Albóndigas guisadas are the classic Dominican-style meatballs made with beef and cooked in tomato sauce. They are juicy, flavorful and easy to make.
Why we ❤️ it
Growing up I thought that nearly everybody made meatballs the same way we did, and although it's not like I've become an expert on meatballs (or anything for that matter), I have found out that our meatballs are uniquely ours.
Thanks to the Viking superstore, masses of Dominicans have tried the world-famous Swedish ones, and yet I suspect that nobody is going to adopt them at home. This simple dish, like everything we cook, reflects our preference for certain flavors.
What are albondigas?
Albóndigas in Spanish are any kind of savory food in the shape of a ball. The name applies to meat balls, or even balls made without any kind of meat. Meatballs, however, specifically beef meatballs, is what we think of if nothing else is specified.
Albóndigas recipes
We also have recipes for a baked meatball stuffed with egg, as well as fish balls, the traditional albóndigon (meatloaf), meatballs stuffed with cheese, and a vegan albóndiga.
How to cook albondigas guisadas
For us, anything guisado is cooked in a tomato-based sauce, and these albóndigas guisadas are no exception.
The tricks to keeping albóndigas from breaking apart are the agglutinating ingredients used (in this case breadcrumbs and eggs) and flipping them gently.
Serving suggestions
Albóndigas guisadas dominicanas are served as we would any other guisada meat: with arroz blanco (white rice), avocados, and perhaps beans and tostones.
About this recipe
This recipe serves 4 people. Servings are approximately 3 medium-sized meatballs (about 1½ inches in diameter [about 4 cm]). You may double the ingredients for extra or larger servings.
If you've never tried albóndigas de res a la Dominicana, do so and see how it compares to your own version.
So here is the Dominican version. And, needless to say, each Dominican cook has a slightly different version, as you can imagine. This is the one I love the most. And if yours has any special touch, I'd love to hear it, let me know in the comments.
Recipe
[Recipe + Video] Albóndigas de Res Guisada (Dominican Meatballs)
Ingredients
For the meatballs
- ¾ pound minced beef, [0.34 kg]
- 1 egg (medium), big
- ½ cup breadcrumbs, or homemade breadcrumbs (our recipe)
- 1 small red onion, minced
- ¼ teaspoon pepper (freshly-cracked, or ground)
- 1½ teaspoon salt
- ½ tablespoon mashed garlic
- 6 tablespoons olive oil
For the sauce
- 1 small red onion, diced
- 2 garlic cloves, chopped
- 1 bell pepper, diced
- 6 large tomato, chopped
- 2 tablespoons capers
- 1½ cup tomato sauce
- 1 teaspoon salt, or to taste
- 2 tablespoons minced parsley
Instructions
Making the meatballs: Combine all the ingredients for the meatballs and knead with your hands until it is well-mixed.Put two tablespoons of this mixture in the palm of your hand and roll into balls. Repeat until all the mixture is used.
Brown meatballs: Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Cook the meatballs, turning carefully as they cook until they are lightly browned. Remove the meatballs from the skillet. At this point they are still raw inside, they will finish cooking later on.
Cooking the vegetables: Remove half the oil from the skillet, and lower heat to medium-low.Add the onions and cook and stir until the onions become translucent.Stir in garlic, bell pepper, and capers. Stir until heated through and stir in tomatoes. Pour in the tomato sauce. Add 1 cup of water, and let it come to a boil.
Cooking the meatballs: Once it breaks the boil, carefully place the meatballs into the sauce. Simmer covered until they are cooked throughout, turning them to cook evenly (about 7 mins per side). Season with salt to taste, and add the parsley. Remove from the heat and serve.
Video
Nutrition
Nutritional information is calculated automatically based on ingredients listed. Please consult your doctor if you need precise nutritional information.
