Classic Moroccan Meatball Tagine Recipe (2024)

FAQs

What are Moroccan meatballs made of? ›

It comes together in a snap: ground beef mixed with spices, fresh herbs, egg, panko, and garlic, then grilled into succulent meatballs. Served with couscous and a refreshing yogurt-cucumber sauce, it's a quick, easy, and delicious meal that's just perfect for a spring or summer night.

The word tagine refers to both the conical-shaped dish and the food that's cooked inside it, which is usually a blend of delicious sweet and savoury flavours. Traditionally the ingredients were packed into the pot, the lid was popped on tight, then it was cooked slowly over a smouldering charcoal fire.

Tomato [Tomato, Tomato Juice, Citric Acid], Red Wine [Red Wine, Sulphur Dioxide], Water, Apricots (8%) [Apricots, Rice Flour, Sulphur Dioxide], Onion, Apricot Pulp (6%), Honey, Sunflower Oil, Dates (4%) [Dates, Rice Flour], Lemon Juice, Tomato Paste,Ground Coriander (2%), Dried Spices (2%) Lemon Zest, Garlic Puree, ...

Gather the ingredients. Combine the ground beef or lamb, onion, green pepper, parsley, cilantro, paprika, cumin, salt, cinnamon, black pepper, and cayenne pepper. Using your hands to knead in the spices and herbs, shape the kefta mixture into very small meatballs the size of large cherries—about 3/4-inch in diameter.

Main dishes

The main Moroccan dish people are most familiar with is couscous; lamb is the most commonly eaten meat in Morocco, usually eaten in a tagine with a wide selection of vegetables. Chicken is also very commonly used in tagines or roasted.

Combine ground beef, veal, and pork in a large bowl. Add eggs, cheese, parsley, minced garlic, and salt and pepper to taste. Using your hands, blend ingredients together. Add the bread crumbs into meat mixture and combine.

Popular at dinner parties and family meals, diners traditionally gather around the dish and eat by hand, using bread to scoop up the meat, vegetables and sauce. Alternatively, serve up the tagine with rice or potatoes.

When you cook in a Tagine you get the unique earthy flavor you can't get when you cook in a regular pot or pan. You can put a modern twist on any traditional dish or experiment with your own blend of ingredients.

Some tagines have a small hole at the top of the lid that releases steam, meaning the sauce reduces as the steam escapes. But if your tagine doesn't have a hole, reduce the sauce by removing the lid in the last 15-30 minutes of cooking.

Tagine is also seasoned with many healthy spices including garlic, saffron, coriander, and ginger – all of which have their own unique health benefits. Overall, lamb tagine is a great meal not only for fitness reasons, but also in general since its ingredients contain cancer-fighting and immune boosting compounds.

What is tajin in Morocco? ›

Algerian and Moroccan tajine dishes are slow-cooked stews, typically made with sliced meat, poultry or fish together with vegetables or fruit. Spices, nuts, and dried fruits are also used. Common spices include ginger, cumin, turmeric, cinnamon, and saffron. Paprika and chili are used in vegetable tajines.

Equipment You'll Need

Tagine or Dutch oven A tagine is the traditional clay cooking vessel for the dish; it has a base that is wider than its tall, cone-shape top. But you don't need a tagine to make this recipe. Use a Dutch oven or another lidded pot instead, as long as the lid fits tightly.

Classic tagine pots are made from earthenware such as clay and are not glazed. Today, tagines are also made for serving, which come in a variety of materials and are often glazed and beautifully decorated.

Kofta is a type of "meatball" that originates from the Middle East and India. The word kofta comes from the Persian word kūfta, which means "to beat or to grind," which references the ground meat typically used to make kofta recipes.

Characteristics of Moroccan Cuisine

That expanse of waterfront means that seafood is a common ingredient in Moroccan food, though equally popular proteins include beef, chicken, goat and lamb.

The Moroccan diet is heavily grain-based, focusing on the wheat found in couscous, breads, and pastries. The main protein sources are lentils, chickpeas, and fava beans. Moroccans also frequently eat beef and veal, as well as poultry in the form of chicken and pigeon, and fish in coastal regions.

Though traditional Turkish meatballs are made with only ground beef, onion, stale bread, egg, salt and pepper, my mother would also always add garlic, cumin, and parsley.

I use ground turkey but you can also use ground beef or ground lamb for this recipe. Ground oatmeal is used to make this gluten free, you can use bread crumbs instead.