Spanish Meatballs in Sauce (Albóndigas en Salsa Española)
Tender beef and pork meatballs, browned until golden and simmered slowly in a deep tomato sauce finished with a toasted almond and bread picada. A classic tapas bar favourite, best mopped up with crusty bread.
Servings
Ingredients
Nutrition
Per serving
Steps
Mix the meatball dough
Soak the breadcrumbs in the milk for a couple of minutes until softened. In a large bowl, combine the beef, pork, soaked breadcrumbs, egg, grated garlic, parsley, salt and pepper. Mix with your hands just until combined; overworking makes the meatballs tough.
- 50 g breadcrumbs
- 60 ml milk
- 250 g ground beef
- 250 g ground pork
- 1 large egg
- 2 cloves garlic
- 2 tbsp parsley
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp black pepper
✅ Done when: the mixture is evenly combined and slightly sticky
Shape and brown
Shape the mixture into balls a little smaller than a golf ball (you should get about 20). Roll each lightly in flour, tapping off the excess. Fry in batches in the hot olive oil over medium-high heat, turning until golden brown on all sides; they do not need to be cooked through yet, just well coloured. Lift out onto a plate.
- 40 g flour, for dusting
- 100 ml olive oil, for frying
✅ Done when: the meatballs are golden brown all over, about 8 minutes total
Build the sauce
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Make the almond picada
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Simmer the meatballs
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Finish and serve
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Mix the meatball dough
Soak the breadcrumbs in the milk for a couple of minutes until softened. In a large bowl, combine the beef, pork, soaked breadcrumbs, egg, grated garlic, parsley, salt and pepper. Mix with your hands just until combined; overworking makes the meatballs tough.
- 50 g breadcrumbs
- 60 ml milk
- 250 g ground beef
- 250 g ground pork
- 1 large egg
- 2 cloves garlic
- 2 tbsp parsley
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp black pepper
✅ Done when: the mixture is evenly combined and slightly sticky
Shape and brown
Shape the mixture into balls a little smaller than a golf ball (you should get about 20). Roll each lightly in flour, tapping off the excess. Fry in batches in the hot olive oil over medium-high heat, turning until golden brown on all sides; they do not need to be cooked through yet, just well coloured. Lift out onto a plate.
- 40 g flour, for dusting
- 100 ml olive oil, for frying
✅ Done when: the meatballs are golden brown all over, about 8 minutes total
Build the sauce
This step is part of Foodie Premium. Subscribe to unlock the full method, cooking mode and every recipe in the library.
Make the almond picada
This step is part of Foodie Premium. Subscribe to unlock the full method, cooking mode and every recipe in the library.
Simmer the meatballs
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Finish and serve
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The Story Behind the Dish
Meatballs in sauce have been part of Spanish home cooking for generations, built on the same base that runs through so much of the country's cuisine: a slow sofrito of onion and garlic, tomato, and a picada of toasted almonds and bread to thicken and enrich the sauce. The mix of beef and pork for the meatballs gives them a juicier bite than either meat alone.
Almost every region has its own version, and almost every tapas bar in Spain serves a plate of albóndigas, usually with crusty bread for mopping up the sauce.
⭐ Why It's Famous
It is the dish of grandmothers and neighbourhood bars alike: humble ingredients turned into something deeply comforting, with a sauce rich enough to be the real star of the plate.
💡 Fun Fact
The almond-and-bread picada is one of the most important techniques in Spanish cooking, also used to thicken sauces for other classic dishes like romesco.
Spain, nationwide — a staple of tascas and tapas bars
40.42°N, -3.70°W
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