Indulge in Spanish cuisine with this classic Spanish Meatballs Recipe!
Albóndigas en salsa (meatballs stewed in sauce) is a classic Spanish main dish full of rich flavors. It is also known as Albóndigas a la jardinera – meaning gardener meatballs – because of the vegetables in the sauce.
The meatballs are fried to perfection and stewed in a sauce that gets its depth of flavor from the addition of veggies.
Traditionally served with fried potatoes or white rice, albóndigas en salsa are a delicious main dish to try. In North America, you may also find these meatballs served as part of Spanish tapas.
There are a few other meatball recipes in Spain, but this one is one of the most popular ones.
As with any popular recipe, there are a few variations. Some people use only pork to make the meatballs, some use beef, and some add other vegetables to the sauce. This recipe is the one we make in our house.
Ingredients
To make these delicious Spanish meatballs in sauce, here are the ingredients that you will need. It might seem like a lot but once you get started, it’s not too difficult:
For the Meatballs
- Ground meat – Use either ground beef, ground pork, or a mixture of ground beef and pork.
- Eggs – To make the meatballs. The egg helps keep them from falling apart.
- Breadcrumbs – You can use either regular, unseasoned breadcrumbs or breadcrumbs seasoned with garlic and parsley.
- Garlic cloves – You’ll mince the garlic cloves. For the best flavor, use fresh garlic and mince it yourself.
- Fresh parsley – Some will be added to the meatballs and some is for garnishing.
- Salt – To add flavor. Add more or less to taste.
- Black pepper – To add flavor. Add more or less to taste.
- Olive oil – For frying the meatballs.
For the Sauce
- Carrots – Three small to medium carrots.
- Onions – Two yellow onions.
- Peas – You can use fresh or frozen peas. When using fresh peas, you’ll have to shell them. Frozen peas should be thawed first.
- Garlic clove – To add flavor to the sauce.
- Bay leaves – To add flavor to the sauce.
- White wine (optional) – For additional flavor. Alternatively, use 1 1/2 cups of water or chicken stock.
- Olive oil – To sauté the onion and garlic.
- Salt – To add flavor. Add more or less to taste.
- Pepper – To add flavor. Add more or less to taste.
Recipe Tips and Substitutions
Before you make these Spanish albondigas, read through these important recipe tips so that you choose the best ingredients and know what to expect!
- Type of meat: Traditionally, albóndigas en salsa are made with either pork, beef, or a combination of both. However, it can also be made with ground turkey or chicken with equally good results.
- Breadcrumbs: You can use plain or seasoned breadcrumbs. In Spain, garlic and parsley breadcrumbs are common. If you can’t find them in the store, you can also make your own by mixing 3 tablespoons garlic powder and 3 tablespoons dried parsley into a one cup of breadcrumbs. This adds lots of flavor to the final dish.
- Gluten-free: If you want to make it gluten-free, use gluten-free breadcrumbs, either plain or seasoned with garlic and parsley.
- White wine: It adds a lot of flavor to the sauce, but is optional. I recommend using a dry white wine and avoiding any sweet wines, as the carrots and onions are naturally sweet. If you don’t want to use alcohol, you can use either water or chicken stock.
- Vegetables: Traditionally, the sauce is made with carrots, onions, and peas, but some people add red bell pepper, too. If you want to add it, dice it finely and sauté it with the onions. You can use fresh or frozen peas. If you use frozen peas, make sure to thaw them before adding them to the sauce.
- Sauce: You can choose not to blend the sauce and eat it with the veggies still visible, but I prefer blending it for a tastier and more even flavor. Don’t skip caramelizing the onions and carrots until soft and golden, this is crucial to achieving the flavor of the sauce. The longer they cook, the tastier the sauce. The sauce should be thick but still a little runny. Cook the sauce with a lid on since it splatters a lot!
- Meatballs: You can fry them in a pan with a bit of olive oil, deep fry them with lots of olive oil, or air fry them for equally perfect results. My preferred technique is to either fry them in the pan with a bit of oil or use the air fryer.
How to Make Albóndigas en Salsa – Step by Step Instructions
In this section, you’ll see exactly how to make this Spanish albondigas recipe.
We’ve included all the recipe process photos so that you can see exactly how we made them and so that you can follow along when you cook at home!
The recipe card with all the cooking times, temperatures, and ingredient amounts can be found at the bottom of this post.
Start by preparing the sauce ingredients. Peel and dice the carrots, peel and thinly slice the onions, and peel and mince the garlic clove.
Also shell the peas if you are using fresh peas. If you opt for frozen peas, make sure that they are thawed.
Heat two teaspoons of olive oil in a pot. Add the garlic clove and the onions. Cook over medium-low heat until they start to get golden and fragrant. Stir regularly.
Add the carrots to the pot and continue cooking over low heat. Season with salt and pepper. Stir occasionally to prevent burning.
While the carrots are cooking, prepare the meatballs. In a small bowl, crack the eggs and whisk well.
Peel and mince the garlic cloves. Chop the parsley.
Then add the ground meat to the bowl along with the breadcrumbs, minced garlic, parsley, salt, and black pepper. Mix everything well.
Using clean hands, shape the meatballs. Set aside on a plate.
Add about 3 tablespoons of olive oil to a frying pan and heat it to medium-high heat.
Once hot, lower the temperature a bit and fry the meatballs, making sure to turn them so they get evenly browned.
When the meatballs are browned, remove them from the pan and set them aside on a plate covered with paper towel.
Back to the sauce – the veggies should be very soft, golden, and fragrant by now. Transfer them to a food processor or blend them with an immersion blenderuntil a fine paste is achieved.
Add the peas to the sauce along with the glass of white wine and the bay leaves. Mix well.
Cook half covered for 5 minutes. At this point, taste the sauce and adjust the seasoning if necessary.
At this point, place the meatballs back in the pan and add the sauce. Cook covered on low heat for another 30 minutes.
Remove the bay leaves and serve the meatballs with some chopped fresh parsley as a garnish and fried potatoes. Enjoy!
Storage Tips
These Spanish-style meatballs can be stored in a sealed container in the fridge for up to 4 days, or frozen for up to 3 months.
Related Recipes
If you liked this authentic Spanish albondigas recipe, here are some other Spanish recipes that might make your day!
- Ensalata Mixta
- Pisto (Spanish Vegetable Stew)
- Empanada Gallega
- Patatas Bravas (Spanish Fried Potatoes)
- Calamares a la Romana (Fried Calamari)
Albóndigas en Salsa (Spanish Meatballs)
Ingredients
The Meatballs
- 1 pound ground meat, either pork, beef or a mix of pork and beef
- 2 eggs
- 1/2 cup breadcrumbs, unseasoned or garlic and parsley
- 2 garlic cloves
- 2 teaspoons fresh parsley, more for garnish
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 3 tablespoons olive oil, for frying
The Sauce
- 3 carrots
- 2 onions
- 1 cup peas, fresh or frozen
- 1 garlic clove
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 glass white wine , optional; alternatively 1 1/2 cups water or chicken stock
- 2 teaspoons olive oil
- 1 teaspoon salt
- black pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Prepare the sauce ingredients: Peel and dice the carrots, peel and thinly slice the onions, peel and mince the garlic clove, and shell the peas if using fresh peas. Thaw the peas if using frozen peas.3 carrots, 2 onions, 1 garlic clove, 1 cup peas
- Heat two teaspoons of olive oil in a pot, then add the minced garlic and chopped onions. Cook over medium-low heat until they start to get golden and fragrant. Stir regularly.2 teaspoons olive oil
- Add the carrots to the pot and continue to cook over low heat. Season with salt and pepper. Stir occasionally to prevent burning.1 teaspoon salt, black pepper
- While the carrots are cooking, prepare the meatballs. In a small bowl, crack the eggs and whisk well.2 eggs
- Peel and mince the garlic cloves and chop the parsley.2 garlic cloves, 2 teaspoons fresh parsley
- Add the ground meat to the bowl along with the breadcrumbs, minced garlic, parsley, salt, and black pepper. Mix everything well.1 pound ground meat, 1/2 cup breadcrumbs, 1 teaspoon salt, 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- Using your clean hands, form the meatballs. Set aside on a plate.
- Heat olive oil in a frying pan over medium-high heat. Once hot, lower the temperature a bit and fry the meatballs, making sure to turn them so that they brown evenly. Once browned, remove the meatballs from the pan and set aside on a plate covered with kitchen paper.3 tablespoons olive oil
- Back to the sauce: The veggies should be very soft, golden, and fragrant by now. Transfer them to a food processor or blend them with an immersion blender until a fine paste is achieved.
- Add the peas to the sauce along with the glass of white wine and the bay leaves. Mix well. Cook half covered for 5 minutes. At this point, taste and adjust the seasoning if necessary.1 glass white wine, 2 bay leaves
- At this point, place the meatballs back in the pan and add the sauce. Cook covered on low heat for another 30 minutes.
- Remove the bay leaves and serve the meatballs with some chopped fresh parsley as a garnish and fried potatoes. Enjoy!
Notes
- You can use ground pork, ground beef, or a mixture of ground pork and ground beef. Alternatively, use ground turkey or ground chicken.
- In Spain, garlic and parsley breadcrumbs are common. If you can’t find them in the store, you can also make your own by mixing 3 tablespoons garlic powder and 3 tablespoons dried parsley into a one cup of breadcrumbs. This adds lots of flavor to the final dish, but you can also use unseasoned breadcrumbs.
- If you want to make it gluten-free, use gluten-free breadcrumbs.
- The white wine is optional but adds lots of flavor. Use a dry white wine. If you don’t want to use alcohol, you can use either water or chicken stock.
- If you use frozen peas, make sure to thaw them before adding them to the sauce.
- You can choose not to blend the sauce and eat it with the veggies still visible.
- Don’t skip caramelizing the onions and carrots until soft and golden, this is crucial to achieving the flavor of the sauce.
- Instead of pan frying the meatballs, you can also air fry them.
Nutrition
This nutritional information has been estimated by an online nutrition calculator. It should only be seen as a rough calculation and not a replacement for professional dietary advice.
