Greek Soutzoukakia with rice(Σουτζουκάκια με ρύζι)

Soutzoukakia are a traditional Greek meal. They are a cross between hamburgers and meatballs, served in a rich tomato sauce. The ground meat is delicately flavoured and cooked until tender. I like to pair mine with rice and vegetables like delicious and vibrant peas.

For most of elementary school, I came home for lunch and was greeted by my mom who had a nice, warm meal waiting for me.  I would eat, sitting next to my mother, and we would watch the Flintstones together.  This was the only time I was allowed to watch television during meals, probably permitted because my mother loved to follow Fred and Barney’s antics as much as I did.  When she first arrived in Canada, it was partially by watching the Flintstones that my mother learned English.  To this day, she can recite most of the episodes, and can yaba-daba-doo with the best of them.

Looking back, I don’t think that I appreciated how lucky I was.  In fact, I often wished that I could just stay at school, to eat cold sandwiches with my friends. Every once in a while, my mother would acquiesce, and she would pack me a lunch so that I could eat in the school lunch room. She never packed me sandwiches however; to this day she contends that they are not food.  Instead she lovingly filled thermoses and containers with things like avgolemono soup, pastitsio and these soutzoukakia.

When it comes to food that my non-Greek classmates would make fun of, soutzoukakia is right up there.  Not quite meatballs, and not really hamburger patties, it was hard for some of my peers to understand what it was I was eating, often referring to them as mutant, or deformed, versions of their favourite North American fare.  Explaining to them that these were not meant to be either meatballs, or burgers, but that they were instead their own thing called soutzoukakia …well…you can imagine that this did nothing to stop the teasing.  They found that soutzoukakia looked so so kaka! Kids! I didn’t really mind; I was too busy enjoying the company of my friends, and my delicious lunch.

Why this recipe is great

I love soutzoukakia with tomato sauce. They are so flavourful, so moist and I love that they are filling and hearty.

This recipe is so easy and it does not require any complicated ingredients. The cooking technique is also very straightforward. I love that they can be reheated easily too.

Key ingredients

There is nothing complicated here! You only need basic ingredients that are usually pretty easy to find to make this classic and traditional Greek meal.

Here is what you will need for the soutzoukakia:

Ground meat I prefer to use a combination of ground veal, and ground pork. I find that this gives a great flavour, much better than what you get when you use only one type of ground meat. If you prefer you can substitute beef for the veal.

Onion I use yellow onion that I grate – so much easier than chopping it up, plus you get the onion flavour without necessarily pieces of onion.

Garlic Finely minced onion added to the meat mixture is a great way to add flavour.

Parsley I use fresh, flat leaf parsley that I chop up really fine.

Red wine vinegar The acidity in the red wine vinegar balances all the flavours, and also

Olive oil I use Greek olive oil in this recipe (like almost all of my recipes). Adding a bit of oil to the meat mixture keeps it moist.

Egg I use large egg to help bind the ingredients for the yiouvarlakia together.

Dry oregano I add some dry oregano to the mix for a great Greek flavour. Dry oregano is so much more flavourful than fresh oregano, I think.

Breadcrumbs I use plain breadcrumbs. I usually buy them, but you can definitely make them yourself by pulsing dry bread in a blender or food processor.

Salt and pepper Basic seasonings you can’t do without in most recipes!

Vegetable oil I like to fry these yiouvarlakia in vegetable oil – it has a higher smoke point than olive oil does, and a mild flavour.

For the sauce you will need:

Tomato sauce This is a very basic sauce, so it is important to use top quality ingredients. I usually use my homemade tomato sauce or a really good jar of strained tomatoes.

Water I thin the tomato sauce out with a bit of water.

Olive oil A good quality olive oil has a really wonderful fragrance and flavour. Olive oil is so great in sauces because of this.

Pepper I season with pepper but I don’t add salt because usually the tomato sauce will have salt in it.

Ground cinnamon Using cinnamon in savoury dishes is really common in Greek cooking. Don’t skip it, even if this seems odd to you. It really adds a unique and wonderful flavour.

I like to serve soutzoukakia with rice, so you will need:

Rice Traditionally, my parents taught me to use Carolina rice in this recipe, and others. If you can’t find it (even I have a hard time finding it actually) then any long grain rice will do.

Mizithra cheese This is the Greek answer to parmesan. Mizithra is a hard cheese made of sheep and goat’s milk and it is often grated and added to the top of pasta or rice.

Salt I season my rice carefully because the mizithra cheese is salty by nature.

How to make it

Step 1
In a large bowl combine the ground veal, or beef, the ground pork, the onion, garlic, parsley, red wine vinegar, olive oil, eggs, salt, ground black pepper, oregano and breadcrumbs.  Mix very well with your hands until everything is combined. Cover, and let rest in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours or overnight.

Step 2
Shape your soutzoukakia by taking approximately 1/4 cup of the mixture, forming a ball, and then rolling it into an oval shape.  Continue until you have used up all of the meat mixture.

Step 3
Heat the vegetable or corn oil in a large frying pan (allow the oil to come up 1 – 2 centimeters in the pan) over medium heat.  Add the soutzoukakia, being careful not to crowd them.  Fry them, until all sides are golden brown, a few minutes per side.

Step 4
As you finish frying batches of the soutzoukakia, place them carefully in a large saucepot.  Continue until all the soutzoukakia are in the pot.

Step 5
In a small bowl combine the tomato sauce, water, olive oil, ground cinnamon and pepper.  Mix well and then pour this sauce over the soutzoukakia in the pot.

Step 6
Heat to boiling, and then reduce heat and cook, covered, over medium heat for approximately 20 minutes.

Step 7
Rinse your rice thoroughly.  Bring a large pot of water to a boil.  Add the salt and then stir in the rinsed rice.  Cook over medium heat, uncovered, until the rice is done; about 20 minutes.  Drain the rice and set aside.

Step 8
Rinse your rice thoroughly.  Bring a large pot of water to a boil.  Add the salt and then stir in the rinsed rice.  Cook over medium heat, uncovered, until the rice is done; about 20 minutes.  Drain the rice and set aside.

Step 9
When the soutzoukakia are done, serve with a side of rice.  Be sure to add sauce from the pot over the tzoutzoukakia, and the rice.  Sprinkle with mizithra.

Recipe substitutions

Although I like to use a combination of ground meat, you don’t have too. You can make soutzoukakia with ground veal or beef only, or ground lamb or pork. Any combination of ground meat can work, so long as you use the same quantity as called for in this recipe.

I use long grain rice to make the side of rice in this meal, but you can use a different rice if you prefer. Adjust the cooking time accordingly.

Cooking tips and helpful hints

Part of what makes soutzoukakia soutzoukakia are their shape.  The best way to create the traditional shape is to roll the meat into a ball and then, between the palms of your hands, gently roll it into an oval log shape.  Each soutzoukaki does not need to be exactly the same as the others, but they should be relatively equal in size, to ensure even cooking.  This is why I suggest that you start each one with about 2 tablespoons worth of meat, and roll from there.

The recipe suggests that you allow the meat mixture to rest for at least two hours.  This is an important step as it allows all the flavours to blend together and, according to my parents, it gives a better texture to the soutzoukakia.

You will notice that after you roll your soutzoukakia, if you use the quantity I suggest for each one, they will appear to be quite small and scrawny.  Don’t worry, as they cook they will plump up.  Cooking is science!

The tomato sauce which is used as the base of the sauce is my parents’ homemade version.  If you have not already made their tomato sauce, use the best quality tomato sauce you can purchase.  It will make a big difference in the final product.

As I have described in previous posts using rice, such as rice with vegetables and veal kokkinisto served with rice, my parents cook their rice in much the same way that they cook pasta, in plenty of water.  After rinsing the rice, they add it to a large pot of boiling water, cook it until it is done, and then drain it.  This helps to remove much of the arsenic often found in rice, and also prevents situations where you find yourself with burnt rice because there just wasn’t enough water to start with. I find this method to work really well, so this is how I make rice too.

Recipe variations

Similar to soutzoukakia are biftekia. The difference is that biftekia are not cooked or served in a sauce. You can make biftekia with roasted lemon potatoes in the oven, or you can fry the biftekia and serve them with French fries.

Serving size

This recipe makes a lot of soutzoukakia, approximately 30 of them.  So great! 

Storing and freezing

If your ground meats were not previously frozen, then you can freeze a portion of the formed soutzoukakia, un-cooked, where they will be ready to be used another day to make soutzoukakia with rice.  To freeze, simply lay them on a baking tray lined with parchment paper. When they are frozen, you can store them in a freezer bag.  When it is time to cook them, allow them to thaw in the refrigerator overnight and then cook as directed in the recipe.

You can store any already cooked soutzoukakia with sauce in the refrigerator for up to 3 – 4 days. You can also freeze them, with the sauce.

How to serve

There are many ways to make soutzoukakia, and several ways to serve them.  Often, my parents will make a side of mashed potatoes to accompany the soutzoukakia, but more frequently, they serve them with plain rice, and so this is what I have chosen to feature in this recipe.  The rice is first packed into a lightly greased mold or a cup and then turned onto the plate for a pretty presentation.

The flavourful sauce in which the soutzoukakia cook is generously poured over the meat and the rice, turning a plain side, into something just plain fantastic.

Although not essential, this dish is made even more delicious with a light, (or generous), sprinkling of mizithra on top of both the soutzoukakia and the rice.

To add some colour to the plate I like to serve some peas or some broccoli on the plate as well. Of course, I add feta, olives and some red wine on the table. Opa! That is a great Greek meal!

Related recipes

If you love this recipe, I think you will also like these Greek meals!

Biftekia with french fries I love this recipe! The only risk is that you won’t be able to stop at one serving!

Biftekia with lemon roasted potatoes A one pan meal that will make your kitchen smell fantastic. This is a winner of a meal guys!

Feta stuffed meatballs A simple and unique recipe! Learn how to make the meatballs, and the sides.

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