Anyone who reads my blog with regularity will know I have a thing for meatballs. There was the Pork Meatball Sandwiches and the Meatball Soup as well as an upcoming blog post about spaghetti and meatballs, so you can imagine my excitment when I revisited an old copy of Bon Appétit Magazine only to find an entire article dedicated to the tasty little morsels.
I have intentions of trying all the recipes, but this spice-laden Moroccan stew captured my attention. Even though Sopa de Albondigas is tradition at our house, this dish was far removed from my meatball spectrum. I had never considered making meatballs chockablock with spice, served in a tagine that is more sauce than soup.
The resulting braise had a spicy in-your-face charm and the meatballs take center stage. The leftovers were even better, the spices had a chance to mellow and meld. Serve with a lemon wedge or two and lots of steamed rice or couscous.
Spicy Moroccan Meatball Tagine Recipe
Gorgeous meatballs flavored with turmeric, nutmeg, cayenne, and ginger stewed in a saffron and garlic broth. Dairy Free. Adapted from Bon Appétit Magazine
- Yield: 6 1x
Ingredients
Scale
For the Meatballs:
- 1 1/2 pounds ground beef
- 1/3 cup minced onion
- 1/3 cup panko
- 1/4 cup chopped cilantro
- 1 large egg
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 teaspoon turmeric
- 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
For the Tagine:
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 medium onions, diced
- 4 garlic cloves, minced
- 2 cinnamon sticks
- 1 teaspoon tumeric
- 1/8 teaspoon saffron
- 2 cups beef stock, or low-sodium beef broth
- 2 cups chopped tomatoes
- 1/4 cup golden raisins
- 4 medium carrots, peeled and cut in 1/2-inch thick slices on the diagonal
- 1/4 cup chopped cilantro
Instructions
For the Meatballs:
- Gently mix all ingredients in a large bowl. Roll mixture into tablespoon-sized meatballs and place on a baking sheet.
For the Tagine:
- Heat oil in a large stock pot over medium-high heat. Once shimmering, add onions and season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally until lightly browned. Add garlic, cinnamon, turmeric, and saffron; cook, stirring occasionally for two minutes more. Add stock, tomatoes, and raisins.
- Bring tagine to a simmer, stir in carrots then gently add meatballs one at a time being careful not to break them up. Cover and reduce heat to low. Cook, stirring occasionally until meatballs are cooked through and carrots are tender, about 40 minutes.
- Sprinkle cilantro over tagine and season with salt and pepper. Serve with steamed rice or couscous.
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How did I miss this recipe until now!?! Totally adding it to the “must make” list.
I haven’t made these in soooo long, but they are delicious.