Albondigas meatball recipe: 59 photos
Instant Pot Spanish Meatballs (Albondigas) with Tomato Sauce
FAQ
Albóndigas is the Spanish word for meatballs, which is exactly what these are. Albóndigas are beef-based, bound with rice and egg, and flavored with onion, garlic, cilantro, dried oregano, and cumin. They're very different from Italian meatballs but equally delicious!
meatballs. Albondigas soup is a traditional Mexican meatball soup (albondigas means meatballs in Spanish) that my mother has cooked for our family for more than 50 years.);})();(function(){window.jsl.dh(d1_HZurPD-CjwPAPpJzCgAo__110,
Add a lightly beaten egg, but not too much. Egg acts as a binder for the ingredients, but you only need a small amount. One small egg will do for one pound of minced meat. Alternatively, if you're following an egg-free diet, you could soak fresh bread in milk, squeezing out any excess milk, to use as a binder.
Egg and breadcrumbs are common mix-ins to add moisture and tenderness. Another binder option that people swear by is a panade, which is fresh or dry breadcrumbs that have been soaked in milk. “The soaked breadcrumbs help keep the proteins in the meat from shrinking,” as food writer Tara Holland explained in the Kitchn.
When ready to cook them, I took a cue from Lidia Bastianich, Italian cookbook author and PBS celebrity chef. Bastianich recommends giving the meatballs a little dusting of flour before adding them to the oil in the skillet. The ones I dredged in flour did hold up better than those I did not.