Albondigas - Tapas Spanish Meatballs
Albondigas are Tapas Spanish meatballs in a delicious, flavorful tomato sauce. And that's why this is one of the most popular Tapas dishes.
Ingredients
Spanish Meatballs
- 1 pound ground beef
- 1 egg size S
- 5 tablespoon breadcrumbs
- 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
Ingredients you need per step are listed below the step in Italic
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 breadcrumbs, 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
1. Ground beef has a lot of flavors and goes well with these Albondigas. But you can also opt for a mix of half-pork mince, half-ground beef, ground chicken, ground turkey, or minced lamb.
2. Tomato cubes: 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.
3. Cumin: You can compare it (and also replace it) with caraway seeds.
4. Nutmeg: Can be replaced with mace or ground cloves.
5. Tomato Sauce
- 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 thaw 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).
Nutrition
Calories: 489kcal | Carbohydrates: 18g | Protein: 24g | Fat: 36g | Saturated Fat: 11g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 18g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 121mg | Sodium: 208mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 6g | Vitamin A: 586IU | Vitamin C: 19mg | Iron: 5mg
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