Spanish Meatballs in Garlic Tomato Sauce, Albondigas is a lovely easy dish typically served as Tapas in bars. Great for party food, main meals and appetizers!
Spanish Meatballs in Garlic Tomato Sauce, Albondigas. Gosh I could eat 100 of these! They're absolutely delicious. Traditionally a Spanish Tapas food often served in small clay dishes, you would order this amongst several other Tapas dishes and just enjoy them over the course of the day or evening with a nice cool beer.
The flavors are lovely! You get the garlic and tomato with a background of parsley and thyme, and the texture of the soft juicy meatballs makes for a lovely combination.
You can choose to make the meatballs small if serving as Tapas, or for parties, or if you wanted to serve as a main meal, then you could make the balls larger of course. Obviously, you will need to adjust the cook time for the size of meatballs you make.
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You can also freeze the meatballs before you cook them, or, freeze after when they are in the tomato sauce. How convenient!
Serve with fries, pasta, on their own, warm bread from the oven, anything you like! These delicious Spanish Meatballs in Garlic Tomato Sauce, Albondigas, are just so great tasting you will be asked to make them over and over!
Please enjoy!
Prep Time
10 Minutes
Cook Time
15 Minutes
Serves
4 Persons (as the main meal)
Ingredients
The Meatballs
½ lb or 250 g Ground Beef
½ lb or 250 g Ground Pork
4 Cloves garlic, minced
1 Small Onion, finely chopped
1 Tablespoon Chopped Parsley
1 slice of bread, soaked in milk (white or brown bread)
1 egg, beaten
1 Cup Breadcrumbs (optional)
Salt and pepper to season
The Sauce
2 Cloves Garlic, Minced
4 Large Ripe tomatoes, Quartered
1 Tablespoon Olive Oil
½ Cup Tomato Paste
½ - 1 Teaspoon Smoked Paprika
2 Dried Cayenne Chilli Peppers
¼ Teaspoon Dried Thyme
1 Tablespoon Honey
Salt and Pepper to season
Instructions
1. Make the meatballs by adding all the ingredients EXCEPT THE BREADCRUMBS, to a bowl and mixing well so everything is combined. Cover and refrigerate for a minimum of 30 minutes.
2. Roll the meatballs into golf ball size or smaller (to your liking), then roll the balls in the breadcrumbs until they're evenly coated.
You don’t need to use the breadcrumbs, but it just adds a little more texture. If you are on a Gluten-Free diet, don’t worry about the breadcrumbs. The meatballs will still taste absolutely delicious!
3. Add some olive oil to a skillet pan, heat and then place the meatballs in the pan and brown on all sides. You may need to do this in batches depending on the size of your pan. Make sure you don't overcrowd the pan with the meatballs.
4. Once browned, transfer to a plate with kitchen paper and set aside to make the sauce.
5. Make the sauce by adding the minced garlic to the olive oil in a saucepan.
Gently cook until the garlic has softened. Add the tomatoes and simmer until soft. Take a blender stick and puree the mixture until smooth then add the remaining ingredients.
Taste the sauce and see if you need a little more honey or pepper etc.
6. Transfer the meatballs to the saucepan and simmer gently for 10 minutes then serve with some lovely crusty bread fresh from the oven, pasta, rice or simply serve with some toothpicks if for a party.
We'd love to hear from you and what you thought of our Spanish Meatballs in Garlic Tomato Sauce recipe. Did you make any changes or add some other goodies? Let us know in the comments below. Thanks for reading and happy cooking!
Recipe Card
Spanish Meatballs in Garlic Tomato Sauce, Albondigas
Spanish Meatballs in Garlic Tomato Sauce, Albondigas is a lovely easy dish typically served as Tapas in bars. Great for party food, main meals and appetizers!
Ingredients
The Meatballs:
- ½ lb or 250 g Ground Beef
- ½ lb or 250 g Ground Pork
- 4 Cloves garlic, minced
- 1 Small Onion, Finely chopped
- 1 Tablespoon Chopped Parsley
- 1 slice of bread, soaked in milk (white or brown bread)
- 1 egg, beaten
- 1 Cup Breadcrumbs, optional
- Salt and pepper to season
The Sauce:
- 2 Cloves Garlic, Minced
- 4 Large Ripe Tomatoes, Quartered
- 1 Tablespoon Olive Oil
- ½ Cup Tomato Paste
- ½ - 1 Teaspoon Smoked Paprika
- 2 Dried Cayenne Chilli Peppers
- ¼ Teaspoon Dried Thyme
- 1 Tablespoon Honey
- Salt and Pepper to season
Instructions
- Make the meatballs by adding all the ingredients EXCEPT THE BREADCRUMBS, to a bowl and mixing well so everything is combined. Cover and refrigerate for a minimum of 30 minutes.
- Roll the meatballs in to golf ball size or smaller (to your liking), then roll the balls in the breadcrumbs until they're evenly coated.
- Add some olive oil to a skillet pan, heat and then place the meatballs in the pan and brown on all sides. You may need to do this in batches depending on the size of your pan. Make sure you don't overcrowd the pan with the meatballs.
- Once browned, transfer to a plate with kitchen paper and set aside to make the sauce.
- Make the sauce by adding the minced garlic to the olive oil in a sauce pan. Gently cook until the garlic has softened. Add the tomatoes and simmer until soft. Take a blender stick and puree the mixture until smooth then add the remaining ingredients. Taste the sauce and see if you need a little more honey or pepper etc.
- Transfer the meatballs to the saucepan and simmer gently for 10 minutes then serve with some lovely crusty bread fresh from the oven, pasta, rice or simply serve with some toothpicks if for a party.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 4 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 657Total Fat: 32gSaturated Fat: 11gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 17gCholesterol: 166mgSodium: 560mgCarbohydrates: 48gFiber: 6gSugar: 17gProtein: 45g
Nutrition information isn’t always accurate
Easy Snacks For Parties
Here's a selection of easy snacks you can make for parties, celebrations, gamedays, potlucks and gatherings
Creamy Garlic Mushrooms. This is a very quick, easy and delicious recipe, perfect as a side, serve on toast for brunch, or add to some lovely pasta!
Spinach and Feta Galette, a delicious open pastry savory pie filled with Greek feta cheese creamy spinach and tomatoes, then baked until set. Great served warm or chilled.
Stuffed Potato Dumplings. A twist on the classic Swedish Kroppkakor dumplings, using leftover potatoes, stuffed with a choice of fillings, boiled & pan fried. Popular supper or party food.
Easy Homemade Meatballs.
A quick and easy recipe for how to make homemade meatballs from scratch using simple ingredients. Baked in the oven, fuss-free recipe giving you soft and juicy meatballs every time.
Taco Pizza, delicious homemade pizza dough with toppings of a taco! Tasty seasoned ground beef, onions, garlic, olives, tomato sauce, topped with cheese, sour cream and lettuce.
Mac N Cheese Stuffed Mushrooms is so delicious! Easy to make and great for parties or as an appetizer. Baked mushrooms stuffed with a creamy macaroni and cheese filling with bacon too!
Mac N Cheese Party Bites are a great little snack, perfect for parties and snacks. No frying either! Macaroni, cheese, bacon and crabmeat in delicious panko breadcrumbs. YUMMY!
Quick and easy juicy grilled chicken breast, seasoned with herbs, in a toasted brioche bun, layered with crisp lettuce. Perfect for lunch or dinner
Breaded Chicken Skewers. These are a wonderful little appetizer or party food. Quick and easy to make and juicy to the bite too! Serve warm with your favorite dips. These always go fast at parties so be sure you make plenty!
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Deluxe Chicken and Bacon Salad Wraps. These little wraps are great for parties, lunches, suppers, or any time! It's a great way to use up left over chicken (or turkey), and the recipe is nice and easy, with no fuss. Delicious!
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Grilled Chicken sandwiches filled with melting cheese, using leftover cooked chicken. Serve warm for lunch or supper.
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Festive Jack Daniel's Stuffing Balls, a perfect snack, appetizer or side to your Thanksgiving or Christmas menu. Juicy pork, flavored with Jack Daniel's, cranberry and chestnuts to give you a lovely Festive feeling.
Nanny's Easy Jalapeno Pepper Jelly Great recipe and delicious served on crackers with cream cheese!
Steak Bakes (like Savory hand pies!). Delicious mini puff pastry pies using leftover fillings from your pot roasts, casseroles and roast dinners! Really easy to make and great for lunches or as part of a dinner
Cheesy Pretzel Bites. These Cheesy Pretzel Bites are made using pizza dough, easy and quick recipe. Ideal Game Day party food and eating with hot dips. Recipe for savory and sweet pretzels.
Quick and Easy Garlic Bread. This is a really fuss free recipe, and great for one person or indeed a party. You can make ahead and freeze. Great for parties, serve with a nice chili or soup, pasta, on it's own.. the list is endless!
Bacon Wrapped Dates. These make for wonderful party food or part of a Tapas meal and incredibly easy to make. the sweet and salty flavor combination is so delicious!
Oh So Good Jack Daniel's Chicken Wings are fabulous! They're easy to prepare, suitable for grilling or oven and taste out of this world with a great marinade. Always a hit at parties!
Crispy Beer Battered Shrimp. Oh boy.. these are delicious! Light and crispy batter, don't forget the dip and be sure to make plenty cos once you start eating these you won't be able to stop!
Sausage and Red Onion Chutney Rolls are so delicious! Easy to make, freezer friendly and great for snacks, lunchboxes and parties!
Delicious Shrimp or Salmon Vol Au Vents, Mini Puff Pastry Cups are very easy to make and perfect for parties as canapes, appetizers, and snacks. Perfect to make ahead too!
Sesame Shrimp or Prawn Toasts. These are a very popular little Asian appetizer, great for parties, or to have as a side with a nice soup. Easy recipe and budget friendly too!
Nanny Chan's Mild Curry Puffs with a delicous mild spiced filling of ground meat wrapped in a flaky pastry. Great as a snack, appetizer or party food!
Homemade Fried Chicken Tenders are tender juicy pieces of chicken breast coated buttermilk then seasoned flour to give you great-tasting chicken.
Best Ever Pico De Gallo, Salsa Fresca, a delicious Mexican salsa, quick and easy to make with refreshing flavors of lime, jalapenos, tomatoes, and cilantro. Absolutely delicious!
Mojo Picante, Spanish Red Pepper Sauce.This is a lovely tasting sauce popular in the Canary Islands. Serve with Tapas, goes great with seafood, chicken, and pork.
Champinones Al Ajillo, Spanish Garlic Mushrooms is a wonderful Tapas dish, often served as party food. It's really easy and quick to make too!
Easy Sausage Puffs, deliciously seasoned sausage meat wrapped in crispy puff pastry and baked. Easy recipe, great for parties, lunch boxes, picnics. Eat warm or cold, they're so tasty!
Cheesy Bacon and Tomato Mini Pizzas, very quick and easy to make and also flexible with your favorite toppings. Serve as party food, appetizers or a light brunch, lunch boxes.. the sky's the limit! Great for making ahead and freezing.
Easy Melba Toast is great for appetizers, parties and makes a perfect homemade cracker, perfect for cheese, spreads, dips and cold cuts.
Tear and Share Pizza is a delicious recipe made using biscuit dough, mozzarella, pepperoni and pizza sauce. Simply tear a piece off and pass around with your friends and family
Homemade Chicken Croquettes, Small patties of creamy, buttery chicken-filled bites, coated in crispy breadcrumbs then fried. A popular Spanish Tapas dish
Rachel
says:Absolutely delicious, really rich and tasty sauce! I added a tiny bit of red wine to it too just for a little something extra.
Brian Neale
says:Looks delicious
Barbara rodriguez
says:Wasn’t impressed. It tasted really plain
AL
says:Have made these three times now. Very tasty! I don’t get the balance of paprika and honey right at first and need to do some adjustments to get the taste right. The meatballs and the sauce are so nice.
I use chilli powder instead of the chilli’s, and I roast the meatballs in the oven for 15 minutes in the sauce instead of adding to the sauce in the pan.
Serve with patatas bravas.
Marie Collingwood
says:Added some natural yoghurt to the tomato sauce for the albondigas and some olives. Very nice x