Albondigas en Chipotle are ground beef meatballs that are simmered in a smoky tomato chipotle sauce. The addition chopped golden raisins introduces a unique and distinctive flavor profile. In a departure from conventional meatball methods, we forego the usual frying or baking and instead, immerse the raw meatballs directly into the sauce to soak up all of that wonderful chipotle tomato flavor.
What Is Albondigas en Chipotle?
Albondigas, which translates to “meatballs” in Spanish, have roots in Spanish cuisine. As meatballs made their way to Mexico, they evolved into the savory meatball delights we know today. The addition of chipotle peppers, a cornerstone of Mexican cuisine, takes albondigas to a whole new level.
For anyone familiar with my website, it’s evident how I love meatballs. I love serving them, I love making them, they’re fun to eat … and actually, I find the process of rolling them into those compact flavorful packages, rather therapeutic.
The other meatball recipes featured on my site involve either pan-frying or baking before finishing with sauce.
What distinguishes Albondigas en Chipotle is that the meatballs are placed raw into the chipotle tomato sauce and simmered until fully cooked. This not only streamlines the process but also imparts a rich flavor to the meatballs.
The art of making meatballs closely mirrors that of making meatloaf. Opting for a protein that isn’t excessively lean (a bit of fat is beneficial), incorporating egg as a binder, and adding some form of bread-be it fresh breadcrumbs, Panko, or even saltines or oats. It’s a timeless combination for beloved comfort food.
In terms of seasoning, the standout elements here are Chipotle chile peppers in Adobo, coupled with a distinctive and pleasantly surprising touch of sweetness from chopped golden raisins.
These chipotle albondigas are a great addition to my meatball lineup. Let’s take a look:
Ingredients You’ll Need
- Ground Beef, 85% Fat.
- Roma Tomatoes
- Sweet or White Onion
- Chicken Broth
- Large Eggs
- Golden Raisins
- Chicken Broth
- Panko Bread Crumbs: I find Panko bread crumbs to be a reliable binder for perfect meatballs. They’re also easy to use right out of the package.
- Chipotle Peppers in Adobo Sauce
- Spices and Seasonings: Kosher Salt, Freshly Ground Pepper, Dried Marjoram, Dried Thyme and Fresh Parsley.
Ingredient Substitutions
- Ground Beef: You can substitute ground turkey here. Just make sure you’re choosing a blend that’s has a decent fat content. Ground turkey breast would be too lean and meatballs too dry.
- Tomatoes: Decent Roma tomatoes are easily found year round in our supermarkets. If you simply can’t find them during the Winter months, substitute canned tomatoes, drained. Fire roasted tomatoes make a good choice here.
- Marjoram: Substitute Mexican Oregano.
- Raisins: I highly recommend sticking with Golden raisins for this recipe, but you can substitute classic dark raisins.
Pro Tip Knife Skills: Always keep the hand that’s gripping the knife clean and dry. A wet hand could cause slips resulting in nicks or worse a nasty slice on your hand.
Step By Step Instructions
Before you start, soak the raisins in water or white wine for about 20 minutes then drain well.
- Step 1: In a medium bowl, mix together the ground beef, 1 teaspoon salt, pepper, thyme, marjoram, eggs, bread crumbs, half of the chopped onion, garlic, soaked and chopped golden raisins, and half of the chopped parsley.
- Step 2: Use your hands to squish the ingredients together until well blended.
- Step 3: Form 12 large meatballs, 1-½ inch in diameter and set aside.
- Step 4: In a food processor or blender, place the tomatoes, remaining chopped onion, chipotles peppers, broth, and remaining ½ teaspoon salt.
- Step 5: Blend the sauce until smooth.
- Step 6: Heat the oil in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat, pour in the sauce, and cook for 2 minutes. Turn down the heat to medium low and gently add the meatballs to the sauce.
- Step 7: Once the sauce is at a constant low simmer, partially cover the pan and cook for about 30 minutes.
Use a digital meat thermometer. These large meatballs make it easy to use a probe thermometer to test doneness. Just insert the probe into the middle of one of the meatballs to insure the internal temperature has reached 160 degrees.
Yes, just make sure you’re using a fattier blend than ground breast meat. I’ve also used a mixture of 50% ground beef and 50% ground pork.
Tips For Success:
- I've never mixed meatball ingredients any other way than with my hands. Don't overwork the meat mixture. Overworking or even mixing with a spoon smashes and compacts the meat mixture and makes for a mushy combination with a tough end result.
- When rolling the meatballs, they must end up being a smooth tidy package, or else they’ll fall apart in the sauce. If a piece of chopped raisin is sticking out, causing there to be a seam or open space in the meatball, simply use your finger to push it deeper into the meatball, or remove it completely and roll until smooth.
- Chop the onions as small as you can. Again, too large of chunks may cause the meatballs to break apart.
- Don’t skip soaking the raisins. They’ll be easier to chop and the texture will be more appealing once the meatballs are cooked. Just be sure to drain well and pat dry before using in the recipe.
Make Ahead
- The meatballs can be made a couple days in advance. Just place them on a small sheet pan and cover well with plastic wrap. Store in the refrigerator until ready to cook.
- The sauce can also be made a couple days in advance. Store in an airtight container until ready to proceed with this recipe.
Storage
- Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. You can also freeze them with the sauce up to three months.
- Reheat in a 300 degree oven for about 20 minutes. Reheating at a low heat will warm them gently rather than cook them more.
- Thaw any frozen chipotle albondigas in the refrigerator overnight before reheating.
Serving Suggestion
- Spoon white rice on a plate and add Albondigas en Chipotle along with a heaping spoonful of the sauce. A warmed corn or flour tortilla makes a nice addition to the meal.
- I like to make Baked Rice and then stir in some cooked frozen peas and carrots.
- Garnish with some parsley and sprinkle with Cotija cheese.
Recipe for Albondigas en Chipotle
Chipotle Albondigas are made by rolling the meatballs into a large 1-½ inch size. Which means they’re more suited for a main course meatball dinner, rather than for a meatball appetizer.
I most certainly hope you give this unique meatball recipe a try. There’s something truly magical about the fusion of rich, smoky chipotle flavors and the comforting goodness of albondigas, (Mexican Meatballs).
This recipe was adapted from PBS.
More Popular Meatball Recipes
Don’t miss my absolute favorite meatballs recipe for gingery Ground Pork Meatballs with basil and lime. Wonderful recipe.
And if you’re looking for more Mexican Food Recipes, don’t miss my Mexican Southwest Category. You’ll find lots of great recipes including the most popular on my site for Carne Adovada.
And speaking of ground beef comfort foods, don’t miss our favorite meatloaf recipe, Spicy Sofrito Meatloaf. Sofrito is a secret ingredient for ultimate flavor and texture.
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Albondigas en Chipotle
Ingredients
- For The Meatballs
- 1 pound ground beef 85% lean
- 1 ½ teaspoons Kosher salt divided
- ¼ teaspoon Freshly ground black pepper
- ¼ teaspoon dried thyme
- ¼ teaspoon dried marjoram
- 2 large eggs lightly beaten
- ½ cup Panko bread crumbs
- ¾ cup onion sweet onion, or white onion, fine chopped
- 4 medium garlic cloves minced
- ½ cup Golden raisins soaked and rough chopped
- 5 Flat leaf parsley sprigs stems removed, leaves chopped
- For The Sauce
- 1 pound Roma tomatoes or 2 14.5-ounce cans fire roasted tomatoes, well drained
- 2 whole Chipotle Chiles in Adobo chopped
- 1 Cup Chicken broth
- 1 Tablespoon Olive oil
- Warm Corn Tortillas and Rice for serving
Instructions
- In a medium bowl, mix together the ground beef, 1 teaspoon of the salt, pepper, thyme, marjoram, eggs, bread crumbs, half of the chopped onion, garlic, golden raisins, and half of the chopped parsley.
- With your hands, form 12 large meatballs, 1 ½ inch in diameter Set aside.
- In a food processor or blender, blend the tomatoes, remaining chopped onion, chipotles peppers, broth, and remaining ½ teaspoon salt until smooth.
- Heat the oil in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat, pour in the sauce, and cook for 2 minutes.
- Turn down the heat to medium low and gently add the meatballs to the sauce.
- Once the sauce is at a constant low simmer, partially cover the pan and cook for about 30 minutes or until the internal temperature reaches 160 degrees.
- Serve the albondigas with the rice and warm tortillas on the side. Garnish with the remaining chopped parsley and sprinkle with crumbled Cotija Cheese.
Notes
-
- I've never mixed meatball ingredients any other way than with my hands. Don't overwork the meat mixture. Overworking or even mixing with a spoon smashed and compacts the meat mixture and makes for a mushy combination and a tough end result.
-
- When rolling the meatballs, they must end up being a smooth tidy package, or else they’ll fall apart in the sauce. If a piece of chopped raisin is sticking out causing there to be a seam or open space in the meatball, simply use your finger to push it deeper into the meatball, or remove it completely. Continue rolling the meatball until smooth.
-
- Chop the onions as small as you can. Again, too large of chunks may cause the meatballs to break apart.
-
- Don’t skip soaking the raisins. They’ll be easier to chop and the texture will be more appealing once the meatballs are cooked. Just be sure to drain well and pat dry before using in the recipe.
Nutrition
Albondigas en Chipotle with Golden Raisins …. It’s What’s For Dinner
