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Our Albondigas was recreated based on the famous soup our Great Grandma would make!! After decades of trying to recreate it, we used our mom and aunts together to fine tune it and make it just like she did. The result? PERFECTION!
Albondigas is Spanish for “meatballs”. It’s also known as Caldo de Albóndigas but its origin goes back to Spain and has some Arabic influences. Great Grandma’s traditional Mexican meatball soup has a flavorful broth base and is filled with tomatoes, veggies, and homemade meatballs (filled with spices and rice).
Our hearty Mexican-spiced soup has been enjoyed for generations, and we guarantee you’ll enjoy it as well.
Why we think you’ll love it:
- Yummy + hearty. Just like Great Grandma made – delicious and hearty with meatballs and veggies.
- Perfectly spiced! The flavors are perfection, but you can easily adjust the spice level to your liking or make it even more filling by adding more veggies!
- Perfect with so many dishes. We love to have this soup with so many recipes, including our Chicken Tacos, Flour Tortillas, Chips + Salsa.
Albondigas Ingredients
Albondiga (meatballs)
- 1 pound ground beef – For more flavor use fattier meats (80/20 or 70/30). Lean ground beef tends to fall apart more easily.
- Substitute half of the ground beef with pork sausage. Or use ground pork, ground chicken, or ground turkey.
- 1 whole egg – binds the ingredients together
- 2 teaspoons minced garlic – 4-6 fresh garlic cloves make 2 teaspoons, see How to Mince Garlic
- ½ cup fresh cilantro
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- ½ cup cooked rice – Adds texture and acts as a binder.
- 1-2 tablespoons olive oil – or vegetable oil. Browning the meatballs first will help them keep their shape.
Soup Ingredients
- 4 cups chicken broth – or chicken stock, beef broth, or vegetable broth
- ½ cup sliced carrots (1 – 2 large carrots)
- 1 celery stalk
- 1 (16-ounce) can diced tomatoes – or 2 cups of peeled and chopped fresh tomatoes
- ½ teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon oregano
- ½ cup fresh cilantro
- 1 potato – Red and white potatoes tend to hold their shape while russets are softer and create a creamier soup. Yukon Golds are in between. See our Types of Potatoes and When to Use Them post.
- salt & black pepper – season to taste
- extra veggies (optional) – chopped onions, diced zucchini, green beans, or peas
- toppings (optional) – a dollop of sour cream, sliced avocados, or lime wedges
- additional vegetables – zucchini, corn, green beans and even kale are also great additions to albondigas soup
How to Make Albondigas Soup
- MEATBALLS. In a large bowl, combine ground beef, beaten egg, minced garlic, chopped cilantro , cumin, salt, pepper, and cooked rice.
- Form 20-24 tight meatballs by rolling between your palms (we made ours about 1-inch – 1½ inches wide and used a cookie scoop to make sure the meatballs were the same size and cooked evenly). Brown on all sides in a hot pan over medium heat with 1-2 tablespoons olive oil for a few minutes. Set aside.
- SOUP. In a large pot, combine chicken broth, sliced carrots, chopped celery stalk, diced tomatoes, cumin, oregano, and fresh cilantro leaves.
- Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, and reduce heat to a mild simmer for 10 minutes. Drop meatballs and 1 diced potato in the soup and slightly boil so that the meatballs cook quickly. Return to simmer and cook another 20 minutes.
- SERVE. Salt and pepper to taste. Enjoy warm topped with some fresh parsley (if desired). We also love to serve this with fresh warm corn tortillas or flour tortillas.
Kristyn’s Recipe Tips
- Use 80/20 ground beef for the most flavorful meatballs. You could use frozen or pre-made meatballs as well.
- Traditional albondigas soup has fresh mint in the meatballs, feel free to add instead of cilantro.
- To keep the meatballs from falling apart be sure to brown them in a skillet first.
- Cut all the vegetables about the same size so they cook evenly.
Crock Pot Directions:
- Add all of your ingredients (except for the cilantro) to your slow cooker. Cook on LOW for 4 hours.
- Add cilantro at the very end and salt and pepper if needed.
Albondigas Soup Recipe
Ingredients
Meatballs
- 1 pound ground beef
- 1 egg, beaten
- 2 teaspoon minced garlic
- ½ cup fresh cilantro, chopped
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon pepper
- ½ cup cooked rice, optional
- 1-2 tablespoons olive oil
Soup
- 4 cups low sodium chicken broth
- ½ carrot, sliced
- 1 celery stalk, cut into chunks
- 1 (16-ounce) can diced tomatoes, undrained
- ½ teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon oregano
- ½ cup fresh cilantro
- 1 potato, diced
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
Meatballs
- In a large bowl, combine 1 pound ground beef, 1 beaten egg, 2 teaspoons minced garlic, ½ cup fresh cilantro chopped, 1 teaspoon cumin, ½ teaspoon salt, ¼ teaspoon pepper, and ½ cup cooked rice.
- Form 20-24 tight meatballs by rolling between your palms (we made ours about 1½ inches wide). Brown on all sides in a hot pan over medium heat with 1-2 tablespoons olive oil for a few minutes. Set aside.
Soup
- In a large pot, combine 4 cups chicken broth, ½ carrot sliced, 1 chopped celery stalk, 1 (16-ounce) can diced tomatoes, ½ teaspoon cumin, 1 teaspoon oregano, and ½ cup fresh cilantro leaves.
- Bring to a boil, and reduce heat to a mild simmer for 10 minutes.
- Drop meatballs and 1 diced potato in the soup and slightly boil so that the meatballs cook quickly. Return to simmer and cook another 20 minutes.
- Salt and pepper to taste. Enjoy warm topped with some fresh parsley (if desired).
Video
Notes
- Use 80/20 ground beef for the most flavorful meatballs. You could use frozen or pre-made meatballs.
- Traditional albondigas soup has fresh mint in the meatballs, feel free to add instead of cilantro.
- To keep the meatballs from falling apart be sure to brown them in skillet first.
- Cut all the vegetables about the same size so they cook evenly.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Recipe FAQ
> Additional vegetables: zucchini, corn, green beans and kale are also great additions to the soup
> Fresh herbs can be substituted for dry herbs and vice versa; 1 tablespoon of fresh herbs equals 1 teaspoon of dry herbs.
> While authentic soup isn’t spicy, you can add heat to the soup using hot sauce, chili powder, sliced jalapeños, or red chili flakes.
> Thicken the soup with tomato sauce or tomato paste, or by adding white rice. Use russet potatoes and then mash a few once they’re cooked through.
Let cool, and store in an airtight container(s) in the refrigerator for 3-4 days, or place in a freeze bag and freeze for up to 3 months.
To reheat, let thaw in the fridge overnight and return to the stove. Cook until heated through. You can microwave it as well.
Complete The Meal
Sides
Mexican Cornbread
50 mins
Mexican Wontons
18 mins
Homemade Tortilla Chips
30 mins
Flour Tortilla Recipe
45 mins
Desserts
Mexican Wedding Cookies
1 hr 26 mins
Sopapilla
40 mins
Easy Tres Leches Cake
4 hrs 45 mins
How to Make Flan
9 hrs 10 mins
Mexican Soups
Taco Soup
20 mins
Chicken Tortilla Soup
3 hrs 10 mins
Caldo de Pollo
1 hr 10 mins
Chicken Enchilada Soup
4 hrs 10 mins
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This recipe was originally published October 2018.
Excellent recipe.
I made this recipe exactly as stated. It is delicious! I recently asked my local Mexican food restaurant for their recipe which they would not give me 🙁 This is really close! Love it and thank you so much!