Lamb Meatballs With Harissa Chickpeas
Savory lamb meatballs simmered in a harissa spiked chickpea and tomato sauce then finished with a dollop of creamy yogurt is a delicious Moroccan inspired dinner. The next time you want to serve meatballs, think of preparing this flavorful meal for your family.
The North African countries such as Tunisia, Algeria, Libya and Morocco use fragrant spices in their cooking that take common ingredients such as lamb, chickpeas and vegetables and turn them into exotic savory meals. These same spices can elevate your own meals with their amazing fragrance and tastes that will take you to faraway countries with every bite.
Harissa is a peppery, garlicky, and smoky chile paste or sauce that originated in Tunisia and is widely used in North Africa, the Middle East and beyond. It can be bought in both tubes and jars, each are a little different with moderate to spicy heat depending on the chiles and spices used. The ingredients in the one I used were dried chili peppers, lemon juice, garlic, sunflower oil, coriander seeds, cumin, and salt and was moderately spicy.
When using harissa for the first time, I suggest taking a very small taste to determine the heat. The perfect harissa dish isn’t too spicy when you first taste it, but your mouth will warm up gradually. With that in mind, I add harissa teaspoon by teaspoon until I achieve the heat I’m looking for in whatever I am cooking.
Lamb is one of the favorite meats used in Middle Eastern cuisine however, these meatballs can also be made with beef, chicken or turkey. The aromatic meatballs are browned before simmering in the harissa flavored chickpea and tomato mixture then finished with yogurt for a touch of creaminess and freshness. I suggest serving the dish over couscous or with flatbread to soak up the delicious sauce.
Lamb Meatballs With Harissa Chickpeas
Serves 4, adjust the recipe accordingly
Meatballs
- 1 lb. ground lamb (beef or a combination of the two may be substituted)
- 1/4 – 1/2 c. panko breadcrumbs
- 1 egg, lightly beaten
- 1/2 small onion, minced
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 2 Tbsp. finely chopped fresh mint
- 2 Tbsp. finely chopped fresh parsley
- 1 1/2 tsp. cumin
- 1 1/2 tsp. coriander
- 1 1/2 tsp. smoked paprika
- 1 tsp. cinnamon
- salt to taste
- Aleppo pepper or red pepper flakes to taste
- 1 – 2 Tbsp. olive oil (for browning)
Place the ground lamb in a bowl and mix with all the ingredients (except the oil) until combined. (Do not over mix or meatballs will be tough) Form into golfball size portions. Heat oil in a large sauté pan over medium high heat. Add meatballs and cook until brown on all sides but not cooked all the way through. Remove the meatballs to a plate.
Sauce
- 1 Tbsp. olive oil
- 1/2 small onion, diced
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 2 14.5 oz. cans diced fire roasted tomatoes with juices
- 1 c. chicken stock
- 2 Tbsp. harissa sauce* or to taste
- 1 1/2 tsp. cumin
- 1 tsp. ground coriander
- salt and pepper to taste
- 1 14.5 oz. can chickpeas, drained
- fresh mint or parsley, chopped for garnish (optional)
- Plain Greek yogurt, for serving
Heat the olive oil over medium heat in a sauce pan, add the onion and sauté until soft and translucent. Add the garlic and continue cooking until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add tomatoes, stock, harissa, cumin, coriander, salt and pepper. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to a simmer. Taste and adjust the seasoning, if needed. Add chickpeas and bring to a simmer for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the meatballs to the chickpea mixture and continue to simmer until the meatballs are cooked through, and reach a temperature of 165° F., about 10 to 15 minutes. Serve meatballs and chickpeas garnished with mint or parsley and add a dollop of yogurt if desired.
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The amazing taste and fragrance of spices, the perfect kick of heat, and a variety of textures in this lamb and chickpea dinner will have you wanting to return for more.
I’m always looking for ways to use Harissa. Thanks for this recipe.
I might have to go out and buy the ingredients to make these this evening. How delicious!
I have some lamb I was wondering what to make with and this is it! Making this very soon, thank you!
Absolutely love lamb! This looks very satisfying and tasty, Karen.
angiesrecipes
http://angiesrecipes.blogspot.com
I love it, Karen! All these spices, e.g. garlic, sunflower oil, coriander seeds, cumin create wonderful flavors! Thank you for sharing.
Looks quite delicious! My family would love all the flavors in this dish!
This recipe sounds amazing! The harissa adds a perfect kick, and the yogurt is a great finishing touch. Can’t wait to try this flavorful dish!
Doris/ Pure Life Gem
This dish reminds me of my trip to Marrakech with all the different spice shops and flavors.
Although I don’t eat much meat, I enjoyed everything I ate in Morocco. This looks fabulous and I think it would be equally delicious as a meatless dish. Thanks!
This sounds wonderful! I have become a meatball fanatic, but haven’t tried lamb.
Oh, so much flavor!
I know people like turkey and chicken meatballs for the lower fat content, but lamb meatballs are where it’s at. So much more flavorful. If you know, you know.
These meatballs sound fabulous! So full of flavor. Bill loves lamb (thanks to my mom) and this is a must make recipe. xo
This looks delicious, Karen! I have loved the spice markets in some of the countries I have visited. This would be a perfect dinner anytime!
Who doesn’t love a meatball? what is it about them that makes them so delicious? :=) I use beef or turkey tho as not a lamb eater. The flavours here sound great; we love harissa!
cheers
sherry https://sherryspickings.blogspot.com/
Oh, the flavor! This dinner sounds wonderful!
This sounds delightful, Karen! I love lamb, but I don’t cook it often. When I do, it always seems like a special treat, and with these beautiful spices, I’ll bet it’s extra special.
This is exceptional! I love lamb, love harissa, love smoked paprika. Great recipe.
Love, love this dish Karen. This Moroccan inspired dish is packed with flavor, color and texture. This is a keeper. Thanks for sharing.
Lamb and harissa is such a beautiful combination. I can already taste how wonderful this dish would be! 😀
Your spice bowls are amazing! Such a collection. Love this dish as these are the flavours I like to cook with 🙂
What a dynamite combo! This is a great reminder that I need to cook with harissa MUCH more often. You can’t miss with it.
What a beautiful and flavorful dish! I’ve never had lamb meatballs, they sound wonderful!
Jenna
Nice looking presentation Karen but not likely to be made here as Bev doesn’t like lamb or chickpeas.
Karen — I am saving this to make soon! I have been wanting to make my own harissa and your recipe is inspiring me to do this soon. Thanks!
I love the addition of harissa, and that ingredient immediately attracted me. But after reading the recipe it has so many flavorful spices, the combinations in these meatballs is exceptional. And with chickpeas, too? This is a winner, Karen. 😉
What a wonderful dish. I’d love this 🙂
Moroccan food is definitely one of our favourites so this dish would be right up our alley. The spices are so moreish that they definitely fall into the “happy food” designation.
Sounds delicious. I do love all those aromatic spices. 🧡
Karen, this looks delicious. My husband loves all these flavors. I will be making it soon.
Great flavors and textures in this dish. Yum!
Huge lamb lover! So much flavor in your meatballs and a protein packed recipe and sauce too! (Healthy World Cuisine)
I’m not too familiar with harissa, but these chickpeas look and sound intriguing and tasty! And needless to say, the meatballs look terrific, too!
Love meatballs as they are so easy to make, freeze and thaw when you need them. I usually use chickpeas in hummus so it’s nice to have a different way to use them 🙂
The recipe sounds delicious … I can’t wait to give it a go!
This looks so flavorful–and I’m trying to get more beans in my diet. I recently got ground lamb at Aldi (from Australia), but with all the spices in this I’m thinking I could use the ground beef if needed (even though I love lamb).
This recipe is an absolute winner! The combination of fragrant spices with lamb and harissa gives such a rich and satisfying flavor. Thanks for sharing this delicious Moroccan-inspired dish!