Mexican Meatball Soup
Mexican meatball soup is the only soup all three of my boys ask for seconds of, and I have my share of picky eaters in this house. This recipe makes a big pot of tender homemade meatballs and vegetables simmered together in a rich broth, so one dinner turns into lunch the next day too.
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Mexican Meatball Soup Recipe
My family knows this meal as albondigas soup, and it's in heavy rotation at our house. Albóndigas is just the Spanish word for meatballs, and this soup packs a full dinner into one pot: tender homemade meatballs, hearty vegetables, and a broth loaded with warm cumin and a hit of chili powder.
It's built the same way as the Italian wedding soup I fell in love with while studying abroad in Italy, with meatballs simmered right in with the vegetables. But the Mexican spices give it a completely different personality!
This albondigas soup recipe has become one of my favorite ways to use ground beef on a weeknight, right up there with my taco soup. Both have so much flavor and are good to the very last drop. I'll never turn down a bowl of soup this good!
Why You'll Love this Recipe
Once the meatballs are rolled, this soup is mostly hands-off. Everything simmers on the stove, so you can walk away and let it do its thing.
The spice blend of cumin and chili powder gives every bite a warm, bold flavor without any hard-to-find ingredients.
This soup also gets better as it sits, so it's a great one to make on a Sunday and eat all week. Pack it in a thermos for a warm lunch, or freeze a batch for a night when cooking from scratch isn't in the cards.
Ingredients
Lean ground beef prevents the soup from turning greasy as the meatballs simmer in the broth. A fattier blend will leave a layer of grease on top. I almost always use an 85/15 blend of ground sirloin. The 15% fat adds plenty of flavor to the broth.
Now, uncooked rice might look like an odd addition if you've never made albondigas before, but it's standing in for breadcrumbs. The rice soaks up moisture and holds the meatballs together as they cook. Any long-grain rice works here, but I use jasmine.
For the broth, this recipe uses original diced tomatoes with green chilies, which keeps the heat mild. If you want more kick, Rotel also comes in a medium version with jalapeños, or a hot version with habaneros.
Beef broth is the base here, but Instant pot chicken broth works too, and bone broth is a good option if you want a richer soup with some extra protein.
I use yellow onion for a milder, sweeter base, but white or red onion will give the broth a bit more bite.
I love russet potatoes in this soup because they get soft and almost creamy as they soak up the broth. If you'd rather your potatoes hold their shape and stay firm, red potatoes or Yukon Golds are a better choice.
How to Make Mexican Meatball Soup
This recipe has a good number of steps, but none of them are hard, I promise. Once everything's prepped, most of the work is just letting the pot do its thing.
See the recipe card for the full instructions! ⬇️
Jump to Recipe
- Make the meat mixture. Use your hands or a silicone spatula to combine all the meatball ingredients in a large bowl. You want to combine the ingredients well, but avoid over working the beef so that the meatballs stay moist.
- Roll and set aside. Scoop the meat mixture (I use a cookie scoop) and roll it with your hands into balls about two inches thick. Set them aside on a baking tray while you start the broth.
- Sauté the aromatics. Warm the olive oil in a large soup pot over medium-high heat, then add the diced onion and garlic. Let it cook until the onions are soft and fragrant. Stir continuously to prevent the garlic from burning.
- Build the broth. Add the beef broth, diced tomatoes, potatoes, carrots, celery, and the cumin, salt, and pepper for the broth, then bring everything to a boil.
- Add the meatballs. Reduce the heat to medium-low, then drop the meatballs in to the pot. Add them one at a time so they hold their shape. Cover the pot and let the soup simmer until the meatballs and rice are cooked through. Then, stir in the zucchini and let it simmer until it's tender.
- Serve. Ladle the soup into bowls and garnish the top with chopped cilantro, a squeeze of lime, and if you want extra heat, some jalapeno slices. Then, your Mexican meatball soup is ready to serve!
Madison's Tips for Success:
I've tested this recipe and have successfully made it many times. Use these tips to ensure that it turns out perfectly for you, too!
- A small cookie scoop makes it easy to keep the meatballs a consistent size, which matters because evenly sized meatballs all finish cooking at the same time.
- As you are shaping the meatballs, lightly wet the palms of your hands with water. This helps prevent the meat mixture from sticking to your hands.
- Use a thick, heavy bottomed pot (like a Dutch oven). It holds heat more evenly across the whole pot, so the broth simmers steadily instead of scorching in spots.
- Keep an eye on the meatballs once they're in the broth. Overcooked meatballs turn tough and rubbery, so if you're not sure they're done, pull one out and check it. A meat thermometer takes the guesswork out of it.
Make It A Meal Train
When someone you know is going through a major life event, you may want to bring a meal to them or organize a meal train to show your support.
Here's how you can turn the Mexican meatball soup into a meal train.
- This soup is a full meal on its own, but a side of traditional Mexican rice or Mexican cauliflower rice rounds it out even more.
- Soup travels best in containers with a tight seal so it doesn't spill on the drive over. Bring it in one large container or split it into individual to-go portions if you know their family will want to reheat single servings.
- Be sure to bring everything in disposable containers. You don't want to give them one more thing to have to do.
Before bringing over any food, be sure to ask about allergies and best drop off times.
Storing and Reheating
Let the soup cool completely before transferring it to an airtight container. It keeps in the fridge for up to 5 days, or in the freezer for up to 3 months. If you freeze it, let it thaw completely in the fridge before reheating.
The potatoes soak up some of the broth as it sits, so you may need to add a splash of broth or water when you reheat it to loosen things back up. Reheating on the stovetop over medium heat will give you the best texture. The microwave works too, but the meatballs can turn a little tough.
Albondigas Soup FAQs
This recipe specifically calls for lean ground beef, which is how the broth stays light rather than greasy. If you use a fattier blend, skim the excess fat off of the top with a spoon before serving.
Two things to check: make sure you've kept both the egg and the rice in the meatball mix, since they're what hold everything together. It also helps to keep the soup at a gentle simmer rather than a rolling boil once the meatballs go in. A hard boil can break the meatballs apart before they have a chance to set.
Serving Ideas
I always serve chips and salsa or guacamole as an appetizer or right alongside this soup recipe. It's also delicious with homemade flour tortillas for dipping!
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Mexican Meatball Soup
Ingredients
For the Meatballs
- 1 pound lean ground beef use 85/15 or 90/10 for best results
- ⅓ cup jasmine rice uncooked
- 1 tablespoon garlic powder
- 1 tablespoon onion flakes
- 1 large egg whisked
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground pepper
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- ½ teaspoon chili powder
For the Broth
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- ½ cup yellow onion diced
- 2 tablespoons minced garlic
- 8 cups beef broth
- 2 cans diced tomatoes with green chilies such as Rotel
- 2 russet potatoes peeled and chopped
- 2 medium carrots sliced
- 2 ribs celery sliced
- ½ teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon pepper
- 20 beef meatballs
- 1 large zucchini sliced lengthwise and cut
For Garnish
- lime wedges
- chopped cilantro
- sliced jalapeños optional
Instructions
- In a large mixing bowl, add 1 pound lean ground beef, ⅓ cup jasmine rice, 1 tablespoon garlic powder, 1 tablespoon onion flakes, 1 large egg, 1 teaspoon salt, ¼ teaspoon ground pepper, 1 teaspoon ground cumin, and ½ teaspoon chili powder). Use your hands or a rubber spatula to combine all of the ingredients. Avoid over mixing, which can cause the meatballs to be tough and dry.
- Using your hands or a cookie scoop, portion the meat mixture and roll it into 2 inch thick balls. Place on a baking tray and set aside.
- To a large, heavy-bottomed pot over medium-high heat, add 1 tablespoon olive oil.
- Add ½ cup yellow onion and 2 tablespoons minced garlic and cook for 2 minutes.
- Add 8 cups beef broth, 2 cans diced tomatoes with green chilies, 2 russet potatoes, 2 medium carrots, 2 ribs celery, ½ teaspoon ground cumin, 1 teaspoon salt and 1 teaspoon pepper. Bring to a boil over high heat.
- Reduce heat to medium-low; Using a large spoon, carefully add 20 beef meatballs, one at a time.
- Cover the pot and cook for 20 minutes.
- Add 1 large zucchini and cook another 5 minutes.
- When serving, add juice from lime wedges and sprinkle chopped cilantro on top of soup.
Equipment
Notes
- Be sure to use uncooked rice in the meatball mixture.
- If the mixture sticks to your fingers as you shape the meatballs, moisten your hands with water. This will help prevent the mixture from sticking.
- Serve soup while it is warm.
- Keeps in airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days.
Nutrition
Other Mexican Recipes
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