Spanish Meatballs in Saffron Tomato Sauce

Name: Spanish Meatballs in Saffron Tomato Sauce
Prep time: 40 min
Cook time: 1 h 30 min
Total time: 2 h 10 min
Cuisine: Spanish
Ingredients: 1/2 lb ground pork; 1/2 lb ground turkey breast; 1/2 cup breadcrumbs; 1/2 cup grated Manchego or parmesan cheese; 1/4 cup grated yellow onion; 1/2 cup finely chopped green (Spanish) olives; 4 cloves minced garlic; 1 large egg; 1 teaspoon oregano; 2 teaspoons smoked paprika; 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt; 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper; 2 tablespoons olive oil, divided; 8 – 12 Roma tomatoes, halved or quartered; 1 – 2 yellow onions, quartered; 1 – 2 whole heads of garlic; 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes; 1 cup beef broth; 1 teaspoon saffron; 1 bay leaf; kosher salt, to taste; salt & pepper, to taste; 1 – 2 cups olives, whole

Instructions

Prep:40minCook:1h 30min

Spanish Meatballs in Saffron Tomato Sauce is a riff on traditional Spanish Tapas. Draped in a ripe, roasted tomato sauce this recipe takes advantage of late summer tomatoes for a meatball stew that's smokey and rich with a hint of bitterness, a dash of heat and a big blast of Spanish olive flavour. Perfect comfort food for cool nights and big gatherings... let there be wine!

Updated at: Wed, 16 Sep 2026 00:15:39 GMT