Moroccan-Spiced Chicken Meatballs

Name: Moroccan-Spiced Chicken Meatballs
Total time: 30 min
Yield: 4 servings
Ingredients: 1 1/3 cups plain whole-milk yogurt; 1 tablespoon, plus 1 teaspoon minced or grated garlic (about 4 cloves); 2 teaspoons lemon juice (from 1 lemon); Kosher salt and black pepper; 1 pound ground chicken (not 100 percent breast meat); 1/2 cup panko bread crumbs; 1 large egg, lightly beaten; 3 tablespoons minced fresh parsley, plus more for serving; 1 tablespoon olive oil, plus more for frying; 1 teaspoon light brown or granulated sugar; 1 teaspoon sweet paprika; 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin; 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger; 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon; 3 tablespoons toasted pine nuts (optional)

By Lidey Heuck

Updated Nov. 3, 2021

Moroccan-Spiced Chicken Meatballs — Kate Sears for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Barrett Washburne.

Total Time: 30 minutes
Rating: 5(3,769)
Comments: Read comments

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

Preparation

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.
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.
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.
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

3,769 user ratings

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Comments

RPR5 years ago

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.

modificatioms5 years ago

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 S4 years ago

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.

Cam10 days ago

Made (with below modifications) for dinner last night. DELICIOUS! I used ground chicken breast and had no issues with dryness. Decided to drizzle extra virgin olive oil over the meatballs before baking 18 min @ 400. *if you are baking make sure you check temp with thermometer because my meatballs were done in 18 min, not 20. Lastly, I roasted and chopped about 1/4 cup of pistachios and chopped 1/4 cup dried cherries then scattered both on yogurt mixture before placing/plating meatballs.

Judah13 days ago

These were delish! Baked in oven instead of in pan and used turkey instead of chicken bc that’s what I had. They were super moist and I love that Levant style tang.

Sam27 days ago

Made as directed and it was delicious. This is not meant to be a spicy dish, the spices are subtle but this was definitely not bland. Like others, I baked the meatballs at 400 for 20 minutes and they came out perfectly.

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