Name: Ćufte u Paradajz Sosu
Prep time: 22 min
Cook time: 38 min
Total time: 1 h 20 min
Yield: 18 meatballs; 6 portions
Cuisine: Serbian
Ingredients: 250 g ground beef, chilled; 250 g ground pork, chilled; 120 g onion, very finely chopped; 10 g garlic, minced; 1 large egg; 50 g dry breadcrumbs; 30 ml pasteurized milk; 10 g fine salt, divided between meatballs and sauce; 2 g black pepper, ground; 4 g sweet paprika; 15 g flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped; 50 ml sunflower oil, divided for browning and sauce; 30 g plain wheat flour, divided for light coating and sauce; 700 g tomato passata; 500 ml water; 5 g granulated sugar

Yield 18 meatballs; 6 portions

Preparation time 22 minutes

Cooking time 38 minutes

Passive time 20 minutes

Ingredients ↓

Overview

Ćufte u Paradajz Sosu: Serbian Meatballs Simmered in Tomato Sauce

Ćufte u paradajz sosu is a familiar Serbian home-style combination of small meatballs and a generous tomato sauce. The appeal lies less in elaborate seasoning than in the contrast between a soft, savoury meatball and the lightly sweet-acidic sauce around it. This recipe uses equal parts ground beef and ground pork, with onion, garlic, parsley, paprika and black pepper for flavour, plus egg, breadcrumbs and a little pasteurized milk to bind the mixture without making it rubbery.

The first texture decision happens before the pan is heated. Ground meat becomes compact when it is kneaded aggressively, so the mixture should be combined only until the ingredients are evenly distributed and it holds together. A 20-minute chill then firms the fat and hydrates the breadcrumbs. That makes eighteen similar meatballs easier to form without squeezing them into hard spheres, and similar sizing also helps every centre reach the safety endpoint at roughly the same time.

Browning is a flavour-building stage, not the final cooking stage. The meatballs are turned in a film of hot oil until several surfaces develop colour, but their centres are expected to remain undercooked at that point. Treating colour as proof of doneness would be unreliable with ground meat. The browned pieces are moved directly into the developing sauce, where gentler heat finishes the cooking and lets some of the meat juices season the tomato base.

The sauce is intentionally uncomplicated: passata, water, a small quantity of sugar and a little flour for body. The flour is dispersed before the long simmer so the sauce thickens smoothly rather than forming raw lumps. Sugar is not intended to make the sauce sweet; it only softens harsh acidity in this recipe. The sauce is ready when it coats the meatballs and remains fluid enough to spoon around them instead of tightening into a paste.

A food thermometer is the final safety control. Because the mixture is ground meat, the centre of the largest meatballs must reach at least 71.1 °C. That temperature is checked in the thickest part rather than inferred from browning, firmness or the colour of the juices. Once the target is reached, the meatballs can be served immediately in their sauce or cooled promptly for later reheating.

Practical

ServingServe three meatballs per portion with roughly one-sixth of the tomato sauce. The sauce should be loose enough to spoon over a starch or bread if desired, but the nutrition estimate covers only the meatballs and their sauce. Avoid adding an unmeasured garnish to the base recipe when comparing yield or nutrition.
Make-aheadThe meat mixture can be mixed and chilled for the specified 20 minutes immediately before shaping. For longer planning, it is more reliable to cook the complete dish, cool it promptly and refrigerate it than to leave a seasoned raw ground-meat mixture standing for an extended period. Shape meatballs only when the pan and sauce preparation can follow without a long warm hold.
Storage and reheatingCool cooked meatballs and sauce promptly, transfer to shallow covered containers and refrigerate at 4 °C or below within 2 hours. Use within 3–4 days. Reheat the sauce and meatballs together, stirring and turning them so the centre heats evenly, until the reheated food reaches 73.9 °C.

Ingredients

For the meatballs

250 g ground beef, chilled
250 g ground pork, chilled
120 g onion, very finely chopped
10 g garlic, minced
1 large egg
50 g dry breadcrumbs
30 ml pasteurized milk
10 g fine salt, divided between meatballs and sauce
2 g black pepper, ground
4 g sweet paprika
15 g flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped
50 ml sunflower oil, divided for browning and sauce
30 g plain wheat flour, divided for light coating and sauce

For the tomato sauce

700 g tomato passata
500 ml water
5 g granulated sugar

Directions

Mix, chill and shape the meatballs

Mix the meatball mixtureCombine the ground beef, ground pork, onion, garlic, egg, breadcrumbs, pasteurized milk, 5 g of the salt, black pepper, paprika and parsley in a large bowl. Mix just until the seasonings are distributed and the mixture holds together; avoid prolonged kneading. The mixture is evenly combined and cohesive but has not been kneaded into a dense paste.
Chill the mixtureCover the bowl and refrigerate the mixture for 20 minutes at 4 °C or below. Keep raw-meat utensils and surfaces separate from ready-to-eat food, and wash hands and equipment after handling the mixture. The mixture is cold and firm enough to shape cleanly.
Shape eighteen meatballsDivide the chilled mixture into eighteen equal portions and roll them lightly into meatballs. Use damp or lightly oiled hands if necessary rather than compressing the meat firmly. Eighteen meatballs are similar in size so their centres cook at the same rate.

Brown and simmer in tomato sauce

Brown the meatballsHeat the sunflower oil in a wide sauté pan over medium-high heat. Brown the meatballs in batches for about 10 minutes total, turning to colour several sides. Transfer them to a clean plate as they brown; do not treat this stage as proof that the centres are safely cooked. The meatballs are browned on several sides but are not treated as fully cooked at this stage.
Build the tomato sauceLower the heat to medium. Stir the flour into the pan juices, then gradually add the passata and water while whisking so the flour disperses. Add the sugar and remaining 5 g salt, bring the sauce to a gentle simmer and cook for about 8 minutes. The flour is smoothly dispersed and the sauce has no raw-flour lumps.
Simmer and check the meatballsReturn all meatballs and any collected juices to the pan. Cover partly and simmer over low heat for about 20 minutes, turning the meatballs once so they cook evenly. Check the largest meatballs with a food thermometer in the centre before serving. The centre of the largest meatballs reaches at least 71.1 °C when checked with a food thermometer.

Practical

Substitutions

Using all beef or all pork changes fat level, flavour and tenderness, so it is not nutritionally equivalent to the 50:50 mixture. A different tomato product can also alter sauce concentration and acidity; passata is used here because its smooth texture integrates without an additional blending step. A milk alternative would change flavour and may alter allergen status, so any change should be evaluated as a distinct recipe rather than assumed equivalent.

Control points

meatballs break in the sauceGuidance: The mixture was too warm or the balls were moved before the exterior set;Adjustment: chill before shaping, brown carefully and let the sauce return to a gentle simmer before stirring.
meatballs are denseGuidance: The meat mixture was kneaded too aggressively;Adjustment: mix only until the ingredients are evenly distributed and the mixture just holds together.

Nutrition

Serving size3 meatballs with about one-sixth of the sauce
Calories390 kcal
Carbohydrates24 g
Protein27 g
Fat20 g
Fibre3 g
Sodium750 mg

Nutrition values are approximate and can vary with ingredient brands, trimming, absorption and exact portioning.

Allergens and food safety

Contains egg, wheat/gluten and milk. Breadcrumbs may also contain sesame or soy depending on brand, so labels and shared-equipment cross-contact should be checked.

Keep raw ground beef and pork separate from ready-to-eat foods and refrigerate the mixture at 4 °C or below while it rests.

Ground meat must reach at least 71.1 °C in the centre, measured with a food thermometer; exterior colour does not establish safety.

Refrigerate leftovers within 2 hours at 4 °C or below and reheat leftovers to 73.9 °C.

FAQ

Why chill the meatball mixture?

The short chill lets the breadcrumbs hydrate and the fat firm slightly. That makes the mixture easier to portion and helps the meatballs hold their shape without being overworked.

Are browned meatballs already cooked through?

Not necessarily. Browning gives surface flavour and colour, but ground meat still requires a centre temperature of at least 71.1 °C. The thermometer check happens after the sauce simmer.

Can the sauce be made very thick?

The sauce is meant to leave enough sauce to spoon around the meatballs. Excessive reduction can make the flour-thickened tomato base pasty and can also leave less liquid for the final simmer.

Result: The finished dish has browned, tender meatballs surrounded by a smooth tomato sauce that clings without becoming heavy.

Key: Keep the mixture lightly handled, use browning only for flavour, and let the thermometer—not colour—confirm the 71.1 °C ground-meat endpoint.