Kefta Mkaouara (Moroccan Meatball Tagine in Tomato Sauce)

About This Recipe

Kefta mkaouara is a classic Moroccan tagine where spiced meatballs simmer directly in a rich tomato sauce until the flavors meld, then eggs are cracked into wells in the sauce and poached in the residual heat -- a dish that's part meatball stew, part shakshuka. It's a mainstay of Moroccan home cooking, traditionally cooked in a clay tagine over low heat, though a wide skillet works just as well. The technique centers on building the tomato sauce properly: onion, garlic, and a generous dose of cumin, paprika, and cinnamon are cooked down with tomatoes until the sauce thickens and deepens in flavor, providing a base savory enough to season the meatballs as they simmer within it. The meatballs themselves are kept small so they cook through quickly in the sauce without needing to be pre-browned, absorbing the tomato flavor as they poach. Served straight from the tagine or skillet with crusty bread for scooping, kefta mkaouara is a one-pot dinner that Moroccan families make often, valued for how the egg yolks mix into the spiced sauce at the table.

Ingredients

Serves 4

• 400 gground beef
• 1small onion(grated and squeezed dry)
• 2 clovesgarlic(minced)
• 2 tbspfresh cilantro(minced)
• 1 tspground cumin
• 0.5 tsppaprika
• 1 tspsalt
• 3 tbspolive oil
• 1onion(diced, for sauce)
• 3 clovesgarlic(minced, for sauce)
• 800 gcrushed tomatoes
• 1 tspground cumin(for sauce)
• 0.5 tsppaprika(for sauce)
• 0.25 tspcinnamon
• 4eggs
• 0.25 cupfresh parsley or cilantro(chopped, for garnish)

Instructions

1. 1

   Mix the meatballs

   Combine ground beef, grated onion, garlic, cilantro, cumin, paprika, and salt. Mix well and roll into small meatballs, about walnut-sized.

2. 2

   Build the sauce

   Heat olive oil in a wide pan or tagine over medium heat. Cook diced onion 5 minutes until soft, add garlic and cook 1 minute more.

3. 3

   Simmer the sauce

   Add crushed tomatoes, cumin, paprika, and cinnamon. Simmer 15 minutes until thickened.

4. 4

   Add meatballs

   Gently nestle meatballs into the sauce. Cover and simmer 15 minutes, until cooked through, spooning sauce over occasionally.

5. 5

   Add eggs

   Make small wells in the sauce between the meatballs and crack an egg into each. Cover and cook 4-5 minutes until the whites are set but yolks are still soft.

6. 6

   Serve

   Garnish with fresh herbs and serve straight from the pan with crusty bread for scooping.

Variations

• •

  Add a can of chickpeas to the sauce for extra heartiness and protein.

• •

  Skip the eggs for a simpler meatball-and-sauce version served over couscous.

• •

  Use ground lamb instead of beef for a richer, more traditional Moroccan flavor profile.

Storage

Refrigerate up to 3 days in an airtight container, though it's best to add fresh eggs when reheating rather than storing pre-cooked eggs. Reheat the meatball sauce gently, then crack in fresh eggs to poach.

Frequently Asked Questions