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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Super simple meatball recipe, everyone loved it and commented on the authentic Moroccan flavour.
I was wary about using 1/3 cup for the size so I used 1/4 which seemed perfect.
I added some crushed garlic to the yogurt sauce and it was amazing.
This is now my go to meatball recipe overtaking Jamie Oliver!! 🙂
Another winner! Another yummy recipe! You have the only recipes I would feel comfortable preparing for guests. Thanks for all the work you do in advance so we can look like stars!
Fantastic! Skeptical husband and teenagers ate every bit and asked when I will make it again! Thank you!
I made these on the stovetop with a grill pan as our BBQ hasn’t been dug out post-winter yet and they were just delicious! My mouth waters for the yogurt sauce. As with literally every single recipe on your site, we’ll make this again. I only had dry dill so used a tsp. Fresh is best, but it worked just fine. I underestimated how much the beef would continue to cook when resting and overcooked a couple of them slightly, but they were so tasty it didn’t even matter. You know the recipe is amazing when even the overcooked meat is delicious.
Awesome! I followed your suggestion on how to bake the meatballs in the oven and they were delicious. I have made them 3 times now and every time they consistently come out perfect. My toddler even at them and especially loved the yogurt sauce.
Thanks, Karen! I’d cook them at 350 in the oven for 15-20 minutes, then flash them under the broiler at the end.
– Jenn on June 5, 2014 REPLY
Great recipe! Didn’t change a thing although I made a spicy tomato puree to accompany the meatballs as well and served with toasted garlic naan…
What would be a good meat to substitute for the ground beef? I have someone in my house that needs to avoid ground beef as much as possible. Ground pork or lamb? Thanks! I look forward to trying it!
Hi Courtney, Lamb would work well. You might also try my Greek Lamb Burgers.
These are scrumptious! I seasoned the ground beef as described, then cooked the meatballs in a cast iron skillet. I also prepared the yogurt sauce, to which I added a teaspoon of minced garlic (just because I like it.) I served everything over “pine nuts and olive oil” couscous (one of those mixes in a box) with a side of roasted red peppers. It was a wonderful dinner, and quite easy to prepare.
These meatballs are absolutely delicious; I’ve already made them several times since Jenn posted the recipe because they get requested in my house. I serve them with couscous and moroccan-spiced roasted vegetables (usually red peppers, red onion, chickpeas, carrots, eggplant, sometimes sweet potato) for a very easy dinner. Do add the cilantro to the meatballs—it makes a difference!
Absolutely delicious! I followed the recipe almost to the tee. Omitted cilantro so the picky eater in the family wouldn’t turn away from the green. Everything was super yummy and just as deeelish the next day as leftovers. Thanks again for a great recipe!