These Moroccan-inspired Lamb Meatballs are juicy and delicious spiced with fresh mint, parsley and cilantro and stewed in a rich and fragrant nomato sauce. This dish is AIP, paleo and Whole30 compliant.
These Moroccan-inspired Lamb Meatballs are easy, quick and absolutely delicious. They’re made using simple ingredients that pack a flavorful punch. Because these meatballs are AIP elimination stage compliant, they don’t contain commonly used spices in Moroccan cuisine, such as cumin, paprika and coriander. Nonetheless, they are still super delicious!
These meatballs are pan seared before braising in a nightshade-free nomato sauce spiced with oregano and cinnamon and finished with chopped parsley.
Here’s what you need for these Moroccan-inspired Lamb Meatballs
- ground lamb
- fresh cilantro, parsley and mint
- dried oregano
- onion and garlic
- cinnamon
- lemon zest
- nomato sauce
- olive oil
FAQs
Can I use another protein?
These meatballs would also work well with ground beef, or a combination of beef and lamb.
Can I freeze this dish?
Yes, but I would recommend freezing the meatballs and sauce separately. For the juiciest meatballs, consider forming the meatballs and freezing them pre-cooked. When you are ready to serve them, sear them in oil before adding to the sauce.
What can I serve this with?
This dish tastes awesome with cauliflower rice and salad. You might try them with my Roasted Delicata Squash and Kale Salad.
If you try these Moroccan-inspired Lamb Meatballs I would appreciate it if you would give it a rating and short review. Also, be sure to snap a picture of the finished product and share it with me on Instagram by tagging @healmedelicious.
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Moroccan-inspired Lamb Meatballs
- Total Time: 40 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings 1x
Description
These Moroccan-inspired Lamb Meatballs are made with mint, parsley and cilantro, stewed in a fragrant nomato sauce. They’re AIP, paleo & Whole30 compliant.
Ingredients
Meatballs
- 1/4 cup cilantro, chopped
- 1/4 cup parsley, chopped
- 1 TBSP mint
- 1 small yellow onion
- 3 cloves garlic
- 1/4 tsp lemon zest
- 1 lb ground lamb
- 1.5 tsp salt
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 2 TBSP olive oil
Sauce
- 3 cups nomato sauce
- 1/2 tsp cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp dried oregano
- fresh parsley to garnish
Instructions
Meatballs
- To a food processor add cilantro, parsley, mint, onion, garlic and lemon zest and pulse until the onion and garlic are finely diced.*
- In a large bowl combine ground lamb with salt and cinnamon along with mixture from step 1.
- Use your hands to bring mixture together and shape into meatballs about 1-inch in diameter.
- In a large, deep skillet or cast iron pot over medium heat, add olive oil.
- Once warm, add meatballs in an even layer and cook ~ 5 minutes per side, ensuring that you get a nice sear on each side.
- Remove meatballs from pan and set aside.
Sauce
- To the same pan, add nomato sauce, cinnamon and oregano and bring to a simmer over low-medium heat.
- Return meatballs to the pan and allow to cook 5-7 minutes further.
- Remove from heat and serve warm, garnishing with freshly chopped parsley, if desired.
Notes
*If you don’t have a food processor, simply finely dice cilantro, parsley, mint, onion, garlic and lemon zest with a sharp knife.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Category: Mains
Keywords: aip, paleo, whole30, lamb, lamb meatballs, cinnamon, parsley, mint
I loved the recipe! I used ground beef instead of lamb and added a bit of cumin. I made your nomato sauce on the same day and had it with the meatballs. Lovely meal! I only used 1 tbs of salt for the meatballs and still found them a bit saltier than I personally like… for anyone like me who is sensitive to salt. Thank you for your recipes.
★★★★★
Made this with ground pork instead of lamb. Really tasty and easy to make!
★★★★★
There aren’t enough stars on the scale for this one – amazing! Served over zucchini noodles and it was one of the most delicious dishes I’ve had in awhile!
★★★★★
These were fantastic! I’ve tried a number of lamb meatball recipes over the years but these are the best I’ve tried. I’d never diced my herbs, garlic, and onion together in the food processor together before today but was delighted at how much time the process saved during prep! Thank you for another wonderful recipe!
★★★★★
Just finished making these and they’re *delicious*! And I’ve never been a big fan of lamb, but I thought I’d make them as written, partly because I try to keep my protein sources as diverse as I can these days, and partly because I just TRUST you. 🙂 And my trust was entirely justified–I love this recipe. Thank you!
★★★★★
Thank you so much for your kind words and taking the time to leave a review. So happy you enjoyed.
Wow. Just wow! Better than any meatball and tomato sauce I’ve ever had!!! I served mines with cassava pasta.
★★★★★