Moroccan-style Meatball Tagine, flavored with turmeric, nutmeg, cayenne, and ginger in a saffron and garlic broth with butternut squash and carrots. Serve with couscous for a dreamy North African dinner. Dairy Free!
{Recipe first posted November 21, 2010 and last updated March 17, 2022}
Anyone who reads my blog with regularity will know I have a thing for meatballs.
There was the Mole Verde Meatball Sandwiches and the Sopa de Albóndigas as well as an outstanding recipe for Pork Albóndigas with Arbol Chile Tomato Sauce , 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 Tagine captured my attention. Even though Sopa de Albóndigas 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.
Keep reading to find out exactly what is Tagine and how to make this delicious dish. Then let me know in the comments what you think! Would make a showstopper of a dinner party dish.
What Is Tagine?
The word Tagine refers not only to this fragrant stew but also to the cooking pot it is traditionally made in. A Tagine Pot has a cone shaped lid that locks in the moisture as it cooks but a Dutch oven or any pot with a tight-fitting lid will work.
Moroccan Tagine recipes are a celebration of flavors with a sweet and savory spice mix, tender meat, tart preserved lemons and dried fruit.
Chicken tagine made with chicken thighs and succulent lamb tagine are the most common variations but this beef meatball version still carries all those spicy, sweet, and rich flavors. If you love Middle Eastern food, you will really dig this recipe.
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Ingredients To Make This Tagine Recipe
Don’t be scared off by the long ingredient list. Most of them are the warming spices that give this Moroccan tagine it’s signature sweet and sultry flavor. Aside from the spices, there are only a few veggies that need to be chopped. Use pre-cut butternut squash to make things even easier.
- Ground beef or ground turkey, chicken, or lamb. Or make it vegetarian and add chick peas instead.
- Yellow onions. Some go in the meatballs and some go in the tagine. Mince the ones for the meatballs as small as you can or grate it for even smaller pieces.
- Breadcrumbs
- Cilantro
- Egg
- Garlic
- Turmeric
- Cayenne pepper. The cayenne makes this pleasantly spicy but you can lower the amount or leave it out entirely if you are sensitive to heat.
- Ground cinnamon and cinnamon sticks. I like using Mexican canela or Ceylon cinnamon sticks.
- Ground nutmeg
- Freshly-ground black pepper
- Kosher salt
- Ground ginger
- Olive oil
- Saffron
- Beef broth or chicken broth.
- Canned chopped tomatoes or chopped fresh tomatoes when in season.
- Dried apricots or golden raisins.
- Carrots
- Butternut squash or sweet potato.
- Lemon zest or lemon slices, for garnish. Or preserved lemon, if you have it. Also blood orange slices make a beautiful and delicious garnish.
How To Make Moroccan Tagine
I always think making meatballs is going to be some huge production, but this is really pretty easy to put together. Once you get the hang of it, make it your own and share with me in the comments how you’ve adapted it!
Step One
Mix the meatball ingredients. The first step is to make the meatballs. Simply combine all the meatball ingredients in a large bowl and gently mix until evenly combined. Don’t mix too much though or your meatballs will be tough.
Step Two
Roll into meatballs. Roll the mixture into 1-2 tablespoon-sized meatballs. I use a cookie scoop to make this easier. Place on a baking sheet or large plate and set aside.
Step Three
Saute onions and garlic. Heat oil over medium-high heat in a tagine pot or Dutch oven. Add onions and garlic and season with salt. Cook until starting to brown. Add turmeric and cinnamon and toast for 30 seconds or so.
Step Four
Simmer. Add tomatoes and broth and scrape up any browned bits that are stuck to the bottom. Add saffron, apricots, carrots, and butternut squash and stir to combine. Bring to a simmer then add meatballs. Cover and reduce heat to low. Simmer until meatballs, squash, and carrots are cooked, about 40 minutes.
Step Five
Serve. Taste and add more salt as needed. Serve with a couscous or rice side dish topped with chopped cilantro and lemon and blood orange wedges if desired.
Store and Reheat
Like all tagine recipes this one is even better the next day. Simply reheat in a covered pan on the stove or in a microwave safe dish until hot.
If You Like This Meatball Tagine, You’ll Love
- Authentic Chile Relleno Recipe
- Red Wine and Garlic London Broil Recipe
- Shredded Beef for Tacos
- How To Cook Pork Chops
- Chicken Tomatillo Stew
- Beer-Braised Beef Barbacoa
- Soy and 5-Spice Marinated Tofu Pad Thai
No Tagine Pot? No Problem
You don’t need any special equipment to make this undeniably delicious tagine recipe but if you do own a tagine pot, then you’ll definitely want to use it! I want you to give it a try and let me know when you do by snapping a pic and tagging me on Instagram @holajalapeno and #holajalapeno so I can see or leave me a comment below (don’t forget to leave a ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ rating) ! Also, sign up for my weekly newsletter, lots of good stuff there too!
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
Ingredients
For the Meatballs:
- 1 pound ground beef
- 1 small yellow onion, minced
- 1/3 cup unseasoned, dried breadcrumbs
- 1/4 cup chopped cilantro
- 1 large egg
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 teaspoon ground turmeric
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
For the Tagine:
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 medium yellow onions, diced
- 4 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 cinnamon stick (I prefer Ceylon Cinnamon)
- 1 teaspoon ground tumeric powder
- 1/8 teaspoon saffron threads
- 2 cups beef broth or chicken broth
- 1 (14.5 ounce can) diced tomatoes or 2 cups chopped tomatoes
- 1/4 cup chopped dried apricots
- 1 cup coarsely chopped carrots
- 3 cups peeled and cubed butternut squash
- 1/4 cup chopped cilantro
- 1 Meyer lemon or regular lemon, sliced or in wedges for garnish (optional)
- 1 blood orange, sliced or in wedges for garnish (optional)
- Coconut-Cilantro Rice, steamed rice, or couscous, for serving
Instructions
For the Meatballs:
- Make meatballs. Gently mix all ingredients in a large bowl. Roll mixture into tablespoon-sized meatballs and place on a baking sheet.
For the Tagine:
- Saute vegetables. 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 apricots.
- Simmer. Bring tagine to a simmer, stir in carrots and butternut squash 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.
- Serve. Sprinkle cilantro over tagine and season with salt and pepper. Serve with steamed rice or couscous.
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Nutrition Information:
Yield: 6 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 54Total Fat: 1gSaturated Fat: 0gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 0gCholesterol: 2mgSodium: 440mgCarbohydrates: 12gFiber: 3gSugar: 7gProtein: 2g
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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.