Soutzoukakia-Smyrna Meatballs In Red Sauce

Name: Soutzoukakia-Smyrna Meatballs In Red Sauce
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 30 min
Ingredients: 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil; 4 cloves garlic (finelly minced); 2 lb ground beef; 1 cup white bread (torn into very small pieces); 1½ cup red sweet wine (or dry red, dry white or ouzo); 2 teaspoons ground cumin; sea salt; freshly ground pepper; 1 tablespoon butter; ¼ cup olive oil (I like light olive oil for frying); ½ cup flour; 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil; 28.5 oz plum tomatoes (like Gustarosso San Marzano tomatoes, crushed); 1 cinnamon stick (or 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon); 2 teaspoons ground cumin; 2-3 whole all spice (or ½ teaspoon ground all spice, optional); 1/2 cup water

Soutzoukakia-Smyrna Meatballs in red sauce is often cited as a favorite dish amongst Greeks. The Asia Minor cumin-spiced meatballs are cooked in an aromatic red sauce for a delectable, traditional dish loved by generations.

This post is an updated version previously published in May 2020. Updated ingredients, photos and clearer recipe instructions now accompany the post.

If you love this Soutzoukakia recipe, you will also love classic Greek Meatballs, Chicken meatballs with lemony rice or our Lamb burger bowl!

A plate with soutzoukakia over mashed potatoes on a table, at the back a skillet with meatballs and a loaf of bread.

Overview

Why this recipe sings

It is authentic delicious Greek food. Tender, oval meatballs cook in a light and delicious tomato sauce with cumin, and garlic.
It is easy. This beloved dish is simple to make with maximum flavor.

Soutzoukakia meatballs and red sauce in a skillet with utencils.

What are soutzoukakia

Soutzoukakia is one of the most famous meatball dishes in Greek cuisine. It is safe to say that most Greeks associate this dish with a most comforting delicious meal cooked by a loved one, usually a mother or grand mother (my dad used to make terrific soutzoukakia, learned from his Constantinople born mother). Turkish and Greek cuisines influence the dish since it originated from Smyrna in Asia Minor. The fantastic recipe arrived in Greece with the refugees from Asia Minor when Smyrna and other Greek populated cities were burned and destroyed by the Ottomans between 1913 and 1922. Depending on the region this dish has a variety of ingredients, some include onions, swap the sweet wine with a dry red or use ouzo etc.

Here is what you need

All the ingredients to make soutzoukakia on a table, overhead view.

Ground beef. You can also use ground lamb, or a combination of the two.
Stale white bread. It is easier to crumble into very small pieces when the bread is stale.
Red sweet wine. The bread soaks in wine! The Greek dessert wine used here is mavrodaphne. You can also use a dry red or white wine for less sweetness.
Ground cumin, all spice and cinnamon. Soutzoukakia owe their distinct flavor to these spices, especially cumin.
Sea salt and freshly ground pepper
Extra virgin olive oil and a little butter
All purpose flour
Tomatoes. I like Gustarosso San Marzano tomatoes, crushed.

Tips for authentic Smyrna Soutzoukakia

The flavor of soutzoukakia is focused on three ingredients: cumin, garlic, and wine.
The authentic soutzoukakia recipe from Smyrna does not include onion. For example, the same dish cooked in Constantinople/Istanbul has onions.
Some recipes also use dry white or red wine or ouzo instead of sweet Mavrodaphne wine. It is not clear which kind is used in the old recipes. You can use the one you like in this recipe. The dry red and white have not much difference in taste, apart adding some of the wine’s core fruit flavors and acidity. The sweet wine will add sweet notes to the meatball or sauce.*
The ground meat was always beef or lamb because they did not consume pork in Asia Minor.
The stale bread soaks in the wine to soften. That adds extra flavor to the ground meat mixture.
There is no milk or egg in this meatball recipe.
It is not verified if the meatballs were lightly dusted with flour before frying. Some Smyrna recipes have it, and others don’t. In our recipe, we use a little flour because that’s the way my mother used to do this dish.
It is also not verified what kind of wine to use. Some recipes use this semi-sweet Mavrodafni wine, similar to Marsala wine. Others use dry red or white. In this recipe, I am using sweet Mavrodafni wine.
The meatballs are lightly fried with olive oil and butter. In Asia Minor cuisine, they cooked with fresh butter all the time. In this recipe, we add a tablespoon of butter to the olive oil to fry the meatballs lightly before adding them to the sauce. The oil also protects butter from burning.
The old recipes worked with fresh tomatoes. I always use canned authentic San Marzano whole tomatoes when I make a sauce unless I am in Greece and it is summertime. If I have to use canned tomatoes of other origin, I add a tablespoon of tomato paste and a teaspoon of sugar to the sauce.
Size matters. Shape the meatballs into small oval shapes, almost like a football.

How to make them

A bowl with star bread in wine, at the back a bottle of wine, garlic and a bowl with chili flakes, on a table

Soak the bread in a cup and a half red wine in a bowl. Squeeze the bread over a colander to remove as much moisture as possible.

Add the ground meat, minced garlic, bread, cumin, sea salt, and freshly ground pepper to a bowl. Mix well, cover the bowl with a plate or film, and refrigerate for 30 minutes.

Take a tablespoon of the mixture and shape it into long oval shape, like a football. This is the traditional shape of these meatballs.

Tip. Moisten your hands with wine to facilitate the shaping.

Roll each meatball in the flour, shake off the excess, and set them aside on a plate.

Soutzoukakia meatballs in a skillet frying.

Add the olive oil and butter to a frying pan over medium-high heat and let it heat for one minute. Add the meatballs to the pan a few at a time. Brown on both sides for about 2-3 minutes on each side. Remove the meatballs with a slotted spoon to a plate.

Soutzoukakia meatballs with red sauce in a skillet frying.

Heat the extra virgin olive oil on medium heat in a large skillet. Add the tomatoes, cinnamon stick and allspice. Add the 1/2 cup of water and stir well. Simmer for 10 minutes.

Season the sauce with sea salt and pepper to taste and stir. Add the meatballs, cover, and simmer on low heat for 10 minutes or until the meatballs are cooked through.

Helpful FAQS and Variations

Can I refrigerate leftover soutzoukakia?

In the unlikely case of having leftovers, store them in an airtight container and refrigerate them for up to 2 days. When it’s time to reheat, place them in a large enough saucepan and reheat on low-medium heat for 15 to 20 minutes until the meatballs are fully heated.

What kind of meat to use for soutzoukakia?

If you want to be authentic to the Smyrna recipe, you should use beef or lamb or a combination of the two. Saying that there is nothing wrong with using ground pork if that is your preference. In fact, I know of a very good cook that uses all three ground meats combined with great success.

*Can I use sweet wine in the soutzoukakia sauce?

Sure! Instead of water add same amount of the sweet red wine in the sauce. It will result in a delectable sweet and savory sauce. You can use any kind of wine you prefer, or a shot of ouzo. Soak the bread in water and add a shot of ouzo in the meatball mixture. It will add a lovely anise layer of flavor.

I love garlic, can I use it in the sauce?

Of course you can. You can add one-two minced cloves of garlic in the red sauce. Sauté the diced garlic with the cinnamon stick and whole all spice for a minute before adding the tomatoes.

What to serve with soutzoukakia

Traditionally, soutzoukakia meatballs are served with rice. The sauce is so delectable and goes fantastic with mashed potatoes (as shown in this post) and crispy potato fries. Side dishes with soutzoukakia include a green leafy salad, warm crusty bread, fried eggplant and zucchini, and cool refreshing yogurt.