Lamb is one of the most distinct meats for me, flavor wise, and love to get my hands on it when I can. Of course it’s expensive, so it’s a once in a while type of love affair.

Today, we’re going to make some Moroccan Meatballs – the flavors of the Mediterranean paired with the fresh mint, cilantro, and thyme that are all so prevalent in Moroccan cooking. If you’ve had lamb at a Mediterranean or even middle eastern restaurant, you’ll know exactly what this tastes like. It tastes just like they’d make it – authentic, clean flavors, and marry well with one another. The mint, cumin, thyme, and oregano all play off of each other as you take a bite and enjoy the flavors.

The yogurt sauce is very thick, just what you’d expect if you used real Greek yogurt. Cumin and lemon create an aromatic flavor that bursts through the rich and deep flavors of the lamb – giving you a perfect appetizer or a perfect dinner with a salad on the side. Feel free to combine the runoff fat from the meatballs into the sauce. It tints the sauce a slightly yellow color, but it adds so many more fats and packs on to the flavor that runs through the entire dish.

Make sure you check out my newest released cookbook: Keto-fied! Comfort Foods Made Low Carb. This is how I keep the website running, pay for the food bills, and generally help me out with my finances. I know you’ll enjoy it!

What’s your favorite Moroccan recipe? Let me know in the comments below!

Yields 18 Low Carb Moroccan Meatballs with Faux Yogurt Sauce

The Preparation

Low Carb Moroccan Meatballs:

16 ounces ground lamb
1 tablespoon fresh mint, chopped
1 tablespoon fresh cilantro, chopped
2 teaspoons fresh thyme
1 teaspoon fresh garlic, minced
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
1/4 teaspoon paprika
1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
1/4 teaspoon curry powder
1/4 teaspoon black pepper

Faux Yogurt Sauce:

1/2 cup coconut cream
2 tablespoons coconut water
1 1/4 teaspoons cumin
1 tablespoon fresh cilantro, chopped
1 tablespoon fresh mint, chopped
1 teaspoon lemon zest
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon salt

The Execution

1. Preheat oven to 350F. Finely chop 1 tbsp. fresh mint, 1 tbsp. fresh cilantro, and 2 tsp. Fresh Thyme.

2. Break up the ground lamb, then add the chopped spices plus 1 tsp. Minced Garlic, 1 tsp. Ground Coriander, 1 tsp. Kosher Salt, 1 tsp. Ground Cumin, 1/2 tsp. Onion Powder, 1/2 tsp. Allspice, 1/4 tsp. Paprika, 1/4 tsp. Oregano, 1/4 tsp. Curry Powder and 1/4 tsp. Freshly Ground Black Pepper.

3. Mix together the mixture well so that all of the spices are evenly distributed.

4. Roll the meat into 15-18 meatballs. You can alternatively make larger meatballs if you want to make this an entree. Put the meatballs in the oven for 15-18 minutes or until the center is no longer pink.

5. While meatballs are baking, measure out 1/2 cup coconut cream from the top of a can of coconut milk.

6. Add 2 tbsp. coconut water from underneath the cream in the can. Then, add 1 1/4 tsp. Cumin, 1 tbsp. Finely Chopped Cilantro, 1 tbsp. Finely Chopped Mint.

7. Mix the sauce well, then zest 1/2 lemon and add 1 tsp. lemon juice. Mix well.

8. Let the meatballs cool for a moment before serving. Optional: Add runoff fats from the meatballs into the sauce and mix well.

9. Serve with faux yogurt sauce on the side!

This makes a total of 4 servings of Low Carb Moroccan Meatballs. Each serving comes out to be 431 calories, 37.5g fats, 2.9g net carbs, and 20.4g protein.

NUTRITION	CALORIES	FAT	CARBS	FIBER	NET CARBS	PROTEIN
16 ounce ground lamb	1279	106.2	0	0	0	75.1
1 tablespoon fresh mint	1	0	0.1	0.1	0	0.1
1 tablespoon fresh cilantro	0	0	0	0	0	0
2 teaspoon fresh thyme	2	0	0.4	0.2	0.2	0.1
1 teaspoon fresh garlic	4	0	0.9	0.1	0.9	0.2
1 teaspoon ground coriander	5	0.3	1	0.7	0.2	0.2
1 teaspoon kosher salt	0	0	0	0	0	0
1 teaspoon cumin	8	0.5	0.9	0.2	0.7	0.4
1/2 teaspoon onion powder	4	0	0.9	0.2	0.8	0.1
1/2 teaspoon ground allspice	3	0.1	0.7	0.2	0.5	0.1
1/4 teaspoon paprika	2	0.1	0.3	0.2	0.1	0.1
1/4 teaspoon dried oregano	1	0	0.2	0.2	0.1	0
1/4 teaspoon curry powder	2	0.1	0.3	0.3	0	0.1
1/4 teaspoon black pepper	1	0	0.3	0.1	0.2	0.1
1/2 cup coconut cream	396	42	8.4	2.6	5.8	4.3
2 tablespoon coconut water	6	0.1	1.1	0.3	0.8	0.2
1 1/4 teaspoon cumin	10	0.6	1.1	0.3	0.9	0.5
1 tablespoon fresh cilantro	0	0	0	0	0	0
1 tablespoon fresh mint	1	0	0.1	0.1	0	0.1
1 teaspoon lemon zest	1	0	0.3	0.2	0.1	0
1 teaspoon lemon juice	1	0	0.3	0	0.3	0
1/4 teaspoon salt	0	0	0	0	0	0
Totals	1725	150	17.6	6.1	11.4	81.6
Per Serving (/4)	431	37.5	4.4	1.5	2.9	20.4