Slow Cooker Harissa Lamb Meatball Tagine
This Harissa Lamb Meatball Tagine recipe celebrates the rich tapestry of Moroccan cuisine through its use of tender stewed meat, aromatic spices and the star ingredient—rose harissa paste. This dish is perfect for a comforting dinner or as a star dish at your next gathering. Either way, its is sure to impress with its depth of flavour and aromatic allure.
Harissa paste is a spicy North African chilli paste made from red chillies, spices, and herbs. Rose harissa adds rose petals or rosewater to the mix, softening the heat level and giving it unique floral notes. I wouldn’t describe this dish as spicy – so if you want heat, either go for a spicier harissa or add chilli yourself.
To make this dish, start by mixing ground lamb with finely chopped dried apricots and the rest of the meatball mix listed below. Incorporating a bit of harissa paste into the mix gives amazing depth of flavour and a gentle heat. After that, shape the meatballs by hand, to around the size of a ping pong ball. Then slow cook your meatballs in rich tomato sauce, intensified with more harissa, alongside chickpeas and honey. The slow cooking process ensures that the meatballs are tender and infused with all the flavours of the sauce.
The finished meatballs are perfect on top of a fluffy bed of couscous. Or just serve in a bowl ready to be scooped up with warm pitta bread. For a lighter option instead, serve with a crisp salad and light vinaigrette to balance the dish’s richness.
Why You’ll Love This Harissa Lamb Meatball Recipe:
- Exotic Flavours: A combination of aromatic and slightly spicy rose harissa, with sweet apricots and naturally rich lamb.
- Versatility: Serve these meatballs over a bed of couscous, scooped up with pita bread, or alongside a fresh salad.
Pro Tips:
- Browning the Meatballs: For an extra layer of flavor, consider browning the meatballs in a hot pan before adding them to the slow cooker. This step adds colour and texture, and deepens the overall taste of the dish. However, it’s not a must.
- Adjusting Heat: Tailor the heat level to your preference by adding some extra spice in the way of chilli flakes. But remember, a little goes a long way.
Follow along with the embedded video below to see each step in action.
Slow Cooker Harissa Lamb Meatball Tagine
Equipment
- Slow Cooker
Ingredients
For the meatballs
- 500 g Minced lamb
- 50 g Dried Apricots Finely diced
- 2 Eggs
- 1 tsp Cumin
- 1 tsp Paprika
- 1/2 tsp Ground coriander
- 50 g Dried breadcrumbs
- 2 tsp Harissa paste
For the slow cooker
- 800 g Tinned chopped tomatoes 400g = 1 tin
- 400 g Tinned chickpeas drained
- 2 tbsp Harissa paste
- 1 tbsp Honey
- 2 cloves Garlic minced
- 10 g Ginger minced
- pinch Salt and Pepper
Instructions
Meatballs
- In a mixing bowl combine: lamb mince, diced dried apricot, eggs, cumin, paprika, coriander, breadcrumbs and harissa paste. Stir well until completely combined.
- Roll out meatballs with the mixture, slightly smaller than golf ball sized. It should make around 16-18 meatballs.
- (Optional, brown the meatballs in batches in a hot pan with a little oil)
Slow Cook
- In the slow cooker, combine tinned tomato, chickpeas, harissa paste, honey, garlic, ginger, salt and pepper. Stir well.
- Add your meatballs and gently stir in with the rest of the mix. Be careful not to break the meatballs.
- Cook for 4 hours on high or 7-8 hours on low. Stir after the slow cook and serve.
