Ajvar meatballs
Jump to Recipe·Print Recipe

With Zesty Tomato Sauce

Ajvar is a thick and savory sauce consisting of roasted sweet red peppers, eggplant, onion, and garlic. Ajvar is used in Southeast Europe, in Albania, Bosnia, and Bulgaria just. to name a few. There are many different types of Ajvar, but one thing is for sure, it’s absolutely delicious.

Print
Ajvar meatballs

Ajvar Meatballs

  • Prep Time: 15 minutes
  • Cook Time: 30 minutes
  • Total Time: 45 minutes
  • Yield: 4 1x
Print Recipe
Scale

Ingredients

  • 1–2 lbs. ground chicken (( this recipe used 1.3 lbs.))
  • 1 cup ajvar
  • ¼ cup chopped dill
  • ¼ cup chopped parsley
  • ½ tsp cumin
  • ½ tsp coriander
  • ½ tsp smoked paprika
  • 1 tsp kosher salt
  • pepper to taste
  • 1/3 cup banana flour ((or flour of choice))

Zesty Tomato Sauce

  • ½ cup ajvar
  • 1 15 oz can tomato sauce ((make sure it is your favorite tomaote sauce, as the tomato sauce will be the dominating flavor. I like the Hunts brand).)
  • salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

  1. In a large mixing bowl, add the ground chicken, ajvar, egg, dill, parsley, and all the spices, salt and pepper and mix until everything is well incorporated.
  2. Add your flour of choice (this recipe used banana flour) . Mix once more until everything is mixed well.
  3. Form the meat mixture into meatballs with your hands. (if the meat mixture is too sticky, wet your hand with water, this will help the mixture to better shape its form.
  4. In a skillet over medium-high heat, add olive oil (just a drizzle) and place each meatball on the surface of the pan. Cook until the bottom of the meatball is golden brown (about 2-3 minutes). Flip the meatballs and repeat them. The internal temperature of the the meatballs should reach 165°F.
  5. Once the meatballs are golden brown, add the tomato sauce, ajvar, 1/2 cups of water, salt, and pepper to taste and gently stir to incorporate the ingredients. Cook on medium-low heat for about 15-20 minutes.
  6. To Serve: Place the meatballs over a bed of buttery rice, alongside quinoa, or inside a rustic Italian bread to create an ajvar marinara meatball sub. The options are endless, do whatever makes you happy! 🙂
  • Category: dinner, Side Dish