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These albondigas are our favorite party appetizer. Albondigas are Spanish meatballs, so if you’re looking for something different from typical Swedish meatballs, this recipe is for you. For a main course, just shape the albondigas into larger portions and serve with a salad or bread. For parties, we like to make 1-1.5 inch-sized albondigas.
If you’ve ever invited us to a party, you’ve probably tried this exact recipe. It’s a fool-proof favorite. When the holidays come around and you have a lot going on, it’s great to have something you know you can rely on and that most people will enjoy (as long as they aren’t vegetarian).
Albondigas
Ingredients
- 1 lb ground pork
- 1 lb ground turkey
- 1 cup minced olives
- 1 tablespoon of shallots, minced
- 2 cloves of garlic, minced
- 2 tablespoons finely chopped Italian parsley
- 1½ teaspoons smoked paprika or pimenton
- 1½ teaspoons kosher salt
- 1 cup fine dry breadcrumbs
- 2 large eggs, lightly beaten
- 1 cup red wine
- 1 cup tomato puree
- 1 cup water
- 2 bay leaves
- olive oil
- ground black pepper
Instructions
- In a large bowl, mix the meat lightly together.
- In a small bowl, mix the olives, shallots, parsley, garlic, breadcrumbs, paprika, pepper, and salt.
- Add the olive mixture and eggs to the meat mixture and combine gently with your hands. The more you work it, the denser the albondigas will be, so you'll want it to be just combined.
- Create small balls of the meat mixture with your hands.
- Place a braising or saute pan over medium heat and add a small amount of olive oil, just enough to coat the bottom of the pan. Add the albondigas in batches and brown on all sides.
- Once the meatballs are all browned, return them to one pan along with the wine, tomato puree, water, and bay leaves.
- Bring the liquid to a boil, then turn the heat on low and cook, covered, for 40-50 minutes or until they are fully cooked. If the liquid is getting low, you can add more water to the pan.