Posted on Wednesday, December 17, 2025 in
Beef Recipes
Make easy pan fried meatballs that are juicy, flavorful, and cooked right in a skillet. A quick recipe perfect for busy nights. Try it today.
| Preparation time | 15 min |
| Cooking Time | 40 min |
| Ready In | 55 min |
| Level of Difficulty | Easy |
| Servings | 4 Servings |
Nutrition Facts (Per Serving)
| Calories | 748 kcal |
| Fat | 41 g |
| Carbs | 28 g |
| Protein | 56 g |
Ingredients
800 g ground beef (about 1¾ lb)1 large onion, finely chopped2–3 tablespoons breadcrumbs2 medium carrots, sliced2 garlic cloves, minced500 ml seasoned tomato pulp (about 2 cups; homemade or store-bought)Olive oil, as needed300 ml white wine (about 1¼ cups)Salt and black pepper, to tastePiri-piri (chili pepper), optionalAll-purpose flour, for dredging
Preparation
- Finely chop the onion and garlic and mix them with the ground beef.
- Add the breadcrumbs, salt, and pepper. Mix well with your hands until evenly combined.
- Shape the mixture into meatballs of your desired size and lightly coat them with flour.
- Heat olive oil in a frying pan over medium heat.
- Brown the meatballs on all sides, then remove and set aside.
- In the same pan, add the tomato pulp and sliced carrots. Let it simmer for 5 minutes.
- Return the meatballs to the pan.
- Turn them gently, add the white wine and piri-piri (if using).
- Cover and cook over low heat for about 30 minutes, until the meatballs are tender and the sauce is rich.
To serve:
Traditionally served with mashed potatoes and carrots, but it’s also excellent with plain rice.
Recipe & Photo Credit: Pagina Receitas PT
Recommended Cook Book
Want to master more authentic Portuguese dishes? I learned so many cooking techniques from Taste Portugal 101 Easy Portuguese Recipes—it’s a staple in our kitchen and the perfect companion to the recipes on this site.
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