Spanish Albóndigas in Almond Sauce

5 from 8 votes

These Spanish albóndigas are a true crowd pleaser, and are a perfect tapa or main course. The saffron almond sauce is out of this world!

Prep Time20

Cook Time40

Total Time1

Course: Tapa

Cuisine: Spanish

Servings: servings

Calories: 1021.94kcal

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.

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.

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.

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.