Try this irresistible, simple recipe for stuffed eggplant: oven-roasted eggplant halves topped with Moroccan spiced lamb or beef. Low-cal, low-carb, low effort and utterly delicious!

Moroccan stuffed eggplant

You’ll often hear me declaring quite passionately that I think eggplant is one of the most underrated vegetables around. They’re cheap. They’re meaty. And they’re fabulously versatile, used in cuisines worldwide like Asian, Italian, Greek and Indian, prepared through various cooking methods including frying, steaming, roasting and simmering.

Today, we’re smearing, roasting and stuffing. Well, topping, not scooping-and-stuffing, in a manner that gives it a semi-stuffed vibe. Think of this as a mid-week take on traditional stuffed eggplant dishes you find in Arabic cuisine that involves hollowing out eggplants, stuffing with rice, meat, herbs and nuts, often baked in a tomato sauce. Sounds magnificent, doesn’t it? And it is. but there’s a lot more pots and pans involved! We’re going simple today. You can make this tonight, after work!!

Nice close up of said soft juicy eggplant!

Ingredients in Moroccan stuffed eggplant

The base flavouring for this Moroccan stuffed eggplant is a homemade Chermoula spice mix which does double duty as the spice paste for the eggplant as well as flavouring the meat filling.

Chermoula spice mix

Chermoula is a North African spice mix that traditionally is a marinade or sauce containing fresh coriander, garlic and spices. Sometimes you can also find it in a dry spice mix form. We’re using the dry blend today for our purposes.

The spices – The majority of the spices are pantry staples, but don’t make a special trip out if you’re missing one or two…or even three! There’s enough in the blend that you can substitute with something else – suggestions are in the recipe notes.

Olive oil and lemon juice – These are used to make the paste. I like to use lemon juice to add a bit of tang as well as cutting down on the oil required to make a smear-able paste.

The meat filling (lamb or beef)

Here’s what you need to make the meat filling. You can use lamb or beef, though if I had my pick I’d choose lamb as it’s a classic pairing with flavours from the Arab world.

3 teaspoons of the Chermoula spice blend is used to flavour the filling. In addition to this, we have garlic and onion for aromatics, and a little tomato paste to bind the filling together.

The eggplant

Choose eggplants around 250g/8oz and 17cm/7″ long. Don’t worry about exact size – adjust toppings accordingly. If you end up with larger eggplants, the topping layer might be slightly thinner, but the dish will still be packed with flavor.

Salt helps remove moisture from eggplants. More on this below!

Toppings

And lastly, the toppings! It really finishes this dish so I urge you to use them. The pine nuts are a great finishing touch, though other nuts will make an adequate substitute (almonds, macadamia, walnuts, or seeds).

If you’re anti-coriander/cilantro, switch with parsley!

How to make Moroccan Stuffed Eggplant

As mentioned above, I call it stuffed because describing it as a “topped” eggplant just doesn’t seem to capture the essence of this dish. 😂 But actually, it’s not properly stuffed – which means no scooping necessary, which means it’s easier to make. Win!

Sweating the eggplant (recommended)

Sweating the eggplant to remove excess water is a recommended but not essential step. It seasons the flesh as well as drawing out excess water that otherwise pools in the eggplant which dilutes flavour when you’re eating it.

But you can mostly get around this problem by simply cutting slits in the skin to let the water escape as it roasts. So don’t sweat it if you don’t have time to sweat it! *Sorry, I couldn’t resist!*

1. Cut the eggplant in half lengthwise. Keep the cap/stem intact and cut through it, it helps hold the eggplant together once roasted and soft.

2. Diamonds – Using a small sharp knife, cut 2.5cm/1″ diamonds into the flesh, cutting down as far as you are comfortable without piercing the flesh.

3. The said diamonds!

4. Salt – Sprinkle the surface with salt and rub it in. It’s good to get it into the slits but even if you just rub the surface, the salt will make it’s way into the slits.

5. Sweat for 30 minutes. I put the eggplant upside down in a colander to allow the water to drip out.

6. Squeeze like sponge to remove the excess water then pat the surface dry.

Making the “stuffed” eggplant

1. Mix the Chermoula spice blend in a bowl. Measure out 3 teaspoons and set aside for the meat.

2. Paste – Add olive oil and lemon juice into the remaining chermoula and mix to form a paste.

3. Smear the paste onto the surface of the eggplant.

4. Roast for 45 minutes at 180°C/350°F (160°C fan) or until the eggplant is softened. Sometimes it takes longer – don’t forget to check the edges.

5. Spiced meat – A quick cook! Sauté the garlic and onion, then cook the lamb with the reserved Chermoula spice blend. Finally, add the tomato paste and water to make the filling “juicy” (rather than dry and crumbly).

6. Assemble – Top the roasted eggplant with the lamb filling. Dollop on yogurt, sprinkle with pine nuts and coriander then dig in!

Matters of serving

Servings

This recipe is designed to serve:

• 2 people as a generous dinner with a small side salad;

• 4 as a meal with a starch (flatbread, couscous) and a substantial side (like Honey Cinnamon Pumpkin Lentil Salad, roast veg, chickpea salad); or

• 4 people as a generous starter.

Low carb, low calorie!

For the eggplant alone, it’s a mere 450 calories for a whole eggplant (ie 2 halves) with only 22 grams of carbs. To be honest, a serving of the eggplant alone makes for a satisfying meal – you have protein and vegetables covered! Though I do like to add something fresh on the side, even if it’s just some plain fresh cucumber and tomato.

So, it’s low calorie, low carb, simple to make and a something different to make with beef mince rather than the usual Spag Bol. What do you think?? Feel like giving this a go? I HOPE SO! – Nagi x

Watch how to make it

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Easy Moroccan Stuffed Eggplant (beef or lamb)

Recipe video above. A delicious, unique, EASY way to serve up eggplant and minced / ground beef or lamb! Think of this as a midweek take on traditional Arabic stuffed eggplant that's usually hollowed out.

Don't worry if you don't have every single spice. There's so many in this spice mix, it will still be tasty even if you're missing one…or two, even three!

Serves 2 as a main with a small side salad, or 4 as a meal with a starch (flatbread, couscous) and a substantial side (like this Pumpkin Salad, roast veg, chickpea salad), or 4 as a generous starter.

Course Dinner

Cuisine Middle Eastern

Keyword Ground beef recipe, lamb mince recipe, roasted eggplant, stuffed eggplant

Prep Time 15 minutes

Cook Time 45 minutes

Eggplant sweating 30 minutes

Total Time 1 hour 30 minutes

Servings 2 – 4

Calories 450cal

Author Nagi | RecipeTin Eats

Ingredients

Eggplant

• 2 x 250g/8oz eggplants (aubergines), ~17cm/7" long (Note 1)
• 3/4 tsp cooking salt / kosher salt
• 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 1 tbsp lemon juice (or more oil)

Chermoula spice mix (Note 2)

• 1 1/2 tsp EACH coriander, paprika
• 1 tsp cumin
• 3/4 tsp all spice powder
• 1/2 tsp EACH garlic powder, ginger, turmeric powder
• 1/4 tsp cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper

Spiced beef or Lamb topping

• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 garlic clove , finely minced
• 1/2 onion , finely chopped
• 250g / 8oz beef or lamb mince , lean if you can (chicken, turkey, pork also ok)
• 1/2 tsp cooking/kosher salt
• 2 tsp tomato paste (Note 3)
• 1/4 cup water

To Serve

• Yoghurt , plain
• 2 tbsp coriander/cilantro leaves , roughly chopped (sub parsley)
• 2 tbsp pinenuts , toasted (Note 4)

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 180°C/350°F (160°C fan).
• Sweat eggplants (recommended, see Note 5 to skip) – Cut eggplants in half then score with 2.5cm / 1" diamonds. Rub surface with salt, getting some into the slits. Place face down in a colander and set aside for 30 minutes. Gently squeeze like a sponge to remove excess water, pat surface dry.
• Mix Chermoula spice mix ingredients in a bowl. Remove 3 teaspoons for the meat and set aside. Add olive oil and lemon juice into the remaining spice mix and mix into a paste.
• Roast eggplant – Place eggplant on baking tray. Slather spice mix onto the surface. Roast for 45 minutes until softened.
• Spiced topping – Heat oil in a non stick skillet over medium high heat. Cook onion and garlic for 1 minute. Turn heat up to high, add lamb/beef and cook, breaking it up as you go, until you no longer see red. Add reserved spices and salt, then cook for a further 1 minute. Add tomato paste and cook for 1 minute. Stir in water, cook for 1 minute until it's juicy but not watery.
• Assemble – Top eggplant with beef/lamb. Sprinkle over coriander, dollop with yogurt and pine nuts. Finish with an extra drizzle of extra virgin olive oil, if desired!

Notes

1. Eggplant/aubergine – Don’t get too hung up on eggplant size. I always provide weight and measurement because they vary so much in size – what is a “medium eggplant”??! If you have giant ones, you’ll just have a thinner layer of topping (there’s enough flavour in this dish you won’t feel robbed). If you have tiny ones, pile it on higher or reserve leftover meat for another purpose. 

2. Spice subs – With so many in this spice mix, it’s fine if you’re missing one…or even three! Just dial up some of the others to make up for flavour. Specific subs:

• All spice – mixed spice
• Garlic powder – onion powder, or fresh garlic
• Ginger – more garlic
• Turmeric powder – saffron
• Cinnamon – more all spice

3. Tomato paste – or sub water + paste with 1/4 cup crushed tomato or passata. I offer this as a suggestion as I always seem to have a partial bottle of passata in the fridge!

4. Toasting pinenuts – Small skillet, no oil, medium heat, toss until golden and smells toasty. Remove from pan straight away.

5. Eggplant sweating – Draws out excess water so you don’t end up with water in the eggplant halves that dilutes eating flavour. Removing bitterness from eggplant – generally speaking, this has been bred out of eggplants sold these days. I’ve never had a problem.

Don’t have time to sweat? Just cut 2 x 3cm/1″ slits in the skin so the water escapes while roasting. Also, expect to add 5 to 10 min to roasting time.

6. Yogurt tip – To make the yoghurt even tastier, mix 1/4 cup of yoghurt with 1/2 garlic clove, minced, a small squeeze of lemon, salt and pepper. Set aside for 30 minutes to let the flavours develop. I do this for company.

Make ahead – Roast the eggplant and meat filling. Fully cool both, uncovered, then put into containers in the fridge. Re-warm both using method of choice (juice up the meat with a splash of water if needed) then assemble!

Leftovers will keep for 3 days in the fridge. Not convinced cooked eggplant will freeze well but the meat will be fine for 3 months!

Nutrition per serving, using lean beef – 2 eggplant halves (i.e. one whole eggplant) per serving. This is a satisfying meal even by itself!

Nutrition

Serving: 536g | Calories: 450cal | Carbohydrates: 22g | Protein: 32g | Fat: 28g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 5g | Monounsaturated Fat: 15g | Trans Fat: 0.4g | Cholesterol: 78mg | Sodium: 1594mg | Potassium: 1206mg | Fiber: 9g | Sugar: 11g | Vitamin A: 297IU | Vitamin C: 13mg | Calcium: 61mg | Iron: 5mg

Originally published in March 2016. Majority spruced up in 2023 with a better, more streamlined recipe with better flavour, sparkling new photos and a brand new recipe video!

Proof of eggplant fondness

Oven Roasted Eggplant (aubergine)

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Eggplant Curry – South Indian Brinjal Curry

Pasta alla norma (Eggplant pasta)

Crispy Chinese Eggplant

Moussaka (Greek Beef and Eggplant Lasagna)

Miso-Glazed Eggplant

Life of Dozer

Can’t even whiteboard recipe ideas without Mr D hovering around.

The post Easy Moroccan Stuffed Eggplant (beef or lamb) appeared first on RecipeTin Eats.

Welcome to the chili dog of my dreams! A thick, molten beef chili sauce, slow cooked for hours, designed to function more like a sauce so it smothers rather than running everywhere. As for the grilled hot dog? Skip the cheap footy franks. Smoked sausages are the way to go. Think – kranksy, bratwurst, half-smokes!

A cracking recipe for summer BBQ’s, game-day, and just when you need something seriously moreish.

THE chili sauce for hot dogs….

This is a chili dog that is inspired by the famous Half-Smoke Chili Dogs at Ben’s Chili Bowl in Washington DC. It’s an institution famous for their chili which is served in various formats – in a bowl, burgers, and chili dogs.

The chili sauce used for the hot dogs is different to the chili served in bowls. It’s noticeably thicker and smoother, and doesn’t have beans in it. Essentially, it’s like a thick sauce that stays on the hot dog better than regular chili so you can eat it with your hands.

I’ve always wanted to replicate the Ben’s chili sauce. I’ve had a few attempts over the years – surely I just need to slow cook for longer, longer! Nope, it just didn’t have that same “molten” texture.

The answer came to me when I was making lentil soup: a partial blitz. Releases flavour, thickens the sauce, and makes it smoother too. This changed my chili-dog-game forever. Will it change yours too??

Ingredients in chili dog

Alrighty, first up, what you need to make the chili sauce for hot dogs!

Ingredients in chili sauce

The ingredients are no different to my classic chili con carne except the ratios of the spices are a little different (more!). And there are no beans in this chili sauce so it’s smoother and sits in/on the hot dog better.

• Beef mince / ground beef – While this recipe will work with lean beef, it will not have as much beefy flavour. Because most of the good beefy flavour we love is in the fat!

• Beef bouillon cube (stock cube) – Better than salt! Adds more flavour.

• Onion & garlic – Essential flavour bases.

• Tomato paste and crushed tomato – For thickening and flavour of the sauce. By the time all the spices are added in and it’s been slow cooked, you don’t really taste the tomato at all.

• Capsicum/bell pepper – A traditional inclusion in chili.

Homemade chili powder for sauce

There’s no store-bought chili powder mix in my chili sauce. I prefer to make my own from scratch because the flavour of chili powder varies from brand to brand. Making your own ensures consistency of flavour for everyone!

Plus, chili powder spice mix, while common in the US, is not easily found in Australia.

No unusual players here. All pantry essentials (here’s my essential spices list, in case you missed it!), the same spices I use in my chilli con carne. However, I use slightly more spices to give the sauce a stronger flavour because less sauce has to go further when it’s used in a hot dog bun compared to serving a big bowl of chili. Am I making sense?? Not sure I’m explaining that well!

Spiciness – There’s a decent amount of cayenne pepper in this to give the chili sauce a spicy kick, as is traditional. Feel free to dial it back. You can just add it right at the end, bit by bit, tasting as you go.

Chili dog

For the best hot dog of your life, skip the everyday cheap hot dogs and go for a good German or other European smoked sausage (Austrian, Polish). You’re welcome!

Smoked sausages – better than hot dogs! Chili dogs are typically made with economical thin hot dogs. Think – uniform pink colour that are 30 – 40% fillers. Tasty enough, when smothered in a homemade chili sauce. But you can really dial-up your hot dog game by using good European smoked sausages – like kranksy’s, bockwurst, bratwurst, “continental franks”. Just ask Ben’s Chili Bowl. Their famous chili dogs use sausages called “half-smokes” which are a type of smoked sausage.

Why European smoked sausages are better – More meat, less fillers, they’re seasoned with flavour, and fatter so you get more sausage! They are smoked so they are technically cooked but most are usually grilled or pan fried before serving. Makes them even tastier.

Find them easily these days:

• Kranksy’s – a deli staple at large supermarkets (Coles, Woolies – see here online, Harris Farms). Get the smoked ones, if you can, but even un-smoked are 20x better than the “footy franks”

• Sausages in packets labelled “Continental Franks” or “Weiners”.

• German deli – If you are lucky enough to have a German deli in your area, it’s worth a visit because you’ll have an even better selection – and it’s hard to go wrong! Also, other European delis. The Polish and Austrians do wickedly good smoked sausages too.

• Where I go – Brot & Wurst in Narrabeen, Sydney, which is near my home. My favourite for chili dogs are Bockwurst (pictured above). But all the smoked sausages of theirs I’ve tried (probably most) are great!

• Hot dog buns – Look for soft, pillowy buns for the hot dogs to nestle in.

• Yellow mustard – Optional, I guess! For me, a chili dog isn’t a chili dog without a squirt of mustard. I use American mustard – 100% artificial yellow colour, 100% hot dog authentic.

• White onion – Optional! This is a direct copycat of the way the chili dogs are served at Ben’s Chili Bowl. A little sprinkle of finely chopped white onion brings a hint of freshness in amongst all that moorish, spicy, saucy goodness. I like to use white onion because it’s not as sharp as brown onion. Red onion will also work from a flavour perspective.

• Cheese – A sprinkle of shredded cheese on a chili dog is fairly common practice but melting is not. But, like good ole’ crispy shell beef tacos, melted cheese wins over un-melted cheese any day. So if you have the option to melt, why would you not?? (Bonus: Cheese melting oven time warms up the bun so you don’t have to do it beforehand plus gives all the flavours a chance to meld together into one cohesive chili-dog-of-your-dreams!)

How to make chili dogs

As I mentioned earlier, the one thing that’s a little unique about the chili sauce I make for chili dogs is that it’s thicker, smoother and more “molten” than the usual recipes you see which have larger, chunkier beef bits in a runnier sauce. This is because mine is designed to be like the famous Ben’s Chili Bowl chili sauce which is like a thick sauce that stays in the hot dog rather than slopping out everywhere when I take a (big!) bite!

The trick to achieve this? A little blitz. Releases flavour and thickens the sauce.

1. The chili sauce

1. Cook chili sauce – The chili sauce starts off like your everyday chili con carne. Sauté onion, garlic and capsicum. Cook the beef until it’s browned, then stir the tomato paste for a minute to cook out the sour raw flavour.

2. Add everything else – Add all the spices, canned tomato, beef stock cubes (bouillon cubes), salt and water and give it a good stir then bring it to a simmer.

3. Slow cook 3 hours – Simmer on a really low heat with the lid partially on. A cracked lid allows the sauce to reduce and thicken. Make sure the heat is really low and give it a stir every now and then to ensure the base doesn’t catch. Remember – we’re making a sauce that is thicker than typical chili con carne.

   It can also be cooked in the oven (160°C / 325°F for 3 hours) or slow cooker (low for 6 to 8 hours) – directions included in the recipe.

   After 3 hours of slow cooking, the beef should be very tender. Yep, you’ll need to have a spoonful to check!

4. Blitz to thicken and smooth – Remove 1 1/2 cups of the chili into a container so the head of a stick blender will be submerged under the chili. Then blitz until smooth – it should only take around 15 seconds on high. This will release flavour and also thicken the sauce.

5. Stir in – Return the pureed chili sauce into the pot and stir well. As you stir, you should find that the slow-cooked beef bits start to fall-apart into really fine pieces of beef to make a smooth-ish, almost molten-like sauce.

   If your beef doesn’t do this, it will just need a bit of help from a potato masher. Just mash the beef straight in the pot until it becomes a fairly fine texture, like pictured.

6. Thick sauce – This is what your sauce should look like! Dollop-able but it mounds. Now you get to heap it on your hot dog!

2. Assembling chili dogs

Grill, stuff, smother, bake!

1. Pan fry or grill your hot dogs / smoked sausages until browned and warmed through. Don’t worry if the skin splits! Visually it doesn’t matter because it will be completely hidden by sauce.

2. Mustard & onion – Add a squiggle of mustard then sprinkle with onion.

3. Chili sauce – Smother with a good amount of chili sauce. Appreciate how it’s thick and stays on/in the hot dog instead of running everywhere!

4. Bake for 10 minutes – Top with cheese then bake for 10 minutes just to melt the cheese. Pull out of oven and start getting excited about sinking your teeth into these chili dogs!!!

When to make chili dogs

A backyard grill out, a gathering with friends. Game day, dinner tonight, and, well, just anytime because you can’t get darn-good chili dogs in your area. That would be ME!!

In all seriousness though. A good smoked sausage, pan fried or grilled then tucked into a soft bun is delicious as is.

Smother it with a thick layer of big-flavoured beef chili sauce, and you’re well on your way to food heaven.

Add a blanket of molten, gooey cheese and that, my friends, THAT is what food dreams are made of.

I really hope you try these chili dogs one day. For us Aussies, chili dogs are hard to come by and when we do find them, all too often they are terribly disappointing. I promise this won’t disappoint! – Nagi x

PS As long as you give the cheap footy franks a miss!

Watch how to make it

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Chili dogs

Recipe video above. A pan-fried or BBQ sausage smothered in chili sauce in a hot dog bun. Cracker of a recipe for summer BBQ's, gatherings with friends and game-day!

My chili sauce is a copy-cat of the famous Ben's Chili Bowl half-smoke chili dogs in Washington DC. Love how their boldly spiced chili sauce is thick and almost "smooth", so it stays in the hot dog better. I replicated this by blitzing the chili a bit. Releases flavour, thickens the sauce. Win!

Also, skip the cheap hot dog "footy franks". Do what Ben's does – use a good smoked sausage.

Course BBQ, Main

Cuisine American, Tex-Mex

Keyword chili dogs, chili sauce for hot dogs

Prep Time 20 minutes

Cook Time 3 hours 30 minutes

Servings 6 – 8 hot dogs

Calories 761cal

Author Nagi

Ingredients

Homemade chili powder (Note 1):

• 3 tsp smoked paprika (sub plain paprika)
• 3 tsp cumin powder
• 1 tsp cayenne pepper , adjust to taste
• 1 1/2 tsp garlic powder
• 1 1/2 tsp onion powder
• 1 1/2 tsp oregano
• 1/2 tsp mustard powder
• 1/2 tsp black pepper

Chili sauce:

• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 2 garlic cloves , finely minced
• 1/2 onion , finely chopped
• 1/2 red capsicum / bell pepper , finely chopped
• 500 g/1 lb ground beef / beef mince
• 1 tbsp tomato paste
• 400g / 14 oz canned crushed tomato
• 2 beef cubes (I like Oxo, easy to crumble, Note 2)
• 1 1/2 cups water
• 3/4 tsp cooking/kosher salt , plus more to taste

Chili dogs:

• 6 good smoked sausages (kransky, bratwurst, half-smoke) or hot dogs of choice (Note 3)
• 6 hot dog buns
• 1/2 white onion , finely chopped
• Yellow mustard (I use Heinz American mustard)
• 2 cups Colby or Monterey Jack , shredded (or other cheese of choice)
• Plain crinkle cut potato chips , optional side for serving (traditional!)

Cups – Metric

Instructions

Chili sauce:

• Sauté aromatics – Heat oil over medium high in a heavy based pot. Cook the onion, garlic and capsicum for 3 minutes.
• Brown beef – Add beef and cook, breaking it up as you go, until you no longer see raw meat. Add tomato paste and stir for 1 minute.
• Sauce – Add the spices, tomato, water, crumbled beef cube and salt. Stir well.
• Slow cook 3 hours – Bring the chili to a simmer then turn down to low, on a small burner. Put the lid partially on (to allow for sauce reduction). Simmer for 3 hours on low (goal: small bubble every now and then), stirring just to ensure the base doesn’t catch. OR put it in a 160°C/325°F oven for 3 hours (lid partially cracked).
• Slow cooker (Note 4) – Reduce water to 3/4 cup. After chili comes to a simmer on the stove, transfer everything to a slow cooker then cook on low for 6 to 8 hours on low.
• Thicken sauce – Remove 1 1/2 cups of the chili into a container so the head of a stick blender will be submerged under the chili. Then blitz until smooth (~ 15 seconds). Add the pureed sauce back in the pot and stir well.
• Sauce goal – As you stir, the remaining beef bits should become quite fine (rather than bolognese type chunks) because the beef is so tender. If the beef bits are not as small as desired, use a potato masher in the pot – it won't take long. The chili sauce should be a thick sauce that mounds up a bit when you scoop it, not runny. (Note 5) Keep sauce warm.
• Optional rest overnight – Allow the sauce to cool then refrigerate overnight. As with most slow-cooked stewy things, the flavour improves! Reheat on the stove before proceeding.

Chili dogs:

• Preheat oven to 180°C/350°F (160°C fan).
• Grill/pan-fry – Preheat a pan with 1/2 tbsp oil (or the BBQ) on medium / medium high. Brown the stages all over until they are heated through (they are already cooked inside, it's just about heating/colour).
• Assemble – Place hot dog buns on a tray. Stuff with a sausage, top with a squiggle of mustard and a sprinkle of onion. Spoon over a generous amount of warm chili sauce, top with cheese.
• Bake for 7 to 10 minutes or until the cheese is melted. Serve immediately. Traditionally with a mound of plain crinkle cut potato chips and an ice cold beer!

Notes

Servings note: Recipe realistically makes enough chili sauce for 8 hot dogs. But I just don’t know how big your buns will be so prefer to err on the side of caution. Nobody wants to run out of chili sauce!

---

1. Spice notes:

• This blend of spices includes a homemade chili powder which I prefer to do because the flavour of store-bought chili powder mixes (in the US) vary from brand to brand.
• Garlic powder and onion powder can be substituted with more of the other.
• Cayenne pepper provides the spiciness (chili sauce is SUPPOSED to be a bit spicy!). This amount won’t blow your head off but if you’re concerned, hold some (or all) of it back and add right at the end, little by little.
• Mustard powder – sub 1 tsp dijon mustard

2. Beef bouillon cubes / stock cubes have more flavour than plain salt. 

3. Smoked sausages are my preference over economical hot dogs / “footy franks” – high proportion of fillers! Idea swiped from Ben’s Chili Bowl, they use half-smokes (famous Washington smoked sausages).

I use: smoked kransky’s, bratwurst, bockwurst, “smoked wiener” or “continental franks”. Available at German and other European shops, and large supermarkets (Australia). Even the common un-smoked kransky sold at most supermarket deli’s is way better than the cheap hot dogs! Love my local German small-goods shop, Brot & Wurst (Narrabeen, Sydney), their Bockwurst is my favourite for chili dogs.

4. Slow cooker note – While this recipe will work fine in a slow cooker, you just don’t get the same caramelisation around the edges on the surface of the chili like you do with stove and oven cooking, which adds to flavour. I’d say it’s 95% as good in a slow cooker! Oven and stove are just as good.

5. Sauce – If your sauce isn’t as thick as mine, just leave it on the stove on low, stirring regularly, until it reduces and thickens.

Nutrition

Calories: 761cal | Carbohydrates: 34g | Protein: 39g | Fat: 52g | Saturated Fat: 21g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 4g | Monounsaturated Fat: 23g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 142mg | Sodium: 1458mg | Potassium: 883mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 8g | Vitamin A: 1442IU | Vitamin C: 22mg | Calcium: 432mg | Iron: 6mg

Life of Dozer

I find it quite amusing that he can spend hours in the pool or at the beach and his furry golden head remains fluffy and dry while the rest of him is saturated.

Then I realised I do the same thing. Sometimes a girl just doesn’t want to ruin her hair, y’a know? 😂

The post Chili dogs appeared first on RecipeTin Eats.

The meatball version of Salisbury steak! Tender, savoury meatballs made with ground beef (mince) flavoured with garlic, Worcestershire, ketchup, mustard and bouillon cubes (better than salt!) served in a mushroom gravy. Ridiculously delicious!

Salisbury steak meatballs

There’s a good number of meatball recipes on this website. Sixteen, to be exact. So to say that these Salisbury steak meatballs have shot straight into the top 3 is a big call – but I’m standing by it!

Think – savoury seasoned juicy tender beef meatballs smothered in a wickedly tasty mushroom gravy. It’s got even more flavour than ordinary Salisbury steaks even though we use the same ingredients. Why? Because there’s so much more surface area on 22 meatballs vs 5 large Salisbury steaks. More surface area = more browning = more flavour on the meat itself plus more flavour in the gravy which is made in the same pan after searing the meatballs.

Ingredients in Salisbury steak meatballs

Here’s what you need. Note: I’ve broken it up into groups so there are repeat ingredients, so it looks like more than you actually need!

For the meatballs

• Beef mince (ground beef) – Lean is fine here, though I generally just go standard beef because fat = flavour!

  Alternatives: Chicken, pork, turkey or lamb should all work equally well here.

• Panko breadcrumbs – Adds bulk and absorbs moisture so the mixture isn’t too wet to form meatballs.

• Onion – A key flavour base in most of my savoury dishes! My secret for extra tasty, extra soft meatballs is to grate the onion over the breadcrumbs so it soaks up the juices. It softens the panko which makes the meatballs juicier and more tender. Plus, if you use diced onion you’d need to cook it separately beforehand. When it’s grated, there’s no need!

  Panko breadcrumbs are easy to find these days in the Asian and breadcrumb aisle of grocery stores. Ordinary breadcrumbs (smaller and finer, like sand) can also be used but the meatballs will not be quite as tender.

• Worcestershire sauce – The sauce auto-correct has to fix for me, every single time! 😂 For savoury flavour.

• Beef bouillon cubes or powder – Better than salt! Use powder or crumble a cube. (Tip for Aussies – Oxo brand crumbles easily, other brands are a bit hard).

• Ketchup – Adds a touch of sweetness as well as flavour.

• Dijon mustard – For flavour. Substitute with any other plain smooth mustard, though not hot English (too spicy!) or wholegrain.

• Egg – Holds the meatballs together.

For the sautéed garlic mushrooms

• Olive oil AND butter – Oil for browning the meatballs, then butter for flavour when sautéing the mushrooms. We can’t use butter to brown the meatballs as it will burn.

• Mushrooms – Just ordinary white mushrooms. If yours are very big – or you’re using big mushrooms like portobello or BBQ/flat mushrooms – just cut the slices into smaller pieces.

• Garlic – For flavour. Hard to find a mushroom recipe on my website without garlic in it!

For the gravy

This recipe uses a simple, lump-free technique for making gravy where we make a slurry by mixing the flour with a little water. Then just pour that into the beef stock and watch as the gravy magically thickens!

• Beef stock gives the gravy the lovely deep brown colour. My recipes are written for low-sodium beef stock and homemade beef stock. So if you have full-salt beef stock, just reduce the salt then add it at the end only if required.

• Flour – To thicken the gravy.

• Dijon mustard – Used to add flavour to the gravy. As above with the meatball mixture, substitute with any other smooth mustard (avoid hot English mustard!).

How to make Salisbury steak meatballs

In summary:

1. Mix salisbury meatball ingredients then roll balls.

2. Sear meatballs, remove, sauté mushrooms, then add gravy ingredients.

3. Return meatballs into the gravy then finish cooking by simmering in the gravy so they absorb the tasty gravy flavour, and the meatball juices add flavour into the gravy. Win, win!

1. Salisbury meatball mixture

1. Grate onion over panko breadcrumbs – My secret trick for extra soft, extra tasty meatballs! (Dubious? Read the glowing reviews in Italian Meatballs!). Put the panko breadcrumbs in the bowl first then grate the onion using a box grater straight onto it. The juices will soak into the breadcrumbs, which makes the meatballs softer. Plus, because the onion is grated rather than chopped, there’s no need to sauté the onion separate!

2. Meatball mixture – Add all remaining meatball ingredients.

3. Mix with your hands. Nothing beats using your hands. Get right in there to mix it up well!

4. Ready to roll – At first, the beef mince will be kind of crumbly and you’ll have streaks of the mustard etc throughout. But keep mixing with your hands – it only takes around a minute – until all the ingredients are mixed through it and it becomes sticky, almost like dough.

Now, it’s pretty well known throughout my team that I don’t have the patience for meatball rolling. Love eating ’em, but hate rolling ’em. So here’s the fastest way I’ve figured out (so far) for how to roll reasonably evenly sized meat balls.

5. Scoop up the mixture (tightly packed) using an ice cream scoop with a lever, then dollop the lumps on a tray or board. Continue until all the mixture is used.

6. Roll balls – Once you have the right number of meat mounds and they are (roughly) the same size, roll them into balls. Roll fairly firmly so the balls will not fall apart when you are cooking them.

7. Sear meatballs, just until nicely browned on the outside. They can (should!) still be raw inside. We will finish cooking them in the gravy (maximum flavour, ultra tender balls!).

8. Remove the meatballs on a plate and set aside while we make the mushroom gravy in the same skillet.

How to make the mushroom gravy

And here’s how we make the mushroom gravy.

1. Sauté mushrooms in the butter until softened. Add the garlic towards the end else it will burn before the mushrooms are ready.

2. Add beef stock into the mushrooms.

3. Gravy thickener (slurry) – In a small bowl, mix the flour with 2 tablespoons of water, the Worcestershire sauce and Dijon Mustard until it’s lump free (this is a slurry).

4. Add slurry into gravy – Then pour the slurry straight into the beef stock, stir it in (it will go cloudy). In the next steps as the liquid simmers, the gravy will magically thicken as the liquid heats up (photos below)!

ℹ️ This method of using a slurry is a handy way to make lump-free gravy. The usual method would call for adding flour into the cooked mushrooms, then adding the stock and stirring to dissolve the flour in. For this recipe, the gravy was a bit lumpy because of the volume of mushrooms we’re using. And it was difficult to remove the lumps, even using a whisk. So I chose to use this slurry method instead.

This slurry method is actually a variation of a classic French cooking technique to thicken sauces, soups and stews called beurre manié. I use it in traditional French dishes such as Coq au Vin and Beef Bourguignon.

5. Return meatballs into the gravy then leave to simmer for 5 minutes until the gravy thickens.

6. Serve! Serve Salisbury steak meatballs and mushroom gravy over mashed potato (or low-carb cauliflower mash), pasta or rice!

Proof of tender, juicy insides:

Leftovers will keep for 4 days in the fridge. Actually, like with stews, the flavour of the gravy improves with time. It also freezes perfectly, fully cooked, which is handy to know.

And lastly, in case you’re worried you won’t be able to sleep tonight until you know, the other 2 meatball recipes (currently) in my top 3 are:

• Italian Meatballs – this will never budge from the #1 spot); and

• Swedish Meatballs, Vietnamese Bun Cha meatballs, Baked pork meatballs and Moroccan meatballs (equal 3rd place). Don’t make me choose!

– Nagi x

Watch how to make it

Print

Salisbury steak meatballs with mushroom gravy

Recipe video above. The meatball version of Salisbury steak! Be prepared to marvel at how incredibly juicy and tender these meatballs are. And that mushroom gravy – wow!

Course Mains

Cuisine American, Western

Keyword beef mince recipe, Ground beef recipe, meatballs, Salisbury Steak

Servings 4 – 5 people

Calories 381cal

Author Nagi

Ingredients

MEATBALLS

• 3/4 cup panko breadcrumbs (Note 1)
• 1/2 onion , peeled (brown/yellow)
• 500g / 1 lb beef mince (ground beef)
• 1 garlic clove , minced
• 1 egg
• 1 tbsp ketchup (or Aussie tomato sauce)
• 1 beef bouillon cube , crumbled (Note 2)
• 1/2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
• 3 tsp dijon mustard OR 2 tsp dry mustard powder

Cooking meatballs:

• 1 tbsp olive oil

Sautéed mushrooms:

• 2 tbsp / 30g unsalted butter
• 250 g / 8 oz mushrooms , sliced
• 1/4 tsp each cooking/kosher salt & pepper
• 2 garlic cloves , minced

Gravy:

• 2 cups beef stock , low sodium
• 1/4 tsp each cooking/kosher salt & pepper

Gravy thickener (slurry):

• 3 tbsp flour (all purpose / plain)
• 2 tbsp water
• 2 tsp dijon mustard
• 2 tsp Worcestershire sauce

Serving:

• Mashed potato (or rice or pasta)
• Parsley , finely chopped (optional)

Cups – Metric

Instructions

Meatballs:

• Grated onion – Place the breadcrumbs in a large bowl. Using a standard box grater, grate the onion over the panko so it soaks in. Mix through.
• Meatball mixture – Add remaining Meatball ingredients and mix well with your hands until thoroughly combined.
• Roll balls – Roll 20 to 22 balls (1 1/2 tablespoons of mixture). I use an ice cream scoop with lever, handy!

Cooking:

• Slurry – Mix ingredients in a bowl until smooth. We will use this to thicken the gravy (no lumpy gravy, yay!)
• Brown meatballs – Heat the oil in a large skillet over high heat. Cook meatballs, using tablespoons to roll (to minimise deforming) until browned on the outside but still raw inside. Remove onto a plate and set aside.
• Sauté mushrooms – Melt butter in the same skillet still on high. Cook mushrooms until they start to soften (~ 2 minutes). Add salt, pepper and the garlic, then cook for a further 2 minutes until the garlic is golden and mushrooms are soft.
• Make gravy – Add beef stock, salt, pepper and slurry, then stir to combine.
• Simmer meatballs – Once the liquid starts to simmer, add meatballs and any juices pooled on the plate. Adjust heat to medium so it's simmering gently and cook for 5 minutes until gravy is thickened and meatballs are cooked through.
• Serve over mash sprinkled with parsley if desired.

Notes

1. Panko breadcrumbs – larger pieces than normal breadcrumbs which makes meatballs more tender inside. Pretty common nowadays, found in the Asian section of supermarkets here in Australia. Can sub with 1/2 cup normal breadcrumbs.

2. Bouillon cubes adds so much better flavour compared to just plain salt! Best subs: chicken or veg bouillon or stock powder. Salt sub: 1.5 tsp salt.

LEFTOVERS can be stored for 3 to 4 days in the fridge, or frozen.

Nutrition assumes 5 servings, excludes mashed potato.

Nutrition

Calories: 381cal | Carbohydrates: 15g | Protein: 25g | Fat: 24g | Saturated Fat: 10g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 10g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 114mg | Sodium: 870mg | Potassium: 749mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 219IU | Vitamin C: 3mg | Calcium: 53mg | Iron: 3mg

Ball shaped food is delicious…

…and meatballs are the king of them all! Here’s my “top 3”:

Italian Meatballs

Swedish Meatballs (homemade Ikea Meatballs)

Moroccan Lamb Meatballs

Saucy Baked Pork Meatballs

Bun Cha (Vietnamese Meatballs!)

Meatballs

Life of Dozer

When Dozer spies leftovers on a random cafe table, I stand no chance of holding him back. #Scavenger

The post Salisbury steak meatballs with mushroom gravy appeared first on RecipeTin Eats.

This is a thrifty yet excellent dinner for all those times you need to scratch your Spicy Asian Food itch, fast! Seared beef mince gets tossed through a fiery Firecracker Sauce, all served over rice or noodles, a bit like a spicy beef version of the much-loved Vietnamese Caramelised Pork Mince.

Firecracker Beef

“I need a spicy Asian food fix!” It’s a well-known wail regularly heard from me, especially during intensive periods of non-Asian food cooking work, like during the making of the cookbook. Lovers of Asian food will understand exactly what I mean. It’s a recurring taste craving that, when left unsatisfied for too long, rears its head like a waking beast.

The satisfaction the beast seeks is particular. It’s chilli-laced, big-flavoured Asian food. I’m talking the likes of Thai Drunken Noodles. Chilli Garlic Prawns. Dan Dan Noodles. Laksa. Anything bold-tasting with wallop of tongue-tickling spicy heat. Nothing else will do!

The latest and quite possibly the fastest-to-make addition to my spicy Asian repertoire that fits the bill is this Firecracker Beef, aptly named because it’s a literal flavour explosion! Think spicy, deeply savoury leaning a little sweet, all given some legs with a touch of vinegar.

It’s as tasty as they come and very, very fast to make!

What you need for Firecracker Beef

Here’s what you need to make Firecracker sauce.

• Sriracha – A Thai chilli sauce sold everywhere these days (Asian aisle and/or sauce aisle of supermarkets). This is the main source of spiciness in this recipe. It also adds flavour as sriracha is made with more than just chilli, including garlic, vinegar, salt and sugar.

• Chilli flakes (red pepper flakes) – The second source of spiciness in the dish, this adds a more earthy chilli taste in addition to the tangy, fresh chilli taste of the sriracha. To reduce the spiciness, dial the chilli flakes back first before reducing sriracha. Sriracha adds more flavour into the dish than chilli flakes, so it’s more essential.

• Beef mince (ground beef) – Any fat percentage is fine: lean or standard. The fattier it is, the better the beef will caramelise.

  Other proteins – Ground chicken, pork or turkey all work well with Firecracker sauce!

• Sugar – Firecracker sauce’s flavour profile is spicy and sweet, so this is the sweet. It also helps the beef caramelise which adds even more flavour to the overall dish.

• Rice vinegar – This provides the sharpness in the dish to offset the sweet and savoury. I use rice vinegar in keeping with the Asian spirit of this dish but apple cider vinegar can be substituted in a pinch.

• Light soy – The primary source of salt for this recipe. All-purpose soy sauce can also be used, but not dark soy sauce because the flavour and colour is too intense. More on different types of soy sauces and how to substitute here!

• Garlic – Fresh garlic is an essential aromatic flavour base that appears in 99% of my savoury recipes. You’d be hard pressed to find a dinner recipe without garlic!

How to make Firecracker Beef

You’re 15 minutes away from happily hoovering this down! Ready, set, GO!

1. Firecracker sauce – Mix all the ingredients in a bowl.

2. Cook beef – Using a large non-stick pan over high heat, cook the beef until you can no longer see raw meat. Then add the garlic and chilli flakes and cook for another 1 minute until the garlic bits are golden.

3. Sauce it – Add the Firecracker sauce and cook for a good 5 to 7 minutes on high heat until the sauce reduces and the beef starts to caramelise. Caramelisation is the key to making a wickedly good Firecracker anything, so don’t shortcut this step!

4. Moisten it up – After the beef is caramelised, you’ll notice that it looks a bit dried out. This is because all the sauce has reduced, caramelised and stuck to the beef (= flavour!) To rectify this, we just add a slosh of water to juice up the beef a bit and give it a more saucy finish. Give it a quick stir and it’s done!

How to serve Firecracker Beef

My default is to serve over white rice with some raw vegetables (cucumber, carrot and radish pictured). I love the crunchy-textured, cooling and refreshing contrast they have against all that big flavour in the tender beef. For garnishes, sprinkle with green onion, sesame seeds and a squirt of extra sriracha if you’re feeling it’s an extra-spicy kinda evening.

To eat, just mix the beef through the rice and devour with a spoon. Because the beef is generously flavoured, I don’t even feel the need for dressing over the vegetables. If you wanted something quick though, try my Asian Sesame Dressing.

For something different….

It’s also great with soba noodles or vermicelli noodles (an excellent no-cook-just-soak option). Or make Asian-inspired Sloppy Joes or tacos:

• Stuff warm buttered rolls or tortillas with this Firecracker Beef along with a simple slaw or salad leaves

• Quesadillas – Firecracker beef, cheese and any other add-ins you fancy!

• Top with lightly pickled vegetables like the carrot in Banh Mi, these pickled red onions from Fish Tacos or cucumber ribbons in Beetroot Cured Salmon

• Finish with a squirt of sriracha and for extra indulgence, some kewpie mayonnaise.

I haven’t made any of these before but now I want to try them, immediately!! – Nagi x

Watch how to make it

Print

Firecracker Beef

Recipe video above. This is a thrifty yet excellent dinner for all those times you need to scratch your Spicy Asian Food itch, fast! Seared beef mince gets tossed through a fiery Firecracker Sauce, tastes a bit like a spicy beef version of the much-loved Vietnamese Caramelised Pork Mince.

Sweetness & spice level – Fairly spicy! See notes to reduce. Firecracker sauce is supposed to be a bit sweet to offset spice, also see notes.

Course Main

Cuisine Asian

Keyword beef mince recipe, spicy beef

Prep Time 3 minutes

Cook Time 10 minutes

Servings 4

Calories 326cal

Author Nagi

Ingredients

• 1½ tbsp oil (vegetable, canola, peanut)
• 500g / 1 lb beef mince / ground beef (Note 1)
• 2 garlic cloves , finely minced
• 1 tsp chilli flakes / red pepper flakes (adjust to your taste)
• 3 tbsp water

Firecracker sauce:

• 2 tbsp soy sauce , light or all-purpose (Note 2)
• 2 tbsp rice vinegar (Note 3)
• 4 tbsp sriracha sauce (Note 4)
• 4 tbsp brown sugar (tightly packed)

To serve (optional!):

• Rice, soba or vermicelli noodles
• 1 green onion , finely sliced
• 1 tsp sesame seeds
• Diced cucumber, julienned carrot, finely sliced red radish
• Extra sriracha sauce , if you dare!

Instructions

• Sauce: Mix Firecracker sauce ingredients in a small bowl and set aside.
• Cook beef: Heat oil in a large frypan over high heat. Add beef and cook, breaking it up as you go, until you can no longer see raw meat (2½ minutes). Add garlic and chilli flakes and cook for 1 minute.
• Caramelise beef: Add Firecracker sauce ingredients, stir to coat the beef. Cook for 5 to 7 minutes, stirring only every minute or so initially, then more towards the end, until the sauce reduces and you can see the beef caramelising. Caramelise well for good flavour!
• Water: Add the water and cook for 1 minute (the water makes the beef saucier!)
• Serve over rice, sprinkled with sesame seeds, green onion and a squirt of extra sriracha if you're feeling brave! Add a pile of vegetables of choice on the side. Dive in!

Notes

Spiciness – Fairly spicy but not blow-your-head-off levels. Reduce spiciness firstly by reducing or omitting the chilli flakes. Then reduce the sriracha, if need be. Try not to reduce sriracha because it’s a key flavouring.

Sweetness – I use minimum sugar to be able to get good beef caramelisation and balance the spiciness/tang of siracha. If you reduce the sugar the spice comes through a quite a bit more and is not the typical Firecracker sauce flavour, albeit still very tasty!

---

1. Other proteins – This recipe will work well with pork, chicken and turkey mince. Crumbled tofu – reduce sugar by 1 tbsp.

2. Soy sauce – Use light or all-purpose soy. Don’t use dark soy sauce, the flavour will be too intense. More on different types of soy sauce here.

3. Rice vinegar – Substitute with apple cider vinegar.

4. Sriracha – A Thai chilli sauce found everywhere these days. Adds more than just spiciness, it adds flavour too as it’s flavoured with garlic, vinegar, sugar and salt.

5. Storage – Leftover cooked beef will keep for 3 to 4 days in the fridge, or freezer for 3 months. When reheating, add a splash of water to juice it up!

6. Nutrition per serving, beef only (ie not rice or vegetables).

Nutrition

Calories: 326cal | Carbohydrates: 13g | Protein: 26g | Fat: 18g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 9g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 81mg | Sodium: 934mg | Potassium: 472mg | Fiber: 0.3g | Sugar: 12g | Vitamin A: 51IU | Vitamin C: 11mg | Calcium: 38mg | Iron: 3mg

Life of Dozer

Cheating on Dozer in Melbourne at a book signing on the weekend. A surprising number of people brought their dogs in!!!

Then re-united 12 hours later. ❤️

I spent so much time answering questions about him at the book signings it made me miss him like crazy!! But the logistics of taking him to Melbourne was just too hard. Next book we’ll make it happen! He was in high demand, that’s for sure. 😂

The post Spicy Firecracker Beef appeared first on RecipeTin Eats.