Spanish meatballs, or albondigas, are traditionally served in tapas bars in Spain. Whether you serve them for an appetizer, a tapas party, or a main course for dinner, these little meatballs in a spicy tomato sauce are perfect with a glass of Spanish red wine.
Servings 4 | Preparation time 10 min | Total time 35 min
Spanish meatballs, albondigas, tapas meatballs
Ingredients
meatballs
- 1/2 cup fresh breadcrumbs or crumbled bread from the day before
- 2 tablespoons milk
- 500g ground beef
- 2 garlic cloves, chopped
- 1 egg yolk
- 3 tsp smoked Spanish chorizo rub
- 1/4 cup olive oil
smoked paprika tomato sauce
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 onion, small cubes
- 3 garlic cloves, chopped
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 tsp smoked Spanish chorizo rub
- 500g fresh tomatoes, seeded and chopped
HOW IT'S DONE
- Soak the breadcrumbs in milk for about 5 minutes and squeeze out excess liquid. Place the breadcrumbs in a bowl with the beef, garlic, egg yolk and spices. Mix well.
- Form the meat mixture into 12 equal-sized balls. Cover with cling film and leave to rest in the fridge for 30 minutes.
- Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Brown the meatballs on all sides and transfer to a plate.
- Place the same pan you used to cook the meatballs over medium heat, add a small splash of oil, onion, garlic, spices and bay leaf and sauté for about 10 minutes or until the onion is soft.
- Stir in tomatoes and return meatballs to the pan. Reduce heat and simmer for 20 minutes, or until sauce has thickened and meatballs are cooked through.
- Transfer to a bowl and serve immediately.
