Slow Cooker Moroccan Lamb Meatballs

These slow cooker Moroccan lamb meatballs are a little different from the tomato-based meatballs you might usually make. They’re made with lamb mince and warming spices, then slowly cooked with passata, dried apricots, sultanas and a little honey to give you that lovely combination of savoury and sweet flavours.

This recipe actually came from my blogging friend Kerry, who shared it with me years ago. I loved the idea because it’s an easy slow cooker dinner but isn’t another casserole, curry or chilli!

The meatballs are flavoured with paprika, ginger, turmeric and cinnamon before going straight into the slow cooker, so there’s no frying or browning them first. I serve them with couscous and usually something fresh alongside, such as a simple salad.

They take around 6–8 hours on LOW, making them particularly handy when you want to get dinner sorted earlier in the day.

How to make Moroccan lamb meatballs

One thing I like about this recipe is that you don’t need to fry the meatballs first.

Start by mixing the paprika, ground ginger, turmeric and cinnamon together. Half of that spice mixture goes into the slow cooker, while the other half is mixed thoroughly through the lamb mince.

Shape the seasoned lamb into small meatballs and place them into the slow cooker.

Then add the passata, garlic, dried apricots, sultanas, stock and honey. Everything cooks together on LOW for around 6–8 hours.

There’s no need to cook the couscous in the slow cooker. Make that separately when you’re nearly ready to eat.

Do I need to brown the meatballs first?

No. This recipe was designed for the meatballs to go straight into the slow cooker.

That makes it considerably less faff than recipes where you have to stand over a frying pan browning several batches of meatballs before the slow cooker even gets involved.

Handle them reasonably gently when you first put everything together so they keep their shape, then leave the slow cooker to do its thing.

Why use lamb mince?

Lamb works particularly well with the spices and sweeter ingredients in this recipe. Cinnamon, apricots, sultanas and honey might sound slightly odd if you’re used to Italian-style meatballs, but they work really nicely with lamb.

Lamb mince can vary considerably in fat content, so choose whichever type suits you and your budget. You don’t need to hunt around several supermarkets trying to find the leanest possible packet just to make this recipe.

What do the apricots and sultanas add?

They give the sauce little bursts of sweetness, which balance the spices and savoury lamb.

The recipe uses 110g dried apricots and 80g sultanas for four portions, so they’re an intentional part of the finished dish rather than a token handful of dried fruit.

If you know you really dislike fruit in savoury dishes, this probably isn’t the meatball recipe I’d choose. Rather than removing half the ingredients that make this recipe distinctive, I’d pick one of my other meatball recipes instead!

What about Slimming World?

This recipe has been on Just Average Jen since the days when my blog was much more heavily focused on Slimming World, which is why older versions of this page included lots of calculations for the lamb mince, dried fruit and honey.

Those values can change, and different brands of lamb mince vary quite considerably, so I no longer think it’s particularly helpful to give you a long list of old Syn or SWIP values.

If you’re following Slimming World now, check the current values for the ingredients and brands you’re actually using.

Otherwise, simply enjoy these as tasty homemade Moroccan lamb meatballs and choose ingredients that work for you.

Are Moroccan lamb meatballs spicy?

There’s a lot of spice in this recipe, but that doesn’t necessarily mean they’re hot.

Paprika, ginger, turmeric and cinnamon give the meatballs and sauce plenty of flavour and warmth without the sort of chilli heat that has everyone reaching for a glass of water.

That makes them quite family-friendly if your family enjoys flavour but isn’t keen on particularly hot food.

If you do want more heat, you could experiment with adding a little chilli, but I’d make the original version first so you know what you’re changing.

What should I serve with Moroccan meatballs?

Couscous is my first choice because it’s quick to make while the meatballs finish cooking and it works really well with the tomato and fruit sauce.

A simple salad alongside adds something fresh without making dinner complicated.

Rice is another easy option, and one reader, Claire, commented that she enjoys these meatballs with rice too. I can definitely see why because you’ve got plenty of sauce for the rice to soak up.

You could also serve them with some roasted or steamed vegetables if you’d rather skip the couscous.

Whatever you choose, I’d keep the side fairly simple. There’s already plenty going on in the meatballs and sauce.

Can I freeze Moroccan lamb meatballs?

Yes, this is a useful one for batch cooking.

I’d freeze the cooked meatballs together with their sauce but make fresh couscous when you’re ready to eat them. That way the couscous doesn’t soak up all the sauce while everything is stored.

Divide leftovers into portions, cool and store them appropriately, then reheat them thoroughly when you’re ready to eat.

If you know you’ll be freezing some before you start, you could even make a double batch, although make sure your slow cooker is large enough rather than cramming it completely full.

For current advice about cooling, freezing and reheating cooked food safely, check the Food Standards Agency guidance.

A quick money-saving tip

Lamb mince isn’t always the cheapest mince in the supermarket, so this is one recipe where I think it’s worth keeping an eye out for offers and reductions.

The spices are all useful cupboard ingredients rather than things you’ll buy for one recipe and never touch again. Buying larger packets can work out cheaper if you regularly make curries and other spiced dishes, but there’s no point buying enormous bags if they’ll sit forgotten at the back of your cupboard for three years!

More slow cooker recipes to try

If you like meatballs, try my Italian meatball soup next. It’s another slow cooker recipe but has a completely different flavour, so the two recipes aren’t competing with each other.

You can also browse my mince recipes for plenty more ideas using beef, turkey, lamb and meat-free mince.

For more dinners you can get cooking earlier in the day, have a look through all my slow cooker recipes, including chilli, curries, casseroles and stews.

I’ve also collected my favourite autumn slow cooker recipes if you’re looking for warming meal ideas as the weather gets colder.

Where this recipe came from

This recipe was originally shared with me by my blogging friend Kerry from Blissful Domestication.

Kerry is a mum, stepmum and small-animal vet who also loves cooking, gardening, crafts and family adventures. When she offered to share these Moroccan meatballs with Just Average Jen readers, I thought they sounded far too good to turn down!

The recipe has been on my site for many years and has had some lovely feedback over the years, including one reader who described it as her new favourite slow cooker dish.

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