Balkan Rice Meatballs with Peppers & Potatoes

overhead view of rice meatballs with potatoes and peppers in a large pot

Balkan Rice Meatballs with Peppers & Potatoes

A flavorful one-pot meal of tender rice meatballs baked with sweet peppers and potatoes in a rich tomato broth. Cozy, family-friendly, and full of Balkan-inspired flavor.

Course Dinner

Cuisine Baking, Fusion

Keyword Balkan, Ground Beef, Ground Meat, Potatoes

Prep Time 20

Cook Time 45

Total Time 1 5

Servings servings

Calories 564kcal

Equipment

large oven safe baking dish with lid Pictured is the Le Creuset braiser which is 30 cm / 11 inches across and has a capacity of 3.3 liter / 3.5 quart.

Ingredients

meatballs

500 grams ground beef
0.5 cup short grain rice
1 egg
0.25 cup water
1 yellow onion finely diced
2 cloves garlic finely diced
2 tablespoons fresh parsley or substitute 1 tablespoon dried
2 tablespoons fresh dill or substitute 1 tablespoon dried
2 tablespoons fresh mint or substitute 1 tablespoon dried
1.5 teaspoons salt
0.5 teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon dried oregano

broth/base

1 cup water
2 tablespoons tomato paste
0.5 teaspoon salt
0.5 teaspoon black pepper
0.5 teaspoon dried oregano
1 tablespoon butter for optional thickening (beurre manie)
1 tablespoon flour for optional thickening (beurre manie)

vegetables

2 red peppers sliced
2 green peppers sliced
4 potatoes cut into wedges
1 tablespoon olive oil
0.5 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
0.5 teaspoon black pepper
0.5 teaspoon dried oregano

Instructions

Preheat oven to 200°C (400°F).
Finely chop onion and garlic. Slice peppers and cut potatoes into wedges. Set aside.
Whisk together in your baking dish the tomato paste, 1 cup of water, and broth seasonings - set aside.
In a bowl, mix ground beef, rice, egg, onion, garlic, herbs, salt, pepper, and oregano. Shape into golf ball sized meatballs.
Place meatballs into the liquid in the baking dish. Pour into the dish and add a bay leaf.
Cover and bake meatballs on their own for 20 minutes.
Remove from oven and check the water level. If the sauce has reduced significantly, add about ¼ to ⅓ cup more hot water and stir gently to combine.
Optional for thicker sauce: In a small bowl, mash together 1 tablespoon of soft butter and 1 tablespoon of flour to form a smooth paste (beurre manié). Stir this into the broth in the pan until mostly dissolved.
Add sliced peppers and potato wedges around the meatballs. Optional more even potatoes: For more even cooking toss the potatoes in a separate bowl with olive oil, salt, pepper, dried oregano and smoked paprika before adding them to the pan.
Return to the oven and bake for another 20–25 minutes, until the potatoes are fork tender and everything is golden.
Let rest 5–10 minutes before serving. Garnish with more fresh herbs if desired.

Nutrition