Spanish Meatballs with Pepper and Tomato Wine Sauce are fabulous appetizer or main. Delicious tapas is made with black olives and fresh herbs are nestled in a rich red pepper and tomato red wine sauce.
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Super Moist and Tender
These little meatballs are going to knock your socks off. These Spanish Meatballs with Pepper and Tomato Wine Sauce are so tender and succulent and baked to perfect and finish the basting process in a rich and delicious red pepper and tomato red wine sauce.
Wish you could smell the lovely aroma from the sauce slowly cooking over the burner. It's going to make you so hungry to be sure to make lots of extra meatballs. Save a little wine for the cook.
Appetizer or Main
Spanish Meatballs with Pepper and Tomato Wine Sauce are the perfect little hot tapas idea. They can be made ahead and just re-heated before your guests arrive. These meatballs can also be eaten as a lunch or dinner with a nice tossed salad for a lower carb dinner.
If you are not watching your carbs, you will want some good crusty bread to lap up all of those delicious red pepper and tomato wine sauces. So good!
Ingredient Options
Did you know that Spanish meatballs can be made with ground turkey or even a mixture of ground pork, veal, beef, bison or even venison? However, these items are difficult and expensive to obtain in Hong Kong. We opted for the easy lean ground beef option.
Try Cracker Crumbs
We were completely out of bread crumbs and bread. However, we did have a box of these delightful black olive crackers from Mark and Spencer's . We were saving these crackers for a special occasion. This occasion is as special as any other.
If you add the cracker crumbs to these Spanish Meatballs, it takes this tapas dish to a whole new level! You can most certainly use gluten-free bread crumbs as well or tofu like we did with our Asian style venison meatballs.
Meatballs are LOOKING at you!
Do you plan out your recipes for every meal? Are you from the camp of looking to see what you have in the house and get creative? We do both. Black seedless olives just happened to be in our pantry. However, Kalamata or Spanish green olives would be lovely too.
Don't you just love how these meatballs with black olives look like they have eyeballs? Maybe, these Spanish Meatballs with Pepper and Tomato Wine Sauce are perfect to serve for Halloween. If you are looking for more delicious tender meatballs be sure to try our Thai Curry Turkey Tofu Meatballs and our Sesame Miso Chicken Meatballs just to name a couple.
Rocking Tomato Wine Sauce
We were drinking a lovely Babich Winemakers Reserve Marlborough pinot nior from New Zealand. We decided to throw in a little in the sauce and the "cook" and it was delightful. Feel free to splash in a little of whatever your drinking at the time. However, a red full-bodied wine works best.
At first glance the recipe list may seem large. If you closely, some of the same ingredients are repeated such as the olive oil, paprika, basil and oregano. some are used in both the meatballs and in the sauce. We listed them twice as it is easier to read the directions.
Tapas Party
We made a double batch of Spanish Meatball Tapas for the holidays. One we consumed for dinner and one is in the freezer. We will be hosting over the holidays and undoubtedly we will have unexpected guests. Spanish Olive Meatball Tapas is something that can be reheated and served in just a few minutes flat.
A fun idea for gatherings is a Spanish Tapas theme with our Spanish Meatballs with Pepper and Tomato Wine Sauce, Beef Empanadas topped with Chimichurri sauce, fruity sangrias, a Spanish cheese, cured meats and olives board and a sweet ending of the Best Orange Almond Flourless Cake.
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Spanish Meatballs with Pepper and Tomato Wine Sauce
Ingredients
Spanish Meatballs
- 1.5 pounds ground beef
minced - 1.5 cups crackers crumbs
(We used Mark and Spencers Black olive crackers but you can exchange with gluten free breadcrumbs- put cracker in a sealed plastic bag and pound with a rolling pin until small crumbs) - 1 cup olives roughly chopped black seedless
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1 teaspoon basil
- 1 teaspoon oregano
- 1 egg
beaten - ¼ cup olive oil
- ⅓ cup parsley
chopped - salt and pepper
to taste
Red pepper and Tomato Wine Sauce
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 onion
peeled and chopped - ¼ cup red bell pepper
- 3 cloves garlic
peeled and minced - 1 cup red wine
- 24 oz basic tomato sauce
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1 teaspoon basil
- 1 teaspoon oregano
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 190 degrees C (375 degrees F)
- Make the Spanish Meatballs: Mix the ground beef, cracker crumbs, olives, paprika, basil, oregano, egg, olive oil parsley and salt and pepper. Mix well and form mixture into small 1.5 inch meatballs. Place on a greased baking sheet and bake for 12-15 minutes or until golden brown.
- In the meantime, make the sauce: In a large skillet, place olive oil, chopped onion, chopped red pepper, minced garlic and cook until translucent. Add red wine to the mixture and then add the red tomato sauce, paprika, basil, oregano and salt and pepper to taste.
- Add baked meatballs to the sauce to finish off cooking and baste for about 5 minutes.
- Enjoy as a delicious hot tapas or as a lunch or dinner with a tossed salad and maybe a slice of crusty bread to soak up that delicious sauce.
dianeskitchentable says
Oh you are absolutely the most clever & inventive cook I know. I look around at what's in my pantry, my fridge, my freezer and say..."how about we go out to eat". I just never seem to put 2 & 2 together to come up with a meal but then I look at your creations and really want to try. These do look fabulous & I love the idea of freezing them. Ok - New Year's Resolution...get creative AND make extra to freeze.
Healthy World Cuisine says
Diane you are making me blush...thank you. I think my making due with what I have in the kitchen was forced upon me when we moved to Asia. Food is very expensive here in contrast to the States so I am always looking for new ways to use what we have to reduce waste. In addition, it comes out of pure laziness as I really do not want to ride the bus and then walk for 20 minutes and then track back with a heavy granny bag every single day while living here in HK...you know what I mean public transport it is what it is... Making extra and freezing a batch is always a great idea for us as there is just some times when life is busy and it is good to know you have some delicious waiting for you and you don't have to ride the public bus and walk up hill both ways to get supplies... Wishing you a super 2015!!
dianeskitchentable says
You know you're spoiled when you have 6 supermarkets within 4 miles of your house (yet, I still send my husband). I'm picturing you with your granny bags tilting uphill - sort of like the Asian version of a nonna.
shashi @ http://runninsrilankan.com says
I adore that you added olives to these meatballs!
Marlene says
Good recipe for me.....easy to substitute with gluten free crackers. 'Life'
has a couple of tasty brands in Hong Kong. Thanks and Happy New Year !
Jasline @ Foodie Baker says
Sounds interesting and delicious, adding olives to the meatballs! The olives look like little gems to me. It's hard to get ground turkey in Singapore too, so I usually just go for a beef-pork combination! Have a happy new year and all the best for the coming year!
Culinary Flavors says
They are bursting with flavors Bobbi! I wish to you a very Happy New Year!
Robyn says
Meatballs are one of my very favorite and these look so delicious, Bobbi! I love that you used those crackers and along with the olives, the taste must be out of this world. Red wine in the sauce? More deliciousness! Love your choice of spices - each bite must be like a taste explosion in our mouth. Perfect for New Years! Sharing all over.
Happy New Year to you and yours, Bobbi!
hotlyspiced says
Your meatballs look amazing. And meatballs are always a meal everyone in the family will enjoy. I do love how these have olives xx
Thalia says
These Spanish meatballs just look SO delicious, especially drenched in all that tomato and wine sauce. Yum!
Monica says
Love all your successful kitchen improv! I love the sound of meatballs with olives - what a delicious idea! Hope you are enjoying the holidays and Happy New Year!!
Balvinder says
I can visualize myself eating this on New year's eve. Honestly, they look so good!
chef mimi says
This just looks so so good. Love the olives in the meatballs!
Tandy | Lavender and Lime says
What a great idea to use crackers instead of bread crumbs. I love meatballs done like this 🙂
Maureen | Orgasmic Chef says
I love meatballs at a party. It gives something hearty to eat while everyone is drinking. Your meatballs will be a good thing for New Year's Eve.
Happy New Year!!
nancyc says
These meatballs sound so good–I think I could eat a whole plateful of these! 🙂
The Foodie Affair says
Mmm, your recipe came together nicely! My husband loves olives, so this would be nice change from the meatballs I usually make. Delicious low carb meal too!