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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Hi Jen! Would dried dill be appropriate to substitute for fresh dill, and if so, what is the substation ratio? Thanks 🙂
Hi Emily, you can get away with using dried dill here. I’d use 1 teaspoon. Hope you enjoy!
I made this recipe with ground turkey and served it with the “Basmati Rice Pilaf with Dried Fruit and Almonds” – and it was FABULOUS. Both recipes were superb with an interesting and delicious flavor profile. Also pretty easy!
This recipe is fantastic! I wanted to make something with this flavor profile for dinner but didn’t have time to marinate anything. This recipe was quick to put together and VERY tasty! The meatballs were tender and moist. This one is another winner!
do you know what could be substituted for the panko to make the recipe gluten free?
Hi Gayle, You can use gluten-free panic or gluten-free bread crumbs. 🙂
It feels like it was missing something. Maybe a dash of cinnamon or some sweetness, or maybe it just needed another meat mixed in like others have done. Outside of the allspice flavoring, it tasted too much like a hamburger. I think I will try again with a dash of cinnamon and a little bit of brown sugar.
I really enjoyed the meatballs! I bought Boar’s head tzatziki instead of making the yogurt sauce. I made a rice/quinoa base, quick pickled some red onions in the microwave, and made a cucumber & tomato relish with lemon juice and olive oil to put on top. The flavor of the meatballs really went well with everything! Thanks for sharing. I have been trying to find a decent greek(ish) meatball recipe and this was definitely good for what I was needing.
OH MY GOODNESS!…. Jenn, yet another absolutely amazing recipe!!! I prepared the meatballs exactly as you directed – except I did them on a grill pan because I didn’t want to go out in the rain! I served them with the yogurt sauce on a small bed of mixed grains and couscous. The perfect side, however, was your Moroccan carrot salad!! The flavors were incredible and because I didn’t have currants, I substituted golden raisins which I think will become my future go to whether or not I have currants! My husband actually said this meal was in his “Top 10” – which is saying a lot because he’s loved my cooking for almost 45 years! You are incredibly gifted Jenn and I am so grateful for you.
💗
So excellent. And I even made it w 1/2 Ground turkey, 1/2 Ground beef, and 1/3 Almond flour for panko for low carb and still excellent! As is, is probably even better!!!!
Unfortunately these were very dry. Maybe I used too lean of a meat, but I feel like it needs some breadcrumbs or something so they are not so dense. I did bake them, so maybe that was the issue. The flavor was good and the tzatziki is a nice accompaniment, especially when you put over couscous.
Jenn, we have a serious problem. Your recipes have spoiled my family so much, we no longer want to go to restaurants! The recipes I cook from your website are better (and cheaper and healthier) than what we get when we go out.. This was an over the Green Monster, out of Fenway Park grand slam meal. I wish I could give is 6 stars. It was super easy and incredibly delicious. My supermarket only sells in one pound increments, so I used 2lbs of beef and did 1.5x the recipe. Other than that, I made exactly as directed. I didn’t feel like being outside in the cold, so I made smaller meatballs and baked at 425 for about 10 min. I served with brown rice and your simple roasted asparagus recipe. I think these would also be delicious wrapped in Naan with thick slices of tomato and the sauce drizzled over.
One question, I froze half the meatballs uncooked with a plan to make in the future. Should I defrost fully before I cook them or can I bake from frozen?
Wow, what a wonderful review of the meatballs and nice words about the blog — so glad you’re enjoying everything!!
I would defrost the meatballs before you bake them. Enjoy them (again)!
Would you need to modify to use bison instead of beef?
Hi Sharon, I’ve never cooked with bison so I honestly don’t know if any modifications would be needed — I’m sorry I can’t be more helpful!