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A Dried Fruit & Walnut-Filled Recipe For Meatballs
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These Persian-inspired meatballs made with dried fruit and California walnuts are here to gently prove that you may not know everything there about meatballs – in the most delicious way possible.
Filled with California prunes, dried apricots, raisins, and buttery walnut halves, these fruit and herb-packed meatballs are inspired by the deeply comforting Persian flavors served at Azizam in Los Angeles. Each one is slowly braised until the ingredients melt together into something rich, fragrant, and unforgettable.
This produce forward dish is the kind that feels special enough for guests but comforting enough for a quiet Sunday dinner at home. And at the heart of it all are a handful of CA GROWN pantry staples that deserve the spotlight, like prunes and walnuts.
Why California Prunes Make These Meatballs Shine
Let’s talk about prunes for a minute, because they are doing serious work in this dish.
California produces the vast majority of the nation’s prunes. And thanks to the Golden State’s sunny days, cool nights, and generations of farming knowledge. That growing climate produces fruit that is naturally sweet, deeply flavorful, and well-suited for both savory and sweet cooking.
The chopped California prunes inside these meatballs blend with lemon, herbs, and spices as they braise. This creates a filling that is equal parts bright, earthy, and subtly sweet. Here, prunes add moisture, too, keeping the meatballs incredibly tender without requiring anything complicated or fussy.
Prunes are the kind of ingredient that quietly elevates everything around them. No spotlight required. Just real flavor doing its thing.
California Prunes: Small Fruit, Big Glow-Up
All prunes are plums, but not all plums can be prunes. Only certain varieties have what it takes, which is why it’s worth looking for prunes from California.
Fresh California prunes are dried in climate-controlled tunnels, a process farmers have perfected by carefully balancing temperature, humidity, and time.
Prunes support gut health, heart health, and bone health, too. Their natural sweetness and moisture make them a smart way to reduce added sugar and even oil in recipes, especially when using prune puree.
Don’t Sleep on California Walnuts
Now add walnuts to the conversation, and things get even better.
Tucked into the center of each meatball, walnut halves bring a gentle crunch and richness that balances the softness of the fruit. As the meatballs braise, the nuts absorb the surrounding spices and citrusy broth, turning into savory flavor bombs.
Texture, flavor, nutrition, and one of the darlings of California agriculture, all in one bite. Hard to argue with that.
California Walnuts: Crunchy and Classic
If you have walnuts in your kitchen, odds are they came from California. More than 99% of the walnuts grown in the U.S. are produced in California’s Central Valley, and globally, California supplies over half of the world’s walnut trade.
California walnuts bring serious crunch, flavor, and nutrition to both sweet and savory dishes. Curious how they’re grown? Click here so we can break it down.
Pro tip: Maximize California walnuts’ fresh taste and quality by storing them in your refrigerator or freezer.
A Persian-Inspired Comfort Dish Worth Slowing Down For
The layering of flavors like dried fruit, fresh herbs, split peas, rice, citrus, and spices that all come together perfectly make this dish one worth slowing down for.
This style of cooking is deeply rooted in Persian food traditions, where fruit and nuts often meet savory dishes in the most natural way. Sweetness is never overwhelming. It simply rounds out the edges and makes every bite more interesting.
Restaurants like Azizam celebrate those traditions beautifully, serving food that feels soulful, generous, and meant to be shared. This recipe borrows that same spirit and brings it into a home kitchen using ingredients that are easy to find, especially when you’re cooking with California-grown produce.
Slow Braised California Grown Flavor, Minimal Fuss
Even though these meatballs taste like something that took all day, the process is surprisingly approachable.
The mixture combines herbs, grains, and ground beef for structure and tenderness. The centers are filled with a mixture of dried fruit and walnuts for contrast and richness. Then everything gently braises in a tomato-spiced broth scented with lemon, mint, and warm spices until the flavors fully settle in.
The Beef That Grounds This Recipe
California’s own Harris Ranch Beef Company is known for quality beef that combines deep agricultural roots with modern, sustainable practices. Based in the San Joaquin Valley, Harris Ranch raises cattle that spend much of their lives grazing before being finished on a carefully balanced diet, resulting in beef that’s flavorful, tender, and juicy. With a strong focus on animal welfare, environmental stewardship, and food safety, it’s a trusted choice in home kitchens and restaurants alike.
Most of the cooking time for this meatball recipe is hands-off, which is always a win. Your kitchen smells incredible. Dinner basically finishes itself. Everyone thinks you worked much harder than you actually did.
We love that kind of recipe.
Serving Ideas That Let the Meatballs Steal the Show
These meatballs are satisfying enough to stand on their own in a wide bowl with plenty of broth spooned over the top, or you can serve them family-style with fresh herbs, lemon wedges, and maybe a crisp salad on the side. Maybe you prefer a simple side of rice or warm flatbread to make it a complete meal without much extra effort.
If you’re entertaining, try serving them family-style. The balance of bright, rich, sweet, and savory flavors plays well with almost anything.
Leftovers are just as good the next day, maybe even better. The fruit softens more, the broth deepens, and everything settles into that perfect slow-cooked harmony.
Cooking with California Grown Ingredients Just Tastes Better
Recipes like this are a great reminder that incredible flavor doesn’t have to be complicated. Sometimes it simply comes down to starting with ingredients grown with care, harvested at the right moment, and brought to your kitchen at peak quality.
And honestly, that’s what cooking with California-grown ingredients is all about. Real food. Real farms. Guaranteed flavor that shows up in every bite.
NEED A PLAYLIST TO LISTEN TO WHILE YOU’RE BRAISING? CHECK OUT THIS CA GROWN SPOTIFY PLAYLIST:
Craving more delicious recipes? Check out our Pinterest for more CA GROWN recipes and ideas for innovative ways to use ingredients from the Golden State in your kitchen.
Do you have a favorite meatball recipe that we should know about? Snap a pic and tag us with #CAGROWN—we’d love to see what you’re cooking up.
Azizam-Inspired Meatballs with Dried Fruit & Walnuts
Ingredients
- ¾ cup basmati rice rinsed
- ¾ cup yellow split peas
- ½ cup California prunes
- ½ cup dried apricots
- 3 TBSP raisins
- 3 TBSP extra virgin olive oil
- 1 medium yellow onion plus ½ small onion
- 6 ounces tomato paste
- 1 tsp ground sumac
- 1 tsp ground turmeric
- ½ tsp white pepper
- 2 ½ TBSP kosher salt
- 2 ½ tsp dried mint divided
- 2 lemons zested and juiced
- 1 lb 80/20 ground beef
- 3 large eggs
- ½ cup parsley finely chopped
- ¼ cup cilantro finely chopped
- ½ cup chives finely chopped
- 2 TBSP tarragon finely chopped
- 1 TBSP dried oregano
- ½ tsp freshly-ground black pepper
- 12 walnut halves
- 2 TBSP unsalted butter
- Pinch of cinnamon
- Pinch of sugar
Instructions
- Bring 4 cups of water to a boil in a medium pot. Add the rice and cook, stirring frequently, until almost completely tender–there should still be a slight bite to the center. Rinse under cool water, drain, and set aside. In a separate pot, cover the split peas with water and simmer until just tender, 20-25 minutes. Drain, then add the split peas to a large bowl with the cooked rice.
- Preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C).
- Roughly chop the prunes and apricots and combine in a small bowl. Finely chop the raisins, adding half to the bowl and reserving the rest.
- Peel and thinly slice the medium onion. In a wide Dutch oven, warm the olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the onion and saute until softened and starting to caramelize, 5-7 minutes. Add the tomato paste, stirring frequently, cooking for an additional 3 minutes or until coating the onions and deeper in color. Season with the sumac, turmeric, white pepper, and 1 TBSP salt. Stir in the dried mint and lemon zest and cook for 30 seconds. Deglaze with half of the lemon juice, then add 4 cups of water and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for 15 minutes to thicken the sauce. Taste and adjust seasoning as desired.
- While the sauce cooks, prepare the meatballs. To the bowl with the cooked split peas and rice, add the ground beef, eggs, parsley, cilantro, chives, tarragon, dried oregano, black pepper, and remaining 1 ½ TBSP salt. Grate in half of the small onion and gently mix by hand, just until evenly combined. Divide into 6 portions, then work one at a time to form a patty. Stuff the center with a generous scoop of the dried fruit, then 2 walnut halves, and gently fold the edges of the beef mixture around the filling to form a uniform ball.
- Carefully set the formed meatballs into the prepared sauce, then cover and braise for 90 minutes.
- Once cooked, warm a small saucepan over medium heat. Melt in the butter, then stir in the remaining chopped raisins. Season with a sprinkle of cinnamon and sugar and remove from the heat. Serve the meatballs in a wide bowl with a little of the broth, topped with a small spoonful of dried raisins and butter!
Nutrition
More CA GROWN Ingredients Proudly Featured in this Recipe:
California Raisins: Tiny, Mighty, Everywhere
If you’re eating raisins in the U.S., they’re from California. Every single one. California supplies 100% of the nation’s raisin crop, and growers continue to push things forward with smart, sustainable practices like DOV (dry-on-the–vine) raisins, where grapes dry right on the vine.
Raisins are way more versatile than they get credit for. Snack on them, bake with them, or use them in savory dishes where a little natural sweetness goes a long way, like Pasta Foriana.