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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I made the meatballs twice in a row! It was that good! And the second time, I doubled the recipe as I didn’t have enough to satisfy my craving the first go around – hungry children and all 🙂 The second time I made them, I ended up marinating overnight and wow, the flavors really popped out! I didn’t make the yogurt as we had other sides to pair with it. Thank you again for another winning recipe. Thanks to you, Jenn, my 5 1/2 and 4 year old children think I’m the best “cooker” in the world!! Thank you! I can’t wait to receive your cookbook next month!
I forgot to mention that I ended up pan searing them both times and finishing them in the oven. Perfect!
That warms my heart, Anita – 4 and 5 yr olds are tough customers!
Have you made this recipe with grass fed beef? Are there any adjustments I should make?
Hi Thessaly, I have not cooked with grass-fed beef so I don’t have a lot of wisdom to share – I’m sorry!
I am on a lamb kick and the Moroccan meatballs with yoghurt sauce are flavorful in a very mild way, easy to assemble and now a perfect go to meal for company. I served these with a jeweled rice and stemmed broccoli. Colorful! I made a double batch and warmed slightly in the microwave, one or two provide a great mid-day snack along with a slice of cheese and pear wedge.
Hi,
Can these be grilled the day the before they are being served?
I don’t recommend it, Rose. But you can make them up until the point of grilling to get a head start.
Just made these today for lunch. Yum!
Absolutely delicious! Wondering if I could use ground lamb next time?
Glad you enjoyed, Deb! And yes lamb would work beautifully here.
So these do take a lot of effort to make (many steps) but the payoff is worth it. These are delicious and to make it worthwhile, I doubled the recipe and froze the meatballs. YUM!
I like the flavor of these meatballs but I dont like eating it with beef. It is very dense. The fresh parsley makes it taste very good but i don’t like to use a lot because it is overpowering. Could I substitute this with a mix of pork and beef or veal? Maybe turkey as I like a lighter meatball.
I like to cook this with cous cous but add lemon, cucumber, feta, kalamata olives, olive oil, dill and salt and its amazing! (I dont like tomatoes 🙂 but you can add those too)
Yes, I think any combination of the meats you mentioned should work.
This was a tasty early fall company dinner that everyone enjoyed. Meatballs had great flavor; sauce was delicious; and the whole dish came together quickly early in the day. Just formed the meatballs right before guests arrived and then cooked on the grill.
We followed this recipe and were very impressed with the outcome. Grilling meatballs has become our new go to for all things meatball. We chose to serve our meatballs and sauce as an appetizer to friends and they loved them. This recipe is a win in our book. Thank you.
I love this recipe! It was easy to make and the yogurt sauce was so good.
I doubled the yogurt recipe b/c there are 6 of us and we love to use it as a dipping sauce for fresh veggies while we are waiting on the food! 🙂
I actually used the spice combination for the meatballs and used it on chicken the last time. We grilled it and the smell had our neighbors commenting how wonderful it smelled! We enjoyed it with grilled asparagus and twice baked potatoes! Can’t wait to make again!