Spicy Baked Meatballs
Spicy baked meatballs make a quick and easy dinner, perfect for busy weeknights. The juicy meatballs are cooked straight in a rich tomato sauce turning them into a hand-off dinner that’s ready in about 30 minutes with only 10 minutes of hands-on prep time. Simply add pasta, couscous, or rice for a complete meal.
I looove meatballs! They’re the one dish I ask for when I travel home to Germany, so naturally I’m forever coming up with new variations such as these spicy baked meatballs with harissa.
Similar to pesto, harissa paste instantly seasons a variety of dishes such as my Turkish eggs with Greek yogurt. Added to meatballs they create a quick and easy North African inspired dish you can make in just over 30 minutes.
Add pasta such as my handmade pappardelle and a simple side salad such as my insalata mista for a complete meal.
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Spicy Baked Meatballs
Ingredients
Meatballs
- 1 lb ground beef or lamb
- 2 tbsp harissa paste or sambal olek
- 1 egg lightly beaten
- 1/4 cup breadcrumbs
- 2 tsp smoked paprika
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- 2 garlic cloves minced
- 1/4 cup fresh parsley finely chopped, more to serve
- 1 tsp salt
Tomato Sauce
- 14 oz tomatoes diced or puréed (passata)
- 1 tbsp harissa paste or sambal olek
- 1 garlic clove minced
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/2 cup cheddar cheese
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350F (180C).
- In medium sized bowl, mix all meatball ingredients by hand until fully combined. Shape 9 golf ball sized meatballs.1 lb ground beef, 2 tbsp harissa paste, 1 egg, 1/4 cup breadcrumbs, 2 tsp smoked paprika, 1 tsp ground cumin, 2 garlic cloves, 1/4 cup fresh parsley, 1 tsp salt
- In a medium-sized baking dish, combine all sauce ingredients.14 oz tomatoes, 1 tbsp harissa paste, 1 garlic clove, 1 tsp salt
- Place the meatballs into the sauce. They will be half-submerged in the sauce.
- Add the cheese on top of the meatballs and bake everything for 25 minutes or until the internal temperature of the meatballs reaches 165°F (74°C).1/2 cup cheddar cheese
- Remove them from the oven and add some fresh parsley as garnish. Serve the baked meatballs with couscous, rice, flatbread, or pasta.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Ingredients and substitutions
- Ground meat – Ground beef or lamb with 80-85 % fat works well.
- Spice – I use my small-batch harissa paste recipe but store-bought harissa paste or sambal olek would work well too. You can also opt for a dry seasoning blend such as my harissa spice mix.
- Spices – Ground paprika, cumin, and fresh garlic round out the flavors. You can use ground garlic as well, just half the amount.
- Fresh herbs – Use fresh parsley if possible but dried herbs can be used too.
- Cheese – I use grated cheddar cheese for a rich flavor but grated mozzarella, or Monterey Jack or even feta cheese all work well too.
- Egg and breadcrumbs – Both help bulk up the meal and ensure the are meatballs nice and tender.
Step-by-step: baked meatballs
1. Simply add all meatball ingredients to a bowl.
2. Thoroughly mix to combine by hand or with a large spoon.
3. Make a simple marinara sauce by adding harissa, salt, and garlic to the diced tomatoes.
3. Form 9 gold ball sized meatballs and add them to the sauce.
5. Add cheese on top of the meatballs.
6. Bake the meatballs for 25 minutes.
My top 3 baked meatballs tips
- Fresh herbs really elevate this dish. Use fresh parsley if possible.
- Double batch the recipe as part of your weekly meal prep routine. Your future self will thank you.
- Spice it up! This recipe uses 3 tbsp of harissa paste in total but you can go to town with it and add as much spice as you can handle.