Spanish Meatballs in Tomato Sauce (Albóndigas) Recipe

About This Recipe

Albóndigas (Spanish for meatballs) are one of the great tapas dishes — small, herby pork and beef meatballs in a deep, wine-enriched tomato sauce. The sauce is the key: it's not just a simple tomato sauce but one built with garlic, onion, paprika and sherry (or red wine), which gives it a smoky, complex depth unique to Spanish cuisine.

Ingredients

Serves 4

• 300 gminced pork
• 200 gminced beef
• 60 gbreadcrumbs(soaked in 3 tbsp milk)
• 1egg
• 2 clovesgarlic(minced)
• 2 tbspfresh parsley(chopped)
• 0.5 tspsmoked paprika
• 1 tspsalt
• 1onion(finely diced, for sauce)
• 3 clovesgarlic(for sauce)
• 400 gtin chopped tomatoes
• 100 mldry sherry or red wine
• 1 tspsmoked paprika(for sauce)
• 3 tbspolive oil

Instructions

1. 1

   Make and fry the meatballs

   Combine meats, soaked breadcrumbs, egg, garlic, parsley, paprika and salt. Mix and roll into golf-ball-sized balls. Fry in olive oil over medium-high heat until browned all over — 6–8 minutes. Remove and set aside.

2. 2

   Build the sauce

   In the same pan, soften onion for 5 minutes. Add garlic and smoked paprika, cook 1 minute. Pour in sherry and let it bubble for 2 minutes. Add tomatoes and simmer 10 minutes until slightly thickened.

3. 3

   Simmer meatballs in sauce

   Return meatballs to the sauce. Simmer gently for 15 minutes, turning occasionally, until the meatballs are cooked through and the sauce has reduced and deepened in flavour.

Variations

• •

  With saffron sauce: replace tomato sauce with a saffron-infused almond and chicken stock sauce — the Catalan version.

• •

  Lamb albóndigas: use minced lamb instead of beef and pork, add cumin and mint.

Storage

Refrigerate for up to 4 days. The sauce improves overnight. Reheat gently over low heat.

Frequently Asked Questions