Meatballs in Spanish Sauce Recipe (Easy Family Favorite) 2026

To prepare the meatballs in Spanish sauce, we'll use a mixture of ground beef and pork to make very juicy meatballs. We'll mix this with breadcrumbs, egg, parsley, and garlic. To check if the meat is seasoned correctly, we can cook a small amount of this mixture in a pan or microwave to taste it and make any necessary adjustments before forming the meatballs.

The Spanish sauce for this recipe will be prepared by making a roux with oil, butter and flour, then gradually adding a meat stock, which we will obtain by reducing homemade meat broth, with which we will obtain a silky texture to accompany the meatballs.

In other meatball recipes, the so-called Spanish sauce is made with a sauté of onions and other vegetables, then simmered with red wine and stock, which is finally blended to obtain a smooth sauce.

This is because there are two possible interpretations of this sauce : on the one hand, the classic Spanish sauce of French cuisine, which is the one we used in this recipe, and on the other, the traditional sauce used in so many Spanish dishes, made from a sauté of onions with added wine and stock, which is often also known as Spanish sauce. This latter sauce is the one we used to make the meatballs in Grandma's sauce .

We like to serve these meatballs in Spanish sauce with white rice, French fries, or a good loaf of bread for dipping in the sauce. You can double the quantities, as they're just as delicious after freezing.

Meatballs in Spanish sauce recipe

Recipe Information

• Preparation time : 10 minutes
• Cooking time : 30 minutes
• Total time : 40 minutes
• Servings : 4
• Category : main course
• Type of cuisine : Spanish
• Calories per serving (kcal) : 558

Ingredients for meatballs in Spanish sauce

For the meatballs:

• 80g of onion
• 2 tablespoons of olive oil
• 500g of mixed minced meat (beef and pork)
• 1 small egg
• 1 clove of garlic
• 1 tablespoon of parsley leaves
• 50g of breadcrumbs
• Salt
• Ground black pepper

For the Spanish sauce:

• 30g of butter
• 30g of olive oil
• 50g of wheat flour
• Salt
• Ground black pepper
• 400 ml reduced beef broth

Meatballs in Spanish sauce recipe

How to make meatballs in Spanish sauce

First, peel and chop 80g of onion. Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a pan and sauté the onion over low heat for 5 minutes, until translucent.

Meatballs in Spanish sauce recipe

In a large bowl, combine 500g of mixed minced meat, the sautéed onion, 1 small egg, press 1 clove of garlic and add it, chop 1 tablespoon of parsley leaves and add it, incorporate 50g of breadcrumbs and season the mixture with salt and pepper.

Meatballs in Spanish sauce recipe

We formed 20 meatballs the size of a ping-pong ball.

Meatballs in Spanish sauce recipe

Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in the same pan in which you cooked the onion and brown the meatballs for 10 minutes.

Meatballs in Spanish sauce recipe

Once the meatballs are browned, we prepare the Spanish sauce. To do this, heat 30g of butter and 30g of olive oil in a saucepan and toast 50g of wheat flour. Stir to combine over low heat.

This is what we call a roux. Season lightly with salt and pepper.

Meatballs in Spanish sauce recipe

Gradually pour in 400 ml of reduced beef stock, stirring constantly with a whisk or spatula to ensure the roux is fully incorporated. Cook for a couple of minutes, until you have a smooth sauce.

Meatballs in Spanish sauce recipe

Add the reserved meatballs and cook for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Taste and season with salt and pepper as needed.

Meatballs in Spanish sauce recipe

Easy-to-prepare summary

1. Sauté the chopped onion
2. We mix the sautéed onion with the other meatball ingredients
3. We form the meatballs
4. We brown them in a pan with oil.
5. We prepare the roux for the sauce by mixing the butter, oil, and flour.
6. We add the stock for the Spanish sauce
7. Add the meatballs, heat everything through, and serve.

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