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Albóndigas served
Albóndigas in a thick tomato and herb sauce

Albóndigas (Spanish Meatballs)

Author: Flavelo
Recipes Main Courses
An essential star of Spanish tapas bars. The secret of Albóndigas lies not in the meat, but the 'binder': the mix of breadcrumbs and egg keeps the balls loose and juicy. If we just kneaded pure meat, we'd get hard rubber balls. Slow cooking in tomato sauce allows the meatball to take on the sauce's flavour while thickening it too.
🕒 Prep Time 25 mins
🍳 Cook Time 35 mins
⌛ Total Time 1 hr
🍽️ Servings 4 servings
🔥 Calories 510 kcal
🌍 Cuisine Spanish

Ingredients

Equipment Needed

  • Large mixing bowl
  • Wide frying pan (so meatballs fit side by side)

Allergen Information

⚠️ Cereals containing gluten
⚠️ Eggs

Instructions

1 ✓

Make meat mixture: mix mince, breadcrumbs, egg, finely chopped parsley, 2 cloves crushed garlic, cumin, salt, and pepper. Shape into walnut-sized balls.

Tip: Before rolling all of them, fry a tiny piece in the pan to taste. You can still add salt if needed.
2 ✓

Heat oil and fry meatballs on high heat all over. They don't need to cook through, just get a little sear (brown crust) on outside surface.

Tip: This crust gives flavour (Maillard reaction) and helps hold meatball together in sauce.
3 ✓

Remove meatballs. In remaining oil, sauté chopped onion and remaining 1 garlic clove.

Tip: Meat bits stuck to pan bottom (fond) will be dissolved by onion moisture, enriching the sauce.
4 ✓

Pour in passata and stock/water. Sprinkle in oregano, bring to boil.

Tip: If tomato is very acidic, you can balance with a pinch of sugar.
5 ✓

Place meatballs back in sauce. Simmer under lid on low heat (don't boil vigorously!) approx 20-25 minutes.

Tip: Low heat is needed so meatballs don't fall apart and sauce thickens nicely (reduction).

Recipe FAQ

Why did the meatball fall apart?
Likely you didn't work the mix enough, or too little binder (egg/crumbs). But careful, overworking makes it tough!
Can it be frozen?
Yes, either raw or cooked in sauce, it freezes excellently.

Ingredients

  • 500 g Beef mince (preferably fattier, e.g. chuck)
  • 50 g Breadcrumbs
  • 1 pc Egg
  • 3 cloves Garlic
  • 1 head Onion
  • 1 bunch Fresh parsley
  • 500 ml Passata
  • 1 tsp Cumin seeds (toasted, ground)
  • 1 tsp Dried oregano
  • 3 tbsp Olive oil
  • 1 tsp Salt
  • 0.5 tsp Black pepper
  • 300 ml Stock or water