Kefta Meatball Tagine
Kefta Meatball Tagine is a easy Moroccan recipe that serves 4. 350 calories per serving. Recipe by Oum Arwa on YouTube.
Prep: 25 min | Cook: 1 hr 4 min | Total: 1 hr 44 min
Cost: $12.75 total, $3.19 per serving
Ingredients
- 500 g Ground meat (beef or lamb) (Choose meat with a little fat for extra tenderness)
- 1 unité Onion (Finely sliced)
- 3 unités Garlic cloves (Minced)
- 2 unités Tomatoes (Grated or chopped)
- 30 g Fresh parsley (Chopped)
- 30 g Fresh cilantro (Chopped)
- 1 c. à café Sweet paprika
- 1 pincée Turmeric
- 1 pincée Ground cumin
- 1 pincée Ground coriander seeds
- 2 c. à soupe Olive oil
- 1 unité Green bell pepper (Deseeded and cut into strips)
- 1 unité Red bell pepper (Deseeded and cut into strips)
- 1 unité Yellow bell pepper (Deseeded and cut into strips)
- 8 unités Pitted green olives (Whole or sliced)
- 2 c. à soupe Preserved pepper (or confit pepper) (Optional, for more depth)
- 200 ml Water (To adjust the sauce consistency)
- au goût Salt
- au goût Black pepper
Instructions
Prepare the base sauce
Heat 2 tbsp olive oil in the tagine over medium heat. Add the sliced onion and minced garlic, sauté for 5‑10 minutes until translucent.
Time: PT10M
Add the tomatoes and spices
Stir in the grated tomatoes, parsley, cilantro, paprika, turmeric, cumin and ground coriander seeds. Season with salt and pepper. Pour in 200 ml water, cover and let simmer for 5‑10 minutes.
Time: PT10M
Prepare the kefta filling
In a bowl, combine the ground meat with a little finely chopped onion, chopped parsley and cilantro, 1 tsp paprika, a pinch of turmeric, a pinch of cumin, a pinch of ground coriander, salt, pepper and 1 tbsp olive oil. Work the mixture well by hand.
Time: PT10M
Form the meatballs
With damp hands, shape meatballs the size of a walnut (about 20 g each) and place them on a plate.
Time: PT5M
Grill the peppers
Grill the peppers (green, red, yellow) in the oven at 200 °C or in a pan until the skin blackens, then peel, deseed and cut into strips.
Time: PT10M
Temperature: 200°C
Cook the meatballs in the sauce
Gently place the meatballs into the already hot sauce, cover and simmer over low heat for 30 minutes, stirring lightly at halfway.
Time: PT30M
Add the peppers and olives
Add the grilled pepper strips, olives and preserved pepper. Mix gently and continue cooking for 5 minutes so the flavors meld.
Time: PT5M
Finishing and plating
Sprinkle chopped fresh parsley for color. Serve the tagine piping hot, accompanied by Moroccan bread and a small green salad.
Time: PT2M
Cleaning
Wash the tagine, utensils and cutting board. Wipe the cooking surface.
Time: PT15M
Nutrition Facts
- Calories
- 350
- Protein
- 20 g
- Carbohydrates
- 15 g
- Fat
- 20 g
- Fiber
- 3 g
Dietary info: Gluten‑free, Dairy‑free, High in protein, low-carb, low-calorie
Last updated: April 7, 2026





