Meatball Shakshuka

This Meatball Shakshuka transforms a traditional North African breakfast into a healthy and cozy one pan dinner that everyone will rave about! This recipe features the classic, stewed tomato and bell pepper sauce but uses meatballs instead of eggs, and has the bonus of extra fiber from some chickpeas. It's also gluten free, dairy free friendly, high in protein and filled with comforting spices!

Servings people

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 35

Total Time 45

Equipment

Ingredients

For the Meatballs:

1 lb ground beef (I used 85% lean)
⅔ cup almond flour (packed)*
1 egg
2 cloves garlic minced
1 tsp paprika
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp coriander **
1 tsp kosher salt
¼ tsp black pepper

For the Shakshuka Sauce:

olive oil
2 red bell peppers diced
½ jumbo yellow onion diced (or 1 small onion)
1 tsp paprika
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp coriander **
salt + pepper to taste
cayenne optional, to taste
2 tbsp tomato paste
1 can whole peeled tomatoes (28oz, I used san marzano)
1 can chickpeas (15oz, drained & rinsed)

For Topping:

crumbled feta (omit for dairy free)
chopped cilantro

Instructions

Add all meatball ingredients to a large bowl and mix with your hands or a spatula until incorporated. Use a cookie scoop to portion out the meat into ~2tbsp sized balls. It will make between 15-17 meatballs. Roll the balls so they are nice and round, then place them on a parchment lined baking sheet or plate and set aside.
Bring a large skillet to medium-high heat. Once hot, add enough olive oil to coat the bottom of the pan. Once the oil is very hot, add the meatballs. Let them cook until browned on all sides (about 10 minutes), rotating them every few minutes for even browning. Remove meatballs from the pan and set them aside. **SEE NOTE for another method of cooking the meatballs.
Reduce heat to medium. If there is excess oil remaining in the pan from the meatballs, use that. If not, add a bit more olive oil. Then, add in the bell peppers and onion. Season with salt and pepper. Sauté, stirring occasionally, until the onions are turning translucent and the bell peppers are beginning to get tender (about 3-5 minutes).
Add garlic and cook for 1 minute longer. Then, add in the tomato paste, paprika, cumin, coriander and cayenne, if using. Stir and let that cook for a few more minutes until the tomato paste has deepened in color.
Add in the canned tomatoes and crush them up with your spatula until only small chunks remain. Then, add in chickpeas and stir. Taste and adjust salt & pepper as needed.
Add back in the browned meatballs, nestling them in the sauce. Reduce heat to low, cover the pan, and let it simmer for about 15 minutes, or until the internal temperature of the meatballs reaches at least 165F. I like to flip the meatballs halfway through the simmering time.
Top with crumbled feta and chopped cilantro. Enjoy!

Notes

*NOTE: I haven't tried substitutes yet, but this may work with Panko Breadcrumbs (normal or gluten free). You may need to reduce the amount to 1/2 cup and add more if the mixture seems too sticky.

**NOTE: If you don't have coriander, try substituting more cumin or just leaving it out altogether. My favorite hack is buying spices from the bulk section of my grocery store so that way I can only get a small amount if it's not one that I use often - highly recommend!

***NOTE: To keep this as a one pan meal, I cooked the meatballs in the same skillet that I made the shakshuka sauce in. However, this method is a bit more hands-on as you have to rotate the meatballs every few minutes and keep an eye on them. If you want an easier method for cooking the meatballs and don't mind doing an extra dish, you can air fry them instead. I would recommend air frying at 400F for about 10-15 minutes, or until the internal temperatures reaches 165F. If you use this method, let the shakshuka sauce simmer for 15 minutes and then add in the fully cooked meatballs at the very end.

Calories: 426kcal

Course: Dinner, Main Course

Cuisine: Mediterranean

Diet: Gluten Free

Keyword: Bell Pepper, Chickpeas, Gluten Free, ground beef, Meatballs, One Pan, Tomatoes

Nutrition