Greek Recipe: Greek Meatballs AKA Soutzoukakia

If you haven’t tried Greek meatballs in tomato sauce, you are in for a treat. Meatballs are flavorful and cooked in fresh tomato juice with fresh parsley and powdered cumin! Moreover, these Greek meatballs are incredibly juicy thanks to my grandmother’s secret ingredient! They go by the name Soutzoukakia in Greek and are the BEST!

One of my all-time favorite Greek dishes is soutzoukakia. This Greek recipe is quite simple to prepare, and I guarantee you’ll enjoy it. In a way, it is the ideal dish for family gatherings.

Greek meatballs secrets

I must clarify that this is my yiayia’s family recipe, passed down through the years. Since our ancestors came from Asia Minor, we enjoy adding spices and thickening tomato sauce.

I strongly advise purchasing the meat from a butcher and having him select fresh, high-quality ground meat. Your final dish depends significantly on the ingredients.

Tomato juice is the same. Instead of tinned tomatoes, I prefer freshly squeezed ones.

One meal that brings back childhood memories of Sunday afternoons spent at your grandparents’ house is soutzoukakia. I’m excited to share a particularly delicious culinary memory with you.

Due to a particular ingredient, these Greek meatballs are exceptionally soft and juicy. ARE YOU SET? Before shaping your hands, soak them with red wine! I picked up this tip from Yiayia Eleni (Helen), and I usually use it when I make them.

Ready to make them?

Greek meatballs AKA sountzoukakia

Prep Time: 20 minutes | Cook Time: 30 minutes | Yield: 2

Ingredients

• 200gr ground pork
• 200gr ground beef
• 2-3 white or yellow onion
• 100gr fine, dry breadcrumbs
• 1 egg
• 1 tbsp parsley
• 2 1/2 tbsp cumin
• 1 tsp oregano
• 1/2 tsp coriander
• 250ml fresh tomato juice
• 2 tbsp tomato paste
• 2 garlic cloves
• 50ml extra virgin Greek olive oil
• 1/2 tsp sugar
• 2 cups cooked rice
• salt

equipment

Instructions

Please come back the day after the live cooking class to read the instructions step-by-step.

The Greek meatballs:

1. In a mixing bowl, add the ground meat, the breadcrumbs, 1/2 diced onion, 1 minced garlic clove, the egg, olive oil, 1 tbs cumin, 1/2 tsp coriander, parsley, oregano, salt, and pepper.
2. Mix all the ingredients well for 3-4 minutes.
3. Wet your hands in red wine, scoop portions of about 2 tbsp of the meat mixture, and form into large elongated meatballs.
4. Heat some olive oil in a pan and fry the meatballs for 3-4′ on both sides. Please remove them and set them aside.

The sauce:

1. In the same pan, you fry the meatballs and 1 1/2 diced onion and saute them.
2. Add 1 chopped garlic clove and 1 1/2 tbsp cumin.
3. Add the tomato paste and stir well for 2′.
4. Add the tomato juice and let boil for 10′ while stirring.
5. Add 1/2 tsp sugar, salt, and pepper.
6. Add the meatballs when your sauce is thick enough and let them cook for 5′.
7. Turn off the heat and serve on top of the rice.
8. Finish by dusting with fresh parsley, oregano, and freshly ground black pepper.

Kali orexi!

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