Grilled Moroccan Meatballs with Yogurt Sauce
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Spice things up with these grilled Moroccan meatballs, seasoned with warm spices and cooled down with a creamy yogurt sauce—every bite is packed with flavor!
I have a late-night habit of scouring the Internet for gently used cookbooks to add to my collection. I always find great buys—books with stunning photography that look like they’ve barely been cracked open. It’s such a treat when they arrive on my doorstep, like a little gift to myself! One of my recent treasures is Curtis Stone’s What’s for Dinner? I’m slowly cooking my way through the book, and this dish has quickly become a family favorite. 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.
“Served these for a dinner party and they were an absolute hit! I doubled the recipe as I knew I had some hearty eaters coming, and I’m glad I did – my guests gobbled them up!”
What You’ll Need To Make Grilled Moroccan Meatballs
- Egg: Acts as a binder to help the meatballs hold their shape.
- Garlic: Adds depth and a pungent flavor to the meatballs.
- Cumin and Allspice: Provide warm, earthy flavors that are characteristic of Moroccan cuisine.
- Fresh Cilantro: Brings a bright, herbal note to the meatballs (can be omitted based on taste preference).
- 85% Lean Ground Beef: Offers a good balance of flavor and fat, making the meatballs juicy.
- Panko: Japanese breadcrumbs that help keep the meatballs light and tender while also acting as a binder.
- Vegetable Oil: Used for grilling, it helps to prevent sticking and adds a slight richness to the exterior of the meatballs.
- Cucumber: Adds a fresh, crisp texture and mild flavor to the sauce.
- Yogurt: Serves as the creamy base of the sauce; choose low-fat for a lighter sauce or whole milk for richer flavor.
- Lemon Juice: Provides acidity, brightening up the sauce and balancing the richness of the yogurt.
- Fresh Dill: Infuses the sauce with a sweet, grassy flavor that pairs well with the other ingredients.
- Jump to the printable recipe for precise measurements
Step-by-Step Instructions
Combine the egg, garlic, cilantro, cumin, allspice, salt and pepper in a medium bowl.
Mix until well combined.
Add the ground beef and panko bread crumbs.
Mix together with your hands until just combined.
Use a 1/3 cup measure to portion out the meat and shape into discs.
Preheat your grill to medium-high heat and grease well. Place the meatballs on the grill and cook for about four minutes per side, until charred and no longer pink in the center. As they cook, the centers will dome slightly, creating nicely shaped meatballs.
Meanwhile, make the yogurt sauce by combining the yogurt, cucumber, lemon juice, fresh dill, salt, and pepper in a small bowl.
Mix to combine.
Serve the meatballs over couscous, topped with the yogurt sauce.
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Grilled Moroccan Meatballs with Yogurt Sauce
Spice things up with these grilled Moroccan meatballs, seasoned with warm spices and cooled down with a creamy yogurt sauce—every bite is packed with flavor!
Ingredients
For the Meatballs
- 1 large egg
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon ground allspice
- ¼ cup finely chopped fresh cilantro (optional)
- 1¼ teaspoons kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1¼ pounds 85% lean ground beef
- ⅓ cup panko
- Vegetable oil, for grilling
For the Yogurt Sauce
- ½ cucumber, peeled, halved lengthwise, seeded and finely diced
- 1 cup plain low-fat or whole milk Greek yogurt (do not use non-fat)
- 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice, from one lemon
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh dill
- ¼ teaspoon Kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
For the Meatballs
- Preheat the grill to medium-high heat (about 500 degrees).
- Mix together the egg, garlic, cumin, allspice, cilantro, salt and pepper in a medium bowl. Add the ground beef and panko and mix with your hands until well combined.
- Using a ⅓ cup measure, form 8 disc-shaped meatballs. (They will dome slightly on the grill, forming nicely rounded meatballs.)
- Lightly dip a wad of paper towels in vegetable oil and, using tongs, carefully rub over the grates several times until glossy and coated. Grill the meatballs, covered, for about 4 minutes per side, or until they are nicely browned on the exterior and no longer pink in the center. Transfer the meatballs to a serving plate and let rest for 3 minutes. Serve with the yogurt sauce and couscous, if desired.
For the Yogurt Sauce
- Combine all of the ingredients in a small bowl and mix well. Refrigerate until ready to serve.
- Freezer-Friendly Instructions: The meatballs can be frozen for up to 3 months. When you’re ready to serve them, reheat them tightly covered in a 300°F oven, until hot in the center.
Pair with
Nutrition Information
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- Per serving (4 servings)
- Calories: 418
- Fat: 27g
- Saturated fat: 9g
- Carbohydrates: 9g
- Sugar: 3g
- Fiber: 1g
- Protein: 34g
- Sodium: 1028mg
- Cholesterol: 152mg
This website is written and produced for informational purposes only. I am not a certified nutritionist and the nutritional data on this site has not been evaluated or approved by a nutritionist or the Food and Drug Administration. Nutritional information is offered as a courtesy and should not be construed as a guarantee. The data is calculated through an online nutritional calculator, Edamam.com. Although I do my best to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures should be considered estimates only. Varying factors such as product types or brands purchased, natural fluctuations in fresh produce, and the way ingredients are processed change the effective nutritional information in any given recipe. Furthermore, different online calculators provide different results depending on their own nutrition fact sources and algorithms. To obtain the most accurate nutritional information in a given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe, using your preferred nutrition calculator.
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Can I broil these meatballs if I don’t want to grill them?
Sure, Veronica, but I’d use a combination of baking and broiling; I’d bake them at 350 for 15-20 minutes, then pop them under the broiler for a minute or so at the end. Enjoy!
This is a family favorite! I now double this recipe because they love it so much! The yogurt sauce really makes it sing and any leftovers there may be are gone the very next day.
I love how easy this recipe is. I’m a fan of huge flavor so I like to add mint to the meatballs (about a half cup, chopped finely) If there’s too much snow to go outside and fire up the grill I simply broil these on a cast iron skillet. I prefer a lemony, spicy cayenne salad dressing over fresh greens to go with this meal. Follow the advice and use the beef with the 85/15 fat ratio. So tasty. Probably even better the next day.
This was delicious!! The only thing I added was a 1/2 tsp of ground cumin and 1/8 tsp of cayenne to yogurt sauce. Also I made meatballs 1/2 the size called for in recipe, rolled into balls and stuck through skewers -grilled 3 min. med/high meat on each side. Served with her perfect couscous with yogurt sauce on side. Soooo good :):)
This recipe was awesome. I used a cast iron grill pan on the stove top and they turned out perfect. Since my hubby is not a big fan of couscous, I served it with Parmesan rice. Love your blog and cookbook !
Yummy! Made these tonight for dinner – Awesome. Paired with your perfect cous cous & the yogurt dressing. They truly were flavour bombs! My hubby & two kids gobbled them up!!! I followed the recipe except I never have kosher salt on hand so I added 1 tsp of table salt & the recipe was perfect!!!
This tasted amazing! Made more meatballs and yogurt sauce than expected – didn’t end up using all the yogurt sauce but it was all delicious! Served with another one of Jennifer’s recipes – Cauliflower Fried Rice, it was a great pairing.
I doubled the recipe and used fresh bread crumbs because I had no Panko. I grilled them on a grill pan. Since there was no lid, I was concerned they won’t be cooked all they way inside, so I stood them up on the sides for the final minute or two. They came out great. I served with Jen’s zucchini and feta fritters and yogurt sauce. Wonderful!
Oh my!… made these for a Fathers Day feast and they were a huge hit!
Added some fresh garlic to the yogurt sauce, yum! Served with Couscous, flat bread and roasted sheet pan summer veggies… Delish!
Thanks for another family hit.. we’ll be making this again… 🙂
Sound delicious!! Will have to make really soon. BTW LOVE that you have the Flour cookbook. Flour is amazing and so is Joanne Chang! You must make her banana bread!!