Moroccan-Spiced Chicken Meatballs

By Lidey Heuck

Updated Nov. 4, 2021

Moroccan-Spiced Chicken Meatballs
Kate Sears for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Barrett Washburne.
Total Time
30 minutes
Rating
5(3,516)
Comments
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Chicken meatballs may not be a traditionally Moroccan dish, but they work beautifully when spiced with paprika, cumin, cinnamon, ginger and garlic, which are commonly found in the country’s cuisine. Whole-milk yogurt does double duty here: It’s used to make the meatballs moist and tender, and makes for a speedy sauce to serve with them. Don’t use ground chicken made with ultralean breasts; look for labels that show a mix of white and dark meat. (Or if you’re feeling ambitious, grind your own boneless, skinless chicken thighs in the food processor.) Serve the meatballs with couscous and a green vegetable for a flavorful weeknight dinner that’s well worth the effort.

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Ingredients

Yield:4 servings 
  • 1⅓cups plain whole-milk yogurt
  • 1tablespoon, plus 1 teaspoon minced or grated garlic (about 4 cloves) 
  • 2teaspoons lemon juice (from 1 lemon)
  • Kosher salt and black pepper
  • 1pound ground chicken (not 100 percent breast meat) 
  • ½cup panko bread crumbs
  • 1large egg, lightly beaten
  • 3tablespoons minced fresh parsley, plus more for serving
  • 1tablespoon olive oil, plus more for frying 
  • 1teaspoon light brown or granulated sugar 
  • 1teaspoon sweet paprika
  • ½teaspoon ground cumin 
  • ½teaspoon ground ginger 
  • ¼teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 3tablespoons toasted pine nuts (optional) 
Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (4 servings)

344 calories; 21 grams fat; 6 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 9 grams monounsaturated fat; 5 grams polyunsaturated fat; 14 grams carbohydrates; 1 gram dietary fiber; 6 grams sugars; 26 grams protein; 549 milligrams sodium

Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

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Preparation

  1. Step 1

    First, make the yogurt sauce: Combine 1 cup of the yogurt, 1 teaspoon of the garlic, the lemon juice, ¼ teaspoon salt and black pepper to taste in a small bowl. Mix well, and chill until ready to use.

  2. Step 2

    Make the meatballs: In a large bowl, combine the remaining ⅓ cup yogurt, remaining 1 tablespoon garlic, chicken, panko, egg, parsley, olive oil, sugar, paprika, cumin, ginger, cinnamon, 1½ teaspoons salt and a few generous grinds of black pepper. Mix gently but thoroughly, until incorporated. Using an ice cream scoop or two spoons, form meatballs about 1½-inches in diameter, then place them on a plate or sheet pan until ready to use.

  3. Step 3

    In a large skillet, heat ⅛-inch olive oil over medium-high heat. When the oil is hot, fry the meatballs in batches, flipping occasionally, until browned all over and cooked through, 4 to 5 minutes. (If the meatballs begin browning too quickly or the oil begins smoking, lower the heat.) Transfer the cooked meatballs to a paper towel-lined plate.

  4. Step 4

    To serve, spread the yogurt sauce in an even layer on a flat platter. Arrange the meatballs on top, and top with a sprinkle of chopped parsley and the pine nuts, if using. Serve hot.

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Ratings

5 out of 5
3,516 user ratings
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Comments

RPR

Delicious and easy recipe! Instead of frying I baked for 20 min. at 400 and they came out perfectly (and minimized the kitchen mess!). Tossed some zucchini on the same baking sheet and it was an easy side. Flavors are wonderful and this will definitely be a weeknight staple. For those asking about a nondairy alternative to the sauce - I’ve made a coconut yogurt tzatziki before with great success; this is a very similar sauce so it will probably be an easy swap.

modificatioms

Recipe came out great as is. A few possible modifications for next time: Omit the garlic from the yogurt sauce, it’s really strong. Bake the meatballs in the oven after browning them or make them into little patties instead of balls because they took a long time in the pan and got a little too dark. Serve with lots of fresh mint.

Kevin S

Delicious weeknight meal! We used ground turkey instead of chicken because that’s what we had on hand. Also opted to bake for 20 minutes @ 400° like some others suggested and they turned out great.

Liz F

Made these after work and liked how simple and tasty they were. I used 85% lean turkey which worked well and doubled the spices per other comments - definitely a good idea since the flavors were spot on, not at all overkill. I would cut back on the garlic in the yogurt sauce though and even make half of the amount since I had a lot of extra. I baked them for 20 min at 400 on parchment so it made it fast and easy to clean up. Served with sautéed bok choy. My daughter and I loved these - will make them again!

Carolyn

Outstanding. Doubled the spices and added lemon zest and plenty of cayenne because I like heat. Baked in 225° (centigrade) oven. I need to stop or I’ll eat them all right now.

JJ

We all thought there was too much panko - they seemed to “bready”. Otherwise delicious!

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