Spiced beef meatballs simmered in a rich cumin-scented tomato sauce, finished with eggs cracked in and poached at the end.
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.
Serves 4
Combine ground beef, grated onion, garlic, cilantro, cumin, paprika, and salt. Mix well and roll into small meatballs, about walnut-sized.
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.
Add crushed tomatoes, cumin, paprika, and cinnamon. Simmer 15 minutes until thickened.
Gently nestle meatballs into the sauce. Cover and simmer 15 minutes, until cooked through, spooning sauce over occasionally.
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.
Garnish with fresh herbs and serve straight from the pan with crusty bread for scooping.
Keep the meatballs small -- they cook through faster in the sauce without needing to be browned separately first.
Simmer the tomato sauce until it's genuinely thick before adding meatballs; a watery sauce won't properly coat and season them.
Cover the pan while the eggs poach so the tops set from steam rather than staying raw.
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.
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.
Kefta mkaouara, sometimes called kefta with eggs, is a beloved Moroccan home dish reflecting the country's love of tagine-style one-pot cooking, where meat, sauce, and sometimes eggs all finish together in a single vessel.
Yes -- it's a delicious meatball and tomato sauce dish on its own, commonly served over couscous or with bread even without the poached eggs.
The pan was likely too hot or covered too long. Once you add the eggs, keep the heat at a gentle simmer and check them after 3-4 minutes for a still-soft yolk.
A wide, shallow skillet or Dutch oven with a lid works just as well for this dish at home.
Per serving (360g / 12.7 oz) · 4 servings total
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