Spanish Meatballs Recipe (Albondigas Tapas)

Spanish Meatballs – or Albondigas – simmer in enchilada sauce and are topped with sour cream, radishes & cilantro. Serve them taco-style in tortillas or as an appetizer with toothpicks. 

I don’t recall where it first was that I stumbled across a recipe for albondigas… Maybe in one of the five food magazines that I subscribe to, or on the internet or even on television… but the recipe kept sticking in my head.

These albondigas were beef meatballs that simmered away in a richly spiced enchilada sauce… I was thinking that they’d be good served over rice or as a party appetizer.

For a while, that recipe escaped me, and I hadn’t really thought about it again until recently – when I was thinking that those albondigas would be perfect for a game day party. With no idea where I’d seen the recipe, I hit the internet to search…

What I found when searching for albondigas recipes was primarily albondigas soup. A Mexican brothy soup served with meatballs… not those saucy meatballs that I remembered.

So, I dug in further and found that in Spain and Latin America, meatballs are called albondigas, derived from the Arabic al-bunduq (meaning hazelnut or a small round object).

Spanish albondigas can be served as an appetizer or main course, often in a tomato sauce, while Mexican albondigas are commonly served in a soup with a light broth and vegetables. It all started making more sense.

Spanish meatballs were what I was after, and I was after these three key points:

1. I wanted them to have lots of flavor
2. I wanted them to be as easy to prepare as possible
3. I wanted them to be versatile so that they could be served in a number of different ways – i.e. over rice, in tacos, or as an appetizer

I took a huge shortcut here by using store bought enchilada sauce. While not traditional, it turned out delicious! The meatballs season the enchilada sauce as they cook away and, conversely, the sauce seasons the meatballs. The result is a nicely thickened, seasoned sauce that’s mild in heat but big on flavor.

Let’s make them!

Ingredients needed

• Ground Beef – You could also make these with ground turkey or ground chicken. Or, use a mixture of ground pork and ground beef.
• Crushed Corn Chips – These work as the binder for you meatballs, much like breadcrumbs would work with Italian meatballs.
• Enchilada Sauce
• Onion & Garlic
• Milk
• Eggs
• Cumin & Smoked Paprika
• Fresh Cilantro – Not a fan? You can also use fresh parsley.
• Salt & Pepper
• For Topping: Cotija cheese, sliced radishes, cilantro, avocado, lime wedges, jalapeno

How to make them

• Preheat your oven to 400 degrees. 
• In a large bowl, combine the crushed corn chips and milk. Let stand about 5 minutes, until the chips soften.

• Stir in the onion, garlic, cilantro, paprika, cumin, eggs, salt and pepper. Then, fold in the beef.

• Shape into 1 1/2-inch meatballs (about 2 tablespoonfuls each). Evenly space meatballs on a cookie rack set in a deep sided baking sheet or on a broiler pan.
• Bake the meatballs for 10-12 minutes or until browned.

• Transfer the browned meatballs to a large frying pan or Dutch oven. Add the enchilada sauce and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce to low heat, and simmer, covered, for 15-20 minutes or until meatballs are cooked through.
• Enjoy over rice, in tortillas, or as an appetizer with toothpicks.

How to make ahead & store

The prepared meatballs in sauce can be made ahead of time and stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to three days.

Or, to freeze, just form and bake the meatballs, without simmering in the sauce. Freeze the meatballs on a sheet pan, then (once frozen) transfer to an airtight container or ziploc bag. When ready to serve, just put them on the stove with the enchilada sauce and add an additional 10 minutes to the simmering time.

How to serve albondigas

These beauties are begging to be wrapped into a tortilla and eaten like a taco. But, they’d also be amazing served over a bowl of steamed rice. Or, serve them as an appetizer – served straight from the pan with toothpicks on the side for easy snacking.

What to serve with albondigas

• Rice – I like to make rice cooker rice or instant pot rice to keep things easy. Or, try this Rice Cooker Mexican Rice.
• Tortillas
• Crushed Tortilla Chips or Tortilla Strips
• Pan Con Tomate
• Bacon Wrapped Dates
• Blistered Shishito Peppers
• Sous Vide Octopus with Romesco Sauce

Wine pairings

• Try a Sangiovese with this dish. It’s flavors of roasted peppers and tomato are echoed by the enchilada sauce, yet it’s light-bodied and fruit forward enough to not be overpowering.
• A Tempranillo would work well here as well. It’s a mild wine that works well with the spices in many Mexican dishes.

More appetizer recipes

• Artichoke Queso Blanco
• Sausage Bites in White Wine with Creamy Mustard Dipping Sauce
• Corn Queso Dip
• Bacon-Wrapped Cheese Stuffed Cherry Peppers

Did you try these Spanish meatballs?

If you loved these Spanish tapas I would appreciate it so much if you would give this recipe a star review! Also, be sure to snap a picture of your finished dish and share it with me on Instagram using the hashtag #platingsandpairings and tagging me @platingsandpairings.

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Spanish Meatballs Recipe

Spanish Meatballs – or Albondigas – simmer in enchilada sauce and are topped with sour cream, radishes & cilantro. Serve them taco-style in tortillas or as an appetizer with toothpicks. 

5 from 3 votes

Print Pin

Prep Time: 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 30 minutes minutes

Total Time: 40 minutes minutes

Servings: 6 people

Created by Platings and Pairings

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Ingredients

• 1/2 cup crushed corn chips
• 1/4 cup milk
• 1 small onion (minced)
• 2 cloves garlic (minced)
• ½ cup chopped cilantro
• 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
• 1 teaspoon cumin
• 2 eggs
• 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 2 pounds ground beef
• 1 28-ounce can enchilada sauce
• 6-inch corn tortillas

For Topping

• Sour cream, cotija cheese, sliced radishes, cilantro, avocado

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees. 
• Stir together corn chips and milk in a large bowl; let stand about 5 minutes or until chips soften. Stir in onion, garlic, cilantro, paprika, cumin, eggs, salt and pepper. Fold in beef.
• Shape into 1 1/2-inch meatballs (about 2 tablespoonfuls each). Evenly space meatballs on a cookie rack set in a deep sided baking sheet or on a broiler pan.
• Bake 10 to 12 minutes or until browned.
• Transfer meatballs to a large skillet or Dutch oven; add enchilada sauce. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer, covered, for 15-20 minutes or until meatballs are cooked through.
• Serve meatballs with tortillas and desired toppings.

Notes

Tips: These meatballs can be made ahead of time. Simply bake them and place them in the freezer. When you’re ready to serve, just put them on the stove with the enchilada sauce and add an additional 10 minutes to the simmering time.

 

Did you make this recipe?Mention @platingsandpairings or tag #platingsandpairings!

Nutrition

Calories: 566kcal | Carbohydrates: 13g | Protein: 34g | Fat: 40g | Saturated Fat: 16g | Cholesterol: 182mg | Sodium: 874mg | Potassium: 535mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 375IU | Vitamin C: 2.1mg | Calcium: 215mg | Iron: 3.9mg

This Spanish meatballs post was originally published in 2019. It was updated in 2023 to add new photographs and content. The albondigas recipe remains the same. Enjoy!