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Top view of chipotle meatballs on a plate garnished with chopped parsley.

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
Cook Time 40 minutes
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.