It’s not only the Spanish that make a good meatball. There’s Swedish, Swedish meatballs in cream sauce; Greek, baked with orzo and feta cheese; and Italian, of course- meatballs with bucatini all ‘Amatriciana. Where’s your next dinner destination? This post contains affiliate links. When you purchase through our links, we may earn a commission.
Homemade baked meatballs
Let’s talk meatballs. There are two things that make a knockout meatball: As well as the two ground meats, I’ve used an egg and breadcrumbs to bind them into sticky, not-too-tight balls. I seasoned with garlic powder, onion powder, salt and smoked Spanish paprika to make them highly flavoursome and authentically compliment the sauce. The sauce is a riff on the classic bravas sauce, that famously comes over fried potatoes. The signature Spanish tomato sauce is a potent cocktail that’s heavy on the garlic, onion and smoky (sometimes spicy) paprika, and tangy with tomatoes and red wine vinegar. Smooth and liquified, as a tapa, about four balls will bathe in a shallow pool of it. I’ve maximised my recipe by adding sliced red bell pepper and whole, pitted green olives to make it more of a 15-meatball, veg-packed, family mega meal.
Serving suggestions
We are in tapas country, my friends! When ordering or serving tapas, I tend to go for 3 dishes per person as a satisfying rule of thumb. It’s usually one meat, one vegetable and one fish or cheese for a well-rounded, try-everything approach. Here’s what my husband’s and my order would look like: 1x albondigas 1 x patatas bravas 1 x padron peppers 1 x chorizo in red wine 1 x grilled asparagus with Romesco sauce and burrata 1 x seafood paella Plus, dos copas de vino y pan. However, this gut-busting baked meatball recipe is just as easily served as a main meal in its own right. In which case, all it needs is some crusty bread for sopping up the sauce, or garlic and herb mashed potato if that’s more your style, plus greens. I’d go for roasted tenderstem broccoli or pan-fried zucchini.
Storage and leftovers
A traditional albondiga tapa will consist of about 4 meatballs. But who’s making four meatballs?! This easy Spanish meatballs recipe yields 15, so if serving as a tapa I suggest taking what you need, 4 or 8 depending on the party size and freezing the rest. Frozen meatballs can be stored up to 2 months. Meatballs that have been cooked can be cooked again from frozen. Uncooked meatballs need to be defrosted overnight before going in the oven. Any leftovers from your meal can be kept in an airtight container in the fridge for 2-3 days. Reheat on the stove with a splash of water.
More recipes to try
Meatballs Stroganoff Easy Spanish Rice with Chicken and Shrimp Baked Meatballs with Mozzarella and Arugula Spanish Style Baked Chicken and Potatoes
