Dinner

September 26, 2023

Moroccan Chicken Meatballs

Moroccan Chicken Meatballs

These Moroccan spiced chicken meatballs are packed with flavour from savory spices and kept moist with the addition of yogurt.

Prep:
10
min
cook:
25
min
total:
35
min
servings:
4
Author:

Jaclyn

Ingredients

For the meatballs:

  • 1 tsp extra virgin olive oil
  • 2 shallots, finely chopped
  • 1 tbsp Ras El Hanout spice blend
  • 3 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 1/4 lb ground chicken (mix of dark and white meat preferred)
  • 1/3 cup Greek yogurt
  • 1/4 cup parsley (chopped)
  • 1/2 cup panko (or other breadcrumbs)
  • 1 egg (lightly beaten)
  • 3/4 tsp kosher salt
  • zest from half a lemon

For the yogurt sauce dip:

  • 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
  • 1/2 tsp cumin seeds
  • 1 cup Greek yogurt
  • 1 tbsp finely chopped preserved lemon (see substitutions)
  • 1/4 cup finely chopped parsley
  • 1 garlic clove (minced)

For the plate:

  • cucumber, sliced thin
  • red onion, thinly sliced
  • parsley, for garnish
Instructions

For the meatballs:

  1. 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.
  2. Preheat the oven to 400ºF.
  3. 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.
  4. Using a cookie scoop, portion out the meat mixture into round balls, about 2 1/2 to 3 tbsps per ball.
  5. 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.
  6. Remove the meatballs from the skillet and serve with the yogurt dip and any other toppings. Enjoy!

For the yogurt dip:

  1. Heat a small skillet over medium-low heat and add 1 tbsp of the olive oil. Once hot, pour in the cumin seeds and toast until fragrant, stirring occasionally, about three to four minutes. Remove and set aside.
  2. In a bowl, combine the yogurt, lemon, parsley and garlic. Pour in the cumin and oil and stir to combine everything.

Notes

This recipe makes about 16 meatballs.

No preserved lemon: omit, and use lemon zest and a squeeze of lemon juice.

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.

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