Chipotle Meatballs Recipe (Albondigas Al Chipotle)

Savory, spicy, and a bit sweet, these chipotle meatballs are one of my favorite ways to prepare ground meat. It’s easy to make and delivers amazing flavor, so you can make this on a weeknight or on special occasions!

Chipotle meatballs or albondigas al chipotle in Spanish, is a dish I love because I really like the flavor of the chipotle chile when it’s infused in the sauce, similar to a chicken tinga or chicken in creamy chipotle sauce. Chipotle chiles give a nice spicy, slightly sweet, and touch of smoky flavor to dishes, which is a flavor profile I truly enjoy.

I usually like to serve these meatballs over steamed rice and I like to garnish with chopped parsley or cilantro for some fresh herby flavor. This is a comforting dish everyone will enjoy!

What are Chipotle Meatballs?

Albondigas al chipotle is a dish that is served in many homes and restaurants in Mexico City. There are two parts to this recipe, making the meatballs and then the sauce. For the meatballs the ingredients are ground meat, rice, eggs, garlic, parsley, and salt. The rice is used in the meatball mixture because it helps keep them stay moist and juicy. Without the rice, the meatballs will release the their juices and will dry out. The rice helps to keep those juices in the meat by absorbing them. In other cultures or even within Mexico breadcrumbs are commonly used, but I like using rice because it provides a nice texture to the meatballs. The egg is used to bind everything together and helps the meatball keep its shape and form.

The sauce for this recipe is tomato based and is infused with chipotle chile, oregano, garlic, and onion for layers of delicious aroma and flavor. This sauce is then cooked gently on a simmer until it slightly thickens and the flavors meld together. This produces more sweetness in the tomato sauce and the flavor of the garlic and onion also mellow out a bit.

Once the sauce is done cooking, you can spoon it over your cooked meatballs and garnish with fresh chopped parsley. This is a classic home cooked dish perfect for any day of the week!

What type of Ground Meat to Use?

The type of ground meat to use for this chipotle meatballs recipe is up to you. You have many options such as ground beef, pork, turkey, chicken, or even a mix of these. There are recipes that use a mix of beef and pork or just use one type of meat. This recipe uses ground turkey because I like how it pairs with the tomato-chipotle sauce. But any of these types of ground meat will work and produce delicious results!

How to Make Chipotle Meatballs?

Make the Meatballs

1. Rinse rice under cold running water.
2. Transfer rice to a small pot and fill with 1/2 cup of water.
3. Bring the pot to a boil and then lower to a simmer and cover.
4. Cook rice for about 5 minutes. Rice doesn’t need to be fully cooked, it should still be a bit firm and should have bite to it.
5. Drain and rinse rise under cold running water to cool it down. Set rice aside in a bowl.
6. Preheat oven to 350°F.
7. Add the ground meat, finely chopped garlic, salt, rice, egg, and finely chopped parsley to a large bowl.

8. Mix ingredients in until well incorporated.
9. Shape twelve meatballs about 1 to 2 inches in diameter and place them on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.

10. Bake meatballs for about 25 to 30 minutes until fully cooked.

Make the Sauce

1. Add chopped tomatoes, chopped onion, garlic, chipotle chile, chipotle adobo sauce, and Mexican oregano to a blender.

2. Blend ingredients until smooth.

3. Heat a medium pan over medium heat. Add oil to the pan and let it heat up for a few minutes until it’s hot.
4. Transfer blended sauce into the pan.
5. Cook sauce at a medium or medium low heat and season with salt. Let sauce simmer for about 10 minutes, until it thickens a bit and the flavors develop. Stir occasionally so sauce doesn’t stick to the pot.

Serve Meatballs with Chipotle Sauce

1. Serve meatballs on a bowl or plate and spoon the tomato chipotle sauce over them.
2. Garnish with finely chopped parsley and enjoy!

Tips and Suggestions

1. The rice doesn’t have to be fully cooked. It’s ok for it to be a bit firm as it will continue cooking in the oven and will soften up more.
2. When cooking the sauce make sure to keep on eye on its thickness. For a thicker sauce keep simmering until it reaches your preferred texture.
3. If you find the sauce to be too thick, add one tablespoon of water at a time until you reach your preferred texture.
4. Check the meatballs after 25 minutes. The internal temperature of the meat should be at around 165°F. It took my oven about 27 minutes to fully cook the meatballs. If the meatballs need more time place them back in the oven and check every 2 to 3 minutes until they are fully cooked.

How to Store Chipotle Meatballs

Meatballs with chipotle sauce can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Make sure to store in an airtight container.

How to Reheat Chipotle Meatballs?

To reheat this dish, add the leftovers to a pan and add a little water. The water will help generate steam. Cook on medium low to medium heat, covered for about 5 to 10 minutes or until warmed through.

What to Serve Chipotle Meatballs with?

Chipotle meatballs are typically served with a side of rice. This is definitely my favorite way to eat this dish because the rice can also soak up some of the flavor from the sauce. For some fresh contrast and fresh flavor, I like to garnish with chopped parsley leaves, but cilantro or mint would also work as is common in Mexico City. This is a dish almost everyone will love because it’s flavorful, simple, and comforting!

I hope you enjoy this chipotle meatball recipe. Please let me know in the comments below if you make it and how it went.

Gracias y provecho!

Raul

Chipotle Meatballs (Albondigas Al Chipotle)

Chipotle Meatballs (Albondigas Al Chipotle) is a spicy, juicy, and savory dish. It's made with tomatoes, chipotles, onion, garlic, and ground meat.

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Prep Time 15 minutes mins

Cook Time 40 minutes mins

Servings: 4 people

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Mexican

Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients

  

For the Meatballs

• 1 lb ground turkey
• 1 garlic clove minced
• 2 tbsp parsley finely chopped
• 1 tsp fine sea salt
• 1/4 cup white rice
• 1/2 cup water

For the Sauce

• 4 roma tomatoes
• 1/4 white onion
• 1 garlic clove
• 1 chipotle chile in adobo plus 1 tbsp of chipotle adobo sauce
• 1/2 tsp Mexican oregano
• 1/4 tsp fine sea salt
• 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

Method

 

To Make the Rice

1. Rinse rice under cold running water.
2. Transfer rice to a small pot and fill with 1/2 cup of water.
3. Bring the pot to a boil and then lower to a simmer and cover. Cook rice for about 5 minutes. Rice doesn't need to be fully cooked, it should still be a bit firm and should have bite to it. Drain and rinse rise under cold running water to cool it down. Set rice aside in a bowl.
4. Cook rice for about 5 minutes. Rice doesn't need to be fully cooked, it should still be a bit firm and should have bite to it.
5. Drain and rinse rise under cold running water to cool it down. Set rice aside in a bowl.

To Make the Meatballs

1. Preheat oven to 350°F.
2. Add the ground meat, finely chopped garlic, salt, rice, egg, and finely chopped parsley to a large bowl.
3. Mix ingredients in until well incorporated.
4. Shape twelve meatballs about 1 to 2 inches in diameter and place them on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
5. Bake meatballs for about 25 to 30 minutes until fully cooked.

To Make the Sauce

1. Add chopped tomatoes, chopped onion, garlic, chipotle chile, chipotle adobo sauce, and Mexican oregano to a blender.
2. Blend ingredients until smooth.
3. Heat a medium pan over medium heat. Add oil to the pan and let it heat up for a few minutes until it’s hot.
4. Transfer blended sauce into the pan.
5. Cook sauce at a medium or medium low heat and season with salt. Let sauce simmer for about 10 minutes, until it thickens a bit and the flavors develop. Stir occasionally so sauce doesn’t stick to the pot.

To Serve

1. Serve the meatballs over steamed rice in a bowl or plate. Spoon the tomato chipotle sauce over the meatballs and rice.
2. Garnish with finely chopped parsley and enjoy!

Notes

1. The rice doesn’t have to be fully cooked. It’s ok for it to be a bit firm as it will continue cooking in the oven and will soften up more.
2. When cooking the sauce make sure to keep on eye on its thickness. For a thicker sauce keep simmering until it reaches your preferred texture.
3. If you find the sauce to be too thick, add one tablespoon of water at a time until you reach your preferred texture.
4. Check the meatballs after 25 minutes. The internal temperature of the meat should be at around 165°F. It took my oven about 27 minutes to fully cook the meatballs. If the meatballs need more time place them back in the oven and check every 2 to 3 minutes until they are fully cooked.