Merguez Meatballs
These spicy lamb meatballs capture the bold character of North African merguez sausage, with fragrant cumin, coriander, and fennel alongside harissa, garlic, and paprika. Serve them over couscous or add them to a salad for a warmly spiced lunch or dinner.
- Prep15 mins
- Cook15 mins
- Serves6
- DifficultyEasy
easyChef Pro health score
Calculated from USDA-referenced nutrient data for the ingredients in Merguez Meatballs, not estimated by an AI model. The same recipe returns the same score every time.
- Glycemic ImpactGood
- 73 / 100
- Carb quality, not quantity. Higher is better.
- Nutritional DensityPoor
- 22 / 100
- Nutrients per calorie. Higher is better.
- Energy DensityFair
- 46 / 100
- Calories by weight. Higher means more food for fewer calories.
- NOVA Unprocessed or minimally processed
- 1 / 4
- Processing level, 1 (whole) to 4 (ultra-processed). Lower is better.
How it scores for each health goal
The same recipe scores differently against different goals, because the goal changes the calculation rather than filtering a list. Set your goal in easyChef Pro and every recipe is scored against it.
- 40
- Heart Health
- 75
- Metabolic
- 13
- Digestive
- 27
- Inflammatory
- 51
- Performance
- 36
- General Wellness
- 1
Toast cumin, coriander, and fennel seeds in a dry skillet over medium-low heat until fragrant, 1 to 2 minutes. Use a mortar and pestle to grind finely.
- 2
Combine ground spices, lamb, harissa, garlic, salt, and paprika in a large bowl; mix by hand until thoroughly blended. Cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes to allow the spices to infuse the meat.
- 3
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C). Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.
- 4
Form the meat mixture into 1-inch meatballs and place them on the prepared baking sheet.
- 5
Roast the meatballs in the preheated oven until the centers are no longer pink, 11 to 12 minutes. An instant-read thermometer inserted into the center of a meatball should read at least 160 degrees F (71 degrees C).
- Calories 198.71 kcal Moderate 10%
- Protein 23.8 g Good Source 48%
- Carbohydrate 1.03 g 0%
- Total Fat 11.14 g Moderate 14%
- Saturated Fat 4.16 g High 21%
- Trans Fat 0.4 g High --
- Cholesterol 74.84 mg High 25%
- Sodium 59.97 mg Low Source 3%
- Dietary Fiber 0.54 g Low Source 2%
- Total Sugars 0.15 g --
- Added Sugars 0.0 g Low Source 0%
- Calcium 39.14 mg Low Source 3%
- Iron 1.79 mg Low Source 10%
- Potassium 215.09 mg Low Source 5%
- Vitamin A 8.05 mcg Low Source 1%
- Vitamin C 1.22 mg Low Source 1%
- Vitamin D 0.15 mcg Low Source 1%
Values are per serving. Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000-calorie diet.
- Garlic 🧄
About This Recipe
Merguez Meatballs is a Moroccan appetizer recipe made with 10 ingredients. It takes about 30 mins, serves 6, and is rated easy. Key ingredients include Coriander Seed, Fennel Seed, Garlic, and Ground Cumin. Each serving provides about 198.71 kcal, and is a good source of protein.
Recipe Questions
- What is Merguez Meatballs?
- It is a Moroccan meatball recipe made with 10 ingredients, usually served for appetizer or dinner or lunch or snack.
- What is Merguez Meatballs made of?
- The main ingredients are Coriander Seed, Fennel Seed, Garlic, Ground Cumin, Ground Lamb. The full list of 10 is above.
- What goes well with Merguez Meatballs?
- Explore these Moroccan side-dish recipes.
- How long does it take to make Merguez Meatballs?
- About 30 mins in total: 15 mins to prepare and 15 mins to cook.
- How many calories are in one serving?
- One serving provides about 198.71 kcal. The full nutrition breakdown is above.
- Is Merguez Meatballs easy to make?
- This recipe is rated easy, with 10 ingredients and 5 steps.
- Is Merguez Meatballs healthy?
- Merguez Meatballs has an easyChef Pro health score of 52/100. Per serving, it provides 198.71 calories and 23.8 g of protein, or 48% of the Daily Value. Worth noting per serving: saturated fat at 4.16 g (21% of the Daily Value). It contains Garlic, so it may not be suitable for people with those allergies or dietary restrictions. Whether it fits your goals depends on your complete meal plan and nutritional needs. Remix it in easyChef Pro to adjust the ingredients and generate fresh nutrition and scores.
How easyChef Pro scores recipes and products
easyChef Pro analyzes up to 41 nutrients using data sourced from USDA and other verified food databases. Its scoring method uses the nutrients relevant to nutrition quality, calorie density, processing level, and your selected health goal. Recipes and food products get a health score from 0 to 100, calculated using consistent rules instead of being estimated by AI. The same nutrition data, serving size and health goal will produce the same result.
The calculation evaluates nutrients, calorie density, processing level, and how well the food supports your selected health goal. Protein, fiber, vitamins, minerals and other beneficial nutrients can strengthen the score. High amounts of sodium, saturated fat, added sugar and other nutrients may lower it.
Your health goal also matters. easyChef Pro evaluates recipes and products across six health areas and adjusts their importance for your selected goal. This means the same food may be a better fit for one health goal than another.
For recipes, changing an ingredient, quantity or serving size changes the nutrition and may change the score. Remix the recipe in easyChef Pro to calculate fresh nutrition and scores for the version you actually make. Product scores are based on the nutrition and serving information associated with that specific product.
Score a recipe free, no app required