Moroccan Lamb Meatball Tagine

Spicy, smoky, tender lamb meatballs stewed with shallots, cilantro, mint, carrots, golden raisins, and ras-el-hanout.

Updated March 12, 2025

Why It Works

Ras-el-hanout adds layers of complex flavor and aroma in just a single ingredient.
Fresh breadcrumbs produce tender meatballs.

Eating dinner at my Moroccan Mémé's house is the highlight of my year. It used to be the highlight of my week, and my stomach and I both profoundly regret my decision to move so far away from her kitchen. Moroccan dinners have this amazing complexity that is somehow rooted in extreme freshness. The meal starts off with ten salads and it ends with a spread of sliced fruits and sweet fresh mint tea. In the middle there is fish, and then there is meat, often with couscous and vegetables, and chickpeas. Yes, the fish and meat are intensely flavored, but they're sandwiched between all those fresh vegetables and fruits, producing a meal that is like a walk through some enchanted, lush garden.

One of the best parts about eating in France is eating Moroccan food, which has permeated French culture. Whether it's using roses and orange flowers in desserts, or buying a baguette stuffed with fiery merguez sausages and French fries on a street corner, or going out for a fancy couscous dinner, you can get some killer Moroccan food in France. French food today is not just about coq au vin; it's about all the flavors that come from all the people who live in France. And North Africans make up a solid portion.

I love my Mémé's tagines, but I also want to put my own stamp on tradition and make something a bit more tongue-in-cheek, modern, and simple. This is my lamb meatball tagine, made with tender, big balls of ground lamb, flavored with carrots, shallots, tomatoes, golden raisins, cilantro, mint, and ras-el-hanout, a spice mix that includes everything from cumin to cinnamon to dried chiles to rose petals. It adds that perfect kick of heat, spice, and sweetness that is a signature of North African cuisine. I love serving this over a bed of couscous tossed with Meyer lemon olive oil or—if I'm being more French about it—with torn warm hunks of crusty baguette.

Recipe Details

Moroccan Lamb Meatball Tagine Recipe

Prep 20 mins

Cook 50 mins

Active 20 mins

Total 70 mins

Serves 4 servings

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Ingredients

1/2 cup fresh breadcrumbs
1/4 cup milk
1/2 egg (beat one whole egg and use half)
1 shallot, finely minced (about 2 tablespoons), and 4 shallots, sliced (about 1/2 cup)
1 tablespoon chopped fresh mint, plus 10 leaves, roughly chopped
2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro, plus 1/4 cup, roughly chopped
3 teaspoons ras el hanout, divided
1/4 teaspoon piment d’Espelette or cayenne
Sea salt
Freshly cracked black pepper
1 pound ground lamb
2 tablespoons flour
2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
2 medium cloves garlic, chopped (about 2 teaspoons)
1 medium carrot, peeled and thinly sliced on a bias (about 1/2 cup)
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1 (28-ounce) can whole tomatoes, drained
1 1/2 cups canned or homemade low-sodium beef broth
2 tablespoons golden raisins

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350°F. In a large bowl, stir together the breadcrumbs and milk until the milk is absorbed into the bread. Add the egg. Add 1 shallot, finely minced, 1 tablespoon chopped mint, 2 tablespoons chopped cilantro, 1 1/2 teaspoons ras el hanout, the piment d’Espelette, and season with salt and pepper. Stir together until combined. Add the lamb, and gently toss together until evenly mixed. Divide the mixture into 8 meatballs. Place the meatballs on a plate with the flour, and dust on all sides. Reserve the excess flour.
In a saute pan, heat 1 tablespoon olive oil over medium to medium-high heat until the oil shimmers. Add the floured meatballs into the hot oil and brown on all sides, about 5 minutes total. Set the meatballs aside, and lower the heat. Add the shallots, season with salt and pepper, and sauté on medium-low for until soft, about 10 minutes, stirring frequently. Add the garlic and carrot, and stir in the hot pan until you smell the garlic, about 30 seconds. Add the reserved flour, and toss to coat the vegetables in the flour. Add the tomato paste, the drained tomatoes, the beef broth, the remaining 1 1/2 teaspoons of ras el hanout, and the raisins. Stir to combine, breaking up the whole tomatoes. Bring the liquid to a boil.
Add the meatballs back into the stew, and top with the remaining mint, cilantro, and olive oil. Place a lid on the pot, and bake in the oven for 30 minutes. After half an hour, place the pot over medium heat, and boil until the sauce is very thick, 2 to 5 minutes. Serve with couscous tossed in Meyer lemon olive oil, or just serve with baguette.

Nutrition Facts (per serving)
512	Calories
26g	Fat
42g	Carbs
30g	Protein

Nutrition Facts
Servings: 4
Amount per serving
Calories	512
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 26g	33%
Saturated Fat 9g	43%
Cholesterol 107mg	36%
Sodium 1327mg	58%
Total Carbohydrate 42g	15%
Dietary Fiber 7g	25%
Total Sugars 17g
Protein 30g
Vitamin C 36mg	182%
Calcium 144mg	11%
Iron 5mg	27%
Potassium 1255mg	27%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.