Grilled Moroccan Meatballs with Yogurt Sauce
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These charred meatballs are laced with warm spices and served with a cooling yogurt sauce.
I have a quirky habit of perusing the Internet late at night in search of gently used cookbooks to add to my collection. I always find great buys—beautifully photographed books that have barely been opened—and it’s such a treat when they arrive on my doorstep, full of inspiration. One of my recent finds is Curtis Stone’s What’s for Dinner? I’m slowly cooking my way through the book and this recipe is one of my favorites. Ground beef is laced with warm spices, fresh herbs, and garlic, and then grilled in meatball form until smoky and charred. Served over couscous with a cooling yogurt-cucumber sauce, it’s a quick and easy meal that’s big on flavor.
How to Make Grilled Moroccan Meatballs
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.
Note: In the original recipe, Stone forms the meat into kebabs onto long-stemmed rosemary, which is beautiful but hard to find. I’ve simplified the recipe by shaping the meat into meatballs. However, you can easily form the meat mixture into kebabs around wooden or metal skewers. I’ve also reduced the salt, adjusted the spices, and swapped regular yogurt for Greek yogurt in the sauce, but, in essence, the recipe is the same.
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Grilled Moroccan Meatballs with Yogurt Sauce
These charred meatballs are laced with warm spices and served with a cooling yogurt sauce.
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 English 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 this for dinner tonight and it was delicious! I cut the allspice back to 3/4 tsp. because we’re not huge allspice fans. The cilantro is a must, in my opinion. I did add about 1/4 tsp. of cayenne to the meatball mixture because we like things spicy. I cooked the meatballs on a gas grill set to medium high for 4 minutes per side, and felt that they were slightly overcooked. I’ll try about 3 minutes per side next time. Perhaps my grill runs a little hot. I absolutely love your recipes! They are interesting and fun, but don’t require lots of time or hard-to-find ingredients. Thanks!
Made this tonight with half lamb and half beef. Absolutely delicious. Served the meatballs on a flatbread drizzled with Harissa sauce and your yoghurt dressing and fresh baby leaves. Great recipe!
Would your delicious Moroccan Carrot and Chickpea salad pair well with this?
Also, you ad recommended a cucumber, tomato and red pepper with lemon and olive oil, would adding feta ruin the pairing?
Basically I’m looking for more salad type options for this. Thank you in advance. I’m making your fajitas tonite, and I’m sure I won’t be disappointed. Everything here is delicious.
Hi Karen, Yes, I think the carrot salad would be wonderful with this. And feta on the other salad would work well too. Hope you enjoyed the fajitas!
They were amazing! Everything here is amazing!
Oh, and thank you for answering my questions. 🙂
This is one of my top 5 recipes! I made it exactly as written and it turns out perfectly every time. I have even baked them and they come out great. Great meal for company! I always serve with a double serving of the sauce since I pour it on the couscous as well.
I made these for dinner last night along with your Thai Quinoa Salad with Lime Vinaigrette and my husband actually applauded after dinner. 🙂 I doubled the meatball recipe and used half beef (can’t remember the percentage) and half ground turkey because it’s what I had in the freezer and it was amazing. The allspice really came through (in a good way!) and the yogurt sauce was perfect with the meatballs. We are going to try stuffing meatballs, yogurt sauce, and quinoa salad in a pita next and make a pretend gyro. 🙂 Love, love, LOVE this recipe.
I hate to be the lone voice of dissent, but I was really underwhelmed by this recipe.
I prepared it exactly as written but did not include the optional cilantro as I’m not a fan. The spices smelled so interesting as I mixed them, and I was looking forward to tasting how the whole meal came together.
However, when I tasted the meatballs, all I tasted was beef….I didn’t taste a single spice, so that was a HUGE letdown.
I also didn’t like the consistency of the sauce…too watery for my preference. In my tzatziki recipe, I dice the cucumber, and then salt it and leave it to drain in a sieve for an hour.
I did enjoy the taste of the sauce on the meatballs….but was missing the nuance from the spices that I anticipated. It tasted fine…nothing I’d make again, but it also wasn’t unbearable to eat.
Without the cilantro it would lose its wow factor. Maybe try another herb you do like?
I make these with ground turkey and the seasonings are much more center stage. I tried them once with beef and I agree, they just tasted like beef! I sub turkey on many ground beef recipes because it allows the flavor to stand out plus, less fat.
This was so yummie. My 1.5 year old loved the meatballs. I added some extra wheat germ and used regular bread crumbs because I did’t have panko and it still tasted great. Also I don’t have a grill and so I baked it in the oven instead. The yogurt dill sauce was great as well. I just added carrots for some extra veggie.
Yet another great recipe and quite easy.
Very delicious with just the right balance of flavors. Can’t wait to make it again!
This was a fabulous dinner. I have a 4 and 8 year old who NEVER eat dinner. This was a huge hit! I even had them helping me in the kitchen. I used 93% ground sirloin and it was so moist. Yum!
Jenn never fails me or my family! My 17 year old son grilled the Moroccan meatballs, and my daughter made the couscous. She also helped me with the yogurt sauce, which tasted like tzatziki. We worked as a team and the recipe was truly terrific. “Mom, this tastes like the food at Greek Wraps (local restaurant where we live). We love that restaurant! The only sad part was my husband was out of town on business.
Thanks Jenn!
Super simple meatball recipe, everyone loved it and commented on the authentic Moroccan flavour.
I was wary about using 1/3 cup for the size so I used 1/4 which seemed perfect.
I added some crushed garlic to the yogurt sauce and it was amazing.
This is now my go to meatball recipe overtaking Jamie Oliver!! 🙂
Another winner! Another yummy recipe! You have the only recipes I would feel comfortable preparing for guests. Thanks for all the work you do in advance so we can look like stars!
Fantastic! Skeptical husband and teenagers ate every bit and asked when I will make it again! Thank you!
I made these on the stovetop with a grill pan as our BBQ hasn’t been dug out post-winter yet and they were just delicious! My mouth waters for the yogurt sauce. As with literally every single recipe on your site, we’ll make this again. I only had dry dill so used a tsp. Fresh is best, but it worked just fine. I underestimated how much the beef would continue to cook when resting and overcooked a couple of them slightly, but they were so tasty it didn’t even matter. You know the recipe is amazing when even the overcooked meat is delicious.
Awesome! I followed your suggestion on how to bake the meatballs in the oven and they were delicious. I have made them 3 times now and every time they consistently come out perfect. My toddler even at them and especially loved the yogurt sauce.
Thanks, Karen! I’d cook them at 350 in the oven for 15-20 minutes, then flash them under the broiler at the end.
– Jenn on June 5, 2014 REPLY
Great recipe! Didn’t change a thing although I made a spicy tomato puree to accompany the meatballs as well and served with toasted garlic naan…
What would be a good meat to substitute for the ground beef? I have someone in my house that needs to avoid ground beef as much as possible. Ground pork or lamb? Thanks! I look forward to trying it!
Hi Courtney, Lamb would work well. You might also try my Greek Lamb Burgers.
These are scrumptious! I seasoned the ground beef as described, then cooked the meatballs in a cast iron skillet. I also prepared the yogurt sauce, to which I added a teaspoon of minced garlic (just because I like it.) I served everything over “pine nuts and olive oil” couscous (one of those mixes in a box) with a side of roasted red peppers. It was a wonderful dinner, and quite easy to prepare.
These meatballs are absolutely delicious; I’ve already made them several times since Jenn posted the recipe because they get requested in my house. I serve them with couscous and moroccan-spiced roasted vegetables (usually red peppers, red onion, chickpeas, carrots, eggplant, sometimes sweet potato) for a very easy dinner. Do add the cilantro to the meatballs—it makes a difference!
Absolutely delicious! I followed the recipe almost to the tee. Omitted cilantro so the picky eater in the family wouldn’t turn away from the green. Everything was super yummy and just as deeelish the next day as leftovers. Thanks again for a great recipe!
Lovely quick recipe for the summer. I used chicken broth to make the couscous. The yogurt dressing was absolutely delicious. If serving children, lessen the amount of spices, as the new flavors to them may be a bit overwhelming. Would also be great served in a pita pocket.
My family loved these Moroccan Meatballs! The flavors were wonderful! I broiled them in my oven, but they turned out great! Thanks.
The most delicious meatballs I have ever had…and SO easy. My 16 year old daughter enjoyed making the yogurt sauce. We all decided that the sauce would taste great on so many things. I even had a 1/3 cup measure where they came out looking just like the picture with having to form them and over work the meat. Yummy!!! This has gone into our repertoire.
This recipe was so easy and delicious! I substituted my own breadcrumbs (leftover hotdog buns from the freezer) for panko, and added a little extra. I’m not sure if the recipe meant to keep the BBQ lid open at 500F, but that was a ridiculous temperature so I grilled at 4 mins per side on medium low with the lid closed. In my sauce, I added 1tsp sugar and some fresh garlic, and substituted dried herbs. Overall, it tasted more like tzatziki this way. Served on a bed of rice. Will definitely make again! I am wondering if they would turn out as nice if made with 1/4c instead of 1/3c size as I found the serving to be large.
I’ve been looking for some recipe inspiration and I found it! Thank you Jenn. Great recipe, nice combination of flavors and textures. I used turkey instead of beef for the meatballs. Will definitely make again
I loved this recipe. The flavors blended perfectly and so easy to cook on the grill. Keeper!
Made this dish tonight and LOVED it!!! I doubled the receipe for a family of four and we have leftovers 🙂 ***I used lean ground turkey and it was DELISH!***
Grilled these meatballs last night and they were a huge hit with our family and friends. Flavor was incredible.
Made these twice now. The cucumber dill sauce absolutely makes these delicious. Putting the recipe in the pot luck – dinner for neighbor mental file. BTW much better over herbed rice (couscous is so bland 🙁 )
Your new site looks fabulous! I am such a fan of yours. Given the weather, I need to make the meatballs in the oven. What temp and how long? I like the idea of running them under the broiler at the end.
Thanks, Karen! I’d cook them at 350 in the oven for 15-20 minutes, then flash them under the broiler at the end.
Absolutely delicious! Love the spice in the meatballs!!!
Very tasty and easy. I love that they are grilled instead of baked. I made with combination of ground lamb and beef and added more spices. Yummy dinner!
I made this last week for my family and it was great! I added some onion and garlic to the sauce for a more traditional tzatziki sauce. I also oven roasted fresh tomatoes as a side dish.
These are absolutely delicious. The flavour is so nice. Thank you for the recipe. I had a moroccan meat skewer served on a pita bread with sauce, tomatoes and cucmber at the summer market and i was hoping to find a recipe — the search is over.
Penny
Wow. These were out of this world good. Paired with cous cous and lemon wedges. Perfection. Balanced. Must share with others. Thanks for the fantastic recipe.
Thank you for the recipes , I have made a few & they all turned out delicious . Don’t stop posting . My young daughter’s also love your recipes .
Jenn,
I made these last night for dinner with your zucchini fritters, they both were delicious! I can always count on your recipes to be top notch!
Great idea to put those together, Mary. So glad you enjoyed!
I just finished making these meatballs and they were amazing. The spices go really well together even my 4 year old loved it.
Thank you very much for your amazing website.
Ziad
You’re welcome, Ziad. So glad you enjoyed!
Just made these for dinner tonight. Delicious!!! Thank you for the recipe!
PS, I’ll be tossing some feta cheese into the sauce!
Rosemary skewers are not a big deal…..just start a rosemary plant next summer and don’t prune it at the end of the year. It grows well and within a year or so you’ll have rather long stems. Very good also for grilling pieces of chicken.
I love Curtis Stone. Great Aussie Chef! (I’m Aussie myself). If you havent got a Bill Granger book yet, he’s another awesome laid back, Aussie Chef.
This sounds really good! will give it a try and let you know. Thank you
p.s. I love Once upon a Chef.
How do you grease your grill? I can’t tell in the picture. I wanted to know if you have a better way than using spray like Pam.
Good question. I dip a wad of paper towels in vegetable oil and rub it against the grates several times until they are glossy. It’s foolproof…works much better than Pam 🙂
Thank you Tanya. I was just about to ask the same question.
What to use instead of coucous? I’m afraid I don’t like it!
Judy, You don’t need couscous…they are delicious on their own or with a chopped vegetable salad dressed in lemon and olive oil.
Jennifer, this looks delicious! I’m wondering, since I don’t own a grill, do you think the meatballs would be just as good if cooked in an oven?
Hi Tanya, Yes, that would work fine…you might broil them at the end to get nice color.
Hello! This looks delicious! Unfortunately, I don’t have a grill in my apartment 🙁 Could I make these in the oven?
Absolutely, you might just need to flash them under the broiler to get that nice color.
These sound delicious- I love allspice! I make the Ponchatoula Strawberry Cupcakes out of Screen Doors and Sweet Tea for my daughter’s birthday every year-so good!
If I don’t have a grill, could I bake or saute the meatballs instead?
Hi Mimi, Either technique would work. As I mentioned in another response, you may need to flash them under the broiler if you bake them.
Do you have the nutritional info for this dish? I am currently logging all my food on loseit.com
Thanks in advance!
Sorry, Stephanie, I am not set up to provide nutritional info. I am working on it.
Stephanie,
I use Loseit.com as well and there is a recipe tab in the site that you can add all the ingredients for a recipe and it will break it down for you how much a serving is. I’ve done it with quite a few recipes and its worked out well. Good thing is once you enter it, it saves it for future use. Hope this helps