Harissa Turkey Meatballs with Herby Couscous
By OcadoLife
Published on 16 September 2025
Thanks to a clever combination of ingredients, these Harissa Turkey Meatballs with Herby Couscous manage to be both lean – keeping them low in saturated fat – and mouth-wateringly juicy. “This recipe is a huge hit in my house; a bonus for me is how quick and easy it is to make,” says MasterChef winner and writer Dr Saliha Mahmood Ahmed. Her top tip: for easy rolling of the meatballs, grease your hands with a little oil before shaping.
Time and servings
45 minsTotal time
6Servings
15 minsPrep time
30 minsCooking time
Ingredients
- 1 (500g) pack turkey breast mince
- 8 salad onions, half roughly chopped, half finely sliced
- 2 (25g) packs dill
- 1 tsp chilli flakes
- 1 slice bread, soaked in 50ml milk
- 1 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil, plus extra for the tray and for brushing
- 2 tbsp rose harissa paste
- 600ml low-salt vegetable stock
- 300g wholewheat couscous
- ½ tsp turmeric
- 400g natural yoghurt
- 1 lemon, juiced
- 1 heaped tsp garlic paste
- 100g tahini
- 200g pomegranate seeds
- 1 (400g) tin chickpeas
- ½ cucumber, diced
- 150g cherry tomatoes, quartered
Method
Step 1
reheat the oven to 200°C/180°C fan/gas 6. Put the turkey mince in the bowl of a food processor with the roughly chopped salad onions, half the dill, the chilli flakes, milk-soaked bread and a small pinch of salt; blitz until well combined.Step 2
Lightly grease a non-stick baking tray with a little oil. Using your hands, divide the mixture to make 18 evenly sized meatballs and place on the tray. Brush them with a little oil; bake for 15 mins.Step 3
Mix the harissa paste with 3-4 tbsp water and brush over the meatballs. Return to the oven for a further 15 mins or until cooked through.Step 4
Meanwhile, put the stock in a small pan and bring to the boil. Add the couscous and turmeric, then cover and remove from the heat. Set aside for 20 mins, until all the liquid has been absorbed. Combine all the yoghurt, lemon juice, garlic paste and tahini in a small bowl and mix well.Step 5
Fluff up the couscous with a fork, then fold in the finely sliced salad onions and remaining dill, along with the pomegranate seeds, chickpeas, cucumber, tomatoes and 1 tbsp oil. 6. Serve the meatballs over the couscous with any roasting juices and the tahini yoghurt on the side for drizzling.