These lamb meatballs flavored with homemade harissa paste are aromatic, juicy and just a little spicy. They are perfect for dinner served with flatbread, yogurt sauce and sliced cucumber.
Ingredients needed
- Lamb mince/ground lamb. You can make these meatballs with ground beef too.
- Harissa paste. I like using homemade harissa paste but you can use store-bought too. The harissa contains aromatic spices which adds all the flavor you need.
- Fresh garlic cloves.Â
- Parsley. Other herbs like coriander/cilantro or chives can also be used.
- Egg.Â
- Bread. I used sliced white bread.
- Milk.Â
- Salt and black pepper.
How to make lamb meatballs
- Make the meatball mixture: Cut the crusts off the bread then soak in a few tablespoons of milk for 2-3 minutes until absorbed. In a large bowl, combine the lamb, harissa paste, minced garlic, chopped parsley, beaten egg and soaked bread. Season generously with salt and pepper then mix well.
- Form the meatballs: Form tablespoons of the mixture into meatballs with damp hands.
- Cook the meatballs: Heat a large frying pan over medium-high heat. Add a few teaspoons of olive oil then cook the meatballs in batches until golden brown all over and cooked through. Add a few more spoonfuls of harissa paste and a generous squeeze of lemon juice then cook for another minute. The meatballs can be cooked in a hot oven too. Simply place the formed meatballs on a baking sheet sprayed with non-stick cooking spray then bake until golden brown and cooked through.
Can I make this ahead?
The meatballs can be cooked and kept in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 days. They can also be frozen for up to 3 months. Once formed, place the meatballs on a sheet pan lined with parchment paper then place in the freezer and freeze until solid. Transfer to a ziploc bag and store for 3 months. Bake from frozen.
What to serve with meatballs
This lamb meatball recipe is delicious served with flatbread. I make my own because it’s just so easy but pita bread, roti or naan would all be delicious too. A simple salad and Greek yogurt or tzatziki sauce are excellent side dishes.
Meatball recipes
Harissa lamb meatballs
Ingredients
- 500 g (1lb) lamb mince / ground lamb
- 2 slices white bread
- 4 tbsp milk
- 4 tbsp harissa paste
- 2 garlic cloves minced
- 1 tbsp chopped parsley
- 1 egg
- 1 tsp salt
- ½ tsp pepper
- 1-2 tbsp fresh lemon juice
Instructions
- Cut the crusts off the bread then soak in a few tablespoons of milk for 2-3 minutes until absorbed.
- In a large bowl, combine the lamb, two tablespoons of harissa paste, minced garlic, chopped parsley, beaten egg and soaked bread.
- Season generously with salt and pepper then mix well.Â
- Form tablespoons of the mixture into meatballs with damp hands.Â
- Heat a large frying pan over medium-high heat.
- Add a few teaspoons of olive oil then cook the meatballs in batches until golden brown all over and cooked through.
- Add a few more spoonfuls of harissa paste and a generous squeeze of lemon juice then cook for another minute.
- The meatballs can be cooked in a hot oven too.
- Simply place the formed meatballs on a baking sheet sprayed with non-stick cooking spray then bake until golden brown and cooked through.
- Serve the meatballs with side dishes of your choice.
The Harris’s lamb meat balls could you finish off in the oven in a tomato sauce ,how spicy is Harris’s paste
It depends on the harissa you use. I make my own so it’s quite spicy but store-bought harissa is often milder.