Harissa Chicken Meatballs
There’s something comforting about a bowl of perfectly cooked meatballs. Whether served over a spiced pearl couscous salad, in a warm pita drizzled with tzatziki and salad greens, or nibbled on straight from the pan (it happens more than you think around here!), these fiery harissa meatballs are always a winner in our house. They’re tender, juicy, and a little spicy, making them a perfect easy weeknight dinner.
Looking for a beef meatball recipe instead? Here’s my Mum’s beef rissole recipe – it’s a family favorite!
Here’s why you’ll love these harissa meatballs
We’re talking FROM SCRATCH and a prep time of under 10 minutes. Made with chicken thighs, these meatballs are also a leaner option compared to many store-bought options.
They are SO versatile! It’s just a question of how you will serve them up. With salad or a wrap? As an appetizer or a main meal?
Make a batch a day or two ahead and store it in the fridge for a day or two until ready to cook for an easy midweek dinner.
Ingredients
- Day old bread. We’re making from scratch here but if you don’t want to go that far you can replace the day old bread with ready made bread crumbs. You’ll need ???
- Spanish, red onion, garlic cloves, flat-leaf parsley
- Chicken thigh fillets. You could also try ground turkey mince for a different take on this recipe. If you don’t have a food processor, buy chicken mince to make the job easier when making by hand.
- Harissa Paste. Never used harissa? It’s a hot, spicy chili paste used mainly in Middle Eastern recipes. Generally, red harissa is the hottest, then green harissa and there is also rose harissa, made from rose petals and chili. All have different flavor profiles and heat levels but could be substituted for each other. My current favorite harissa sauce is by Simon Johnson. I’ve tried a couple over the years and this one is a standout. But be warned it’s fiery! Just be warned each harissa will have a different heat level, so if you don’t love a lot of heat in your food, start small and work up to your heat level. You’ll find harissa at a good grocery store or anywhere you find ingredients for Middle Eastern cooking.
- Sea salt flakes and freshly ground black pepper
- Avocado oil or any high-heat oil for pan frying. I prefer to bake my meatballs in the oven, so a light spray of olive oil will work perfectly.
Equipment
My trusty Magimix food processor makes meatballs in a jiffy;) I have the 5200xl, however any regular-sized food processor will do. If you only have a small food chopper, you can easily make meatball recipes by individually chopping each ingredient in the chopper (or by hand) and then mixing all the ingredients together in a large mixing bowl. It will just take a little longer than doing everything in one food processor bowl.
The Details
1. Mix the meatball ingredients. In a food processor fitted with a large bowl and multipurpose blade. Start with the bread and pulse the bread until it’s breadcrumbs. Add the onion and chop until a small dice. Add the remaining ingredients, chicken thighs, harissa paste, cloves of garlic, parsley, sea salt flakes, and black pepper, and chop until all the ingredients are combined and minced thoroughly (normally about 1 minute). You’ll find that the mixture naturally comes together and binds itself into a bit of a ball when it’s done.
2. Shape the Meatballs. Use a tablespoon or a small cookie dough scoop to portion out the mixture and roll into 1-inch meatballs using clean, damp hands. Place them on a plate until you’re ready to cook.
3. To cook meatballs in the oven – Preheat the oven to 190°C. Place the meatballs on an oiled baking sheet leaving space in between each one to cook. Give them a drizzle or spray with a little olive oil. Bake for 25-30 minutes until golden.
4. To cook meatballs in a skillet – Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the meatballs in a single layer, leaving space between each one. Cook for about 3-4 minutes per side, until golden brown and fully cooked (internal temperature should reach 75°C). Remove from the pan and serve!
Cooks Notes
If unsure about the heat level of harissa, start with a tablespoon of harissa in the meatball mixture and add more if needed depending on your spice preference. Cook a small portion of the mixture in a pan before shaping all the meatballs. If you’re feeling brave adjust seasoning until it suits your heat level. Our family loves a good bit of chili, so I found that 3 tablespoons was our happy place, however, this also depends on the brand, so adjust accordingly!
Let’s serve this up!
I’m thinking a few juicy chicken meatballs, stuffed in a pita with lettuce, cucumbers, and a Greek yogurt sauce makes a cracking meal, don’t you? If you’re anything like the Irishman, a few drops of a (crazy) hot red pepper sauce will finish it off.
Serve on a tray with toothpicks and a creamy dipping sauce for any easy, make-ahead appetizer when you’re hosting a crowd.
Alongside a fresh Mediterranean salad. Add some fetta, olives, and your meatballs for a delicious and healthy dinner.
As part of a Mediterranean meze. Graze the afternoon away with friends, a glass (or bottle of wine), and a spread of bites to graze on. Think meatballs, cured meats and cheese, some grilled halloumi, a whipped feta dip, olives, hummus, homemade focaccia, and a side salad like this Roasted Beetroot and Labneh Salad
Instead of rolling into small meatballs, make larger ones and serve up as a chicken burger on a milk bun, with lettuce, avocado, cheese, and harissa mayo. Yum!
Storage and reheating
Leave them to come to room temperature. Store the cooked harissa chicken meatballs in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 3 days. To reheat, warm in a microwave in 30-second intervals until heated through.
Like this harissa meatball recipe? Here, you might like these other chicken recipes…
Enjoy!
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Harissa Meatballs
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 25 minutes
- Total Time: 35 minutes
- Yield: 20 meatballs 1x
- Category: Dinner
- Method: Roasting
- Cuisine: Middle Eastern
Description
These fiery harissa meatballs are always a winner in our house. They’re tender, juicy, and a little spicy, making them a perfect easy weeknight dinner.
Ingredients
- 2 slices of day-old bread
- 1 red onion
- 600g chicken thigh fillets
- 2 cloves garlic, peeled
- 3 tbsp harissa
- handful fresh parsley
- 1 tbsp sea salt flakes
- a good grind of freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 190°C
- In a food processor fitted with a multipurpose blade, pulse your bread until they become breadcrumbs.
- Add the Spanish onion and garlic and pulse until finely chopped.
- Add the chicken thighs, peeled garlic cloves, harissa paste, parsley, sea salt, and black pepper.
- Turn the food processor on and mix/chop until everything is minced together and uniform in color/texture.
- Scoop small amounts of the chicken mince mixture and using damp hands, roll the chicken meatballs onto an oiled baking sheet leaving space in between each one to cook. Drizzle with a little oil and pop into the preheated oven for 25-30 minutes.
Notes
Chicken is cooked when it has an internal temperature of 75°C.
I have used a food processor to speed up the prep for this recipe. To make by hand, refer to the post above.
To cook meatballs in a skillet – Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the meatballs in a single layer, leaving space between each one. Cook for about 3-4 minutes per side, until golden brown and fully cooked (internal temperature should reach 75°C). Remove from the pan and serve!
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 5 meatballs
- Calories: 367
- Sugar: 4.1 g
- Sodium: 2187.1 mg
- Fat: 22.5 g
- Carbohydrates: 14.2 g
- Protein: 27.2 g
- Cholesterol: 142.5 mg
