Moroccan Meatballs

Moroccan Meatballs or, in Arabic, Kefta Mkaouara, which means round-shaped Kofta. These meatballs are flavorful and juicy, smothered in well-seasoned tomato sauce, with poached eggs.

“This post is updated and was originally published in 2013.”

The Moroccan kitchen is known for its various tagine recipes and simplicity without compromising flavor. Cooking time and effort are usually minimal. In the authentic meatball recipe, you add the formed meatballs to the tomato sauce to cook.

From my experience, shallow-frying meatballs keep them juicy and tender from the inside and maintain a beautiful shape. If you love Moroccan dishes, try my Moroccan Couscous with lamb shank.

WHY YOU’LL LOVE MOROCCAN MEATBALLS

• Easy to prepare: This is an easy recipe, with simple ingredients. You can follow the recipe and get the same result.
• Versatility: These meatballs can be served in various ways. They can be served with warm pita bread, on a fluffy bed of rice, or with couscous.
• Meal Prep Friendly: You can make the meatballs ahead of time and freeze them until you are ready to cook.
• Delicious: The blend of spices is great bringing the taste of Morocco into your kitchen.

🥘 INGREDIENTS

Everything you need for this recipe is most probably in your kitchen already. Let’s have a look at some!

• Tomatoes: Fresh tomatoes bring out a unique flavor; you can finely chop them or grate them for this recipe.

• Onion: I always use red onions because I love the taste they add to my dishes, but you can also use yellow onions.

• Warm spices: Black pepper, cumin, and paprika complement this recipe.

• Ground beef or lamb: I prefer lamb meat because it is tender and cooks faster than beef, but both taste great in this recipe.

• Olive oil: I firmly believe that frying onions in olive oil adds more flavor and a hint of sweetness to a dish, and Moroccans love olives and olive oil.

🔪 HOW TO MAKE MOROCCAN MEATBALLS

This meatball recipe is straightforward; you will see how simple it is to follow the steps below.

FOR THE MEATBALLS

Step 1: In a large bowl, mix all the meatball ingredients. Form equal-sized balls.

Step 2: Fry the balls in olive oil. It will take around 8 minutes to cook the meatballs.

FOR THE TOMATO SAUCE

Step 1: Add olive oil and onion to a pan. Sauté until translucent. Add the garlic and cook for a few seconds.

Step 2: Add the tomatoes and cook on medium heat until the olive oil surfaces.

Step 3: Add the rest of the sauce ingredients, and cook for 2 minutes.

Step 4: Pour half a cup of hot water and let the sauce simmer for 5 minutes.

Step 5: Add the meatballs, with its juices, to the sauce. Let it cook for 3 minutes.

Step 6: Carefully break the eggs into the sauce between the meatballs. Cover the pan and let it cook on medium heat for 6 minutes.

Step 7: To garnish, you can sprinkle chopped parsley.

💭 COOKING TIPS

• It’s best to have some fat in the ground meat you choose to make meatballs.

• Do not crowd the pan when frying the meatballs. The goal is to sear them so they maintain their juicy, tender texture. If you crowd the pan, the meatballs will release all their juices and come out dry.

• Do not over-fry the meatballs, or they will turn dry. Remember that the frying is just to seal the juices of the meatballs; the rest of the cooking will be in the sauce.

• If the minced meat has no fat, add two tablespoons of breadcrumbs and one tablespoon of milk to the meatball mixture.

🍲 MORE MEATBALL RECIPES

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

HOW TO SERVE MOROCCAN MEATBALLS

• They taste amazing with couscous and fluffy white rice.
• You can serve them with pasta.
• Try them with some creamy mashed potatoes.
• Serve them with pita bread or your choice of bread.

🌡️ STORING

Moroccan meatballs store well. After they cool, place them in an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 3 days.

You can freeze the meatballs for up to 3 months. To thaw them, place them in the fridge overnight. Then, heat them on the stovetop or in the microwave.