A classic Mexican soup, made with meatballs (albondigas), is a comforting bowl of goodness. The albondigas are made with ground chicken and cooked rice simmered in a broth made with onion, garlic, celery, peas, carrots and tomato sauce and served with plenty of warm corn tortillas and fresh limes wedges. I am excited to partner with Mahatma® Rice to share with you a recipe for Chicken Albondigas.
Albondigas soup is a traditional Mexican meatball soup that is beloved by young and old. Albondigas means “meatballs” in Spanish. Albondigas can be made with ground beef, chicken or shrimp. The key to albondigas is that the ground protein is bound together with cooked rice to create tasty meatballs that are cooked in a flavorful broth.
My broth is made with onions, garlic, celery, carrots, tomato sauce and peas. Once the broth is made, the albondigas are carefully added to the broth to cook. While the albondigas cook in the broth, they also add another layer of flavor to the broth.
A few tips for making albondigas: I like to cook/steam my rice a day in advance for easier prep time; never mix warm rice with cold ground chicken. I like to spritz my hand with oil before I begin shaping my albondigas to avoid messy hands. Make sure all your albondigas are the same size so that they cook evenly. Carefully add albondigas to the pot one at a time to avoid burning yourself with the heated broth.
I’m excited to be partnering with Mahatma® Rice this year as a brand ambassador and sharing all the yummy possibilities of rice. Stay tuned for more tasty rice recipes every month featuring Mahatma® Rice.
Mahatma is America’s favorite long grain rice. For over 93 years, Riviana Foods Inc. has been packaging and marketing rice for the U.S. consumer. Known for its consistent high quality, Mahatma® Rice is the preferred brand among many families. Mahatma® Rice is available in a variety of sizes, from 1lb. to 20lb. bags. It’s easy to prepare, economical, versatile and a healthy complement to any meal.
Mahatma® Rice is grown in the U.S.A. and is kosher approved. Families can trust Mahatma to cook into fluffy white rice. Mahatma® Rice is naturally sodium-free, cholesterol-free, and fat-free.
The Mahatma brand of rice was introduced in 1932. Having many of the table characteristics of the Indian Patna variety, it was named “Mahatma,” which means “outstanding” or “superior” in character.
Find more tasty recipes at https://www.mahatmarice.com/
- For albondigas:
- ½ cup cooked white Mahatma® Rice
- 1 lb. ground chicken
- 1 large egg
- 2 garlic cloves finely minced
- 1/2 cup cilantro chopped
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- For broth:
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 large onion diced
- 1 large garlic clove minced
- 2 celery stalks diced
- 2 large carrots diced
- 10 cups of chicken broth
- 1/2 cup of tomato sauce
- 1 cup of frozen or fresh peas
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 1 teaspoon pepper
- To serve:
- 1/2 cup fresh cilantro chopped
- Corn tortillas
-
In a large mixing bowl, add cooked rice, large egg, ground chicken, garlic, cilantro, cumin, salt and pepper. Using hands mix all ingredients until just combined. Roll ground chicken mixture into small meatballs, place on baking sheet and cover with plastic film. Place in fridge until ready to cook.
-
In a large stock pot or Dutch oven, heat olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the onion, celery and carrots; sauté until the vegetables have softened and are tender, about 8 minutes. Add garlic, cook an additional minute.
-
Stir in chicken broth and tomato sauce. Bring to a boil and then reduce heat to a simmer.
-
Carefully drop in albondigas, one by one. Cover and simmer for 20 minutes. Add frozen peas and allow to simmer 5 more minutes. Serve.
Can you sub ground Turkey for ground chicken?
You sure can – still delish!