Albondigas are Tapas Spanish meatballs in a delicious, flavorful tomato sauce. Fry the homemade meatballs in the skillet, after which you let them stew in the sauce. You season everything with warming spices. So good! It is not without reason that these delicious Spanish meatballs are one of the most popular Tapas dishes in Spain, and you can find them in Tapas Bars.

Spanish Albondigas in Garlic Sauce
I love Tapas; they are so tasty. Patatas Bravas, Pinchitos, and Spanish Tortillas, I make them regularly. And this classic: Albondigas or Albondiguillas (Spanish word), is one of the most popular Tapas. This recipe comes from Andalusia's kitchen and can be found in almost every Tapas bar in Spain. Juicy meatballs in a tomato-based sauce. These tender meatballs are one of the best meatballs I know.
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Traditional recipe
Is this the traditional Albondigas recipe? There are so many variants (sometimes even without the tomato sauce) that preparing traditional Albondigas is also a statement you can't keep. I have developed these albondigas into a family recipe myself. They are spicy, just a little bit, but not so much that the children won't eat them. And still all of those delicious rich flavors.
So really recommended.
Can you only eat this as Tapas? No, you can make these Albondigas as an easy main dish, served with crusty bread, white rice, or pasta. And of course a delicious salad. These Spanish meatballs are so versatile and flavorful that you can't get enough of them! This is an easy recipe for every home cook.
Tapas?!
But what exactly are Tapas? Tapas are snacks. Because Spaniards often have dinner at 10:00 p.m., they eat some small snacks around our dinner time.
These Tapas are small portions of food, often served with a drink, just like the bitterballen in the Netherlands or Mezze in Greece. You can find small tapas shops all over Spain, and they have the most delicious recipes. And these Spanish-style meatballs are to satisfy your cravings.
What do you need for Spanish Meatballs in Tomato Sauce?
To prepare these Albondigas, you need the following ingredients. You can find the correct amounts in the recipe card at the bottom of the blog:

- Ground beef - Ground beef has a lot of flavors and goes well with these Albondigas. But you can also opt for a meat mixture of half-ground pork half ground beef, ground chicken, ground turkey, or minced lamb.
- Garlic - For extra flavor
- Tomato cubes - To prepare a tasty tomato sauce. Use canned diced tomatoes because they have the optimal taste. You could use strained tomatoes (or passata), but you don't have to because the tomatoes will stew long enough and fall apart.
- Egg - Make sure the meat binds and holds its shape during frying.
- Breadcrumbs - Provides extra binding for the meatballs.
- Paprika powder - has a spicy taste, which adds umami to the sauce.
- Chili powder - flavorful and aromatic. Gives extra spice to the sauce.
- Cumin - tastes sweet, is warming, and has a nutty undertone. You can compare it (and also replace it) with caraway seeds.
- Nutmeg - a sweet, smooth, slightly bitter taste and a warming spice. It is good to use in both savory and sweet dishes. You can replace it with mace or cloves.
How to prepare Spanish Albondigas in Garlic Sauce
You can find a printable recipe with a step-by-step description at the bottom of this blog.

- Mix the ground beef with the egg, breadcrumbs, garlic, pepper, salt, and half of the herbs. Knead until everything is mixed, but only for a short time. Otherwise, the meatballs will become solid.
- When it is well mixed, take about a tablespoon of minced meat and roll it into a ball.
- Heat some oil in the pan and fry the albondigas until golden brown on medium-high heat. Remove from the pan with a slotted spoon.
- Pour oil into the pan and add the garlic, fry for 1 minute. Then pour in the tomato sauce, add the chili powder and paprika powder, and let it boil. Reduce the heat to low and let the meatballs simmer for another 15 minutes.
Serve the albondigas with fresh tomato sauce as an easy main course with rice or noodles and a salad or green beans. Or as part of a Tapas meal with a Spanish tortilla, Spanish omelet, espetadas, and garlic buns.
Garnish - add some strips of finely chopped parsley for an extra fresh taste.
Tips
- Let the sauce simmer over low heat, so it thickens slightly, and the flavor becomes more concentrated.
- To give your tomato sauce more flavor, start by frying an onion and add a clove of crushed garlic. Then add the tomato sauce to the sautéed onions.
- Spicier? Add a finely chopped chili pepper to the tomato sauce.
- Also, great - Add ¼ cup of red wine to your sauce for a deeper flavor.
- In this recipe, you use "normal" paprika. For a deeper taste, you could replace this with smoked paprika.
Make sure to add beaten egg to the meatballs. That serves as a binding agent. Keep to the amount in the recipe (not too much). Do you want to make meatballs without eggs? Then add a slice of bread that you first soak in a layer of milk for a minute.
This has to do with kneading too much. The meat is pressed together, making it hard and firm. Therefore, when making a meatball, you knead the ingredients until they are mixed and then stop.

Did you make this recipe? Tag #byandreajanssen via Instagram. I enjoy seeing what your creation looks like. Video recipes can be found on my YouTube channel. And don't forget to save the recipes on Pinterest so you can easily find them next time!
Recipe
📖 Recipe
RECIPE CARD
Equipment
- frying pan
Ingredients
Spanish Meatballs
- 1 pound ground beef
- 1 egg, size S
- 5 tablespoon dry bread crumbs
- ½ teaspoon paprika powder
- ⅛ teaspoon chili powder
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- ⅛ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1 clove garlic
- 2 tablespoons olive oil, or sunflower oil
Tomato sauce
- 1 tablespoon olive oil, or vegetable oil
- 2 cloves garlic, crushed
- 28 ounce diced tomatoes
- ½ teaspoon paprika powder
- ⅛ teaspoon chili powder
All my recipes are written both in Metric (gram / ml) and US Customary (cups / pounds). Here you can select which type of amount you would like to see.
Instructions
Spanish Meatballs
- Place the ground beef in a large bowl and add the egg, breadcrumbs, paprika, chili powder, cumin powder, nutmeg, and garlic. Mix until everything is just mixed.1 pound ground beef, 1 egg, 5 tablespoon dry bread crumbs, ½ teaspoon paprika powder, ⅛ teaspoon chili powder, 1 teaspoon ground cumin, ⅛ teaspoon ground nutmeg, 1 clove garlic
- Take a heap with a tablespoon from the bowl and roll a meatball between your palms. Repeat until all the beef is used up, and you have a plate of small meatballs.
- Put the oil in the pan and fry the meatballs until nicely browned on the outside over medium heat.2 tablespoons olive oil
- Remove the meatballs from the pan and place them on a plate.
Tomato Sauce
- Heat the oil in the frying pan and fry the garlic for 30 seconds.1 tablespoon olive oil, 2 cloves garlic
- Pour the diced tomatoes and spoon the paprika and chili powder into the pan.28 ounce diced tomatoes, ½ teaspoon paprika powder, ⅛ teaspoon chili powder
- Mix well, bring to a boil and lower the heat.
- Return the meatballs to the pan and simmer for 15 minutes.
Notes
- Let the sauce simmer over low heat, so it thickens slightly, and the flavor becomes more concentrated.
- To give your tomato sauce more flavor, start frying onion and add a clove of crushed garlic. Then add the tomato sauce.
- Spicier? Add a finely chopped chili pepper to the tomato sauce.
- In this recipe, you use "normal" paprika. For a smoky taste, you could replace this with smoked paprika.
- Refrigerator - Store covered in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
- Freezer - Store the baked albondigas in the sauce in a freezer container or freezer bag. Try to leave some space between the meatballs. This way, they stay suitable for up to 2 months. After that, let the frozen meatballs haw in the refrigerator.
- Reheat
- Stove: Heat over medium heat, stirring until the meatballs are warm (including on the inside) and the sauce is warm.
- Oven: 20 minutes at 350 °F (180 °C).
Padma says
I am a huge fan of Spanish flavors. Will use these flavors to make a vegetarian version soon.
Gloria says
You can never go wrong with a delicious meatball. These are super cute. Perfect for parties. Great for stuffing into subs too.
Lathiya says
The Tapas Spanish meatballs look lip-smacking. I love the flavors in it like cumin and nutmeg.
Elizabeth says
Love this version of albondigas! So yummy!
Swathi says
I like this meatball with spices I need to try this. My son love this.
Christina Glancy says
My go to recipe for Spanish meatballs - full of flavour and super easy.