The traditional Spanish albóndigas in almond sauce recipe is perfect for a tapas style meal or for the main course. This delicious Spanish recipe may become a new family favorite!
If you're looking for other Spanish meatball recipes, try these pork and chorizo albóndigas and Andalusian cuttlefish albóndigas.
Introduction
Growing up, my Sundays at home meant enjoying steaming plates of pasta with homemade tomato sauce and tender meatballs. When I moved to Spain, however, I was introduced to a whole new world of meatballs (albóndigas). Spanish meatballs are cooked in a wide range of broths and sauces, offering a unique flavor that's quite different from the traditional Italian tomato sauce! One such version is the classic favorite of albóndiags simmered in a rich and flavorful almond sauce.
Ingredients
Wondering what ingredients you need to make these mouthwatering Spanish meatballs in almond sauce? Let's discuss the most important ingredients you need!
- Ground Meat: I like to use a mixture of ground beef and ground pork. Use leaner ground beef if you can so the meatballs won't be overly greasy.
- Almonds: Use raw blanched almonds (ones that have their brown skins removed). You'll toast them briefly in olive oil for a wonderful flavor!
- Saffron: This expensive spice turns the almond sauce a beautiful golden yellow. If you can't find saffron, use a couple pinches of turmeric for color instead.
See recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.
How to Make Spanish Albóndigas
If you’d like to see the full ingredients and instructions, scroll to the bottom of the post for the printable recipe card.
- Combine the ground beef and pork, eggs, minced garlic, parsley, milk, spices, and breadcrumbs until well combined. Be careful not to overmix, or the meat will get tough. (image 1)
- Cover with plastic, pushing the wrap onto the surface of the meat, and refrigerate for a few hours. Roll into medium-sized balls. (image 2)
- Dredge each meatball in flour. (image 3)
- Fry the meatballs in hot olive or sunflower oil until browned, turning frequently to brown all sides. Drain on paper towels. (image 4)
- Start the almond sauce by cooking the garlic cloves in olive oil until browned. (image 5)
- Fry the almonds in the same oil until they're golden, making sure to remove them as soon as they color to prevent them from burning. (image 6)
- Turn up the heat and toast the bread in the same oil, tossing frequently, to make croutons. (image 7)
- Add the garlic, almonds, bread, chicken stock, and saffron-infused white wine to a blender and blend until smooth but not completely puréed. (image 8)
- Cover the meatballs with the sauce and cook for 20 minutes on low heat. Add a bit of water to thin the sauce if needed. (image 9)
- Adjust the salt and pepper to taste, then serve the meatballs warm and enjoy! (image 10)
Recipe FAQs
This mouthwatering Spanish almond sauce is made from garlic, toasted blanched almonds, toasted bread, chicken stock, and saffron-infused white wine. You'll love its amazing flavor, especially when it's served with these tasty, moist albóndigas.
There's two main reasons your albóndigas can fall apart: a dry meat mixture and overcooking the meatballs. Make sure that you're using enough binding agent (breadcrumbs and egg) in the meat mixture so it can hold its shape, and chill it thoroughly before shaping. Also, cook the meatballs in the sauce over low heat so they don't break apart.
Yes, you can! I use milk in my albóndigas recipe to help bind the meat together and to add moisture.
Serve
Enjoy these albóndigas with almond sauce while they're warm, and serve with rice or potatoes for a tasty main course.
Round out your meal with some other Spanish tapas recipes, such as Spanish garlic mushrooms, Padrón peppers, and berenjenas fritas con miel (fried eggplant with honey).
Expert Tips
- Avoid overmixing the meat for the meatballs, or it will be tough. Cover with plastic wrap and chill thoroughly before rolling to help the meatballs hold together and have a better flavor.
- When cooking the meatballs in the sauce, keep the heat on low so the meatballs don't overcook and fall apart.
- Thin the sauce with water as desired.
Spanish Albóndigas in Almond Sauce
Ingredients
For the Meatballs
- 1 pound ground pork
- 1 pound ground beef
- 3 eggs
- 2 garlic cloves minced
- 1 handful parsley minced
- ½ cup milk
- ¼ cup breadcrumbs
- salt to taste
- pepper to taste
- all-purpose flour
- olive oil or sunflower oil for frying
For the Sauce
- ⅔ cup white wine
- 1 pinch saffron threads
- ¼ cup olive oil
- 3 whole garlic cloves
- 4 slices white bread crusts removed and cut into quarters
- ⅔ cup chicken stock
- ½ cup raw almonds
Instructions
Making the Meatballs
- Make the meatball mixture by combining the eggs, minced garlic, minced parsley, milk, salt, pepper, and breadcrumbs. Add more breadcrumbs if necessary to be able to form the meatballs.
- Cover the meat with plastic wrap, pressing the plastic onto the surface of the meat, then refrigerate for a few hours, or up to overnight. You can skip this step, but may have to add more breadcrumbs and the meatballs may not be as flavorful.
- Once the meat mixture is chilled, roll it into medium sized balls, then dredge in flour. Fry in hot olive oil, turning to brown all sides, then drain on paper towels. They should still be pink on the inside, as they'll continue to cook in the almond sauce.
Making the Almond Sauce
- Pour the saffron into the white wine and let it infuse while you're preparing the sauce.
- Pour about ¼ cup olive oil into a frying pan and sauté the whole garlic cloves over medium heat. Take them out as soon as they're golden, then add them to a food processor or blender.
- In the same oil, fry the raw almonds until golden. Take them out as soon as they've turned color--don't let them burn--then add them to the food processor.
- In the same oil, fry the slices of white bread over higher heat to make croutons. Remove and add to the food processor.
- Add the chicken stock and saffron-infused white wine to the food processor, and blend until smooth but not completely puréed, about 1 minute.
Cooking the Meatballs
- Cover the meatballs with the sauce, and cook for about 20 minutes over a very low heat. (If you cook on a high heat, the meatballs could break apart.) If the sauce is too thick, add a bit of water.
- Taste, adjust the salt and pepper, and enjoy your homemade Spanish albóndigas in almond sauce! Serve with rice or potatoes for a delicious main course.
Notes
- Avoid overmixing the meat for the meatballs, or it will be tough. Cover with plastic wrap and chill thoroughly before rolling to help the meatballs hold together and have a better flavor.
- When cooking the meatballs in the sauce, keep the heat on low so the meatballs don't overcook and fall apart.
- Thin the sauce with water as desired.
Nutrition
Photography by Giulia Verdinelli
Giulia
This sauce was spectacular!! The combo saffron almond is really delicate yet flavourful. I'm glad I made extra sauce (I used a little bit more of each sauce ingredient) so there was plenty left to mop up with bread 🙂
Marian
H can you freeze the sauce after you have made it
Lauren Aloise
Yes!
Patricia
I'm interested in making the almond saffron sauce, my question is can I use almond meal instead of whole almonds. Thanks.
Lauren Aloise
I haven't tried it, but as long as it's mealy and not a flour I think it should work!
Sarah Haftmann
Hi there,
Could you tell me what type of white wine to use?
Thanks!
Lauren Aloise
Any dry white wine will do. In Spain I might use some fino (sherry) or a dry Rueda, for example.
Mary Sovik Benedetti
I just made this (ready to simmer the meatballs) and found the sauce to be very bitter. it may be because my raw almonds had the skins on. I added some half and half (about 1/4 cup) and a touch of honey and it's way better.
Lauren Aloise
Hi Mary - sorry to hear that! The almonds should definitely be completely raw - no skins! That will take away the bitterness naturally. Next time! Glad you could save it 🙂
Michelle Colletto
Hi Mary! With this recipe there are two things that can make it bitter: 1. Not taking off the skin on the almonds and 2. Over-cooking the garlic (garlic becomes bitter if it is cooked past the golden stage and very bitter if burnt, so always watch it as it is cooking and cook on medium heat to avoid any accidents). To remove skin from almonds: Boil a small pot of water. When the water is boiling, pour your almonds in and wait for the water to return to a boil. Leave them in for 1 minute and drain. Put them immediately in cold ice water and take them out one by one and pop them through their skin from the bottom to the top of the almond with your thumb and forefinger. Good luck!
Pablo Heras Palacios
They look amazing! I usually make them with wine sauce and flour, I will try this recipe next time!