Moroccan-Style Meatballs

I promised you a Moroccan-style meatball recipe, and while I’m embarrassingly late, I did deliver. This is the kind of recipe that I love having in my back pocket — something healthy-ish and hearty, but not heavy. It’s bursting with flavor and reheats well, so I can make a batch of it on Sunday and have it throughout the week.

I haven’t done a ton of cooking recently, largely because I’ve been off celebrating 30th birthdays with an epic duck dinner at Momofuku Ssam bar, inhaling life-changing Cheeto ice cream, partaking in stunning plates of house-made charcuterie and just generally taking advantage of everything NYC has to offer when the weather finally starts to get a bit warm.

But I’m ready to get back to cooking, especially simple, satisfying recipes like this one.

Moroccan-Style Meatballs

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Ingredients

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For the sauce

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 2 14-ounce cans fire-roasted diced tomatoes
• 1–1/2 teaspoons smoked paprika
• 2 teaspoons cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1 cup mixed olives

For the meatballs

• 1 pound 93% lean ground beef
• 1/2 cup finely diced onion
• 1–1/2 teaspoons smoked paprika
• 1 tablespoon cumin
• 1 teaspoon coriander powder
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon cayenne
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

Cook Mode

Instructions

1. Make the meatballs: In a large bowl, combine all of the ingredients for the meatballs using your hands, taking care to not overwork the mixture. Form the mixture into 20 golf ball-sized meatballs.
2. In a large heavy-bottomed pot, heat the oil. Gently brown the meatballs on medium-high heat in batches, taking care to turn the meatballs without breaking them. Set aside.
3. Add the onions to the pot and saute until softened, about 5 minutes. Stir in the tomatoes, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pot. Add the cumin, coriander, cayenne, salt and pepper, and the mixed olives. Stir well to combine, then gently add back in the meatballs.
4. Cover the pot and turn the heat down to low, simmering the meatballs for 35-40 minutes. Serve with rice and this amazing carrot salad.

Nutrition

• Serving Size: 4