Argentinian Albondigas with Fresh Mint Chimichurri

About This Recipe

Albondigas are a common home-cooked dish across Argentina, reflecting the country's strong Spanish and Italian immigrant influence — beef meatballs simmered gently in a tomato sauce until tender, usually served over rice, mashed potato or pasta. Argentine versions tend to be simpler and less heavily spiced than their Spanish or Mexican counterparts, letting the beef and a good tomato sauce carry most of the flavor. A finishing drizzle of chimichurri made with extra fresh mint alongside the usual parsley isn't a classic pairing, but mint appears in some regional Argentine sauces and adds a cooling brightness that cuts nicely through the richness of the meatballs and sauce — a small twist that keeps the dish feeling fresh rather than heavy. The meatballs benefit from a panade — bread soaked in milk, mixed into the meat — which keeps them tender rather than dense, and they should be browned briefly before going into the sauce to simmer, building a base layer of flavor that a purely poached meatball wouldn't have.

Ingredients

Serves 4

• 600 gground beef
• 2 sliceswhite bread(crusts removed)
• 0.33 cupmilk
• 1egg
• 1 clovegarlic(minced)
• 1.5 tspsalt(divided)
• 3 tbspolive oil(divided)
• 1onion(diced)
• 3 cupscrushed tomatoes
• 1 tspdried oregano
• 0.5 cupfresh parsley
• 0.25 cupfresh mint
• 2 clovesgarlic(for chimichurri)
• 2 tbspred wine vinegar

Instructions

1. 1

   Soak the bread

   Soak bread slices in milk for 5 minutes, then mash into a paste.

2. 2

   Mix the meatballs

   Combine ground beef, soaked bread, egg, minced garlic and 1 teaspoon salt. Mix gently and shape into 16 balls.

3. 3

   Brown the meatballs

   Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a pot over medium-high heat. Brown the meatballs on all sides, about 5 minutes, then remove and set aside.

4. 4

   Build the sauce

   In the same pot, cook onion until soft, 5 minutes. Add crushed tomatoes, oregano and remaining salt, bring to a simmer.

5. 5

   Simmer the meatballs

   Return meatballs to the sauce, cover, and simmer 25 minutes until cooked through and the sauce has thickened slightly.

6. 6

   Make the mint chimichurri

   Finely chop parsley, mint and garlic for chimichurri. Whisk with remaining olive oil and red wine vinegar.

7. 7

   Serve

   Serve the meatballs and sauce over rice or mashed potato, drizzled with mint chimichurri.

Variations

• •

  Use a mix of ground beef and pork for a richer, more traditional flavor.

• •

  Skip the mint for the more classic, parsley-only chimichurri.

• •

  Serve over polenta instead of rice for a heartier, more rustic presentation.

Storage

Refrigerate meatballs and sauce up to 4 days; the flavor deepens overnight. Freezes well up to 3 months. Make chimichurri fresh each time rather than freezing it.

Frequently Asked Questions