You can hardly visit a Spanish tapas bar without coming across albóndigas.
They’re usually served piping hot in a little earthenware dish, surrounded by a rich tomato sauce and accompanied by a basket of bread. And if there’s one thing I’ve learned since moving to Spain, it’s that you should never underestimate the importance of that bread. You’ll want it for every last drop of sauce.
But not all albóndigas are the same.
Some are made with beef, others with a mixture of pork and beef. Depending on where you are in Spain, you might find them in an almond sauce, with saffron, or with mushrooms, or in a tomato sauce flavored with different herbs and spices.
I have tried quite a few over the years, but these are still my absolute favorites.
A Recipe from a Friend
A friend gave me this recipe, and I don’t think I’ve ever tasted better albóndigas.
What makes them special is the sauce. Alongside the tomatoes, there’s roasted red pepper, garlic, cumin, a little smoked paprika and a splash of dry white wine.
The meatballs are browned first, then left to simmer gently in the sauce for a full hour. By the time they’re ready, they’re beautifully tender and the flavors have had plenty of time to come together.
I particularly like making them when we have friends over. You can prepare everything ahead, and the sauce tastes wonderful after a little time in the refrigerator.
We often eat them as tapas, with warm bread and a glass of wine, but they’re just as good for dinner with roasted potatoes or rice.
And here’s another thing I love about this recipe: if there are any leftovers with some sauce, they’re delicious spooned over pasta the next day.
Not particularly traditional, perhaps, but far too good to waste, and it makes a wonderful meal.
Spanish Albóndigas in Tomato and Roasted Red Pepper Sauce
Ingredients
- 500 g 1.1 lb ground pork and beef mixture (approximately 50/50)
- ½ onion finely chopped
- 2 garlic cloves finely minced
- 1 large egg
- 1½ tbsp breadcrumbs
- ½ tbsp finely chopped fresh parsley
- ½ tsp ground cumin
- ⅛ tsp red pepper flakes
- ¼ tsp dried oregano
- ⅛ tsp dried thyme
- ½ tsp fine sea salt
- ¼ tsp freshly ground black pepper
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tsp unsalted butter
- 1 medium onion roughly chopped
- 2 garlic cloves finely chopped
- 150 g 5.3 oz jarred roasted red peppers, drained and cut into strips
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- ½ tsp dried oregano
- ¼ tsp dried thyme
- ⅛ tsp smoked paprika
- ½ tsp sweet paprika
- 200 g 7 oz canned chopped tomatoes
- 1 tsp sambal oelek
- 100 ml about ⅓ cup + 1 tbsp tomato passata
- 75 ml 5 tbsp dry white wine, such as Verdejo
- 1 chicken stock cube
- ½ tbsp finely chopped fresh parsley for serving
- 50 –100 ml 3–7 tbsp water, if needed
Method
- Place the ground pork and beef in a large mixing bowl. Add the finely chopped onion, garlic, egg, breadcrumbs, parsley, cumin, red pepper flakes, oregano, thyme, salt and black pepper.
- Mix everything gently with your hands until the ingredients are evenly combined. Avoid working the meat more than necessary, as overmixing can make the meatballs dense.
- Shape the mixture into 10–12 evenly sized meatballs, approximately the size of a large walnut.
- Heat the olive oil and butter in a large, deep frying pan over medium-high heat. Add the meatballs and brown them on all sides, turning carefully. They do not need to be cooked through at this stage. Remove them from the pan and set aside.
- Reduce the heat to medium. Using the same pan, add the roughly chopped onion. If the pan is dry, add a small drizzle of olive oil. Cook for approximately 3–4 minutes until softened.
- Add the finely chopped garlic and cook for another minute, stirring so it does not burn.
- Add the roasted red pepper strips, ground cumin, oregano, thyme, smoked paprika, sweet paprika and sambal oelek. Stir and cook for 1–2 minutes until fragrant.
- Pour in the chopped tomatoes and dry white wine. Crumble in ½ chicken stock cube and stir well, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan.
- Return the browned meatballs to the pan, along with any juices that have collected on the plate. Spoon the sauce over them. If necessary, add 50–100 ml of water so that the meatballs are mostly surrounded by sauce.
- Bring the sauce to a gentle simmer. Cover the pan with a lid and cook over low heat for approximately 1 hour, turning the meatballs occasionally. The sauce should bubble very gently rather than boil vigorously.
- During the final 10 minutes of cooking, stir the tomato passata into the sauce. Continue simmering until the meatballs are tender and the sauce has thickened to your liking. The center of the meatballs should reach at least 71°C (160°F).
- Taste the sauce and adjust the seasoning with salt or black pepper if necessary. Remember that the stock cube already contains salt.
- Sprinkle with freshly chopped parsley just before serving. Bring the albóndigas to the table in a warm serving dish with plenty of crusty bread for dipping into the sauce.
