Algerian Kefta (Meatballs) Recipe
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Algerian Kefta (Meatballs)

"This simple meatball dish is delicious, rich, and fresh. It was taught to me by my Algerian husband, one of his favorites from home. The tomato sauce can be used for anything and the amounts of flavors can be adjusted. I like a lot of garlic and pepper. I have also found halal hamburger to be much leaner and lighter than regular. You can find it at international food stores and halal butcher shops in bigger cities. Serve this dish with a French baguette."

This Kitchen Approved Recipe has an average star rating of 4.7 Rate/Review | Read Reviews (7)

Prep Time:
30 Min
Cook Time:
30 Min
Ready In:
1 Hr

Servings  (Help)

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Original Recipe Yield 12 patties
 

Ingredients

  • 1 pound lean ground beef
  • 4 cloves garlic, minced, divided
  • 1/4 cup finely chopped onion, divided
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • 3 roma (plum) tomatoes, diced
  • 1 teaspoon dried parsley
  • 1/2 teaspoon ras el hanout (optional)
  • 1/2 cup water

Directions

  1. Combine the ground beef with half of the minced garlic and a tablespoon of chopped onion. Mix with your hands until fully incorporated. Shape the meat mixture into 1 1/2-inch oblong patties; you should have 12 to 14 meatballs.
  2. Heat a skillet over medium-high heat. Brown the patties in batches until they are crispy on both sides and are no longer pink in the center, about 10 minutes. Set the meatballs aside in a rimmed serving dish and repeat with the remaining patties.
  3. Reduce the heat to medium and stir in the remaining chopped onion. Add salt and pepper. Cook the onions in the drippings, stirring constantly, until the onion has softened and turned translucent, about 5 minutes. Stir in the remaining half of the garlic and cook for 30 seconds.
  4. Stir in the roma tomatoes, dried parsley, ras el hanout, and water. Cook until the tomatoes are soft, about 5 minutes. Pour the tomato sauce over the meatballs and serve.

Footnotes

  • Editor's Notes
  • Halal beef is butchered according to religious law, similar to Kosher beef. You may use regular ground beef in this recipe.
  • Ras el hanout is a spice blend common throughout North Africa. It's available from some grocers and specialty purveyors, or you may try this Ras el Hanout recipe.

Nutritional Information open nutritional information

Amount Per Serving  Calories: 424 | Total Fat: 31.5g | Cholesterol: 114mg Powered by ESHA Nutrient Database

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The reviewer gave this recipe 5 stars. This recipe averages a 4.7 star rating.
Reviewed on Nov. 17, 2010 by Knottygirl   view full review
Wonderful dinner! I served it over rice and substituted a few pinches of cumin and lemon zest...
The reviewer gave this recipe 5 stars. This recipe averages a 4.7 star rating.
Reviewed on Jan. 18, 2011 by marisullivan   view full review
I loved these. I made them exactly as called for - but used minced onion instead of chopped....
The reviewer gave this recipe 4 stars. This recipe averages a 4.7 star rating.
Reviewed on Jan. 31, 2011 by InternationalFoodLover   view full review
These meatballs put inside a French baguette make a pretty good meatball sandwich. However, I...
The reviewer gave this recipe 4 stars. This recipe averages a 4.7 star rating.
Reviewed on Feb. 17, 2011 by Sheri S.   view full review
Good meatballs and a nice change from the "run of the mill" meatball recipe. I used a few...
The reviewer gave this recipe 5 stars. This recipe averages a 4.7 star rating.
Reviewed on Oct. 29, 2010 by Rock_lobster   view full review
These were very tasty! I followed the recipe exactly, except I didn't have any ras el hanout,...
The reviewer gave this recipe 5 stars. This recipe averages a 4.7 star rating.
Reviewed on Sep. 6, 2011 by Mrs.Dennington   view full review
Fantastic! Made as directed. I did put a little flour in the sauce to thicken it up a bit. I...
The reviewer gave this recipe 4 stars. This recipe averages a 4.7 star rating.
Reviewed on Oct. 28, 2011 by Muse311   view full review
I wanted something different to add to my low carb menu. This was a nice addition. I found the...

 

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