If you’ve never heard of merguez, it’s a spicy beef and lamb sausage originating from North Africa. Most commonly, the meat is stuffed into casings and then grilled. These merguez meatballs simplify the process and bring the flavor to your table year-round.
Use our spice blend recipe to whip this up with ingredients you already have in the cabinet.
Merguez Meatballs
- 5.0 stars
- 20m
- 25m
- 45m
Ingredients
- parchment paper
- 1 tbsp. paprika
- 1 1/2 tsp. ground fennel seeds
- 1 1/2 tsp. cumin
- 3/4 tsp. ground coriander
- 1 tsp. sea salt
- 1/4 tsp. cinnamon
- 1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper
- 1/4 tsp. ground black pepper
- 1 lb ground lamb, or ground beef
- 2 tsp. minced garlic
- 2 tsp. dried parsley
- 1 egg
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400F. Cover a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Mix the paprika, fennel, cumin, coriander, salt, cinnamon, cayenne pepper, and black pepper together. Set aside 1/4 cup (per 4 servings) of the spice blend for this recipe, and reserve any remaining for another use.
- Place half of the lamb in a food processor with the garlic, spice blend, parsley, and eggs. Process on high until it forms a smooth paté and all the ingredients are incorporated.
- Dump out into a large bowl and add the remaining lamb, mixing by hand. You might need to run your hands under cold water to keep the mixture from sticking to you.
- Place the bowl in the fridge for 15 minutes to allow the meat to chill; that will make meatball rolling so much easier.
- Moisten your hands and a 1 tablespoon measuring spoon with cold water and shake to remove excess. Measure a level tablespoon of lamb and roll into a ball between your palms. Line up the meatballs on the prepared baking sheet, about 1/2 inch apart.
- Slide the meatballs into the oven and bake for 20-25 minutes, until golden brown and cooked through with an internal temperature of 145F.
Nutrition
- 337
- 21g
- 3g
- 2g
- 26g
- 12g
- 124mg
- 575mg
Natalie
So. Good. These have a great middle eastern flavor to them. They pair well with veggies, salad or moroccan rice. Love it!