These Moroccan meatball bowls with roasted cauliflower carrot quinoa pilaf and turmeric lemon tahini sauce are delicious and healthy. They are easy to prep and perfect for weekday lunches and dinners.
Isn’t this meal beautiful? The colours, the aromas, the flavours… it’s one of my favourite dinners that I’ve created recently. I am thrilled to be sharing it with you today!
At first glance, it might look complicated, but I can assure you that the elements are all easy to prepare. These Moroccan meatball bowls consist of the following components:
- Moroccan meatballs
- Roasted cauliflower carrot quinoa pilaf
- Turmeric lemon tahini sauce
I also like to add some arugula for a pop of green colour, as well as some warm naan or pita and hummus!
why you’ll love these Moroccan meatball bowls
They’re:
- Rich in protein and bioavailable iron, zinc, and vitamin B12.
- Full of flavour.
- Perfect for meal prep.
- Relatively simple to prepare.
ingredients in these meatball bowls
For the Moroccan meatballs, you’ll need:
- Lean or extra-lean ground beef or ground sirloin (I like to use ground sirloin.)
- Egg
- Panko breadcrumbs
- Cilantro
- Garlic
- Cumin
- Turmeric
- Smoked paprika
- Cinnamon
- Coriander
- Cayenne
- Sea salt and pepper
For the roasted cauliflower quinoa carrot pilaf, you’ll need:
- Quinoa
- Cauliflower
- Carrots
- Sea salt and pepper
- Extra-virgin olive oil
- Cilantro
- Parsley
- Red onion
- Green peas
- Raisins
- Kalamata olives
- Roasted almonds
For the turmeric lemon tahini sauce, you’ll need:
- Tahini
- Lemon
- Sea salt
- Pepper
- Garlic powder
- Honey
- Tuermic
- Water
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how to make these bowls
Preheat the oven to 425 F. Place the cauliflower and carrots on a large, rimmed baking sheet. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and drizzle with olive oil. Toss well to coat. Arrange in an even layer and roast for 25 minutes, or until tender and lightly charred in some places.
Cook the quinoa: Bring the water to a boil. Add the rinsed, drained quinoa and salt. Turn down heat to low, stir, and cover. Cook for 15 minutes. Remove from the heat, lightly fluff with a fork, and set aside.
Meanwhile, make the meatballs: In a large bowl, mix together the ground beef, egg, panko, cilantro, garlic, spices, salt, and pepper. Use your hands to incorporate everything evenly. Next, roll into 16 balls and place on a large, rimmed baking sheet. Bake the meatballs for 15-20 minutes, or until cooked through.
Finish making the pilaf: Place the cooked quinoa, cauliflower, and carrots in a large bowl. Add the cilantro, parsley, red onion, peas, raisins, olives, and almonds. Toss to combine.
Finally, make the turmeric lemon tahini sauce: In a bowl, whisk together the tahini, elmon juice, salt, pepper, garlic powder, honey, turmeric, and enough water to achieve your desired consistency. (I would start with ⅓ cup and increase from there until you have a pourable sauce/dressing.)
Serve: Spoon some pilaf into a bowl. Add some arugula and top with a few meatballs. Drizzle with the sauce and enjoy!
frequently asked questions about moroccan meatball bowls
Make the Moroccan chickpeas from this recipe instead of the meatballs, and enjoy them with the quinoa pilaf and turmeric tahini sauce. If you are vegetarian, you could also fry up some cubed halloumi to enjoy with the pilaf and sauce.
In an airtight container, the meatballs will keep for 3-4 days in the refrigerator. The pilaf will keep for 5-6 days, and the sauce will keep for up to two weeks.
more moroccan-inspired recipes from up beet kitchen
- Sheet Pan Moroccan Chicken and Sweet Potato Fry Bowls
- Moroccan Lentil Carrot Salad (Vegan)
- Moroccan Lentil Dip
- Moroccan Chickpea + Roasted Vegetable Burritos with Green Tahini Sauce
- Moroccan Chickpea Burgers with Cilantro Tahini Sauce
- Moroccan Chickpea + Roasted Vegetable Burritos with Green Tahini Sauce
I hope that you love these Moroccan meatball bowls! If you make them, let me know how you enjoyed them by leaving a comment and rating below the post. I love hearing from you!
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Enjoy!
Print
Moroccan Meatball Bowls
- Total Time: 55 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings, with leftover sauce 1x
Description
These Moroccan meatball bowls with roasted cauliflower carrot quinoa pilaf and turmeric lemon tahini sauce are delicious and healthy. They are easy to prep and perfect for weekday lunches and dinners.
Ingredients
Moroccan Meatballs
- 1 pound (454 grams) lean or extra-lean ground beef or ground sirloin
- 1 large egg, lightly beaten
- ⅓ cup panko breadcrumbs
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- ½ teaspoon coriander
- ¼ teaspoon cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon cayenne
- ½ teaspoon sea salt
- Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Roasted Cauliflower Carrot Quinoa Pilaf
- 3 cups cauliflower florets
- 2 medium carrots, sliced into ½-inch rounds
- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 ¾ cups water
- 1 cup quinoa, rinsed and drained in a fine mesh sieve
- ¼ teaspoon sea salt
- ½ cup cilantro, chopped
- ½ cup parsley, chopped
- ¼ cup chopped red onion
- 1 cup green peas
- ⅓ cup raisins
- ½ cup pitted Kalamata olives, sliced
- ⅓ cup roasted almonds, chopped
Turmeric Lemon Tahini Sauce
- ½ cup tahini
- ¼ cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
- ½ teaspoon sea salt
- Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- 2 teaspoons honey
- 1 teaspoon turmeric
- Water, to thin
For serving
- Arugula
- Hummus
- Naan or pita
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425 F. Place the cauliflower and carrots on a large, rimmed baking sheet. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and drizzle with olive oil. Toss well to coat. Arrange in an even layer and roast for 25 minutes, or until tender and lightly charred in some places.
- Cook the quinoa: Bring the water to a boil. Add the rinsed, drained quinoa and salt. Turn down heat to low, stir, and cover. Cook for 15 minutes. Remove from the heat, lightly fluff with a fork, and set aside.
- Meanwhile, make the meatballs: In a large bowl, mix together the ground beef, egg, panko, cilantro, garlic, spices, salt, and pepper. Use your hands to incorporate everything evenly. Next, roll into 16 balls and place on a large, rimmed baking sheet. Bake the meatballs for 15-20 minutes, or until cooked through.
- Finish making the pilaf: Place the cooked quinoa, cauliflower, and carrots in a large bowl. Add the cilantro, parsley, red onion, peas, raisins, olives, and almonds. Toss to combine.
- Finally, make the turmeric lemon tahini sauce: In a bowl, whisk together the tahini, elmon juice, salt, pepper, garlic powder, honey, turmeric, and enough water to achieve your desired consistency. (I would start with ⅓ cup and increase from there until you have a pourable sauce/dressing.)
- Serve: Spoon some pilaf into a bowl. Add some arugula and top with a few meatballs. Drizzle with the sauce and enjoy!
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 25 minutes
- Category: Main Course, Dinner
- Cuisine: Moroccan
Lots of deliciousness coming your way this week: egg, pesto, and sweet potato burritos tomorrow, chocolate zucchini cupcakes on Wednesday, and barbecue meatball bowls on Friday! Have a great holiday Monday tomorrow and good luck to everyone going back to school on Tuesday. Xo!
Pari says
This was a perfectly balanced meal for my family. Wonderful flavours, and my kids got the animal protein and veggies all in one meal.