The Best Tapas-Style Spanish Meatballs
These Spanish meatballs (albóndigas) are one of my favorite appetizers for a tapas party! They're filled with flavorful herbs, tossed in a garlicky tomato sauce, and go perfectly with other Mediterranean-inspired small bites. Even better, this recipe is super easy and makes up to 70 servings, so it's amazing for a crowd!
Ingredients
Baked Meatballs
- 1 Tablespoon olive oil (15 milliliters)
- 1 cup finely chopped sweet onion (150 grams)
- 1 cup Panko breadcrumbs (70 grams)
- 1/2 cup whole milk (120 milliliters)
- 1 pound 80/20 ground beef (450 grams)
- 1 pound 80/20 ground pork (450 grams)
- 4 teaspoons minced garlic about 4 big cloves
- 2 large eggs
- 2 Tablespoons finely chopped fresh parsley (10 grams)
- 2 teaspoons Kosher salt I use Morton
- Freshly-ground black pepper, to taste
Tomato Sauce
- 3 Tablespoons olive oil (45 milliliters)
- 1 cup finely chopped sweet onion (150 grams)
- 1/2 cup small diced carrots (80 grams)
- 2 Tablespoons tomato paste (30 grams)
- 4 teaspoons minced garlic about 4 big cloves
- 2 teaspoons sweet paprika
- 28 ounces crushed tomatoes (800 grams)
- 1 cup dry white wine (240 milliliters)
- 1/2 cup low-sodium chicken broth (120 milliliters)
- 1 bay leaf
- Kosher salt and freshly-ground black pepper to taste
- Chopped fresh parsley for garnish
Equipment
- full sheet pan or 2 half sheet pans
- Dutch oven
Instructions
Baked Meatballs
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (177°C). Line one full sheet pan or two half-sheet pans with parchment paper, then set aside.
- Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Once it's shimmering, add the chopped onions. Sauté, stirring often, until the onions are softened and golden-brown, about 5-6 minutes. Transfer the onions to a small bowl and cool slightly.
- Meanwhile, combine the Panko breadcrumbs and whole milk in a large mixing bowl. Let the mixture sit for 5-10 minutes, until the breadcrumbs have rehydrated.
- To the bowl of breadcrumbs, add the sautéed onions, ground beef, ground pork, garlic, eggs, parsley, Kosher salt, and black pepper to taste. Use a rubber spatula to mix the meat mixture until it's well-combined. Don't over-mix or the meatballs will come out dense.
- Using a #60 scoop, divide the meat mixture into 1 Tablespoon portions. Then, dampen your hands with a little water, and roll each portion of meat into a ball. (This will keep the mixture from sticking to your hands.) You should have about 64-70 small meatballs.
- Line the meatballs on the prepared sheet pan, leaving a little space in between each. Bake for 13-15 minutes, until the internal temperature of the meatballs reaches 165°F (74°C). Drain off any extra grease.
Tomato Sauce
- While the meatballs are baking, heat the olive oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Once it's shimmering, add the chopped onions, diced carrots, and a pinch of Kosher salt. Sauté, stirring often, until the veggies are softened and golden-brown, about 6-8 minutes.
- Reduce the heat to medium, and stir the tomato paste, minced garlic, and paprika into the veggies. Sauté until the garlic is fragrant and the tomato paste is dark red, about 1-2 minutes.
- Add the crushed tomatoes, white wine, low-sodium chicken broth, bay leaf, and salt and pepper to taste. Stir until smooth. Bring the sauce to a boil, cover, and reduce to a low simmer. Simmer the sauce for 30-60 minutes, stirring occasionally, until it's very flavorful and dark red.
- After 30-60 minutes, taste the sauce and adjust the seasonings, if needed. Then, stir the meatballs into the sauce and simmer for another 5-10 minutes, until they're warmed through. Garnish the meatballs with fresh parsley and enjoy!
Notes
When I made this recipe with gluten-free breadcrumbs, the milk made the breadcrumbs super gummy. So, if you're going to make this recipe gluten-free, I recommend leaving out the milk and skipping the "soaking" step (unless you know the brand of breadcrumbs you use is ok to rehydrate)!
Feel free to swap the ground pork with an equal amount of ground beef.
The key to juicy and tender meatballs is to keep the meat mixture somewhat loose. You want to roll the meatballs just until they're round, but don't pack them in too much, or they'll come out dense.
If you want larger meal-sized meatballs, use a #40 (1 1/2 Tablespoon) scoop.
Good-quality tomatoes make a big difference in the taste of the sauce. I like Cento or Bianco.
For alcohol-free sauce, use more low-sodium chicken broth. I would also add a squeeze of lemon juice for a little acidity.
You can definitely make this recipe the night before. The meatballs get even better as the flavors meld overnight in the fridge!
Serving: 1meatball, Calories: 58kcal, Carbohydrates: 2.2g, Protein: 3.4g, Fat: 3.7g, Saturated Fat: 1.2g, Cholesterol: 16.7mg, Sodium: 86.2mg, Potassium: 82mg, Fiber: 0.2g, Sugar: 0.9g
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