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, 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, and 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).
Spicy Moroccan Lamb Meatball Tagine Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 Medium-Large Onion 175-200g
- 2 tablespoon Olive Oil
- 250 g Minced Lamb 9oz (10-15% Fat)
- 15 g Fresh Chopped Coriander ¼ Cup
- 400 g Tin Chopped Tomatoes 14oz
- 1 tablespoon Honey 20g
- 2 Garlic Cloves
For the Spice Mix:
- 1½ teaspoon Paprika
- 1 teaspoon Dried Mint
- ½ teaspoon Cayenne Pepper
- ½ teaspoon Ground Cumin
- ½ teaspoon Ground Coriander
- ½ teaspoon Ground Turmeric
- ⅛ teaspoon Ground Cinnamon
- ⅛ teaspoon Black Pepper
- ½ teaspoon Salt
Instructions
- Peel the onion, cut it in half and then take half of it and cut it into 5-7mm (¼") thick half-moon shapes.
- Add the olive oil to the base of a 20-23cm (8-9″) tagine pot or similarly sized frying pan, and add the sliced onion in a single layer. Turn on the heat under the tagine to medium-low and add a lid, cook for 15 minutes whilst you prepare the rest of the dish.
- Mix all of the ingredients for the spice mix in a small bowl.
- Grate the remaining onion into a mixing bowl.
- Add the minced lamb to the mixing bowl with 1 tablespoon of the spice mix and chopped coriander, give everything a mix and set aside.
- Add the tinned tomatoes to a bowl, peel and slice the garlic cloves and add them along with the honey and remaining spice mix, and give the sauce a stir.
- By now, the onions should have had their 15 minutes of cooking time. Remove the lid from the tagine, pour in the tomato sauce, turn the heat up to medium, and allow the sauce to cook for 15 minutes uncovered. You want it to bubble away, thicken and reduce a little.
- While the sauce is bubbling away, form the lamb mix into 12 meatballs, which will be around 30mm (1¼") in diameter.
- Give the sauce a stir, this should be the first time the sauce has been stirred in the tagine, have a taste a add a pinch more salt if it is required. Then reduce the heat to low-medium.
- Add the balls to the sauce and roll them around to coat, add the lid to the tagine and poach gently for 15-17 minutes. You are looking for the meat to reach an internal temperature of around 70°C or 158°F, they will continue to cook whilst you are serving up.
