Baked Harissa Meatballs
Baked harissa meatballs make a quick and flavorful dinner, perfect for busy weeknights. The spiced lamb meatballs are cooked straight in a rich tomato sauce turning them into a quick and easy 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 baked lamb meatballs with harissa.
Similar to pesto, harissa paste instantly seasons a variety of dishes such as my Turkish eggs with Greek yogurt. Added to lamb meatballs they create a quick and easy North African inspired dish you can make in just over 30 minutes.
Similar to my all-in-one lamb couscous, this easy ground lamb recipe is quick and easy to make thanks to cooking the meatballs directly in the sauce.
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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Baked Harissa Meatballs
Ingredients
Harissa Meatballs
- 1 lb ground lamb or beef
- 2 tbsp harissa paste
- 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
Harissa Tomato Sauce
- 14 oz tomatoes diced or puréed (passata)
- 1 tbsp harissa paste
- 1 garlic clove minced
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/2 cup cheddar cheese
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350F / 180 C.
- In medium sized bowl, mix all meatball ingredients by hand until fully combined. Shape 9 golf ball sized meatballs.1 lb ground lamb, 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 harissa meatballs with couscous, rice, flatbread, or pasta.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Ingredients and substitutions
- Lamb – Ground lamb made from the shoulder, leg, or both, works well. I use ground shoulder meat as it has more fat making the meatballs juicier. You can also use ground beef.
- Harissa – I use my small-batch harissa paste recipe but store-bought harissa works just fine. You can also opt for a spice 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 or mint 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 photos
1. Add all meatball mixture ingredients to a bowl.
2. Thoroughly mix to combine by hand or with a large spoon.
3. Simply make the 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 recipe tips
Fresh herbs really elevate this dish. Use fresh parsley or mint 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.
