Soutzoukakia (Baked Spiced Meatballs In Tomato Sauce)
By Amanda LuchtelPublished on March 5, 2024
Time
2 hours
Yield
Serves 4 to 6
Ingredients
Before You Begin
Use the large holes of a box grater or the shredding disk of a food processor to grate the onions. The meatballs and sauce both use parts of the same onion mixture. Serve the meatballs with mashed potatoes or rice.
Instructions
- Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 350 degrees. Cook onions, oil, garlic, and ½ teaspoon salt in large saucepan over medium heat, stirring often, until onions are well softened but not browned, about 15 minutes. Transfer half of onion mixture to large bowl; set aside.
- Stir flour into onion mixture left in saucepan and cook over medium heat until well incorporated, about 30 seconds. Whisk in water and cook, whisking constantly, until mixture is slightly thickened, about 1 minute. Stir in tomato sauce, bay leaves, and ¼ teaspoon cinnamon and bring to simmer. Remove from heat and cover to keep warm.
- Add panko and milk to bowl with reserved onion mixture and stir to combine. Let sit until panko is softened, about 1 minute. Stir in parsley, eggs, cumin, pepper, remaining 1¾ teaspoons salt, and remaining ½ teaspoon cinnamon until evenly combined. Add beef and knead with your hands until well combined.
- Divide meat mixture into 16 portions (about ¼ cup each). Using your lightly moistened hands, roll each portion into ball shape, then gently press ball into 3-inch-long torpedo shape with tapered ends. Arrange meatballs in even layer in 13 by 9-inch baking dish.
- Pour sauce over meatballs. Cover dish tightly with aluminum foil and bake until meatballs are cooked through and sauce is slightly thickened, about 1 hour. Let rest, covered, for 15 minutes. Discard bay leaves and turn meatballs to coat in sauce. Serve.
Time
2 hoursYield
Serves 4 to 6Ingredients
Test Kitchen Techniques
Ingredients
Test Kitchen Techniques
Ingredients
Test Kitchen Techniques
Why This Recipe Works
Soutzoukakia is a comforting dish consisting of torpedo-shaped meatballs robustly spiced with cumin, garlic, parsley, and onions and braised in a rich tomato sauce. This homey dish has traveled from table to table: It originated in Smyrna, Turkey, and was brought to Greece by Greek refugees fleeing the Greco-Turkish War in the 1920s. Turkish and Greek cooks continued to bring the dish with them wherever they moved, so it became known in various versions around the world. We preferred the more streamlined weeknight-friendly versions where the meatballs are baked in the sauce. To start, we sweated shredded onions in olive oil to use in both the meatballs and the sauce. We added flour to the remaining onions in the saucepan to create the base of the velvety sauce. Then, we whisked in water and canned tomato sauce, poured the sauce over the formed meatballs, and baked them until bubbling and fully cooked.
Before You Begin
Use the large holes of a box grater or the shredding disk of a food processor to grate the onions. The meatballs and sauce both use parts of the same onion mixture. Serve the meatballs with mashed potatoes or rice.
Instructions
- Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 350 degrees. Cook onions, oil, garlic, and ½ teaspoon salt in large saucepan over medium heat, stirring often, until onions are well softened but not browned, about 15 minutes. Transfer half of onion mixture to large bowl; set aside.
- Stir flour into onion mixture left in saucepan and cook over medium heat until well incorporated, about 30 seconds. Whisk in water and cook, whisking constantly, until mixture is slightly thickened, about 1 minute. Stir in tomato sauce, bay leaves, and ¼ teaspoon cinnamon and bring to simmer. Remove from heat and cover to keep warm.
- Add panko and milk to bowl with reserved onion mixture and stir to combine. Let sit until panko is softened, about 1 minute. Stir in parsley, eggs, cumin, pepper, remaining 1¾ teaspoons salt, and remaining ½ teaspoon cinnamon until evenly combined. Add beef and knead with your hands until well combined.
- Divide meat mixture into 16 portions (about ¼ cup each). Using your lightly moistened hands, roll each portion into ball shape, then gently press ball into 3-inch-long torpedo shape with tapered ends. Arrange meatballs in even layer in 13 by 9-inch baking dish.
- Pour sauce over meatballs. Cover dish tightly with aluminum foil and bake until meatballs are cooked through and sauce is slightly thickened, about 1 hour. Let rest, covered, for 15 minutes. Discard bay leaves and turn meatballs to coat in sauce. Serve.
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