Albondigas en Caldillo de Jitomate- Meatballs in a Tomato Broth

Albondigas en caldillo translates to meatballs in tomato broth. I love recipes that are simple, easy and bonus, delicious! This is as simple as it gets. But in all honesty, my favorite Mexican dishes are the simple ones. Frijoles de la olla, fideo caldoso, queso con chile, nopalitos. I could go on forever. These are the dishes I crave daily.

My albondigas are dense and they fall apart!

This is the concern of many of my followers. When I am forming and rolling my albondigas, I make sure not to press the meat to firm. I press just as mush as I have to to get the meatballs to stick. Some people like to use cooked rice as opposed to uncooked rice. After carefully adding the albondigas to the simmering broth, do not disturb them for at least 10 minutes. No stirring! This keeps the meatballs from falling apart.

Beef, Pork, Chicken, Turkey and Even Shrimp!

I have used all of those options for preparing albondigas. My most favorite is the beef. My least favorite might be between the chicken and turkey. They tend to be more dry, but may be better with some shredded zucchini mixed into the albondigas. The chicken, turkey and shrimp cook up a lot faster. They are all satisfying in their own way.

Rotate that simple caldillo recipe for many recipes.

Not only is that simple tomato based caldillo delicious with these meatballs, it is delicious with some of my favorites! Chiles rellenos, taco ahogados, tortas ahogadas, chicken vegetable or for preparing Mexican rice.

I know I mention this often, but prep ahead makes most recipes easier!

Yes, I do like to cook by the seats of my pants on some days. Some of the best meals are the unplanned ones, in my opinion. But, since I like to share the recipes with my followers, there must be somewhat of a plan or order, lol! I’m trying my best to weigh out ingredients these days. It yields a more accurate recipe in the end when you are sharing.

What was the most often prepared albondiga recipe you enjoyed growing up?

For me, it was caldo de albondigas. Some of my other favorites are albondigas en salsa verde, albondigas rellenas, albondigas norteñas and albondigas con pasta!

Albondigas en Caldillo de Jitomate Meatballs in a Light Tomato Broth

Homestyle Mexican beef, rice and zucchini meatballs in a light tomato broth. Pure comfort!

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Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Mexican

Prep Time: 30 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 1 hour hour

Total Time: 1 hour hour 30 minutes minutes

Servings: 4 Servings

Ingredients

Albondigas

• ¼ c uncooked rice soaked in boiling water for 30 minutes
• 4 oz zucchini
• 1 small white onion divided in half. Finely dice one half, thin strips for the remaining
• 6 sprigs of fresh cilantro finely chopped
• ¾ tsp cumin seeds crushed
• Pinch or oregano crushed
• 1 lb ground sirloin or chuck
• ¾ tsp salt
• ¾ tsp pepper
• ¾ tsp garlic powder
• 1 large egg

Caldillo-Light Tomato Broth

• 3 large roma toma
• 4 cups of water
• 1 ½ tbsps. avocado or olive oil
• 1 small serrano pepper left whole
• 2 cloves of garlic sliced
• 3 tsps tomato/chicken bouillon
• More salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

• After 30 minutes, drain the hot water from the rice and rinse under cool water. In a large bowl mix all the ingredients for the albondigas. Form 12 larger or 16 smaller albondigas. Cover and chill for 40 minutes.
• In the meantime, bring 4 cups of water up to a boil at medium heat. When it begins to simmer, add the tomatoes. Cook at a light simmer for 10 minutes. Transfer tomatoes to the blender jar along with 3 cups of the cooking water. Also, to the blender, add the tomato bouillon and pepper, to taste. Blend on high until smooth. Set it aside.
• In a larger pot or deep skillet, preheat oil at medium for 3-4 minutes. When ready, add the thin sliced onion and serrano pepper. Sauté for four minutes. Add the garlic and sauté for 1 more minute.
• Pour in the tomato broth from the blender jar. Bring to a simmer and cook for 10 minutes. Gradually add in the albondigas. Make sure they are covered in broth. Reduce heat to low and cook for 40-45 minutes, stirring gently after 15 minutes. Taste for salt along the way. If you are not in a hurry, cook on low for a total of 1 hour. The tomato broth becomes richer, a little thicker and so flavorful. Garnish with cilantro and lime wedges. Serve with warm corn tortillas. Yields 4-5 servings.

Notes

You can prep meatballs ahead and freeze them uncooked. If you want to skip the rice, you can substitute with cooked quinoa, barley, lentils or oats.

Tried this recipe?Mention @pinaenlacocina or tag #pinaenlacocina!

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