Pork Meatballs in Tomato Sauce

An easy meatball recipe in a rich, slightly spicy, smoky chorizo and tomato sauce, served with crispy potatoes – though it’s just as delicious paired with spaghetti if you prefer.

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*Post updated January 2026

This is another one of my copycat Marks and Spencer Gastropub recipes, and I have to say, every bite was absolutely delicious.

If the list looks long and a bit overwhelming, it’s just because I’ve broken the recipe into three parts to make it easier to follow: meatballs, sauce, and potatoes.

If you buy good-quality minced pork with a low-fat content, your meatballs will be tender and delicious. I use minced pork that's 5% fat.

Yes, you will pay a bit more than minced pork with 20% fat, but at the end of the day, you are just paying for a load of fat.

Tinned (canned) tomatoes

It's also worth buying good-quality tomatoes. I know I'm always going on about tinned tomatoes, but some cheap brands are in the juice, which is pale and watery.

This will, of course, have an effect on the sauce, but I totally understand if you can't afford them. 

If that's the case, don't worry, just drain the tomatoes from the juice.

Using a mix of minced beef and pork is a great idea, and it’s exactly what I used when making Delia Smith’s lasagne recipe.

I was recreating Meatballs in Tomato and Chorizo Sauce with Spicy Potatoes, inspired by the Marks and Spencer Gastropub range.

Do you need to remove the skin from the chorizo?

For this, I used dry-cured chorizo, the one that comes in a ring and is tied at the top.

While some chorizo rings can be eaten as they are, most need the skin removed since it’s actually indigestible! 😉

Typically, with authentic chorizo rings, you’ll need to remove the skin before cooking. Be sure to check the packaging, as it should provide those instructions.

Another type of chorizo sausage is raw and needs to be cooked, so make sure to check which one you’re buying.

How to make meatballs and top tips

It’s better to use fresh minced pork, as freezing and then defrosting can make it too wet.

If you're using defrosted pork mince, you can simply mix in half a cup of lightly toasted breadcrumbs to make the meatballs firmer.

Prepare the ingredients as shown in the printable recipe card below.

Add them to a mixing bowl and carefully mix to combine. Take care not to overmix, or the meat will be overprocessed and mushy.

At this point, fry a very small portion of the mixture in a pan and taste. This will help you decide if it needs any extra seasoning.

Once you're satisfied with the mixture, roll it into meatballs with your hands and cover them with cling film.

Place them in the fridge for a while to help them firm up and prevent them from falling apart during cooking.

When you're ready, heat up a little olive oil in a frying pan and cook, turning gently so that they brown evenly.

Serve with the sauce and potatoes as per the recipe. Or, you could just have them with my Super Quick Vegetable Sauce for Pasta

Can you freeze meatballs?

Yes, you can freeze them, but ONLY if you didn't use meat that had already been frozen.

Have you tried this recipe? Please leave a ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ star rating in the recipe card below!

meatballs in tomato sauce, pork meatballs in tomato sauce,

main, dinner,

English

Yield: 2-3

Author: Jan Bennett

Pork Meatballs in Tomato Sauce

My Marks and Spencer copycat meal from their Gastropub range.

Prep time: 20 MinCook time: 50 MinTotal time: 1 H & 10 M

Ingredients

For the meatballs

• 400g minced pork - no more than about 5% fat
• 2 fat cloves of garlic - peeled
• 1 onion - peeled
• freshly chopped flat-leaf parsley - leaves only
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 egg - yolk only
• salt and pepper to taste

For the sauce

• 1 tablespoon vegetable or mild olive oil
• ½ of a chorizo ring (about 8 inches in length) - skin removed
• 2 teaspoons smoked paprika
• 1 onion - peeled
• 2 fat cloves of garlic - peeled
• ½ a red chilli - seeds in
• ½ a red bell pepper - deseeded
• ¼ of the empty tomato can of red wine
• 1 x 400g (14 oz) tin of cherry tomatoes - good quality or the juice will be tasteless and watery
• a splash of Worcestershire sauce
• 1 teaspoon of sugar
• salt and black pepper to taste
• chopped flat-leaf parsley to serve

For the spicy potatoes

• However many potatoes you fancy making
• a couple of teaspoons of vegetable oil
• 2 teaspoons of cayenne pepper
• salt and black pepper to taste

Instructions

To make the sauce

1. Whiz the onion, garlic, chilli and red pepper in a food processor.
2. Heat a tiny amount of oil in a medium-sized frying pan and add the smoked paprika. Fry the diced chorizo until it looks nice and is getting crispy. Remove and set aside; do not wash the pan, you want to keep that lovely orange oil.
3. Add the whizzed-up ingredients and cook over low heat until the onion is nice and soft but not coloured - you’ll need to keep stirring as you don’t want it to burn.
4. Use the empty can to measure out about a ¼ of the can of red wine and add that to the pan. Cook until the wine has reduced.
5. Add the chorizo and the oil to the pan. Stir in the tomatoes, including their juice and add the Worcester sauce and sugar. Simmer until it’s a nice consistency; not too thick or too thin.
6. Give it a good stir and turn off the heat until needed.

To make the meatballs

1. Whiz the onion and garlic in a food processor and tip into a large mixing bowl.
2. Stir in the cumin and chopped parsley along with a little salt and some pepper.
3. Mix in the minced pork gently with a fork. Don’t over-mix it or the meat will go horrid and over-processed looking.
4. *Take a tiny amount of the mixture and fry off a tiny bit of oil as you want to make sure the seasoning is right.*
5. When you’re happy, shape into 14 small meatballs using your hands and put them on a plate.
6. If you’re not cooking them straight away, cover them with cling film and refrigerate.

To make the spicy potatoes

1. Peel enough potatoes as you fancy and cut them into smallish cubes - about 2cm (1 inch).
2. Pour a little oil into a large mixing bowl and add some salt, pepper and 2 teaspoons of cayenne pepper (or to taste).
3. Give it a stir and stir in the potatoes – making sure they’re well coated with the oil and the seasoning.
4. Tip them onto a preheated baking tray and bake on the middle shelf for about 40 minutes. After the first 15 minutes, give them a mix around so they colour on both sides.
5. As the cooking times of potatoes vary depending on the variety used, the time could differ - you want them to be cooked through and are a nice colour.
6. Serve the whole dish and sprinkle with the chopped parsley whilst everything is piping hot.

When you are ready, cook the meatballs

1. Heat a splash of oil in a large frying pan. Fry the meatballs for about 12-15 minutes whilst turning until they're cooked through and as evenly browned as you can get them.
2. Add the sauce to the pan and heat through.

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