These juicy, flavourful and moist Moroccan spiced chicken meatballs are absolutely delicious and perfect for a quick, healthy and easy dinner. If you're a fan of Moroccan cuisine and spices, you will absolutely fall in love with these Moroccan chicken meatballs. The addition of Greek yogurt keeps these meatballs from drying out and taste delicious served with a preserved lemon and cumin yogurt dip. I also love serving these Moroccan meatballs with an easy couscous salad to make it a full meal.

Ingredients

Here's everything you'll need to make these Moroccan chicken meatballs.

• extra virgin olive oil
• shallots
• Ras El Hanout
• garlic cloves
• ground chicken (mix of dark and white meat preferred)
• Greek yogurt
• parsley
• panko (or other breadcrumbs)
• egg
• kosher salt
• lemon
• cumin seeds
• preserved lemon (optional, but great if you have on hand)
• cucumber
• red onion

What is Ras El Hanout?

This is a vibrant, flavourful and complex spice blend found in Tunisia, Algeria and Morocco. It works well with lamb, chicken, beef, pork, seafood, soups and stews.

It's comprised of many different spices adding to the complexity and flavour. Sometimes it can have up to 80 different spices!

If you're looking for a packaged product to buy, definitely check out this brand. Of course, you can also find plenty of recipes online if you prefer to make it at home.

How to Make Moroccan chicken meatballs

Making these Moroccan chicken meatballs at home is quite easy. Once you have the mixture combined, you can sear them in a skillet and then finish them in the oven.

Heat 1 tsp of the oil in a large cast iron skillet over medium-low heat. Once hot, add the shallots and cook until just starting to soften and turn brown, about four minutes. Add the spice blend and stir to combine. cooking for one minute. Then add the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds to one minute. Remove from the heat and set aside.

Preheat the oven.

In a large bowl, combine the ground chicken with the shallot mixture, Greek yogurt, parsley, panko, egg, salt and lemon zest. Mix well to combine.

Using a cookie scoop, portion out the meat mixture into round balls, about 2 1/2 to 3 tbsps per ball.

Heat the same large skillet over medium heat and add a small splash more of extra virgin olive oil. Once hot, add the meatballs and sear on each side for about 2 1/2 minutes, five minutes total, until browned. You may need to work in batches for browning. Then add all of the meatballs to the skillet and transfer to the oven and bake for ten to 12 minutes, until cooked through.

Remove the meatballs from the skillet and serve with the yogurt dip and any other toppings.

What to Serve with Moroccan Chicken Meatballs

Couscous salad: I love serving these Moroccan meatballs with a simple couscous salad, similar to this Israeli one.

Simple salad: this also pairs well with your favourite simple side salad.

Roasted veggies: this is great served with roasted veggies as well.

Tips:

To make perfectly juicy Moroccan chicken meatballs, be sure to follow these tips.

• Dark meat: ground dark turkey meat is my preference when making meatballs. Dark meat has more flavour and will be juicier than white meat. Using a mix of dark and white meat is great.
• Don't over mix the meatball mixture: mix until everything is just combined to avoid over working the meat, which could make it tougher.
• Cook the shallot with spices first: this helps to add more flavour to the chicken mixture, as you are blooming the spices in hot oil with the shallot.

Substitutions

• No preserved lemon: you can use lemon zest and a squeeze of lemon juice instead. If you do have preserved lemons on hand, I highly suggest using it, because it's delicious. I make them myself and store them in the fridge until I want to use them. Once you start making them and using them, you will find so many uses for them.
• No chicken: use ground turkey instead.
• Gluten-free: use a gluten-free panko or other gluten-free breadcrumbs.
• Oven baking: you can bake these meatballs in the oven without searing if you prefer. Bake at 400ºF for 12-14 minutes and then broil on high for six to eight minutes, until browned and cooked through.  

Serving and Storage

• Store: once cooked, you can store chicken meatballs in a sealed container in the fridge for up to four days.
• Reheat: reheat the meatballs in an oven safe baking dish at 350ºF for about seven to eight minutes, until warmed through.‍
• Freeze: you can freeze uncooked or cooked Moroccan chicken meatballs in a freezer safe container (or freezer safe ziploc bag) for up to three months. Let them defrost overnight in the fridge and then cook or reheat.

Ingredients & Products I Recommend:

Kosher salt:

I exclusively use Diamond Crystal kosher salt for all of my recipes. I prefer the texture, taste and consistency of this brand and highly recommend it for everyday cooking.

More Meatball and Chicken Recipes to Try

• Air Fryer Tahini Turkey Meatballs
• Harissa Turkey Meatballs with Whipped Feta Dip
• Thai Turkey Meatballs with Red Curry Sauce
• Honey Lime Chicken Thighs with Sweet Potato
• Skillet Chicken Fajitas with Jalapeño Feta Sauce
• Crispy Oven Baked Chicken Tacos
• Air Fryer Chicken Katsu Bowls
• Chipotle Ground Chicken Tacos

This recipe was inspired by this recipe from NYT Cooking.

If you make these Moroccan chicken meatballs please share with me, by tagging me on Instagram or leave a comment and/or review below. I truly love seeing and hearing form you!

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