Inspired by merguez, a North African lamb sausage, these meatballs are loaded with cumin, garlic, and paprika for the ideal one-bite nosh. Harissa gives them a fiery heat that's tempered by the herby dip. Not a fan of lamb? Try preparing these make-ahead meatballs with ground beef or a plant-based meat alternative, such as Impossible.
I love spicy food and harissa is one of my favorite ingredients. I did use the Impossible ground because I'm vegetarian, so I omitted the water and the egg, because it binds pretty well without. I also didn't have ground fennel, so I used fenugreek. I also didn't have Hungarian paprika, so I used cayenne. Came out well. Will be a staple in my household!!
The Holy Grail of recipes: easy, fast, delicious, healthy (I subbed Greek yogurt for the sour cream). I turned it into an entree with couscous and a salad of little gem, white carrot and scallions, with the Green Goddess drizzled over all. The entire family cleaned their plates, and my son asked me if we could have it again this week. A keeper for sure!