Moroccan Lamb Meatballs
Moroccan Lamb Meatballs are tender, flavorful meatballs made with ground lamb and aromatic spices, perfect for serving in pita pockets or over fresh greens.
Ingredients
For the Meatballs
- 1 ½ tbsp olive oil (for cooking)
- 500 g / 1 lb lamb mince (ground lamb) (Note 1)
- 1 small onion, grated using box grater (~1/2 cup, including juices) (Note 2)
- ½ cup panko breadcrumbs (sub ordinary)
- 1 egg
- 2 cloves garlic, crushed
- ¼ cup coriander/cilantro leaves, finely chopped
- 1 ½ tsp cumin
- 1 ½ tsp coriander
- 1 ½ tsp paprika (any, but I like smoked paprika)
- ½ tsp cinnamon
- ½ tsp cayenne pepper (add more for spicy)
- 1 tsp cooking/kosher salt
- ¼ tsp black pepper
- ¾ cup plain yoghurt (I use Greek)
- ½ cup mint leaves, tightly packed
- 2 tsp lemon juice
- ¼ tsp cooking/kosher salt
- 4 pita pockets (Lebanese or pita bread)
- 5 cups shredded lettuce (iceberg, cos/romaine)
- 2 tomatoes, halved, thinly sliced
- 1 red onion, halved, finely sliced
- OR Shredded Red Cabbage, Carrot and Mint Salad (instead of lettuce, tomato, and onion)
- Extra coriander/cilantro leaves, finely chopped (optional)
For the Mint Yogurt Sauce
- ½ cup yogurt
Instructions
Mint Yogurt Sauce
- Set aside 1/2 cup yogurt. Place all other ingredients in a jug that fits the head of a stick blender. Blitz until it turns green – it will be runny. Stir in reserved yogurt (this thickens it again). Refrigerate until required.
Meatballs
- Place all meatball ingredients in a bowl. Mix well with your hands.
- Measure out 1 heaped tablespoon, then roll into balls. Repeat with remaining mixture – you should have 20-24 meatballs.
Cooking
- Heat oil in a large non-stick pan over medium heat. Add half the meatballs and cook, turning to brown all over, for 8 minutes or until cooked through.
- Transfer to a plate. (Oven option is available; see Note 4).
Serving
- Cut pita pockets in half, warm for 10 seconds in the microwave, then pry it open. Stuff with lettuce, tomato, onion, and then meatballs (I usually do 2 per half pocket). Drizzle with mint yogurt sauce and top with fresh coriander.
Notes
Use fresh spices for the best flavor. Don’t overwork the meat mixture when forming the meatballs to keep them tender. Adjust the amount of cayenne pepper according to your spice preference. If you don't have panko breadcrumbs, regular breadcrumbs work just fine.