Hungarian meatballs

Here is the simple recipe only for Hungarian Meatballs in Tomato Sauce — cozy, comforting, and full of paprika flavor 🍅🥘


Hungarian Meatballs in Tomato Sauce

Ingredients

For the Meatballs

  • 1 lb ground beef (or beef + pork mix)
  • 1 small onion, finely grated
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 egg
  • ½ cup breadcrumbs
  • 1 tsp sweet paprika
  • ½ tsp salt
  • ½ tsp black pepper
  • 1–2 tbsp chopped parsley

For the Tomato Sauce

  • 2 tbsp oil
  • 1 small onion, chopped
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 2 tbsp flour
  • 2 tbsp sweet Hungarian paprika
  • 1 can (14 oz / 400 g) crushed tomatoes
  • 1 ½ cups beef broth or water
  • ½ tsp salt
  • Pinch of sugar (optional, to balance acidity)
  • ¼ cup sour cream (optional but traditional and delicious)

Instructions

  1. Make the meatballs: Mix all meatball ingredients in a bowl. Shape into small balls.
  2. In a pan, heat a little oil and brown the meatballs on all sides (they don’t need to cook fully). Remove and set aside.
  3. Make the sauce:
    • In the same pan, sauté onion in oil.
    • Add garlic and cook 1 minute.
    • Stir in flour and paprika.
    • Add tomatoes and broth, whisking until smooth.
  4. Add meatballs back into the sauce.
  5. Simmer 20 minutes until meatballs are cooked and sauce thickens.
  6. Stir in sour cream at the end (optional) for a creamy, authentic touch.

If you want, I can also give you a Hungarian-style mashed potato side, or a Facebook caption!

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