The spicy harissa turkey meatballs offer a unique dinner opportunity to taste a little fusion of the Middle East and the Mediterranean. The harissa red sauce drizzled over the spicy meatballs with feta cheese and fresh herbs are perfect for weeknight dinners when you want something a little bold. The flavorful and spicy harissa turkey meatballs are moist inside and perfectly cooked to a light crust on the outside. The creamy feta cheese adds a slight saltiness, making the meatballs irresistible when paired with the heat from the harissa sauce. If your family likes spice as much as we do, it’s sure to be a winning dinner dish.
I love inventing in the kitchen. It’s like playtime for adults. I started concocting foods early in life as my mother’s only rule was to clean up after myself. It’s a good rule that kept me busy in the kitchen, learning as I played with flavors and different ingredients. Now, I enjoy trying new spice combinations from various ethnic backgrounds. When I was a kid, we had an extensive herb and spice rack to choose from, but it only offered some of the world cuisine choices available today. So, let me first take the mystery out of what Harissa is for you if you need to become more familiar.
Harissa spice is a North African blend made from roasted red peppers, spices, and herbs, often including garlic, cumin, and coriander. It adds a smoky, spicy flavor to dishes, making it a popular ingredient in Mediterranean and Middle Eastern cuisines. This dish elevates the somewhat dull ground turkey to be a delicious ethnic dish that even my meatball-hating daughter said was delicious.
If you love meatballs but want a more traditional version, try our oven-baked garlic parmesan meatballs. They are so good with a simple red sauce and pasta.

Why You Will Love These Harissa Meatballs
Spicy, Spicy. That’s right, there is some heat to this dish. It’s not a horrible burn-your-face-off heat, just enough that it’s a pleasant change from the everyday.
Fusion of Flavors. These Harissaharissa-sauced and spiced turkey meatballs feature creamy feta, bringing together the bold spices of North African cuisine and the fresh, tangy elements of the Mediterranean for a truly unique dish.
Comforting and Satisfying: It offers a satisfying meal combining comfort and bold flavors.
Let’s Get Started Making These Tasty Meatballs.
First, you will need 3 lbs of ground turkey for the recipe. This recipe will make 20-21 regular-size meatballs.
You will need to measure and add all the ingredients in a medium mixing bowl. Start with the ground turkey, followed by the egg and breadcrumbs. Next, dice a half cup of red onion super finely. Add that to the mixing bowl, as well as the spices, Harissa, and cumin.




Drain your feta if needed and crumble up as much as possible before adding it to the bowl. (More on that in a bit)
Next, rinse and chop your fresh parsley, adding it to the bowl. Using clean hands, mix the meatballs thoroughly. It’s imperative that the egg and breadcrumbs are worked throughout the meat to avoid unpleasant textural issues when done. Next, form the meatballs with your hands, making them of average size—about two inches each.






Heat a frying pan with a half-inch of neutral oil over medium heat until it is hot. Using tongs, carefully set the meatballs in the hot oil so they don’t fall apart. Allow each to cook and brown, and using the tongs, move them around in the pan as needed to get a nice caramelized exterior. The golden color is good; grey is not. So, if you see grey, roll it over and let it get a nice toasty exterior. This cooking process takes approximately ten minutes.
While they cook, prepare a small saucepan for the harissa sauce. In the saucepan, add the olive oil and the harissa spice. Cooking this on medium heat for one minute will allow the spice to bloom and its flavor to develop fully. Be sure to stir it so it doesn’t burn.


Mix the tomato paste and chicken broth into the spice mixture with a whisk. It doesn’t take long before all the tomato paste lumps are worked out, and you have a lovely, smooth red sauce. Take it off the heat and add the honey. You can add more if you prefer a sweeter Harissa sauce.




The meatballs can be transferred to a plate with a clean paper towel when cooked to drain excess fat off before serving. Each meatball should have an internal temperature of 165F to be done.
When ready, you can serve these meatballs for dinner and sparingly drizzle the red Harissa sauce over the top. The meatballs’ flavor will shine through with less sauce; too much sauce can overpower them.
NOTE: If you would like your meatballs to be free of large bits of parsley or feta, run the entire mixture through your food processor to grind it up further before forming into balls.
Ingredients:
Ground Turkey: This lean protein is a great alternative to ground beef. It’s also generally less expensive, making it a cost-effective ingredient.
Egg: The egg adds much-needed moisture and helps bind the mixture together.
Breadcrumbs: Not to be confused with panko breading these are finely ground and almost unnoticeable in the meatballs. Breadcrumbs are used to give a tender texture and to bind.
Onion: I used red onion for my meatballs. The mild onion’s sweeter nature lent itself well to flavoring without overpowering the meatball.
Harissa Spice: This spice blend is made by many brands. I used this particular blend
Cumin: This added a warm earthiness that balanced the meatball’s overall flavor.
Fresh Parsley: This grassy herbal flavor further enhanced the meatballs’ Mediterranean side.
Feta Cheese: Creamy and salty, it added flavor to the spicy meatballs.
Tomato Paste: Used in the red Harissa sauce, this paste serves as part of the base, giving it a thicker consistency.
Honey: This natural sweetener brightens the red sauce, giving it a more complex flavor and slightly toning down the spicy heat.
Chicken Broth: Used to thin the red sauce and add some saltiness while deepening the flavor to the rich red sauce base.
Olive Oil: This is used to help extract the spice’s flavor when heated for the sauce.
Neutral Oil: Frying the meatballs in neutral oil gives them a nice crispy crust while retaining moisture. Frying also keeps the temperature around them even as they cook.

Substitutions And Add-Ins For This Spicy Turkey Meatball Dish
Ground Turkey: When ground turkey isn’t readily available or not cost-effective, ground chicken also works.
Egg: -Remains-
Breadcrumbs: This ingredient can be substituted for rolled oats; however, this will slightly change the end texture and alter the flavor.
Onion: Regular cooking onion will also suffice if you don’t have red.
Harissa Spice: If you have Harissa paste you can use it too.
Cumin:-Remains-
Fresh Parsley: Can be switched out for Chervil. Chervil is slightly more anise flavored so you may wish to experiment to find the correct amount.
Feta Cheese: Note that feta used is not goat milk-based. However, goat milk may be the way to go if you want a more pronounced flavor.
Tomato Paste: For this recipe, I used Mutti brand tomato paste in a tube. However, any other tomato paste will also work.
Honey: Store-bought honey is okay for this recipe, as we use a small amount. If you don’t have honey, adding sugar to the sauce will also balance the heat. Be sure to allow the granules to dissolve before serving.
Chicken Broth: Regular boxed or canned broth will work. You can also use a vegetable broth.
Olive Oil: This can be switched out for any other neutral oil.
Neutral oil: -Remains- You can also bake the meatballs if you prefer. They will not caramelize in the same way. Bake at 375F for 20 minutes. When done cooking, they should test 165F internally.
Add-Ins: adding some minced garlic cloves to the meatballs would also make for some incredible flavors.

Expert Tips, Serving And Storing Suggestions For This Tasty Dish
Tip #1: Temperature Matters: Ensure your ground turkey is at room temperature before mixing. This helps the ingredients combine more efficiently and produces a more uniform texture in your meatballs.
Tip #2: Don’t Overmix: Mix until everything is incorporated when combining the ingredients. Overmixing can lead to tough meatballs. Aim for a gentle hand when mixing.
Tip #3: Taste and Modify: When cooking the harissa sauce, taste it after adding the tomato paste and chicken broth. If you find it too spicy or intense, you can balance the flavors by adding more honey.
Enjoy these turkey meatballs with creamy feta as part of your weeknight meals. The spicy flavors are great when paired with our Mediterranean roast vegetables with pearl couscous side dish. The rich red tomato sauce covers the meatballs in a blanket of spiciness that spice lovers go crazy for.
To store the meatballs and sauce, package them separately after they cool. The meatballs should be covered with either plastic wrap or a lid. The spicy sauce can be kept in a mason jar covered for up to one week. The meatballs will keep for three days in the fridge. I don’t recommend freezing them, as the feta cheese can become crumbly, wrecking the overall visual appeal of the meatballs.
If you have tried these tasty turkey meatballs, I would love to hear your thoughts. Did you like the spicy nature of the Harissa sauce? Leaving comments helps me determine what to post more of for you. Rating recipes help other readers know what you think of the recipe. As always, happy cooking!

Spicy Harissa Turkey Meatballs With Feta Cheese
Equipment
- Frying Pan
- mixing bowl
- Small Saucepan
- Tablespoon
- Teaspoon
- Whisk
- Tongs
Ingredients
The Harissa Spiced Turkey Meatballs
- 3 Lbs Ground Turkey 1.4kg
- ½ Cup Red Onion Diced
- 1 Lrg Egg
- ¼ Cup Breadcrumbs
- ½ Cup Feta Cheese Crumbled
- 1 Tbsp Harissa Spice
- 1 Tsp Cumin
- 2 Tbsp Fresh Parsley Chopped Fine
- Neutral Oil For Cooking
The Harissa Red Sauce
- 2 Tbsp Olive Oil
- 1 Tbsp Harissa Spice
- ½ Cup Tomato Paste
- 1 Cup Chicken Stock
- 1 Tbsp Honey
Instructions
Making The Harissa Spiced Turkey Meatballs
- Finely dice the onion and add to mixing bowl.½ Cup Red Onion
- Add the remaining meatball ingredients to the bowl.3 Lbs Ground Turkey, 1 Lrg Egg, ½ Cup Feta Cheese, ¼ Cup Breadcrumbs
- Measure and add the spices to meatball ingredients.1 Tbsp Harissa Spice, 1 Tsp Cumin, 2 Tbsp Fresh Parsley
- Using clean hands mix gently the meatball mixture to blend together.
- Form the meatballs into 2" balls.
- Heat frying pan with 1/2" of neutral oil on medium-high until hot.Neutral Oil
- Reduce to medium heat and using tongs add meatballs one at a time to the hot oil.
- Let the turkey meatballs brown before turning over. Continue to turn meatballs until browned well on all sides.
- Remove cooked meatballs when they temp at 165℉ to a plate with clean paper towel.
Making The Harissa Red Sauce
- In a small saucepan on medium heat add the olive oil. Allow to heat.2 Tbsp Olive Oil, 1 Tbsp Harissa Spice
- Add in the Harissa spice and mix while it blooms for one minute.
- Measure and add both the tomato paste and the chicken broth.½ Cup Tomato Paste, 1 Cup Chicken Stock
- Stir together with a whisk and allow to come to a boil.
- Once heated to boil remove from heat and stir in the honey.1 Tbsp Honey
Serving
- Serve meatballs with the heated red harissa sauce drizzled over top.