New dinner motto: if it’s good, ball it. Moroccan Meatballs are the edible evidence that these are words upon which great meals are made.
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Spicy ginger and warm cinnamon are two of my favorite spices, and while they appear most commonly in baked goods here in the United States, they are more frequently used in savory dishes in Moroccan cooking.
When combined with other traditional Moroccan ingredients, such as cumin, parsley, and lemon, these warm spices make for recipes bursting with flavor—and today’s turkey Moroccan meatballs are no exception.
Sorry Italy—you might be the first country named in a meatball word association game (thanks to classics like Meatball Casserole), but meatballs are a dish loved around the world, and today Moroccan flavors are taking center stage.
5 Star Review
“This recipe was easy to make and was full of flavor.”
— Breanna —
How to Make Moroccan Meatballs
Moroccan meatballs are 1,000% comforting, a requirement for any self-respecting meatball recipe (ahem, Crock Pot Turkey Meatballs). Whether served alone with a warm Moroccan-spiced tomato sauce as an appetizer or served over a bed of fluffy couscous, these easy turkey meatballs will become a fast family favorite.
The Ingredients
- Ground Turkey. This lean meat may be healthy, but ground turkey often needs help in the flavor department. Not so with Moroccan turkey meatballs (or my Baked Turkey Meatballs)—these little hunks of love are vibrant, richly aromatic, and super juicy too.
- Moroccan Spices. While ginger, cinnamon, and cumin might not be the first spices out of the cabinet in most meatball recipes, their oomph is absolutely perfect with ground turkey (and this Crock Pot Moroccan Chicken).
- Egg. Acts as edible glue to bind the meatballs together (like Cranberry Turkey Meatballs, and Lamb Meatballs) so they don’t fall apart while baking.
- Breadcrumbs. Absorb the turkey juices as the meatballs bake to lock in moisture and prevent the meatballs from becoming dry.
- Garlic. For a little zip and bite.
- Parsley. For color and freshness.
- Couscous. Traditional Italian meatballs may call for pasta, but these Moroccan meatballs were calling for fluffy whole wheat couscous (or Moroccan Couscous) to sop up the precious meatball juices and flavorful tomato sauce.
Moroccan Meatball Sauce
Let’s talk about the sauce, boss. For the BEST spicy-sweet Moroccan meatball sauce you’ll just need a few ingredients:
- Canned Tomatoes. Make whipping up this sauce quick and easy.
- Lemon. Another key ingredient in Moroccan cooking that adds brightness and zing to the sauce.
- Red Pepper. Lend these meatballs just the right about of heat.
- Cinnamon. For additional warmth and spice.
- Raisins. Plump golden raisins bring the sweetness.
The Directions
- Prepare the sauce and let it simmer.
- Combine the meatball ingredients together in a bowl and gently mix.
- Roll the meatballs into 1-inch balls.
- Arrange on a baking sheet, drizzle lightly with olive oil, and bake until cooked through.
- Transfer to the sauce and serve warm with prepared couscous. ENJOY!
Storage Tips
- To Store. Leftover Moroccan meatballs may be stored in the fridge for up to 5 days in a covered container.
- To Freeze. Meatballs may be frozen for up to 3 months. Defrost overnight in the fridge before warming.
- To Reheat. Meatballs may be warmed in the microwave or on your stovetop until heated through.
In the meantime, I’ll take a bite of North Africa right in my kitchen, courtesy of Moroccan turkey meatballs.
Frequently Asked Questions
Eggs and breadcrumbs are essential for meatballs since they help bind the mixture together and add moisture. Therefore, I can’t recommend omitting them completely, however you may experiment with substitutions like ground oats for a gluten free meatball option.
Excellent Idea! These Moroccan meatballs would be phenomenal with lamb rather than ground turkey. I have not done this swap personally, however, so if you experiment with it, I’d love to hear about your results.
Yes. I like to bake meatballs on a baking rack because it helps the meatballs hold their shape and drain excess fat away from the meatballs as they cook. However, you can also bake these healthy turkey meatballs on a foil-lined baking sheet instead. Note that one side of the meatballs may flatten, however.
Moroccan Meatballs
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Ingredients
For the Sauce:
- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 yellow onion diced
- 2 teaspoons minced garlic
- 1 lemon zested
- ¾ cup chicken stock
- 2 cans crushed tomatoes (14-ounce cans)
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
- ¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ½ cup golden raisins
For the meatballs:
- 1 pound ground turkey
- 1 cup loosely packed fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves finely chopped
- ⅓ cup breadcrumbs
- 1 tablespoon finely minced fresh ginger
- 2 teaspoons minced garlic
- 1 ½ teaspoons ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil plus additional for drizzling
- 2 large eggs lightly beaten
- Prepared whole wheat couscous for serving
- Cooking spray
Instructions
- Begin by preparing the sauce. Heat the olive oil in a large saucepan over medium heat, then add the onion and cook until soft but not brown, about 3 minutes. Add the garlic and lemon zest and cook for 1 more minute. Add the chicken stock, canned tomatoes, salt, pepper, red pepper, and cinnamon. Let simmer for 8 minutes. Stir in the golden raisins.
- Next, place the rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 400 degrees F. Line a large rimmed baking sheet with foil, then set a baking rack on top. Lightly coat with cooking spray and set aside.
- In a medium bowl, lightly combine the turkey, parsley, breadcrumbs, ginger, garlic, cumin, cinnamon, salt, and pepper.
- Add the olive oil and eggs, mixing lightly with a fork and being careful not to compact the meat.
- Roll the meatballs into 1-inch balls (about 28 balls total), then arrange on the prepared baking sheet.
- Drizzle lightly with olive oil (or coat with additional cooking spray), and bake until cooked through; about 15 to 18 minutes.
- Transfer to the skillet with the sauce, then use a spoon to coat the meatballs. Serve warm with prepared couscous.
Notes
- TO STORE. Leftover Moroccan meatballs may be stored in the fridge for up to 5 days in a covered container.
- TO FREEZE. Meatballs may be frozen for up to 3 months. Defrost overnight in the fridge before warming.
- TO REHEAT. Meatballs may be warmed in the microwave or on your stovetop until heated through.
Nutrition
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Looks gorgeous… could you do it without the breadcrumbs and egg somehow? Or would the balls not ball properly?
Great question, but I am afraid that the meatballs would not bind together without these items. I wish I could give you the answer you’re looking for, but I want the recipe to turn out for you if you try it. Sorry!
Aw ok, thanks.
Hi Erin, I hope you don’t mind but I went ahead and made the recipe without the breadcrumbs and egg, because of my diet. I substituted some oats instead. The turkey was a bit finer ground than normal so I think that helped keep the balls together. It came out really well! It was delicious! Thank you so much for this recipe, it’s fantastic! x
What a fantastic idea to use oats! Thanks so much for trying the recipe and letting me know about this adaptation. I’m so glad that it worked out and that you enjoyed them!
:) I’m just blogging about the recipe now, it’s mainly just directly people to this page. I hope that’s alright with you!
Absolutely! I’d be honored :-)
I used almond flour instead of breadcrumbs since I cannot eat wheat, and I cooked the meatballs with the sauce in a casserole dish. I also subbed ground beef for the turkey. This is a fantastic recipe. Hubby and I loved it. Taking it to church potluck tomorrow!
Hi Heather! So glad you enjoyed the recipe! Thank you for this kind review.
I made this tonight (as written) and the whole family loved it. Thanks for a great recipe.
I am so happy to hear you all enjoyed these meatballs! Thanks so much for trying the recipe and letting me know how it turned out. I truly appreciate it :)
I used premade vego-balls and this was very very tasty! The sauce really compensated for the blandness of the balls. Saving this recipe :)
Thanks Linn!
I made this the other night, yum!!! Used cayenne for the red pepper flakes, nice and spicy
Hi Nancy! I am so excited to hear that you enjoyed these. We love them spicy too, so I keep extra red pepper flakes on the table when serving. Thanks for taking time to comment, and have a great day!
Made these tonight. We loved them and I will make them again! Thank you!
I am so happy to hear that Jennifer! Thanks so much for trying the recipe and leaving your review. It’s great feedback for me and truly helpful for others looking at the recipe too.
I bought the ingredients to make these before reading all the instructions — oops! I don’t have a baking rack, unless you mean a cooling rack (which I still can’t use, because the coating can’t go in the oven). Do you have any suggestions for cooking these? Thanks!
Hi Angela, I think it would be okay to bake the meatballs directly on the foil-lined sheet if you don’t have a cooling rack that will work. They may get a flatter side from resting on the baking sheet but should still taste the same! I hope you love the recipe!
This recipe was easy to make and was full of flavor. I cut the amount of red pepper, because I can’t eat spicy foods, but other than that I stayed true to the recipe. Definitely a keeper and I will make it again. Everyone raved over it!
Thank you for sharing this kind review, Breanna! I’m so happy to hear that you enjoyed this recipe!
Hello — this is a throwback, but I’m thinking of making these with your moroccan couscous recipe from this week (in 2020!). Have you ever tried making these lamb meatballs to go with the moroccan theme? Just wondering if it would be a simple ground-meat swap or not so easy…
Our family is grateful for your recipes. Have been following for about a year now and we cook multiple of your recipes (now family favorites) each week! God bless :)
Hi Ricky! That’s a GREAT idea! I haven’t tried using another type of meat in this recipe, but you could experiment with it. If you decide to try it, I’d love to hear how it goes!
I have tried lamb, I did that on my first trial of this recipe. Works great by the way!
Hi John! So glad you enjoyed the recipe! Thank you for this kind review and feedback on using lamb!
Why two eggs per 1lb meat in this recipe but one egg in standard turkey meatball recipe?
Hi Brian! The eggs act as a binding agent in the recipe and help hold the meatballs together. I hope you enjoy the recipe if you try it!
We really enjoyed this! The flavours were great and overall much cheaper to make then the Moroccan lamb meatball recipe I usually use. The only thing I found was that the meat mixture was really wet so next time I’d only use 1 egg and 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Served it with lemon spinach couscous and green beans. Delicious!
I’m so happy that you enjoyed them, Chris! Thank you for sharing this kind review!
I have made the Moroccan Meatballs a few times – so has my daughter – they are delicious!! I have also shared the recipe.
Hi Leona! So glad you enjoy the meatballs! Thank you!
Loved these!!
Hi Cindy! So glad you enjoyed the recipe! Thank you for this kind review!
Absolutely delicious! I didn’t have fresh parsley so I used 1/2 cup dried parsley. Also, I used crushed tomatoes with basil because that’s what I had. This dish was so good. It was my first time using ground turkey for meatballs. Can’t wait to make again for the grandkids. Thanks for such a tasty unique recipe!
Hi Deb! So glad you enjoyed the recipe! Thank you for this kind review!
Is there a way to make this without tomatoes? Or maybe just 1 fresh tomato? I will be having a guest who can’t have too much tomatoes. Thank you so much. I love this recipe!
Hi Susan! The tomatoes are pretty important for the sauce, but you could make the meatballs and use any sauce that works best for you.
Absolutely LOVE this recipe! The heavily spiced turkey meatballs almost taste like lamb here. Soooo yummy! I topped with more lemon zest, parsley and a little goat cheese I had on hand. Wouldn’t change a thing. Recipe turned out perfectly just as written.
Hi Lindsay! So glad you enjoyed the recipe! Thank you for this kind review!
Forgot to add, I used gluten-free, panko breadcrumbs and the texture was great!
Hi Lindsay! So glad you enjoyed the recipe! Thank you for this kind review!
We loved it!
Hi Mark! So glad you enjoyed the recipe! Thank you for this kind review!
What happened to being able to save your recipes on Pinterest? No symbol for it on website now
Hi Nancy! I’m so sorry! There is a technical issue with the button that we are currently working on. There is a Pinterest extension button for your browser that you could add until the button on our site gets fixed. Thanks again!