AFRICAN MEATBALLS

4.75 from 8 votes
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I should really call these West African and/or Central African meatballs because not all of Africa makes meatballs like this. Now that we have that out of the way… meatballs yummmm. There is something you must do as soon as you make the first batch of these meatballs. You must grab some and fit into your mouth (translation: eat them). And this you must do when these meatballs are still somewhat hot. They are epic in every way.

west african meatballs_

Here is the cast of characters for the meatballs:

ingredients for meatballs

Some nice ground beef, garlic cloves, egg, seasoning cubes, onions, parsley, breadcrumbs, salt and, white pepper. Now let me tell you something about breadcrumbs: you could substitute with crushed butter crackers. They are amazing!

All you need to do is chop your parsley, garlic, and onion then dump all the ingredients into a large bowl.

ingredients for meatballs in bowl

 

Mix them until they marry completely.

west african meatballs mixture

Talking about marriage, I am thrilled by how much yesterday’s post inspired you guys to have better marriages. We do not want merely okay marriages just like we do not want merely okay meatballs!

using ice cream scoop for meatballs

Okay, I use an ice cream scoop to scoop out portions of the mixture evenly. You could just use your hands and mold into balls directly if you want.

Raw meatballs on a wooden cutting board.

Now heat up some oil and fry away, baby!

Meatballs frying in a pan.

The meatballs are ready when they are no longer pink in the middle. They should be brown to the core. Remove them and place on a paper towel.

This is the point where you should absolutely make out with a meatball or two. They are divine!

White dish of cooked meatballs.

Now, these are amazing but the magic doesn’t end there! Chop up ingredients for some tomato sauce.

west african ingredients for tomato sauce meatballs_

The key ingredients here are tomatoes, garlic, basil and onions. Then saute, simmer and season to perfection (no worries, all details in recipe below).

tomato sauce for meatballs_

It even gets better. Dump your meatballs into this and simmer together.

west african meatballs in tomato sauce

Oh my! Who wants some meatballs??

the best African meatballs

This could be eaten with:

  • Any boiled pasta of choice – my favourite is spaghetti!
  • Boiled rice.
  • Bread – it will make the perfect sandwich with this milk bread!

Meatballs, how I love thee!

meatballs in tomato sauce African style

White dish of meatballs in tomato sauce - West African style.

Meatballs in Tomato Sauce - West African Style

4.75 from 8 votes
These are meatballs made with minced garlic, onion, breadcrumbs, eggs and a hint of white pepper. They are epic in every way. Make them with this tomato sauce to get the whole experience.
Prep: 30 minutes
Cook: 1 hour
Total: 1 hour 30 minutes
Servings: 8 people

Ingredients  

Meat Balls

  • 2 pounds ground beef (about 1 kg)
  • 1 large egg
  • 1/2 cup bread crumbs or crushed butter crackers
  • 3 sprigs parsley - finely chopped
  • 1/2 medium onion - finely chopped
  • 4 cloves of garlic - minced
  • 1/2 teaspoon white or black pepper
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 2 small cubes Maggi
  • 1 cup canola oil for frying

Tomato sauce

  • 2-3 roma tomatoes - chopped or crushed
  • 1/2 medium onion - chopped
  • 3 cloves of garlic - minced
  • 2 sprigs basil - finely chopped
  • 2 small cubes Maggi
  • Salt
  • 1 15 oz can tomato sauce

Instructions 

  • Put all ingredients for the meatballs into a large bowl and mix until everything is well incorporated.
  • Scoop out the mixture with your hands or with an ice cream scoop then mold into balls. To make the balls easily, wet your hands and repeat as needed.
  • Heat oil in a pan on medium high then put in the meatballs to cook. Turn the sides from time to time for about 10 minutes or until the meatballs are thoroughly cooked. The balls are cooked when they are no longer pink but brown in the middle.
  • Pour out some oil from the pan, leaving some for the sauce. Saute onions until fragrant then add in chopped tomatoes and cook until dehydrated. Add in tomato sauce then cook together stirring from time to time for about 15 minutes.
  • Add in garlic, basil, salt and seasoning cubes (Maggi) then cook together for another 5 minutes. Add water as needed to adjust the consistency of the sauce.
  • Add meatballs to the tomato sauce and stir well making sure the sauce coats the meatballs. Then let them simmer together for another 5 minutes.
  • Go ahead and enjoy your life! Meatballs in tomato sauce could be eaten with any boiled pasta of choice, boiled rice or bread (pssst they make the perfect sandwich filling). Enjoy!

Notes

This could be eaten with:
  • Any boiled pasta of choice - my favourite is spaghetti!
  • Boiled rice.
  • Bread - it will make the perfect sandwich with this milk bread!

Nutrition

Calories: 296kcal | Carbohydrates: 8g | Protein: 24g | Fat: 18g | Saturated Fat: 7g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 8g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 98mg | Sodium: 903mg | Potassium: 435mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 219IU | Vitamin C: 5mg | Calcium: 48mg | Iron: 3mg

Additional Info

Course: Main Course
Cuisine: African
Calories: 296
Tried this recipe?Mention @preciouscore or tag #PreciousCore!

Meatballs in tomato sauce - West African styleI’ll love to have you follow me on Instagram @preciouscore. If you make this recipe, take a photo and tag me on Instagram. I’ll love to see!

 


About Precious

Welcome to my core! I am Precious Nkeih, the recipe developer and writer right here on my blog, Precious Core. My goal is to show you insanely delicious recipes you can replicate in your kitchen. And I love to tell stories too. Hope you find recipes here that will make cooking easier for you! Check me out on YouTube at YouTube.com/PreciousKitchen.


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47 Comments

  1. I only made half a recipe and I’m kicking myself. The flavor is amazing. My kids loved it. That’s the highest praise right there.