Name: Air-Fryer Lamb Meatballs with Couscous
Total time: 40 min
Ingredients: ⅔ cup plain yogurt; 2½ tablespoons minced fresh dill; 1 garlic clove , minced; Salt and pepper; 10 ounces ground lamb; ½ teaspoon ground cumin; ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon; ¼ cup water; ¼ teaspoon grated orange zest plus ¼ cup juice; ½ cup couscous; 2 tablespoons chopped raisins; ¼ cup shredded carrot; 2 tablespoons chopped toasted almonds

Why This Recipe Works

Grain bowls—cooked grains topped with proteins, vegetables, and usually a sauce and garnish—are a go-to weeknight meal, satisfying and hearty. But they shouldn't be a lot of work. With its hands-off convenience, speed, and easy cleanup, the air fryer promised an easier route to building a bowl without requiring any pots or pans. We mixed up some succulent lamb meatballs and popped them into the basket to cook while we pulled together a base of couscous, which we softened in a mixture of water and orange juice for a sweetness and an aroma that paired perfectly with the lamb. A mixture of yogurt, garlic, and fresh dill seasoned the meatballs and added moisture and tang; a few warm spices rounded out the flavors. The same yogurt mixture doubled as a sauce, so we made plenty to drizzle over our bowls. To bring color, crunch, and some vegetables to the dish, we tossed in grated carrots as well as chopped raisins, and sprinkled on toasted almonds and additional chopped dill.

Before You Begin

You can toast the almonds in your air fryer.

Instructions

Whisk yogurt, 1 tablespoon dill, garlic, ¼ teaspoon salt, and ⅛ teaspoon pepper in bowl until well combined. Transfer 2 tablespoons yogurt sauce to medium bowl; set remaining yogurt sauce aside for serving. Break up ground lamb into small pieces over yogurt mixture and add cumin, cinnamon, ⅛ teaspoon salt, and ⅛ teaspoon pepper. Lightly knead with hands until well combined. Pinch off and roll mixture into 6 meatballs.

Arrange meatballs in air-fryer basket, spaced evenly apart. Place basket in air fryer and set temperature to 400 degrees. Cook meatballs until lightly browned and register 160 degrees, 13 to 14 minutes, rotating meatballs after 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, combine water and orange juice in large bowl and microwave until boiling, 3 to 5 minutes. Stir in couscous, raisins, orange zest, and ⅛ teaspoon salt. Cover and let sit until couscous is tender and all liquid has been absorbed, about 7 minutes. Add carrot and 1 tablespoon dill and gently fluff with fork to combine.

Divide couscous between individual serving bowls and top with meatballs. Sprinkle with almonds and remaining 1½ teaspoons dill and serve with reserved yogurt sauce.