Spicy Lamb Meatball (Kefta) Tagine

Lamb meatball (kefta) tagine in a fantastic Moroccan-influenced spicy tomato sauce with cayenne pepper, cumin, coriander and a little honey.

This delicious tagine recipe takes around an hour to cook and prepare, but it is a stress-free and easy dish to make.

Lamb Kefta Tagine

I love a good tagine, they are so often easy to cook and they always taste fantastic. The gentle cooking process always leads to tender meat, fish or vegetables.

My site is full of examples that embrace all sorts of meat, fish and vegetables, they range from a wonderful cod loin tagine to a duck leg tagine, and a vegetarian chickpea tagine to a delicious chicken and preserved lemon tagine.

The star of this recipe is lamb, and despite its Moroccan leanings, it is very different to my Moroccan lamb tagine.

My lamb meatball tagine has very different Moroccan flavours, and tomatoes form the base of the sauce which is spiced wonderfully with pretty common spices that most of you will have at home already.

It’s also easy to cook too, despite its moderately lengthy cooking time. There is no searing of meatballs, cooking the sauce in phases or lengthy spells of stirring.

The sauce is mixed together in a bowl and reduced down in the tagine, then the meatballs go in and they poach in the sauce. It’s pretty much that simple, but it tastes heavenly and those balls are wonderfully moist and tender… no you stop it!

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I have to use a tagine?

No, you can use a similarly sized frying pan, but you will need a lid.

Can I use leaner minced lamb?

Yes, but the leaner you go the more chance you have of your meatballs drying out.

Do I have to grate the onions for the meatballs?

No, you can finely dice it if you prefer, the flavour and texture will be a little different, but it will work. If you are particularly sensitive to crying when preparing onions it is better to chop them rather than grate them.

Can I make this in advance?

Yes, these meatballs will sit in the fridge for around 3 days if stored properly, they will also freeze for up to 6 months.

Can I use minced beef?

Yes, you could make this with minced beef, however, the flavours have been put together to complement the flavour of lamb!

A quick recommendation?

If you are fond of spice, try replacing regular honey with hot honey in this recipe, it works wonderfully.

Serving Suggestions

I think that either buttered herby couscous or some herby bulgur wheat is the perfect side dish for a tagine. They are both fairly neutral palettes for the big flavours often associated with tagines.

But don’t get too tunnel-visioned, this spicy tomato and lamb meatball tagine is perfectly happy to play nicely with a host of other dishes.

The first that springs to mind is batata harra, a wonderful Lebanese potato dish.

If you are good with the idea of bulgur wheat but want it to have a little more flavour, you could add a classic tabbouleh salad. I would be much more inclined to add pourgouri, a wonderful Cypriot bulgur wheat and vermicelli dish that is superb.

Bread to mop up some of that lovely sauce is great with this recipe too. Manakish may be from Lebanon, but it is great with this recipe, and sticking with the bread theme, this dish makes for an awesome meatball sub!

Equipment Used

I only name-check brands of equipment if I think that they make a material difference to a recipe. But, if you have any questions feel free to ask them in the comments section below the recipe.

• Hob/Stovetop.
• 20-23cm (8-9″) tagine or similarly sized frying pan with a lid.
• Mixing bowls.
• Chopping board.
• Kitchen knife.
• Grater.
• A combination of weighing scales, measuring cups and spoons.
• Quick read meat thermometer (optional).

Meatball Tagine Step-By-Step Photos

1. Pour the oil into the base of a tagine or a frying pan with a lid, add the onions in a single layer, turn the heat to medium-low add a lid, and cook for 15 minutes.
   
2. Create your spice mix, add Paprika, Dried Mint, Cayenne Pepper, Ground Cumin, Ground Coriander, Ground Turmeric, Ground Cinnamon, Black Pepper and Salt to a bowl and combine well.
   
3. Add the grated onion to a bowl with the minced lamb, chopped coriander and a tablespoon of the spice mix, mix well and set aside.
   
4. To a second bowl add the tomatoes, sliced garlic, the rest of the spice mix and the honey, give it a good mix.
   
   
5. The onions should have softened by now, add the tomato sauce mix to the onions and turn the heat to medium, cook the sauce uncovered for 15 minutes to allow the tomato sauce to thicken.
   
6. Create 12 meatballs from the meat mix.
   
7. Now stir the tomato-onion mix, and turn the heat to low-medium.
   
8. Add the meatballs to the tomato-onion mix.
   
9. Roll the meatballs around to coat in the sauce, add a lid and cook for 15-17 minutes.
   
10. Once the meatballs are cooked (internal temperature of 70°C or 158°F) Serve with a sprinkle of coriander and your favourite side dish.