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Handed down for decades, there’s nothing better than Grandma’s famous Albondigas soup!

Albondigas Soup served in a blue bowl.
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Great-Grandma’s Mexican soup

This Albondigas recipe was recreated based on the soup my Great-Grandma would make. After decades of trying to recreate, we finally have it figured out and are so excited to share her famous soup with all of you.

Albondigas is spanish for “meatballs”. It’s also known as Caldo de Albรณndigas but its origin goes back to Spain and has some Arabic influences. This traditional Mexican meatball soup has a flavorful broth base and is filled with tomatoes, veggies, homemade meatballs, and sometimes rice.

Why we love it:

  • Yummy + Hearty. Just like grandma made it but it’s so delicious and so hearty with all of the meatball and soup ingredients.
  • Easy to Customize. This recipe is easy to change up based on the ingredients you love most, especially the spices and vegetables.
  • Perfect with so many dishes. We love to have this soup with so many recipes, including our: Chicken Tacos, Flour Tortillas, Chips + Salsa
Meat and rice ingredients in bowl for making meatballs.

Ingredients

Albondiga (meatball) Ingredients:

  • 1 pound ground beef – For the most tender and flavorful meatballs, stick with fattier meats. The most popular meat choice is ground beef (80/20 or 70/30). Meatballs made using lean ground beef tend to fall apart more easily.
    • You can substitute half of the ground beef with pork sausage. You can also use ground pork, ground chicken, or ground turkey.
  • 1 whole egg – helps bind the ingredients together
  • 2 teaspoons minced garlic – Use 4-6 fresh garlic cloves to make 2 teaspoons of minced garlic.
  • ยฝ cup fresh cilantro
  • 1 teaspoon ground cumin
  • ยฝ teaspoon salt
  • ยผ teaspoon black pepper
  • ยฝ cup Cooked Rice – It adds texture and acts as a binder to hold the meatballs together.
  • 1-2 tablespoons olive oil or vegetable oil. Browning the meatballs first will help them keep their shape.

Pro Tip!

I always start by making the meatballs. You could use frozen or pre-made meatballs, but these are simple to make and taste so good!

Soup Ingredients

  • 4 cups chicken broth – Use stock in place of broth. You can also use beef broth in place of the chicken broth.
  • ยฝ cup sliced carrots
  • 1 celery stalk
  • 1 (16-ounce) can diced tomatoes use 2 cups of peeled and chopped fresh tomatoes.
  • ยฝ teaspoon ground cumin
  • 1 teaspoon oregano
  • ยฝ cup fresh cilantro
  • 1 potato you can use any potato. Red and white potatoes tend to hold their shape while russets are softer and create a creamier soup. Yukon Golds are in between. 
  • salt & black pepper season to taste
  • extra veggies (optional) – toss in chopped onions, diced zucchini, green beans, or peas.
  • toppings (optional) – Top the soup with a dollop of sour cream and sliced avocados. Garnish bowls with lime wedges which you can squeeze to add lime juice to each bowl. 

How to Make Albondigas

  1. MEATBALLS. Combine 1 pound ground beef, 1 beaten egg, 2 teaspoons minced garlic, ยฝ cup fresh cilantro chopped, 1 teaspoon cumin, ยฝ teaspoon salt, ยผ teaspoon pepper, and ยฝ cup cooked rice.
    • Form 20-24 tight meatballs by rolling between your palms (we made ours about 1ยฝ 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 with 1-2 tablespoons olive oil for a few minutes. Set aside.
  2. SOUP. In a large pot, combine 4 cups chicken broth, ยฝ carrot sliced, 1 chopped celery stalk, 1 (16-ounce) can diced tomatoes, ยฝ teaspoon cumin, 1 teaspoon oregano, and ยฝ 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.
  3. SERVE. Salt and pepper to taste. Enjoy warm topped with some fresh parsley (if desired).

MAKE IN A CROCK POT

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.

A soup pot filled with albondigas soup.
5 from 347 votes

Albondigas Recipe

By: Lil’ Luna
Albondigas is a delicious Mexican soup filled with meatballs, vegetables, and spices! It's easy, flavorful, and sure to be a favorite.ย 
Servings: 6
Prep: 25 minutes
Cook: 30 minutes
Total: 55 minutes

Ingredients 

Meatballs

  • 1 pound ground beef
  • 1 egg, beaten
  • 2 teaspoon minced garlic
  • ยฝ cup fresh cilantro, chopped
  • 1 teaspoon ground cumin
  • ยฝ teaspoon salt
  • ยผ teaspoon pepper
  • ยฝ cup cooked rice, optional
  • 1-2 tablespoons olive oil

Soup

  • 4 cups low sodium chicken broth
  • ยฝ carrot, sliced
  • 1 celery stalk, cut into chunks
  • 1 (16-ounce) can diced tomatoes, undrained
  • ยฝ teaspoon ground cumin
  • 1 teaspoon oregano
  • ยฝ cup fresh cilantro
  • 1 potato, diced
  • salt and pepper to taste

Instructions 

Meatballs

  • Combine 1 pound ground beef, 1 beaten egg, 2 teaspoons minced garlic, ยฝย cupย fresh cilantroย chopped, 1 teaspoon cumin, ยฝย teaspoon salt, ยผย teaspoonย pepper, and ยฝย cupย cooked rice.
  • Form 20-24 tight meatballs by rolling between your palms (we made ours about 1ยฝ inches wide). Brown on all sides in a hot pan with 1-2 tablespoons olive oil for a few minutes. Set aside.

Soup

  • In a large pot, combine 4 cups chicken broth, ยฝ carrot sliced, 1 chopped celery stalk, 1 (16-ounce)ย can diced tomatoes, ยฝย teaspoon cumin, 1ย teaspoon oregano, and ยฝย cupย 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

STORE. Let cool, and store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3-4 days.
FREEZE in containers or double bagged in freezer bags.
To reheat, let thaw in the fridge overnight and return to the stove. Cook until heated through. You can microwave it as well.

Nutrition

Calories: 273kcal, Carbohydrates: 11g, Protein: 18g, Fat: 16g, Saturated Fat: 6g, Cholesterol: 80mg, Sodium: 317mg, Potassium: 549mg, Fiber: 1g, Vitamin A: 1100IU, Vitamin C: 5.5mg, Calcium: 46mg, Iron: 3.5mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

RECIPE FAQ

  • Fresh herbs can be substituted for dry herbs and vice versa; 1 tablespoon of fresh herbs equals 1 teaspoon of dry herbs.ย 
  • Traditional albondigas soup has fresh mint, feel free to add it if you wish.
  • Add heat to the soup using hot sauce, chili powder, sliced jalapeรฑos, or red chili flakes.
  • Thicken the Albondigas soup recipe with tomato sauce or tomato paste, or by adding white rice. Use russet potatoes and then mash a few once theyโ€™re cooked through.
  • Let the soup cool, and store Caldo de Albondigas in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3-4 days. For freezer storage, place in freezer bags and freeze for up to 3 months.ย 
  • To reheat, thaw in the fridge overnight and return to the stove. Cook until heated through. You can microwave it as well.

For more Soup Recipes:

About Kristyn

My name is Kristyn and Iโ€™m the mom of SIX stinkinโ€™ cute kids and the wife to my smokinโ€™ hot hubby, Lo. My momโ€™s maiden name is Luna, and Iโ€™m one of the many crafty โ€œLilโ€™ Lunasโ€ in the fam. On this site I like to share all things creative - from recipes to home decor to gifts and home decor ideas. Welcome!

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5 from 347 votes (265 ratings without comment)

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Recipe Rating




169 Comments

  1. Precious I Ogilvie says:

    5 stars
    I just made this soup and oh my goodness. Thank you thank you .

    1. Kristyn Merkley says:

      You are so welcome!! Thank you for trying it ๐Ÿ™‚

  2. Jerryt says:

    5 stars
    This looks so good anD i wAnt to mAke it this weekend. AppRoximately how many servings are in the recipe?

    1. Kristyn Merkley says:

      6 servings about a cup to cup & a half big.

  3. Carleen says:

    I am excited to try this as I have only had it only (several times) at one restaurant way across the country and I’m addicted to it. I do find it odd that onion is excluded from the recipe. I also want to add that when I had this at El Tepeyac in LA, it was served with Mexican rice, so consider that option.

    1. Kristyn Merkley says:

      Thank you for sharing that! Yes, rice would be a great option & onion ( I just don’t like onions). Enjoy!!

  4. Tamara says:

    5 stars
    Wonderful soup everyone loved it!

    1. Kristyn Merkley says:

      Yay!! So happy they did! Thank you for letting me know & giving it a try!

  5. Loretta Baker says:

    Hi i would like to use frozen fully cooked meatballs, what size of bag would i need and how many hours in the crockpot on low
    Thanks

    1. Kristyn Merkley says:

      Yes, you could. My recipe made about 24 meatballs, so that’s about half a bag. The count is usually on the bag. It would be low for about 4 hrs.

  6. Diana says:

    5 stars
    Love love love! Super easy to follow and make this coming from a person that always buRns food and doesnt cook much so you know its super easy to do. I used my crockpot and didnt use rice as i had none. Super DELICIOUS Just like my mom Use to make it!

    1. Kristyn Merkley says:

      Glad you like it ๐Ÿ™‚ Thank you for sharing that! I am glad you tried it!

  7. Patty says:

    5 stars
    This recipe was easy to follow and I doubled ingredients for leftovers.
    Absolutely delicious, added lemon to soup after serving in bowl.

    1. Kristyn Merkley says:

      Yay!! Glad to hear! Thank you so much ๐Ÿ™‚

  8. Amy L Huntley says:

    5 stars
    This was the first time that I have made this recipe! SO GOOD!

  9. Becca says:

    5 stars
    Never had Albondigas soup before this- it’s so good! THANK YOU FOR SHARING YOUR RECIPE.

  10. Betty O'Brien says:

    Sounds wonderful! I don’t like the taste of cilantro…can I leave it out and not ruin the taste of soup?

    1. Kristyn Merkley says:

      You sure could ๐Ÿ™‚ I hope you try it!! It is so tasty!