Tunisian-Spiced Meatballs
with an Apricot Glaze, Roasted Carrots & Scallion Couscous
- Wheat
- Milk
Obsessed with meatballs but ready to break out of your usual routine? This ballin’ dish has just the thing. Here, we’ve ditched marinara sauce and spaghetti for savory-sweet apricot glaze and fluffy, lemon-scented couscous. The meatballs themselves are seasoned with warm Tunisan spices. As a bonus, there’s a side of tender, roasted carrots. Prepare yourself for a flavor explosion.
Ingredients
½ cup
Israeli Couscous
(Contains: Wheat)
2 unit
Apricot Jam
12 ounce
Carrot
2 unit
Chicken Stock Concentrate
1 unit
Lemon
20 ounce
Ground Beef
¼ cup
Panko Breadcrumbs
(Contains: Wheat)
2 unit
Scallions
1 tablespoon
Tunisian Spice Blend
Not included in your delivery
1 tablespoon (tbsp)
Cooking Oil
teaspoon (tsp)
Black Pepper
2 tablespoon (tbsp)
Butter
(Contains: Milk)
3 teaspoon (tsp)
Salt
Nutrition Values
Utensils
Cooking Steps
• Adjust rack to top position and preheat oven to 425 degrees. Wash and dry produce. • Trim, peel, and cut carrots on a diagonal into ½-inch-thick pieces. Trim and thinly slice scallions, separating whites from greens; mince whites. Zest and quarter lemon. • In a small bowl, combine jam, half the stock concentrates (you’ll use the rest later), and ¼ cup water (1⁄3 cup for 4 servings).
• Toss carrots on a baking sheet with a large drizzle of oil. Season with salt and pepper. • Roast on top rack, flipping halfway through, until browned and tender, 20-25 minutes.
• Meanwhile, melt 1 TBSP butter (2 TBSP for 4 servings) in a small pot over medium-high heat. Add couscous and cook, stirring, until lightly toasted, 2-3 minutes. • Stir in ¾ cup water (1½ cups for 4) and remaining stock concentrates. Bring to a boil, then cover and reduce heat to low. Cook until tender, 6-8 minutes. • Keep covered off heat until ready to serve.
• While couscous cooks, in a large bowl, combine beef*, scallion whites, panko, Tunisian Spice, and ¾ tsp salt (1½ tsp for 4 servings). Season with pepper. • Form into 10-12 (20-24 for 4) 1½-inch meatballs.
• Heat a drizzle of oil in a large pan over medium-high heat. Add meatballs and cook, turning occasionally, until browned all over, 4-6 minutes. TIP: If there’s excess grease in your pan, carefully pour it out. • Pour in jam mixture and bring to a simmer, then reduce heat to medium. Cover and cook until meatballs are cooked through and glazed, 5 minutes more. • Stir in a squeeze of lemon juice to taste. TIP: If glaze is too thick, add a splash of water.
• Fluff couscous with a fork; stir in lemon zest, half the scallion greens, and 1 TBSP butter (2 TBSP for 4 servings). Season with salt and pepper. • Divide couscous, carrots, and meatballs between plates. Top meatballs with remaining glaze from pan and remaining scallion greens. Serve with any remaining lemon wedges on the side.
Customer reviews
Review summary
Updated on Apr 2026- Flavor: The apricot glaze creates a perfect sweet-savory balance, though some find the Tunisian spice blend overpowering or too cinnamon-forward.
- Ease of prep: Most find it straightforward to make, but the glaze can burn easily and meatballs may fall apart without careful handling.
- Suggestions: Watch the glaze closely to prevent burning; some prefer baking meatballs in the oven instead of pan-frying for better results.
- Leftovers: Reheats beautifully and freezes well for future meals.
- Couscous: The lemon-zested couscous is a hit, though it may need extra cooking time and some find portions small for two people.
Reviews from our home cooks
The Tunisian spice is wonderful! The glaze is superb too! I made the meatballs smaller so we'd have more of them. The couscous cooked up perfectly - that was one of my problems - cooking it up to be tender and flavorful, thanks for that! Carrots are always welcome - I see y'all include them in meals often and these carrots are succulent!
It was unlike anything I've ever had before. I've never tasted Tunisian spices or couscous before. The apricot jam, was a perfect compliment to the spiced meatballs. Not so easy to keep the glaze on the meatballs, and off the bottom of the pan. But great flavor combo.
I absolutely love the Tunisian Spice, and with the apricot sauce it pairs perfectly. This is one of my favorite meals. I would have liked the meatballs better baked in the oven, as I don't like cooking them on the stove, I like the texture of the baked ones better.
The combination of scallion couscous, roasted carrots, and a meat with some kind of sweet or sweet and spicy glaze or sauce is always fantastic, and only minimal changes to the meat, sauce flavor, or spices are needed to keep it interesting across many similar recipes. This is one recipe where I think the little bit of lemon really adds something. The only thing I'd change about this one is maybe adding some nuts to the couscous at the end for texture.
These meatballs with the apricot glaze was amazing. The apricot glaze was so easy to make and tasted so good. And the couscous was super easy to make and really tasty. I've never had or made couscous before and it was really nice.
The Tunisian spice in the meatballs was a bit overpowering. I'd recommend using less of it in the recipe. Also, I add an egg to the meatball mixture which is something many people would have on hand if you want to suggest adding it.
These meatballs were really good. I didn't use the full packet of the Tunisian spice more like half which was plenty IMO. They are really strong spices and I thought it would overpower the meatballs. I did sprinkle some onto the carrots towards the end of cooking them atop the stove in a cast iron skillet. Every last bit was gobbled up. Will definitely be ordering again.
An interesting, yet surprisingly good dish. The Tunisian spice was sweet and full of aromatic spices which made the cooking experience nice. Coupled with sweet roasted carrots and couscous, it made for a nice hearty meal.
The flavors in this dish were amazing! I love a sweet & savory duo and definitely found that here with the jam sauce and Tunisian flavored meatball. The sides paired perfectly. Very easy prep and storage. I refrigerated one of the portions and it heated up nicely the next day for leftovers.
The Tunisian spice mix was incredible. Wonderful flavors were very complementary to the sweet Apricot sauce. I paired this meal for four with the tomato and cucumber salad pita pockets which I also bought this week. I ordered that meal only for two, added onions and chickpeas to the salad and everyone was satiated. Thank you for these meals!
