Albóndigas in Chipotle Tomato Sauce
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Big, bold flavor with very little fuss, these albóndigas (Mexican meatballs) cook in one skillet and are ready in 35 minutes—perfect for an easy weeknight dinner.
Albóndigas are tender Mexican meatballs packed with flavor. Here, they’re simmered in a smoky chipotle-tomato sauce adapted from Rick Bayless that comes together quickly in the blender. Similar to my albóndigas soup, the meatballs are made with rice mixed right in, which gives them a light, fork-tender texture, much like breadcrumbs do in Italian meatballs. I love serving them over rice to soak up all that delicious sauce—it’s an easy dinner that feels a little special.
These albóndigas also make a fabulous appetizer. Just roll the meatballs a bit smaller and spear them with toothpicks. They’re fun to serve and perfect for a party.
What You’ll Need To Make Albondigas
- Meatloaf mix – A blend of beef, pork, and sometimes veal. It gives the meatballs great flavor and tenderness, but you can also use half beef and half pork, or all of one or the other.
- Cooked white rice – Mixed into the meatballs to keep them tender and moist (a classic technique in Mexican albóndigas). For ease, I like to use microwave-ready rice.
- Fresh mint – Mint is traditional in many Mexican meatball recipes, but cilantro works well too.
- Garlic – Adds flavor to both the meatballs and the sauce.
- Egg – Helps bind the meatballs together.
- Canned diced tomatoes – Fire-roasted tomatoes add extra depth and smoky flavor.
- Chipotle peppers in adobo – These bring smoky heat to the sauce; you’ll use both a pepper and a little of the adobo sauce. They’re sold in small cans in the Latin foods aisle of most supermarkets.
- Dried oregano & cumin – Warm spices that round out the flavor of the meatballs and sauce.
- Chicken broth – Helps thin the sauce and adds savory depth.
- Jump to the printable recipe for precise measurements
Step-By-Step Instructions
Step 1: Mix and form the meatballs. In a large bowl, beat the egg with the mint, garlic, oregano, cumin, and salt. Add the meatloaf mix and cooked rice, then mash with your hands until combined. Roll into approximately twelve 1½-inch balls, wetting your hands as needed to prevent sticking.
Pro Tip: Don’t overwork the meat! Mix just until the rice and spices are incorporated to keep the meatballs light and tender.
Step 2: Brown the meatballs. In a large nonstick skillet, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Add the meatballs in a single layer and cook, turning occasionally, until browned all over—it should take 6 to 8 minutes.
Pro Tip: Resist the urge to move them too soon. Let the meatballs sit undisturbed for a minute or two to develop a deep brown crust; this sear adds a savory depth of flavor to the final sauce.
Step 3: Make the sauce. While the meatballs brown, pulse the tomatoes, chipotle pepper, and sauce, oregano, garlic, broth, and sugar in a blender until coarsely pureed.
Step 4: Simmer. Pour the sauce over the meatballs and coat evenly. Cover the pan, reduce the heat to medium-low, and cook for 10 minutes until the meatballs are cooked through.
5. Serve or store: Serve the meatballs over rice or store the finished dish in the fridge for up to 3 days. You can also freeze the meatballs and sauce together for up to 3 months (or prep the raw meatballs 24 hours in advance). Enjoy!
More Easy Weeknight Dinner recipes You’ll Love
Albóndigas in Chipotle Tomato Sauce
Ingredients
For the Meatballs
- 1 egg
- 3 tablespoons fresh chopped mint (or cilantro)
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- ¼ teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 lb meatloaf mix (or half 80% lean ground beef/half ground pork, or all of one or the other)
- 1¼ cups (packed) cooked long-grain white rice (see note)
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
For the Sauce
- 1 (15-oz) can diced tomatoes, preferably fire-roasted, with their juice
- 1 canned chipotle en adobo pepper (or two if they are small)
- 1 tablespoon chipotle sauce from the can of chipotle en adobo
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 2 cloves garlic, peeled and halved
- ⅓ cup chicken broth or water
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon sugar
Instructions
- In a large bowl, beat the egg with the mint, garlic, oregano, cumin, and salt. Add the meatloaf mix and cooked rice, and mash with your hands until evenly combined. Wet your hands and roll the mixture into 1½-in (4-cm) balls (re-wet your hands as needed to prevent sticking)—you should have about 12 meatballs.
- In a large nonstick skillet, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Place the meatballs in the skillet in a single layer. Cook, turning occasionally, until they're evenly browned all over, 6 to 8 minutes.
- While the meatballs are browning, make the sauce. In a blender, combine the tomatoes, chipotle pepper(s), chipotle sauce, oregano, garlic, broth/water, salt, and sugar. Pulse until coarsely pureed. When the meatballs are browned, pour the sauce mixture evenly over the top. Make sure to coat the meatballs evenly. Cover the pan, reduce the heat to medium-low, and let the meatballs cook for about 10 minutes more, until they're cooked through. Serve.
Notes
- I use Veetee microwave basmati rice (the heat-and-eat variety that microwaves for 2 minutes) for convenience—it works beautifully and saves time. You can also use leftover rice or another brand of microwave long-grain white rice; just avoid parboiled/converted rice (such as Uncle Ben’s/Ben’s Original or other parboiled varieties), which stays too firm.
- Make-Ahead & Freezing Instructions: The meatballs can be mixed, rolled, and refrigerated up to 24 hours before cooking. Alternatively, you can fully cook the meatballs and sauce, let them cool, and refrigerate the finished dish for up to 3 days; reheat gently on the stovetop over low heat until warmed through. This recipe also freezes well: let the meatballs and sauce cool completely, then transfer to a freezer-safe container (together) and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator and reheat slowly on the stove, adding a splash of broth or water if the sauce has thickened.
Nutrition Information
This website is written and produced for informational purposes only. I am not a certified nutritionist and the nutritional data on this site has not been evaluated or approved by a nutritionist or the Food and Drug Administration. Nutritional information is offered as a courtesy and should not be construed as a guarantee. The data is calculated through an online nutritional calculator, Edamam.com. Although I do my best to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures should be considered estimates only. Varying factors such as product types or brands purchased, natural fluctuations in fresh produce, and the way ingredients are processed change the effective nutritional information in any given recipe. Furthermore, different online calculators provide different results depending on their own nutrition fact sources and algorithms. To obtain the most accurate nutritional information in a given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe, using your preferred nutrition calculator.
Gluten-Free Adaptable Note
To the best of my knowledge, all of the ingredients used in this recipe are gluten-free or widely available in gluten-free versions. There is hidden gluten in many foods; if you're following a gluten-free diet or cooking for someone with gluten allergies, always read the labels of your ingredients to verify that they are gluten-free.
Comments
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Hi Jen,
I love all your recipes and have both of your cookbooks! Question…can I freeze the meatballs raw? I have done this with other meatballs (your Vietnamese Meatballs) and it works out well. Wondering if the rice will cause an issue…
Thanks!
Hi Alison, It should be fine – enjoy!