This Colombian meatballs recipe is easy to make and perfect for a weeknight dinner or lunch.
I absolutely love meatballs and my grandmother made the best albóndigas (Colombian-Style Meatballs) I ever had. One of her secrets was to add a little piece of pork belly to the center of the meatballs, which made them incredibly moist, but I prefer to omit the pork belly for health reasons :). My sister came to visit from Colombia, so we are very excited to eat them.
Ingredients You'll Need for this Recipe
The printable recipe card is below with full list of ingredients and directions.
Meat: I like to use a mix of ground pork and ground beef to make my Colombian meatballs, but feel free to omit the pork if you prefer.
Egg: It helps keeping the meatballs together.
Spices: Cumin, salt and pepper.
Flour: I like to use precooked corn flour or masarepa and all purpose flour for this recipe.
Vegetables and Herbs: Garlic, onions, scallions, cilantro and red bell pepper.
Oil: You can use olive , canola or vegetable oil to cook your meatballs.
Hogao: It's a creole sauce made with tomatoes and onions. Click the link for the recipe.
Broth: I recommend using your favorite beef broth.
How to Make Colombian Meatballs
- To make the meatballs: Place the ground beef and pork in a large bowl. Add onions, garlic, scallion, red bell pepper, masarepa, egg, salt and pepper. Mix well using your hands.
- Form the meatballs and place them on a platter.
- Place the oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Sauté the meatballs until well-browned on all sides, about 7 minutes total. Remove the meatballs to a platter lined with paper towels.
- To make the sauce: Sprinkle in the flour and stir with a wooden spoon to dissolve into the fat. Pour in the beef broth, and stir with a wooden spoon to loosen the bits from the bottom of the pan. Simmer and stir until the liquid is reduced and a sauce starts to form. Season with salt and pepper.
- Add the hogao and cook for 10 minutes, stirring often. Return the meatballs to the sauce. Simmer until the sauce thickens slightly and the meatballs are heated through, about 15 to 20 minutes.
- Sprinkle with cilantro and serve over white rice.
More Comforting Recipes
Carne Afanada (Colombian Meatloaf
Carne con Champiñones (Beef with Mushroom Sauce)
Colombian-Style Meatballs Recipe (Albondigas Colombianas)
Ingredients
- ½ pound ground pork
- ½ pound ground beef
- 1 large egg
- ½ teaspoon ground cumin
- ¼ cup precooked corn meal masarepa
- 1 garlic clove minced
- ¼ cup chopped onion
- 1 scallion chopped
- ¼ cup red bell pepper
- Salt and pepper
- 2 tablespoon oil to cook the meatballs
- 2 cups hogao
- 2 cups beef broth
- 2 tablespoons all purpose flour
- ¼ cup fresh cilantro
Instructions
- To make the meatballs: Place the ground beef and pork in a large bowl. Add onions, garlic, scallion, red bell pepper, masarepa, egg, salt and pepper. Mix well using your hands.
- Form the meatballs and place them on a platter.
- Place the oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Sauté the meatballs until well-browned on all sides, about 7 minutes total. Remove the meatballs to a platter lined with paper towels.
- To make the sauce: Sprinkle in the flour and stir with a wooden spoon to dissolve into the fat. Pour in the beef broth, and stir with a wooden spoon to loosen the bits from the bottom of the pan. Simmer and stir until the liquid is reduced and a sauce starts to form. Season with salt and pepper.
- Add the hogao and cook for 10 minutes, stirring often. Return the meatballs to the sauce. Simmer until the sauce thickens slightly and the meatballs are heated through, about 15 to 20 minutes.
- Sprinkle with cilantro and serve over white rice.
rebecca subbiah
oh these look great i get so inspired by your blog, why dont you do a guest post for me on you fav Columbian food? rebeccasubbiah at yahoo dot com
Anonymous
It is Colombian food from our Country Colombia (South America). Columbia is the American State.
Anonymous
Thank you!
Pam
I love meatballs and your's look really great!
Congrats. on the FFF!
Sarah Naveen
Meat balls looks so yumm Erica!!!
Taste Traveller
I love to make meatballs when I have guests over - they're a great little snack. I'll try the addition of cooked cornmeal next time- sounds like it helps to add moisture too!
Natasha - 5 Star Foodie
I would love to try this version of meatballs, they sound delicious! I love the addition of cornmeal.
Danielle
great, beautiful meatballs! I think I'd skip the pork belly too. The sauce sounds incredible too.
Kim
Meatballs are popular this week!! Thanks so much for sharing this recipe. You gave me a great idea for my little 2 year old. He is allergic to beef and wheat and can't have traditional meatballs. It never dawned on me to use cornmeal to hold a meatball together. I think I make something work with ground pork and cornmeal. Kids just love meatballs!! These look delicious and I love that you grandma would put a piece of pork belly in the middle : )
Erica
Thank you all for the comments!
Anna
Pork belly inside the meatballs, that must be delicious. It looks very yummy and I love anything with cilantro, it's such an aromatic herb.
nora@ffr
yummm!! i loveee meat balllsss!! i shud try ye way sometime sooner!! thanx
cheers!
jeanine
Excellent recipe...just made for my boyfriend --he is from Cali. Loved it !! Okay whats next...thanks
Erica
Hi Jeanine,
Thank you very much for your feedback 🙂
Jenn AKA The Leftover Queen
I love any kind of meatballs, and these look scrumptious!
Erica
Thank you everyone for visiting:)
Stephanie in Phoenix
I made albondigas last night. We loved them. I am planning on making them for an upcoming casual holiday party. I am sure it make a great crock pot dish!
Emily
Can I use Maseca in place of Masarepa?
Erica Dinho
Yes.
Ingrid
Quebo Erica!
Gracias por tus recetas! Mi mamita y mi mami solo cocinaban arroz y frijoles cuando había! Y por lo tanto, fue lo único que aprendí de ellas. Que dicha poder aprender de nuestra cultura! Mil gracias mi amor y que Dios te bendiga!!!
Lola Ramirez
I might be missing it, but I don't see where it says how much oil to use. And I'm a bit confused where it says: "Sprinkle in the flour and stir with a wooden spoon to dissolve into the fat" , does this mean we use the same pan where the meat balls where?
Sorry this might seem silly but I'm new to cooking and I'm really looking forward to making these.
Erica Dinho
2 tablespoons of oil.
Yes, use the same pan.
Mercedes
Acabo de preparar esta receta y de verdad que quedo muy buen, a mi marido le gusto también.
I made this recipe today and was very good.
Gracias.
Alan Bowman
We prepare ours the night before and put them in the slow cooker with a tomato sauce and serve them with rice or mashed potatoes or supermash (mashed potatoes with beaten egg then whipped) or super-duper mah which is the same as supermash but with the addition of grated cheese.