Authentic home cooking from Spain, with US measurements.

Originally published on Cookpad Spain as Albóndigas en salsa española

Spanish-Style Meatballs in Sauce

Name: Spanish-Style Meatballs in Sauce
Total time: 3600 s
Yield: Serves 3 servings
Ingredients: 1.1 lbs ground meat, half pork and half beef (500 g); 2 slices sandwich bread; 1 splash whole milk; 1-2 eggs; 1 1/2 teaspoons garlic powder; 1 1/2 teaspoons chopped parsley; Salt and black pepper; Flour for coating; Olive oil (extra virgin); 1 onion; 1 carrot; 1 small green bell pepper; 3.5 oz crushed tomatoes (100 g); 1 teaspoon garlic powder; 1 teaspoon nutmeg; 1 cup beef broth (250 ml); 1/3 cup white wine (75 ml); Salt and extra virgin olive oil

Ptega @ptega

Santander

There are so many recipes for meatballs and sauces to go with them. Here’s how my family made them when I was a kid, in case you want to give them a try.

Ptega @ptega

Santander

There are so many recipes for meatballs and sauces to go with them. Here’s how my family made them when I was a kid, in case you want to give them a try.

Saved

Ingredients

1 hour

Serves 3 servings

MEATBALLS:
1.1 lbsground meat, half pork and half beef (500 g)
2 slicessandwich bread
1 splashwhole milk
1-2eggs
1 1/2 teaspoonsgarlic powder
1 1/2 teaspoonschopped parsley
Salt and black pepper
Flour for coating
Olive oil (extra virgin)
SPANISH SAUCE:
1onion
1carrot
1small green bell pepper
3.5 ozcrushed tomatoes (100 g)
1 teaspoongarlic powder
1 teaspoonnutmeg
1 cupbeef broth (250 ml)
1/3 cupwhite wine (75 ml)
Salt and extra virgin olive oil

Saved

Steps

1 hour

1

Gather all the ingredients you’ll need. This amount makes about 18 meatballs (about 1.75 oz or 50 g each); for this dish I used 12 and froze the rest.
2

In a large bowl, add the ground meat, garlic powder, salt, and black pepper to taste. Mix well with your hands until fully combined. In a separate bowl, crumble the bread and pour a little milk over it. Let the bread soak well. Squeeze out excess milk and add the bread to the meat mixture, then mix again.
3

Add the beaten eggs and mix everything well with your hands until no egg remains visible. Add the chopped parsley and mix again until fully incorporated. Cover with plastic wrap and let rest for about 15 minutes.
4

After 15 minutes, shape the mixture into balls (I made them about 1.75 oz or 50 g each). As you form each meatball, roll it in flour. Continue until all the mixture is used.
5

In a pot (the same one you’ll use for the sauce), pour in a generous amount of olive oil, about 1/2 inch deep. When hot, add the meatballs and brown them on all sides over medium-high heat (be careful, the oil may splatter), about 30 seconds per side. Once browned, remove them and place on a plate lined with paper towels to absorb excess oil.
6

Now for the sauce. First, gather all the ingredients. Slice the onion into thin strips and dice the bell pepper. Peel and slice the carrot into half-moons.
7

In the same oil used for browning the meatballs, sauté the onion with a pinch of salt and the garlic powder. Cook over medium heat for about 10 minutes. Add the bell pepper and cook for another 5 minutes. Add the carrot and cook for 5 more minutes, stirring occasionally to prevent sticking.
8

Add the crushed tomatoes and nutmeg, stir, and cook over medium heat for 5 minutes. Pour in the white wine and cook over high heat for a couple of minutes to let the alcohol evaporate. Add the beef broth and let everything cook together for 30-35 minutes over medium-low heat. If the sauce thickens too much during cooking, add a little more broth or water.
9

When the vegetables are tender, remove from heat and blend the sauce until smooth. Return the sauce to the pot, add the meatballs, and cook over medium-low heat for 40-45 minutes, until the meatballs are cooked through. Stir every 10 minutes, and if the sauce gets too thick, add a little water.
10

Your Spanish-style meatballs in sauce are ready! As you can see, it’s a simple recipe with common ingredients, but it does take some time. At home, we serve them with French fries, but you can choose your favorite side. And don’t forget the bread—the sauce is delicious! Hope you enjoy!

Saved

Cooksnaps

Saved

Ptega @ptega

Published in the US on August 06, 2025 14:01

Santander

He de confesar, que nunca me había gustado la cocina, es más de chiquitilla solía huir de ella y casi lloraba cuando los Reyes me traían una cocinita. Es más hasta que me casé sólo entraba en la cocina por necesidad, por pura subsistencia, había que comer y de platos precocinados y carnes o pescados a la plancha no pasaba.Tras casarme, empecé a curiosear por Internet y a intentar elaborar las recetas que encontraba, a veces con más acierto y otras con menos y en ese tiempo descubrí que la cocina me relaja, que me gusta probar cosas nuevas, aunque a veces con las prisas acabamos con el sota, caballo y rey.Ahora os cuento un poquito de mi, soy, como dice una amiga, una viejoven. Me gusta pasar el tiempo con la gente que quiero, ansío cada año que llegue el 15 de mayo para volver al pueblo de mi infancia y reencontrarme con esos amigos que no necesitas ver a menudo para saber que han sido, son y serán las personas que con un gesto borran todas las tristezas.