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Albóndigas espagnoles en sauce

Name: Albóndigas espagnoles en sauce
Prep time: 25 min
Cook time: 40 min
Total time: 1 h 5 min
Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: ES
Ingredients: 250 g ground beef; 250 g ground pork; 50 g fresh breadcrumbs (or 1 slice stale bread, crumbled); 60 ml whole milk; 1 large egg; 2 cloves garlic, finely grated (for the meatballs); 2 tbsp fresh parsley, finely chopped (for the meatballs); 1/2 tsp salt (for the meatballs); 1/4 tsp black pepper (for the meatballs); 40 g plain flour, for dusting; 100 ml olive oil, for frying; 3 tbsp olive oil (for the sauce); 1 onion, finely chopped; 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped (for the sauce); 1 tbsp plain flour (for the sauce); 400 g canned crushed tomatoes; 100 ml dry white wine; 500 ml beef or chicken stock; 1 bay leaf; 1 pinch saffron threads (or 1 tsp sweet paprika); 30 g blanched almonds; 1 slice white bread, crust removed (about 20 g); to taste salt and black pepper (for the sauce); 2 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped, to serve

25m

Prépa

40m

Cuisson

Portions

Moyen

Difficulté

Boulettes de bœuf et de porc mijotées dans une sauce tomate aux amandes grillées, un classique des bars à tapas espagnols.

#spanish#tapas#meatballs#beef#pork#almond-sauce#comfort-food

Portions

4portions

Ingrédients

Nutrition

calories480

protein28g

carbs18g

fat32g

fiber3g

Par portion

Étapes

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

✅ C'est prêt quand : 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

✅ C'est prêt quand : the meatballs are golden brown all over, about 8 minutes total

⏱8:00

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

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

✅ C'est prêt quand : the mixture is evenly combined and slightly sticky

Shape and brown

40 g flour, for dusting
100 ml olive oil, for frying

✅ C'est prêt quand : the meatballs are golden brown all over, about 8 minutes total

⏱8:00

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

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Simmer the meatballs

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Finish and serve

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History & Culture

The Story Behind the Dish

📍 Spain, nationwide — a staple of tascas and tapas bars📅 Traditional home and tavern cooking, widespread through the 20th century🍲 ES

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.

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