Greek Recipes

Greek Soutzoukakia (Greek Meatballs in Tomato Sauce)

Prep

20 minutes

Cook

30 minutes

Yield

10 -12

These Greek meatballs in tomato sauce are known as Greek Soutzoukakia. They are delicious, flavorful Greek meatballs with tomato sauce. Serve on rice or mashed potatoes for an easy, wholesome meal.

These meatballs are packed with flavors from garlic, to the blend of spices, and savory tomato sauce on top. I love making Greek Soutzoukakia because it’s honestly such a delicious comfort meal that the whole family will love. What makes these so special is their football-like shape and the use of Cumin in the meatballs. It’s warming, distinctive and truly the star of the show – a non-negotiable.

❤️ Why You’ll Love Greek Soutzoukakia

Quick Prep: Prep these meatballs in only 20 minutes. You can even prep them in advance and cook them when you’re ready
Flavor-Packed: I love the garlicky meatballs with the savory, simple tomato sauce on top
Family-Friendly: This dish the kids will love and come back for seconds

🍲 Ingredients

Ground Beef – Gound beef is an easy, budget-friendly protein that is the perfect base for these Greek Soutzoukakia. It’s rich in vitamins and minerals, and a good source of iron.

Polpa – Polpa is essentially finely chopped tomatoes. It is the soft part of the tomato, aka the pulp, that is soft and fleshy and has the juice of the tomatoes in the can. Perfect for a delicious tomato sauce.

👩‍🍳 How to Make Greek Soutzoukakia

Make the meatballs

Soak the bread slices, crust removed, for 5 minutes.
Once the bread is soaked, mix with the ground beef, pressed garlic, salt, cumin, pepper, and egg. Knead well to combine the mixture. Let sit for 10 minutes.
After 10 minutes, scoop 2 tablespoons at a time and form into ovals/logs, about 2-3 inches in length.
Once all meatballs are made, heat 1 tbsp oil in a medium-large skillet over medium heat. When the pan is hot, sear 2-3 minutes per side until golden brown. Remove all the meatballs to a paper towel-lined plate.

Make the tomato sauce

Once the meatballs are removed, add tomatoes, sugar, salt, and water – cook for 10 minutes on medium-low, keeping at a low simmer.
Add the wine and let it cook for 2-3 minutes.
Put the meatballs back in the pan and simmer with the sauce for 10 minutes or until the meatballs are cooked through.
Serve with rice, mashed potatoes or one of our delicious Greek salads (see below for serving ideas).

🪄 Tips and Tricks

Wet your hands when forming your meatballs so the meat doesn’t stick to them
Don’t stress the shape of your meatballs. You can shape them in circles or footballs
Make the sauce ahead of time and heat it up when you’re ready to eat

🗒 Substitutions

Ground Beef: You can totally substitute ground beef for another kind of ground meat like turkey, chicken, or lamb
Bread: If you want to make this recipe gluten-free you can use gluten-free bread or bread crumbs in the meatballs
White Wine: White wine adds a great flavor to the sauce but you can sub for red wine if you have that open, or just substitute for broth if you don’t have any wine open

🗒 Best served with

Simple Homemade Greek Salad
Greek Cabbage Salad
Classic Mashed Potato Recipe
Greek Fluffy Pita

👝 How to Store Leftovers

The leftovers are great. They’ll last in an airtight container for up to 4 days.

🤔 Common Questions

The trick to meatballs is having a binding agent. In this recipe the olive oil, and egg act as binding agents. If you are still finding your meatballs are crumbling you can add a bit more olive oil. Another tip is to put the meat mix in the fridge first for 15 minutes, then take it out and start working with it.

I love Greek Soutzoukakia on top of a bed of white rice. However, you could also serve it on other grains like quinoa. You can also serve it on creamy mashed potatoes or just eat on their own with side dishes.