. No recipe adjustments.
- Blitzing / blending yogurt “breaks” it and makes it runny and very thin. Sometimes that’s what I want. But usually I want a bit of thickness.
- Stir very finely chopped mint into plain yogurt.
- Preheat oven to Spray meatballs generously with oil then bake for 20 minutes at 220°C/450°F (200°C fan) until you get some light browning.
These Moroccan ground lamb recipes offer a delightful blend of flavors and textures, perfect for any occasion. Whether you choose the quick and easy stew, the hearty harissa chili, or the flavorful meatballs, you're sure to enjoy a taste of Morocco in every bite.
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