Best 6 Cuban Meatballs Recipes

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Cuban meatballs, also known as "albondigas de res", are a delicious and versatile dish that combines the flavors of ground beef, spices, and a flavorful sofrito sauce. They can be served as an appetizer, main course, or as part of a larger meal. Cuban meatballs are a staple in Cuban cuisine and are often served with rice, beans, or a side salad. They are also frequently used in soups and stews. If you are looking for a flavorful and easy-to-make recipe, Cuban meatballs are a great option. With just a few simple ingredients and steps, you can create a delicious dish that will please the whole family.

Here are our top 6 tried and tested recipes!

MEATBALLS CUBAN STYLE



Meatballs Cuban Style image

In this recipe meatballs are seasoned with a combination of traditional Cuban spices.

Provided by Elizabeth

Categories     Main Course

Time 1h

Number Of Ingredients 17

1 pound Ground Beef (Chuck)
1 Medium Onion (finely diced, divided)
1 teaspoon Salt
1 teaspoon Garlic Powder
¼ teaspoon Ground Cumin
¼ teaspoon Dried Oregano
¼ teaspoon Black Pepper
1 tablespoon Parsley (divided)
1 Egg (slightly beaten)
¼ cup Bread Crumbs (plain)
Oil for Frying (use a neutral oil with a high smoke point (we use canola oil))
2 tablespoon Olive Oil
3-4 Garlic Cloves (minced)
¼ cup White Wine
16 ounce Tomato Sauce
1 tablespoon Ketchup
1 Bay Leaf

Steps:

  • Place the ground beef in a large bowl. Add half of the diced onions, salt, garlic powder, cumin, oregano, black pepper, ½ tablespoon parsley, egg and the bread crumbs. Mix the ground beef with your hands until all of the ingredients are incorporated.
  • Form the ground beef into meatballs, roughly the size of a golf ball. Makes approximately 12 meatballs
  • Add enough oil to a large, deep skillet to cover the bottom by about ¼ inch. Heat the oil over medium-high. When the oil is hot, carefully add the meatballs. Fry them, turning occasionally to brown on all sides. This will take 5 minutes or so. When the meatballs are browned, remove them from the skillet to a plate or pan.
  • Heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium heat, add the remaining onions. Cook the onions for 3-4 minutes, stirring frequently. Add the minced garlic and cook another 1-2 minutes, stirring frequently. Next, add the white wine and cook for just a minute or so, stirring and gently scrapping any bits off the bottom of the pot. Add the tomato sauce, bay leaf and ketchup, stir well to combine.
  • Add the meatballs to the sauce, stir gently. Bring the sauce to a simmer, lower the heat to medium-low to low and cover. Cook for 25-30 minutes, stirring occasionally.
  • Taste the sauce and add salt, if needed.
  • Sprinkle the remaining parsley on the meatballs and serve with white rice.

Nutrition Facts : Calories 526 kcal, Carbohydrate 17 g, Protein 24 g, Fat 39 g, SaturatedFat 10 g, Cholesterol 121 mg, Sodium 1252 mg, Fiber 2 g, Sugar 7 g, ServingSize 1 serving

MEATBALL RECIPE



Meatball Recipe image

An easy, quick-to-make, Cuban-style and homemade meatballs recipe, which you can use in many delicious meals.

Provided by Dailis

Categories     Main Course

Time 15m

Yield 1 Recipient

Number Of Ingredients 10

1 pound of ground meat (beef, pork or both)
1 onion
1 pepper
2 tablespoons of tomato purée
¼ teaspoon of pepper
¼ teaspoon of oregano
¼ teaspoon of cumin powder
1 cup of breadcrumbs
1 ½ cup of flour
Salt as desired

Steps:

  • 1 Chop the onion and the pepper in very small pieces, as small as possible. You can also grind them to give them a finer texture.
  • 2 Put the ground meat in a bowl to mix it with the rest of the ingredients, except the flour.
  • 3 Add the onion, the pepper, the teaspoon of pepper, oregano, salt, the breadcrumbs and the tomato purée.
  • 4 With clean hands knead the mixture a bit, so all the ingredients get mixed together and it becomes more compacted. Let it rest for 10 minutes.
  • 5 After this time, make little balls of the mixture, and then cover them with flour.
  • 6 In this way, our homemade meatballs are ready to be used immediately as you wish or can be frozen for use at a later date. How To Make Homemade GROUND MEAT MEATBALLS. Easy Recipe Today we show you how to make very easy, juicy and tasty homemade meatballs that you can enjoy at home whenever you want and in a matter of minutes. We also explain all the tricks to ...

Nutrition Facts :

CABBAGE & MEATBALLS



Cabbage & Meatballs image

I think the dill pickles are the secret to this simple yet hearty recipe. When our children were small, they were not too fond of cabbage, but they loved this dish.

Provided by Taste of Home

Categories     Dinner

Time 35m

Yield 2 servings.

Number Of Ingredients 10

3 cups chopped cabbage
1 cup tomato juice
1 egg, beaten
1 small onion, chopped
1 tablespoon chili powder
1 tablespoon cider vinegar
1 tablespoon chopped dill pickle
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
3/4 pound lean ground beef (90% lean)

Steps:

  • Place cabbage in a large saucepan; add tomato juice. Cover and simmer over low heat. Meanwhile, combine the egg, onion, chili powder, vinegar, pickle, salt and pepper. Crumble beef over mixture and mix well. Shape into 2-in. balls. Add to cabbage mixture., Cover and cook over low heat for 15-20 minutes or until meat is no longer pink, stirring occasionally.

Nutrition Facts : Calories 378 calories, Fat 17g fat (6g saturated fat), Cholesterol 210mg cholesterol, Sodium 1148mg sodium, Carbohydrate 19g carbohydrate (11g sugars, Fiber 6g fiber), Protein 39g protein.

ALBONDIGAS - CUBAN MEATBALLS



Albondigas - Cuban Meatballs image

This is a recipe "By Three Guys From Miami Cook Cuban" that I adapted a tiny bit. Here is what they state: "Giant Cuban meatballs that put many Italian meatballs to shame!" I can't wait to try this version of meatballs, sounds delicious!! I am posting this for ZWT 9, so untried by me at this time.

Provided by diner524

Categories     Meatballs

Time 1h

Yield 4-6 serving(s)

Number Of Ingredients 20

2 eggs
1 cup cracker crumb (Try Cuban, or Club Crackers. You can also buy prepared crumbs)
1/4 cup milk
1 1/2 lbs ground beef
1 teaspoon dry mustard
1 1/2 teaspoons cumin
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1 small onion, chopped fine
1/2 cup green onion, chopped fine
flour (for rolling meatballs in)
2 tablespoons olive oil (for frying meatballs)
1 medium onion, chopped
1/2 green pepper, chopped
4 garlic cloves, mashed
1/3 cup ketchup
1 tablespoon white vinegar
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1 teaspoon salt
15 ounces tomato sauce

Steps:

  • In a large bowl, mix eggs, cracker crumbs, and milk together. Blend in the ground beef and all remaining ingredients.
  • Form mixture into large balls(6-8). Roll in flour to lightly coat and sauté in olive oil until cooked through, remove and set a side while making the sauce in the same pan.
  • To make sauce, sauté onion and green pepper in the remaining olive oil(add a tablespoon more if necessary) until translucent. Add mashed garlic during the last minute or two of frying. Drain thoroughly. Add remaining ingredients and mix well. Now add the meatballs back into the pan and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer on low for about 30 minutes.

Nutrition Facts : Calories 675.6, Fat 36.4, SaturatedFat 12.2, Cholesterol 210.8, Sodium 2114.1, Carbohydrate 45.8, Fiber 4, Sugar 15.3, Protein 41

CUBAN-STYLE MEATBALLS



Cuban-Style Meatballs image

Fragrant with cumin, garlic and onion, these flavorful Cuban-style meatballs are served with hot cooked rice and topped with Parmesan cheese.

Provided by My Food and Family

Categories     Home

Time 50m

Yield 6 servings

Number Of Ingredients 13

2 tsp. oil
1 large onion, finely chopped
1 green pepper, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp. ground cumin
1 can (8 oz.) tomato sauce
1 can (15 oz.) black beans, rinsed
1 cup beer
8 slices OSCAR MAYER Deli Fresh Smoked Ham, finely chopped
1-1/2 lb. lean ground beef
1 egg
3-1/2 cups hot cooked long-grain white rice, divided
1/4 cup KRAFT Grated Parmesan Cheese

Steps:

  • Heat oil in large saucepan on medium-high heat. Add onions, peppers, garlic and cumin; cook 10 min. or until tender, stirring frequently. Spoon 3/4 cup vegetable mixture into blender. Add tomato sauce; blend until smooth.
  • Add beans, beer, ham and blended sauce to onion mixture in saucepan; bring to boil.
  • Mix ground beef, egg and 1/2 cup rice until blended; shape into 12 meatballs. Carefully add to boiling sauce; cover.
  • Cook on medium heat 20 to 25 min. or until meatballs are done (165ºF). Serve with remaining rice. Top with cheese.

Nutrition Facts : Calories 460, Fat 14 g, SaturatedFat 5 g, TransFat 0 g, Cholesterol 110 mg, Sodium 560 mg, Carbohydrate 45 g, Fiber 6 g, Sugar 4 g, Protein 34 g

MIDDLE EASTERN CUMIN MEATBALLS



Middle Eastern Cumin Meatballs image

These Middle Eastern meatballs with garlic and cumin are heavy on the garlic, so feel free to scale it down if you wish. We love it as is! The meatballs and sauce are perfect served over bulghur. Bulghur wheat can be found next to the rice in Middle Eastern markets and even some of the bigger grocery stores. Prepare it as you would rice.

Provided by Ani

Categories     Main Dish Recipes     Meatball Recipes

Time 35m

Yield 4

Number Of Ingredients 12

1 ½ pounds lean ground beef
1 egg
2 tablespoons minced garlic
¼ cup bread crumbs
½ teaspoon cumin
salt and pepper to taste
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 ½ cups water
3 tablespoons tomato paste
2 tablespoons lemon juice
¼ teaspoon garlic powder
salt and pepper to taste

Steps:

  • Combine the ground beef, egg, garlic, bread crumbs, cumin, salt, and pepper in a large bowl until well mixed. Roll the mixture into egg-sized balls, and set aside.
  • Heat the vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the meatballs; cook until firm, and browned on all sides, about 10 minutes. Remove meatballs from the skillet and pour out the fat.
  • Bring the water to a boil in the same skillet over medium-high heat. Stir in the tomato paste, lemon juice, garlic powder, salt, and pepper. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to medium. Add the cooked meatballs, and simmer in the tomato sauce for 5 to 10 minutes until completely cooked.

Nutrition Facts : Calories 483.5 calories, Carbohydrate 9.5 g, Cholesterol 165.1 mg, Fat 32.7 g, Fiber 1 g, Protein 36.5 g, SaturatedFat 10.2 g, Sodium 632.3 mg, Sugar 2.3 g

Tips:

  • To achieve a crispy and flavorful crust on your meatballs, ensure that the oil is shimmering and hot before adding them to the pan. This will help them sear quickly and prevent them from sticking.
  • For a juicy and tender interior, avoid overcooking the meatballs. Use a meat thermometer to check that they have reached an internal temperature of 165°F (74°C) before removing them from the pan.
  • To add a touch of smokiness and depth of flavor to the sauce, use a combination of smoked paprika and cumin. These spices pair well with the tangy tomato sauce and create a harmonious blend of flavors.
  • If you prefer a spicier sauce, feel free to add a pinch of cayenne pepper or red pepper flakes. This will add a subtle kick without overpowering the other flavors.
  • For a creamy and velvety sauce, blend a portion of the sauce with heavy cream until smooth. This will add richness and help balance the acidity of the tomatoes.

Conclusion:

These Cuban meatballs are a delightful culinary experience that combines the vibrant flavors of Latin cuisine with the comfort of a classic comfort food. With their crispy exterior, juicy interior, and flavorful sauce, these meatballs are sure to be a hit at your next gathering. Serve them over rice, mashed potatoes, or your favorite pasta for a complete and satisfying meal. Whether you're a seasoned cook or a beginner in the kitchen, these Cuban meatballs are a must-try recipe that will leave you craving more. So roll up your sleeves, gather your ingredients, and embark on a culinary journey to the heart of Cuban cuisine!

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