Mexican Albondigas Soup is the ultimate comfort food. In this traditional Mexican Soup, large juicy meatballs flecked with rice, spices, and herbs are served with carrots, potatoes, and zucchini in a light tomato-based broth for a soup that’s as hearty as it is nourishing. We eat this family favorite all year long, but it’s especially great for cold weather.
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What is Mexican Albondigas Soup?
When people think of Mexican soups, menudo and pozole are often at the top of that list. Known for their deep earthy flavors, these soups have stronger broths made from rehydrating and pureeing dried chiles.
If you’re looking for something a bit lighter, Sopa de albondigas is a great intro to Mexican soup. Endlessly adaptable, you’ll find versions of this traditional Mexican meatball soup where the beef albondigas are made with uncooked rice (the most traditional) or breadcrumbs. Versions with corn. Versions without it.
Fun fact: ‘Albondigas’ is really just the Spanish word for ‘meatballs.’ It actually comes from the Arabic word al-bunduq, which means ‘hazelnut’ and refers to the shape of the meatballs. But in Mexico, you can literally just say you’re having ‘albondigas,’ and everyone knows you’re having this soup.
Albondigas is one of our go-to pantry meals because we always have ground beef in the freezer, potatoes in the pantry, and carrots in the fridge. Serve it with a small scoop of white rice, corn tortillas, lime, and lots of queso fresco (or whatever cheese you have on hand) and you’ve got the ultimate comfort food. Every spoonful is the opportunity for the perfect bite – tender meatballs, melt in your mouth vegetables, and flavorful tomato broth.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
Here are just a few reasons that you’ll be making this hearty Mexican albondigas soup recipe on repeat:
- It’s full of flavor, thanks to dried spices, fresh herbs, and veggies.
- It offers essential vitamins and minerals, plus protein and fiber.
- You can make it ahead of time (it’s even better the next day).
- It’s endlessly adaptable.
- It’s fully kid-approved for a family meal!
Ingredients and Substitutions
Meatball ingredients
- Ground meat: I typically use an 85/15 blend of ground beef, but you can go as low as 80/20.
- Egg: Acts as a binding agent.
- Raw rice: Any variety of long-grain white rice can be used here and make the meatballs extra juicy. Avoid using brown rice varieties as they take too long to cook. If you don’t have rice, you can swap with equal amount of breadcrumbs.
- Breadcrumbs: The breadcrumbs serve the same purpose as the rice. I used panko here, but any breadcrumbs will work. If you don’t have breadcrumbs, you can swap with an equal amount of uncooked, long-grain white rice.
- Spices: I keep things simple in the meatball mixture – just some oregano and cumin.
- Fresh garlic: Minced
- Finely chopped onion: Here I usually reach for white onion, but you can use sweet yellow onion, too.
- Fresh cilantro: If you’re part of the ‘cilantro-tastes-like-soap’ crowd, replace with chopped mint or chopped parsley. The former is an ingredient you’ll often find in Mexican meatballs, so even if you like cilantro, you can swap half of the cilantro for chopped mint if you have any on hand.
Soup Ingredients
- Roma tomatoes
- Bell pepper: Use half of a red bell pepper in this recipe to naturally sweeten the broth.
- Onion: I usually opt for white onion here, but a sweet yellow onion will work just fine. This gets blended with the tomatoes, so you can quarter it.
- Chipotle en adobo: Optional. I have a kid who loves telling me everything is ‘spicy,’ but I was able to add a couple of small chipotles in adobo to the tomato mixture and he didn’t even notice. You do you, though. 😉
- Chicken broth: Homemade is always extra amazing, but you can also used store-bought stock. You can also swap for beef broth, and it’ll be just as delicious.
- Tomato sauce: Using tomato sauce is optional. If I am using garden Roma in the summer, don’t use tomato sauce, but if I”m using store-bought roma tomatoes in the middle of the winter, I often add a can of tomato sauce to enhance the flavor of the tomatoes.
- Carrots
- Potatoes: Any variety will work here. Russet potatoes will be starchier while yukon golds will be creamier.
- Zucchini: You can also opt for green beans, corn, or any other veggies you’re trying to use up!
- Spices: dried oregano, cumin, coriander, bay leaves and salt, pepper. When I’m feeling ambitious, I toast whole cumin and coriander seeds and grind them with a mortar and pestle. If I’m trying to get this done on a weeknight, I used the pre-ground stuff.
- Fresh Garlic: Whole cloves of garlic, minced.
- Onion: Here I use white onions, but yellow onions would be a good substitute.
- Cilantro: Omit in the soup or swap for mint or parsley.
- For serving: Accompany the soup any or all of the following: steamed rice, queso fresco (or oaxaca, or mozzarella), lime wedges, more cilantro, and a few corn tortillas.
FAQs
Rice or Breadcrumbs?
I’m using a mixture of panko breadcrumbs and uncooked rice for this recipe because I think the combo yields the best albondigas. The breadcrumbs and the rice both absorb the moisture in the meatballs, so they stay super moist. You can also use fresh breadcrumbs if you don’t have panko breadcrumbs. Plain breadcrumbs will work just fine. If you’re making this and you don’t have rice, you can replace with an equal amount of breadcrumbs, and vice versa. The rice is a game changer for how tender and juicy these meatballs get, but I find rice meatballs are even better the second day, which is why I still opt to use a little of both.
How Can I Ensure My Meatballs Are Properly Salted?
Before you add the raw rice to your meat mixture, but after you’ve added everything else, heat a small frying pan and pinch off a small bit of the seasoned meatball mixture. Flatten and cook through, and then taste. Add more salt or spices based off your personal preferences.
Can I use another meat?
Yes, you can use several different types of ground meat to make the meatballs. (If you like a little heat, you can swap some of the beef for Mexican chorizo or hot Italian sausage meat). Just keep in mind that different types of ground meat have different amounts of fat, so if you substitute the meat, you might change the texture and flavor of the meatballs. You’ll also have to be mindful of how long it takes to cook the meatballs if you use a different type of meat. I don’t recommend using a leaner meat such as ground chicken or ground turkey in this recipe unless you swap the rice for more breadcrumbs since leaner meat requires less cooking time as they cook through quickly and can easily dry out.
Why is my soup so greasy?
Since the meatballs cook directly in the broth, it’s best to use 85/15 ground beef for these albondigas, meaning it contains 85% lean meat and only 15% fat. You may notice some pockets of fat in the soup, but it’s far from greasy. In fact, the fat adds more beefy flavor to the soup. If you use 80/20, or ground beef containing 80 percent lean meat and 20% fat, you will notice more pockets. If it’s too much for you, you can try to skim it off, or, let it come to room temperature so that the fat congeals and it will be easier to skim off.
How to Make This Recipe
- To make the meatball mixture, add 1 pound of ground beef, ¼ diced onion, 3 cloves minced garlic, ⅛ cup breadcrumbs, ⅛ cup uncooked rice, 2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro, 1 teaspoon of salt, ½ teaspoon of cumin, 1 teaspoon of oregano, ¼ teaspoon black pepper and egg. Mix and make meatballs, set aside.
- Bring a pot of water to a boil and add in 5 whole roma tomatoes, ½ red bell pepper, quartered onion, and 2 whole garlic cloves. Cook for 3-5 minutes or until the tomato skins start to pull away from the flesh of the tomatoes and the onions soften.
- Drain and add the vegetables to a blender with 1-2 chipotles en adobo, 2 teaspoons dried oregano, ½ teaspoon ground cumin, ¼ teaspoon ground coriander and, if needed, ½ cup of the broth.
- Then, into a large pot over medium heat, add the pureed tomato sauce with the rest of the chicken broth, tasting and adjusting the seasoning to your liking. To the simmering soup, add the carrots, potatoes, and meatballs. The amount of salt you will need to add will vary depending on whether you are using homemade broth or storebought (and which brand). Bring back to a simmer, reduce heat, and cook for 20 minutes. Then, add the zucchini and cilantro and cook for another 10 minutes.
- We like to add a small scoop of rice to the bottom of each bowl, ladle soup over the top of that, and then top with crumbled queso fresco, more chopped cilantro, and a spritz of lime. You can serve this with homemade flour tortillas or warm corn tortillas and use them to dip into the soup if you’d like.
How to Store
This makes a big batch of soup but never fear! Leftover albondigas soup is even better because all of the flavors have time to meld together. Albondigas soup will last for up to a week in the fridge.
Freeze this soup for up to three months. To reheat, allow to defrost overnight in the fridge if needed (or using the microwave defrost function), then heat on the stovetop or using the microwave.
More Mouthwatering Mexican Recipes
📖 Recipe
Mexican Albondigas Soup
Ingredients
Albondigas (Meatballs)
- 1 pound ground beef
- 1 egg
- ¼ onion diced
- 2 tablespoons chopped cilantro
- 3 cloves of garlic minced
- ⅛ cup breadcrumbs
- ⅛ cup uncooked rice
- ½ teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Soup
- 5 roma tomatoes
- ½ red bell pepper
- 1 large white onion quartered
- 2 garlic cloves
- 1-2 chipotles en adobo
- 2 teaspoons Oregano
- ½ teaspoon ground cumin
- ¼ teaspoon ground coriander
- 8-9 cups chicken stock
- optional 1 can tomato sauce
- 2 bay leaves
- 4-5 large carrots cut into slices and quartered
- 2 large russet potatoes peeled and cut into 1” cubes
- 1-2 zucchini thickly sliced and quartered
- ½ cup cilantro
- salt and pepper to taste
For Garnish
- ⅓ cup cilantro chopped
- Queso fresco crumbled
- Lime wedges
- Optional: cooked white rice
Instructions
- Add 1 pound of ground beef, ¼ diced onion, 3 cloves minced garlic, ⅛ cup breadcrumbs, ⅛ cup uncooked rice, 2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro, 1 teaspoon of salt, ½ teaspoon of cumin, 1 teaspoon of oregano, ¼ teaspoon black pepper and egg. Mix and make meatballs, set aside.
- Bring a pot of water to a boil and add in 5 whole roma tomatoes, ½ red bell pepper, quartered onion, and 2 whole garlic cloves. Cook for 3-5 minutes or until the tomato skins start to pull away from the flesh of the tomatoes and the onions soften.
- Drain and add the vegetables to a blender with 1-2 chipotles en adobo, 2 teaspoons dried oregano, ½ teaspoon ground cumin, ¼ teaspoon ground coriander and, if needed a ½ cup of the broth.
- Then, into the soup pot, add the pureed tomato sauce with the rest of the chicken broth, tasting and adjusting the seasoning to your liking before adding the carrots, potatoes, and meatballs. The amount of salt you will need to add will vary depending on the brand of broth that you are using. Bring to a simmer, reduce heat, and cook for 20 minutes. Then, add the zucchini and cilantro and cook for another 10 minutes.
- We like to add a ½ cup of rice to the bottom of each bowl, ladle soup over the top of that, and then top with crumbled queso fresco, more cilantro, and a spritz of lime. You can also heat up some corn tortillas and use it to dip into the soup if you’d like.
