Albóndigas (Spanish meatballs in tomato sauce)
60 min · 44 g protein · 491 cals / serving
Tender, garlicky meatballs browned and then simmered in a rich sauce of tomato, sweet red pepper, white wine and smoked paprika, with sweet green peas stirred through at the end. It is the dish of every Spanish tapas bar, served here as a dinner with a crisp ensalada mixta and a little crusty bread to wipe the plate clean.
Ingredients
Meatballs
- 14 oz ground beef (95% lean)
- 1/3 lb pork loin fillet, raw, pork tenderloin, minced (ask the butcher, or pulse in a food processor)
- 1 large egg
- 1/3 cup breadcrumbs
- 2 cloves garlic, grated
- 1/2 cup fresh parsley, finely chopped
- 3/4 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- 1 tsp olive oil
Sauce
- 1 large onion, finely chopped
- 1 red bell pepper, finely chopped
- 3 cloves garlic, sliced
- 2 tsp paprika, smoked (pimentón)
- scant 1/2 cup white wine, dry
- 2 cans (14 oz each) canned crushed tomatoes
- 2/3 cup chicken broth
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 2 cups cooked frozen green peas
To serve
- 2 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped
- 4 slices baguette
Ensalada mixta
- 2 hearts romaine lettuce, in wide ribbons
- 1 large tomato, in wedges
- 1/4 small red onion, thinly sliced
- 2 tsp red wine vinegar, or sherry vinegar
- 1 tsp olive oil
Steps
- Mix the beef, pork, egg, breadcrumbs, garlic, parsley, salt and pepper with your hands until just combined, then roll into 24 walnut-size balls.
- Heat the oil in a large, deep nonstick skillet over medium-high heat and brown the meatballs in batches, 4–5 minutes, turning until coloured all over. They will finish in the sauce. Set aside.
- Lower the heat to medium and cook the onion and red pepper in the same pan 8 minutes until soft and sweet. Add the garlic and smoked paprika for 30 seconds, then pour in the wine and let it bubble, scraping up the browned bits, until mostly gone.
- Add the tomatoes, broth and salt and simmer 10 minutes. Return the meatballs, cover and simmer 12–15 minutes, until cooked through (160°F in the centre). Stir in the peas for the last 3 minutes.
- Toss the lettuce, tomato and onion with the vinegar, oil and a pinch of salt. Scatter the meatballs with parsley and serve with the salad and the bread for mopping up the sauce.
Good to know
Can I add saffron?
Yes, it is a lovely Spanish touch. Crumble a pinch of saffron threads into the broth before adding it.
No wine?
Use more broth plus 1 tbsp sherry vinegar or white wine vinegar for the acidity; it is about the same score.
For tapas?
Roll them smaller (about 36), skip the peas and serve them in a shallow dish with toothpicks and the bread; it's about the same score.
Alternative
Per
- Calories
- 75
- Protein
- (38%)
- 7 g
- Fat
- (23%)
- 2 g
- Carbohydrates
- (40%)
- 8 g
- of which sugar
- 3 g
- Fiber
- 2 g
- Sodium
- 211 mg
About 35% of the alcohol remains after cooking; the label counts only that.
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Computed from the ingredients with our published formula, not yet kitchen-tested. General guidance, not medical advice. Talk to your prescriber. How
As written, 1962 kcal goes into the pot and 2995 g of ingredients comes out as about 2630 g of food: 75 kcal per 100 g. Cooking moves water and energy density is the score's biggest lever, so the dish is scored as cooked, not as an average of its parts. Every ingredient links to its food page, with the same data and score. The label's percentages are each macronutrient's share of the calories. The full formula.