Meatballs in tomato sauce in a pan - 3 recipes for delicious meatballs

Hello! Today I will share with you 3 recipes for meatballs in tomato sauce in a pan. This simple and satisfying dish is popular not only in Russia and the former Soviet republics, but also in European countries. The selection contains options from meat, poultry and fish. And also it is told what is their difference from meatballs and meatballs.

How meatballs differ from meatballs and meatballs

Meatballs always have the shape of balls. Cutlets can be flattened and round or oblong and lush. But the difference is not only in shape, but also in breading. If the former can be rolled before frying or baking only in flour (rice or wheat), then the latter is breaded in breadcrumbs, special mixtures, chopped cereal, supplemented with crushed nuts, grated cheese, herbs and spices.

Regardless of whether meatballs are cooked in a pan or in the oven, they are almost always languished in sauce. It is made with vegetables, mushrooms, spices and herbs, adding not only water, but also diluted tomato paste, mustard or sour cream, as well as milk or cream. Cutlets are often cooked without gravy.

Meatballs and meatballs have the same shape, but differ in size. The former are made small, the size of a walnut, while the latter are larger. In addition, meatballs are most often only a component of the first dishes, they are always boiled - in broth, water or directly in the soup. And meatballs are an independent dish, they are fried, stewed, steamed.

The composition of meatballs is the most varied of the three dishes listed above. It, in addition to minced meat or fish, onions and spices, can include a variety of cereals (rice, pearl barley, millet, bulgur), oatmeal, potatoes, cabbage, cottage cheese, cheese, nuts, bread and breadcrumbs.Cutlets, as a rule, are made from meat, fish or poultry (not only from minced meat, but also chopped into small pieces) with the addition of bread, eggs and onions, less often - potatoes. And the composition of meatballs is the simplest: meat or fish minced meat and onions, sometimes bread, herbs and spices.

The exception is Swedish meatballs (köttbullar) - they are more reminiscent of meatballs or meatballs, but small in size.

Meatballs Recipe

• Cooking time: 1 hour.
• Servings Per Container: 5-6.

If you like dense, elastic meatballs, make them from beef, prefer soft and crumbly - use pork. I’ll prepare a dish of mixed minced meat - this way the meat balls will turn out tender, but they will also not fall apart when stewed in tomato sauce. And I’ll add wheat cereal - it has a lot of gluten, it will perfectly cope with the “linkage” function and it will be possible not to lay an egg.

Ingredients:

• minced pork and beef - 1 kg;
• crushed wheat groats - 1 cup;
• onion - 1 pc.;
• garlic - 1-2 cloves;
• tomato paste - 100 g;
• sour cream - 3 tbsp. l .;
• flour - 3 tbsp. l for breading and 1 tbsp. l in gravy;
• water - 300 ml;
• greens - a bunch;
• salt, spices - to taste;
• vegetable oil - for frying.

Note. You can take whole wheat, then the grains will feel better in the dish.

How do I cook:

1. I wash the wheat, boil for 15-20 minutes until half cooked, let it cool. If it's whole grains, increase the time to half an hour.
2. I chop the onion very finely with a knife, squeeze the garlic through a press.
3. I combine prepared ingredients with minced meat.
4. Add salt, spices, knead thoroughly.
5. Pour breading flour on a saucer, warm vegetable oil in a large frying pan. I make the fire medium.
6. I make meatballs from minced meat (at the rate of 2 pcs per serving), breaded and fry for 5-7 minutes on each side.
7. I combine the tomato paste with sour cream and flour, dilute with water, knead until the lumps disappear.
8. Add the sauce to the pan, cover, make the fire minimal and stew the meat balls in tomato sauce for 25-30 minutes.
9. 5 minutes before cooking, sprinkle with chopped herbs.

Tip. Before turning off the fire, make sure that the meatballs are ready - break one with a fork. If the stuffing is still pink inside, you need to stew further.

Tender poultry dish

• Cooking time: 1 hour.
• Servings Per Container: 4-5.

The poultry meat is fresh, so I make sharpener tomato sauce for such meatballs - I put garlic and hot pepper, and for the flavor I add cilantro to the gravy. Give it a try!

Ingredients:

• minced chicken or turkey (mixed) - 600 g;
• rice - 120 g;
• egg - 1 pc.;
• flour - 4 tbsp. l .;
• tomato paste - 100 g;
• water - 250 ml;
• hot pepper - ½ pod (if it is a powder seasoning, then 1 tsp. without a hill);
• garlic - 3-4 cloves;
• cilantro - a bunch;
• salt, spices - to taste;
• vegetable oil - for frying.

Operating procedure:

1. I cook rice for 15 minutes (no need to bring to readiness), drain from the liquid, cool.
2. I put the cereal into the minced meat, drive in the egg, salt, season and knead.
3. From the resulting mass, I make 2 round pieces. per serving, fry in warmed vegetable oil for 5 minutes on each side. I set the fire to medium.
4. In another pan, let the squeezed garlic until soft (3-4 minutes). I pour quite a bit of oil.
5. I add tomato paste, chopped hot pepper, and after a couple of minutes I introduce flour diluted with water.
6. I wait for the sauce to boil, pour it to the meatballs, sprinkle the dish with herbs and the carcass over low heat under a lid for 20-25 minutes.

An excellent side dish for such a dish will be mashed potatoes. And if you plan a light dinner - serve a fresh salad or vegetable cut.

Fish meatballs in tomato sauce

• Cooking time: 1 hour.
• Servings Per Container: 3-4.

I propose to cook this dish from chum salmon - its pink flesh will make it attractive, unusual and very mouth-watering. And in the vegetable sauce I will add a little vinegar - for a pleasant sourness.

Ingredients:

• minced meat from chum salmon - 500 g;
• semolina - 100 g;
• egg - 1 pc.;
• onion - 2 pcs.;
• carrots - 2 pcs.;
• large tomatoes - 2 pcs.;
• flour - 3 tbsp. l .;
• water - 1 cup;
• vinegar 6% - 2 tbsp. l .;
• salt, spices - to taste;
• vegetable oil - for frying.

On a note. Fresh tomatoes can be replaced with 3-4 tablespoons of tomato paste.

Step by step recipe:

1. I combine minced fish with an egg, semolina, finely chopped onion, salt and spices. Knead and let stand for half an hour - the cereal should swell.
2. At this time I cook the sauce - I let the second onion in a frying pan in vegetable oil cut in half rings for several minutes, until soft. I make the fire medium.
3. I introduce carrots chopped on a medium grater, fry a quarter of an hour until golden brown.
4. I put the diced tomatoes and continue cooking until some of the liquid has evaporated - about 5 minutes.
5. I water the frying with vinegar, add water, after having previously stirred 1 tbsp. l flour.
6. Stirring, bring the tomato sauce to a boil and remove from heat.
7. Now I’m making minced meat - I mold 6-8 balls, roll in the remaining flour and fry over medium heat for 5-6 minutes on each side, pouring a little oil into the pan. They should be well browned.
8. Add the gravy, make the fire minimal and stew the dish under the lid for 20-25 minutes.

So, easy and simple, you can make a delicious dinner. Choose your favorite option and cook with pleasure!