Greek Soutzoukakia with Tomato Sauce
Spiced beef meatballs simmered in a rich tomato-wine sauce with cinnamon and oregano. A rustic Greek dinner that tastes like it simmered for hours but comes together in under an hour.
- Total time
- 50 min
- Servings
- 4
- Calories
- 385
- Protein
- 32g
Ingredients
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Open the appInstructions
Step 1
Mix ground beef, minced onion, breadcrumbs, cumin, cinnamon, oregano, 1 tsp salt, and 0.5 tsp pepper in a bowl until just combined.
Step 2
Roll mixture into 12 oval meatballs, roughly 2 inches long.
Step 3
Heat olive oil in a 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering, about 90 seconds.
Step 4
Brown meatballs in two batches without moving them, 2 minutes per side until golden. Don't crowd the pan.
Step 5
Pour red wine into the pan, scraping up browned bits. Simmer until reduced by half, about 2 minutes.
Step 6
Add crushed tomatoes and 0.5 tsp salt. Return meatballs to the pan and stir gently.
Step 7
Reduce heat to low, cover partially, and simmer 25–30 minutes until sauce thickens and flavors meld.
Step 8
Taste and adjust salt and pepper. Serve over rice, with crusty bread, or as-is with a squeeze of lemon.
Tools you’ll need
- large mixing bowl
- 12-inch skillet with lid
- wooden spoon
- meat thermometer (optional)
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