Moroccan Lentils with Turkey Meatballs - a delicious and hearty meal layered with the most delightful combination of Moroccan flavors! With green lentils, tomatoes, parsley, warm Moroccan spices like cumin, turmeric, paprika, cayenne, cloves, and homemade turkey meatballs. The quickest and tastiest trip to Africa ever!
I’ve been making these warm and hearty Moroccan Lentils with Turkey Meatballs for years now. I got the recipe out of a girlfriend’s cookbook back in the day. Of course, I’ve changed it up and added my own spin on the dish - you know I can’t help myself. These yummy Moroccan Meatballs and Lentils are so comforting and filling, and the flavors are a unique and tasty combination of sweet and savory spices.
You may have noticed Moroccan cuisine has become very popular these days.
Before we get into today’s recipe let’s start with a bit of a geography lesson and background on this unique and diverse country.
Morocco is located at the northern tip of Africa just below Spain. Moroccan cuisine is influenced by their interactions and exchanges with other cultures and nations over the centuries. Moroccan cuisine is typically a mix of Arabic, Andalusian, Berber and Mediterranean cuisines with a slight European and African (south of the Sahara Dessert) influence.
Morocco was well-situated along ancient spice routes, which is why its cuisine is so spice-centric today. “Spice routes” are also known as the Maritime Trade Routes and were some of the very first trade routes. They were a network of sea routes that linked the East with the West. They stretch from the west coast of Japan, through the islands of Indonesia, around India to the lands of the Middle East - and from there, across the Mediterranean to Europe. The principal and most profitable goods they transported were spices - giving the routes their name.
Isn’t that interesting!?? But wait there’s more… Now here’s some insight into their cooking!
The flavor profile of Moroccan Cuisine:
There are so many go-to spices for Moroccan cuisine: cinnamon, cumin, coriander, saffron, turmeric, ground ginger, black and white pepper, cayenne or hot paprika, sweet paprika, aniseed, and bay leaves - but there are still more spices that come into play.
Moroccans love to use lamb, poultry or beef mixed with ingredients like apricots, raisins, olives, prunes, apples, dates, nuts, and honey. All served alongside some preserved lemon and olives, couscous with vegetables, steamed greens and vibrant salads.
Moroccans are known for maximizing their available ingredients and infusing as much flavor as possible into every single bite. Vegetables, starches, and meats are all cooked together to extract and mingle as much flavor as possible. Our friends at Real Simple said it best: “It’s all about layered flavors - Moroccans build layer after layer of flavor, and their biggest arsenal is spices. The way you use them and the portions you use determine the flavor profile you’ll get.”
Today, our recipe stays true to the Moroccan style of cooking… combining ingredients together and layering flavors and spices to achieve the most delicious and tasty all-in-one meal. I think you’re really going to love this yummy lentil stew my friend.
We start with the baked turkey meatball recipe.
Annnd of course, they are infused with plenty of warm Moroccan spices. You can also use ground lamb, or chicken for but my choice for this recipe is ground turkey meatballs.
Ready for some turkey meatballs?
To start, combine the turkey, egg, bread crumbs, fresh parsley, minced garlic, spices and mix it together without overworking it.
Next, form fifteen 2-inch meatballs. (An ice cream scoop sprayed with a little cooking spray works well to help form the meat into turkey balls.)
Place them on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, spray each meatball with a spritz of cooking spray and bake in a preheated 350 degree oven for 10 minutes.
While the turkey meatballs are baking, start the green lentil recipe.
How to cook lentils:
First, saute the garlic, onion and carrots in a little olive oil for 8-10 minutes over medium heat. Then stir in the spices.
Now add your lentils and the chicken stock, bring it to a simmer, and cook for 18-20 minutes uncovered.
Finally, add in your tomatoes, meatballs, and parsley and continue to simmer for 10 more minutes.
Top it all off with more fresh parsley, and serve.
The vibrant flavorful spices, the hearty filling lentils and the tender zesty meatballs all come together to make this one scrumptious dish.
I’m excited for you to try these Moroccan Lentils with Turkey Meatballs – a delicious and hearty meal layered with the most delightful combination of Moroccan flavors! And if you're looking for more flavorful Moroccan recipes check out this Cedar Plank Harissa Smoked Salmon or this Low Carb Lemon Harissa Chicken!
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Moroccan Lentils with Turkey Meatballs
These yummy turkey meatballs with lentils are so comforting and filling, and the flavors are a unique and tasty combination of sweet and savory spices!
Ingredients
For The Turkey Meatballs:
- 1 pound ground turkey
- 1 egg
- ½ cup bread crumbs
- 3 tablespoons parsley, chopped
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- ½ teaspoon turmeric
- ¼ teaspoon ground cloves
- ¼ teaspoon cayenne
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon pepper
For The Lentils:
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 medium yellow onion, diced
- 3 medium carrots, thinly sliced
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- ½ teaspoon turmeric
- ¼ teaspoon cayenne, (optional)
- ¼ teaspoon ground cloves
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon pepper
- 1 cup green or brown lentils
- 4 cups chicken stock
- 14.5 ounces petite diced tomatoes (canned)
- 3 tablespoons parsley chopped,, plus more for garnish
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350F.
- Combine the turkey, egg, bread crumbs, fresh parsley, minced garlic, and meatball spices in a large bowl. Mix together without overworking.
- Form fifteen 2-inch meatballs and place them on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Bake in a preheated 350 degree oven for 10 minutes.
- Meanwhile, start the lentils: in a large pan saute the garlic, onion and carrots in olive oil for 8-10 minutes over medium heat. Stir in the lentil spices, then add lentils and chicken stock. Bring to a simmer and cook for 18-20 minutes uncovered.
- Add in diced tomatoes, parsley, and baked meatballs, and continue to simmer for 10 more minutes.
- Garnish with more chopped parsley and serve.
Notes
- An ice cream scoop sprayed with a little cooking spray works well to help form the meatballs.
- Clove can be a very strong spice... it can be replaced by cinnamon if preferred.
Nutrition Information
Yield
5Serving Size
10 ouncesAmount Per Serving Calories 423Total Fat 11gSaturated Fat 2gUnsaturated Fat 0gCholesterol 82mgSodium 777mgCarbohydrates 44gFiber 14gSugar 6gProtein 39g
Looking for more amazing meatball recipes?
Check out my March Meatball Madness Series!
Vegetarian Meatballs with Tahini Sauce
Pamela
Absolutely delicious. Great for a cold and drizzly evening meal. Only made one mistake; I left the meatballs too long in the oven. This made the balls pretty dense. Will keep to the 10 minute directions. Otherwise, we all enjoyed it and the meat balls did taste great. Will make it more often. Btw - I am still left with a lot of meatballs but almost no lentils. Plan to add Red Kidney beans to make a “sort of” chili.
holly
Thank you, Pamela! I agree this is a hearty soul-warming meal perfect for those chilly days and nights. I love chili and soup so the red kidney bean chili sounds delicious. Who knows that could be a new recipe for Taste And See!:) Thanks for stopping by and sharing your feedback!
Susi Rouse
I made this tonight and it was delicious! I served it with pita bread to soak up the delicious juices. Just to note my modifications: I halved the meatball recipe, but kept the lentil amount as original. There are only 2 of us at home now, I don't need a lot of meat, so I'll happily let my husband eat most of the meatballs, and I will enjoy the lentils :). I also substituted the ground clove with ground cinnamon as many people commended. Again, very delicious, I highly recommend you trying this 🙂
holly
Hi Susi, you're making my mouth water talking about soaking up the juices with pita bread - mmmm! I'm so glad you and the hubs enjoyed the recipe. Thanks for sharing your feedback!
J8
I made this, this evening. Lovely flavour but I think next time I'll add some dried apricots or sultanas. My opinion only is that a green such as asparagus, green beans or broccoli would do well with the couscous.
holly
Hello J8, thank you for making my recipe! Let me know if you enjoy it more when you add the dried apricots!
John
Could I use canned lentils?
holly
Hi John, I have never tried that but I'm sure it's possible. I would try cooking the meatballs and making the sauce, then adding the lentils at the very end. This will keep them from getting too mushy.
Lori
Hello John, I used canned lentils last night and it worked perfect and I cooked it an extra five min when mixed in with the carrots, onions and garlic and added the suggested spices sparingly.
holly
Thanks for the tips, Lori!
Brandy
On the stove now. Smells sooo good.
holly
Hi Brandy, I hope your meal was wonderful!
Cathy Mcgill
My lentils did not look nearly as dry as yours. It was still delicious! We only have split lentils and they were red...does this make a difference?
holly
Hello Cathy! Yes the type of lentils do make a difference not a huge one but still a slight change!