Not your typical Albondigas Soup recipe, our version features meatballs that are positively PACKED with flavor, a colorful lineup of veggies, and an unforgettably rich and delicious broth!
It all started with an open can of chipotles en adobo in my fridge. That and the fact that I had pulled some frozen ground beef out the night before to thaw. Both needed to be used and, well, this new version of Albondigas Soup was born!
I often like to combine beef and pork for my meatballs and so while I was conjuring up ideas for a Mexican-themed meatball dish, it only stood to reason to combine the beef with….drumroll….homemade Mexican chorizo!  You can buy chorizo in most grocery stores, but I highly recommend making it yourself. First and foremost nothing compares to the flavor of homemade – it’s out of this world. It’s also extremely easy to make and freeze really well so you can have it on hand whenever you need it. It gets rave reviews from our readers and we’re confident you’re going to love it too. And you’re also going to love what it does to these meatballs!
Another wonderful flavor element is the addition of masa harina.  Meatballs generally call for breadcrumbs but I wanted to pack as much of that “Mexican flavor” into the soup as possible.  With its deliciously rich corn flavor, the masa harina was the perfect choice. You can find masa harina in most well-stocked grocery stores or at a local Mexican grocery store, or you can purchase it online here. Â
And don’t worry about all that masa harina going to waste. If you like chili, try adding some of it to your next batch. I do it all the time. It will not only thicken the chili nicely but will also impart an absolutely fabulous flavor. You can also add a little of it to your next batch of cornbread – yum!
This Mexican Meatball Soup packs some serious flavor with its winning combination of ingredients. Get ready for a fun, delicious, and thoroughly satisfying soup!
Albondigas Soup Recipe
Let’s get started!
Place all the ingredients for the meatballs in a bowl.  Combine the ingredients until they’re all incorporated.
Form the meat mixture into 1-inch sized balls.
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F and place the meatballs on a lined cookie sheet. Â Bake for 16-20 minutes or until cooked through.
While the meatballs are baking, get going on the soup.
Heat the oil over medium-high heat in a large stock pot and cook the onions until soft and translucent, 5-7 minutes. Â Add the garlic and cook for another minute.
Add the beef broth.
Add all remaining ingredients, except for the cilantro. Â Bring to a boil, reduce the heat to medium, cover and simmer for 15 minutes.
Add the baked meatballs and cilantro and simmer for another 5 minutes. Â Add salt to taste.
Dish up the Albondigas Soup and serve sprinkled with some chopped cilantro.
Enjoy!
For more delicious soups and stews be sure to try our:
- Minestrone Soup
- Ham and Bean Soup
- Chicken Orzo Soup
- Cream of Mushroom Soup
- Beef Barley Soup
- Chicken Tortilla Soup
- Wonton Soup
- New England Clam Chowder
- Curried Lentil Soup
- White Bean and Sausage Soup
- Pozole Rojo
- Cream of Celery Soup
- German Potato Soup
- Italian Wedding Soup
- Harira
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Albondigas Soup (Mexican Meatball Soup)
Ingredients
- For the Meatballs:
- 3/4 pound ground beef
- 1/4 pound Easy Homemade Mexican Chorizo , (HIGHLY recommended!) or store-bought
- 1/4 cup Masa Harina
- 1 large egg
- 1/2 cup finely chopped onions
- 2 cloves garlic , minced
- 1 chipotle en adobo , chopped + 2 teaspoons adobo sauce from can
- 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1/2 teaspoon chili powder
- For the Soup:
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 1 medium yellow or white onion chopped
- 1 clove garlic minced
- 1 14 oz can of corn , drained
- 1 14 oz can of black beans , rinsed and drained
- 1 14 oz can of petite diced tomatoes
- 1 4.5 oz can of diced green chilies with liquid
- 2 chipotles en adobo , chopped
- 10 cups beef stock
- 1/3 cup uncooked long-grain rice
- 1 bay leaf
- 2 teaspoons chili powder
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1/2 teaspoon salt plus more to taste
- 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
- Extra chopped cilantro for garnish
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.Place all the ingredients for the meatballs in a bowl and thoroughly combine everything. Form the mixture into 1-inch meatballs and place them on a lined cookie sheet. Bake for 16-20 minutes or until cooked through.
- While the meatballs are cooking prepare the rest of the soup: Heat the oil in a large stock pot over medium-high heat and cook the onions until soft and translucent, 5-7 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for another minute. Add the beef stock and all remaining soup ingredients, except for the cilantro. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat to medium, cover and simmer for 15 minutes. Add the meatballs and cilantro and simmer for another 5 minutes. Add salt to taste.Serve hot sprinkled with some fresh chopped cilantro.
Nutrition
First published on The Daring Gourmet on February 6, 2015
Lyn says
Having found the tinned chipotle chillis the other week, we tried this tonight and loved it. We tend to dial down on the chilli a bit and dial up on the garlic (we do live in France!). Even so, we needed a bit of creme fraiche to douse the flames! But we’ll be doing this again, and again… Thanks, another winner.
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Fantastic, Lyn, thank you! I’ll admit I’m a bit of wimp when it comes to excessive heat and I likewise like to add a bit of creme to mine. I do the same thing with spicy chili stews. It not only cuts the heat down but I think also improves the flavor, so it’s a win-win. And naturally, the more garlic the merrier!
Renee - Kudos Kitchen says
I too am a giant meatball fan and I appreciate you’re wanting to come up with delicious new meatball ideas. This one is fantastic. Love how you added a Mexican spin to them using masa. Very nice!
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Thanks, Renee, the masa adds such a terrific flavor!
Melanie | Melanie Makes says
Love this Mexican spin on a traditional meatball soup – sounds delicious!
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Thanks, Melanie!
Carrie @Frugal Foodie Mama says
This soup sounds amazing! I am loving all of the flavors in this. :) And how can you go wrong adding meatballs to a soup?
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Thanks, Carrie, and so true – hoorah for meatballs!
Sharon @ What The Fork Food Blog says
This looks so good, loving all the flavors!
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Thanks, Sharon!
Becky Hardin | The Cookie Rookie says
I have to try these!!! Yum
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
You’ll be happy you did, Becky! :)
Jessica @ Sprinkle Some Sugar says
This looks delicious! Nothing compares to homemade meatballs!
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
So very true, Jessica!
tattcatt22 says
….Hope I’m not overstepping my comment-ting privileges by commenting so much on the same post, but I just had to give an update!
This past weekend I made this recipe, and well….let me take a minute to set the scene first! The day was Sunday, and it was one of those perfect NorCal, clear and sunny with a side of breezy coolness kind of days. Since it’s a Mexican dish, I figured I would go with a Mexican theme while I was cooking, so me and Ole’ Freddy Fender and the Texas Tornados rolled up our shirt sleeves and got to prepping! I have this thing about Music, Cooking, and Craft Beer, that just….well….it’s like my Zen! So I often pair them, like with like. Unless I’m cooking with wine, then…yeah, the Bottle of wine doesn’t survive the experience, but for the most part it’s my Craft Beers! Do I Drink to much, maybe, but the food is always FANTASIC, so let me die Fat, Full, with beer on my breath and Happy…or eat, drink, and be merry, something like that! Side note; Modelo in a can with fresh lemon juice and salt floating around the top, inside the rim….was the “Bee’s Knees” with this dish, and the SoCal way of drinking Mexican Beer! ..just sayin. Sorry, I’m rambling and getting way off topic! When all was said and done, all I can say about this recipe (Pause for effect) ES MUY BUENO! I loved it, my family loved it, and a couple people at work had it for lunch on Monday…and they loved it! Kimberly, you are a credit! Your recipes are always amazing, and my style of cooking! Don’t ever stop sharing them, you’re making people think I can cook! Oh, and, Sorry this is so long, I get carried away when I type….but hey, it’s how I am I guess… passionate is good right?
-Luke
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
That was a fantastic review, Luke, and thanks for setting the scene! :) So glad you enjoyed it and I really appreciate the compliment. Cheers, Kimberly
tattcatt22 says
First, I just have to say this, I love your website! …no really! I’ve made a hand-full of your recipes since discovering it a few weeks back….and well….I’m a life’er! My Wife and kids have yet to be disappointed from anything made using one of your recipes! Your Hungarian Goulash recipe is how I found you, which FYI, is now a staple in our household, and….well, FREAKIN AMAZING!!!! Sorry, can I say, or type, “Freakin”….guess it’s to late to ask, but dang it….it’s that good! Ok, ok, sorry, enough with the borderline creepy stalker praise, and back to this recipe! Albondigas, think I’m spelling it right, has been one of my all time favor-rites since I was a kid! So I’m really excited to try your version! Yours is like the “Fully-Loaded” model with power windows and AC! Gawd, it looks good! I’m going to make your Braciole Di Manza for my wife on V-Day, and I’m thinking of making this on Sunday. ….Your recipes are going to be the end of my yard…I need to get out the kitchen and mow some grass, and clean the dang yard before my neighbors think we’ve moved!!!!
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Haha, that’s so awesome, tattcatt22! You’ve made my day – thank you! :)
jesusan says
This sounds delicious. I find it interesting that you chose the masa haring for tamales instead of the regular kind (not sure what the difference is). And I love the idea of using masa in place of regular flour in cornbread. I already sub some of that with mesquite flour when I make cornbread. I like the idea of more corn rather than wheat flour both from a flavor standpoint and a logic standpoint. I might have a hard time telling the difference, though, given that I always use mesquite (required these days because it tastes so good). Putting masa in chili is another wonderful idea. I’ll definitely try that. Masa is now a staple in my pantry because I make corn tortillas.
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Thanks, Susan. For meatballs and cornbread I don’t think it will make any difference which one you use. I’m no expert on masa but I think the difference becomes more apparent when you use tamale masa to make tortillas (one is more coarse, the other more fine). Yes, I’ve been thinking about your mesquite flour lately, it sounds so good! I love how resourceful you are with gathering up the pods and making it yourself. If you get around to experimenting with adding the masa to cornbread before I do, let us know what you think!
jesusan says
Thanks for explaining the difference. Given what the regular stuff is like, the tamale type must be the coarser one. I’ve already got my menus planned for the coming week, but I wrote down chili and cornbread for the following week. I appreciate it when people help me with my menu planning! And I’ll let you know how everything turns out.
jesusan says
Hi Kimberly. Tonight I made both chili and cornbread and tried the masa harina in both. My chili thickens perfectly on its own, but I added ezra water so I’d need to use the masa harina. What I noticed in both cases is that the masa changes the texture noticeably. My husband described the corn bread has powdery (but I think it was about texture, because it was not powdery). It might be that I need to add a little more liquid if I use the masa. The flavor of the cornbread was pretty spectacular. I was concerned that the mesquite flavor got lost, but we tried another bite just now, and the mesquite flavor is alive and well. So bottom line, I would not put the masa in the chili again, but I do like it in the cornbread. I will play with adding a little more liquid next time I make it (if I can remember – I don’t make it all that often). I used the regular masa, not the kind for tamales. The texture of the chili, the best way I can describe it, is kind of like putting gelatin into a smoothie, but not pleasant.
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Hi Susan, I really appreciate the feedback on your experiments. The chili results definitely don’t sound terrific. I’ve added masa harina to chili many times before and never had the texture become gelatinous. That said, I usually only add 2-4 tablespoons, just for flavor, and I’ve only used the kind for tamales. Maybe that kind tends to congeal less? I’m not sure. In any case, I look forward to experimenting with the cornbread as well. Thanks for the heads up on the powdery texture. I’m sure there must be a way to get around that. I think I’ll try it with my Quinoa Cornbread because the tender quinoa makes the cornbread nice and moist (by cornbread standards anyway) and that may help offset the texture of the masa harina. Thanks again for being the pioneer, Susan!
Catherine Thorne says
Oh my goodness, this looks so delish! Love the creativity here and the inclusion of the masa harina is just perfect. I haven’t had a huge variety of meatball dishes, just the standard spaghetti and meatballs, Swedish meatballs, etc, but I love meatballs and am looking forward to trying this wonderful soup, thank you!
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Thanks, Catherine! Meatballs are so versatile and fun to make. Have fun with this one and enjoy!
Cori Landon says
This looks soooo good! Really love the flavors in this soup, it sounds absolutely delicious. I’m adding the ingredients to my shopping list to make this weekend!
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Awesome, Cori, you’ll love this! Happy cooking!
Judy Carl says
What perfect timing. I have been thinking about albondigas soup for weeks. Guess I had better make this!
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Definitely, Judy, and this one has tons more flavor than the typical albondigas soup. Our whole family loved it, even our 2 year old!