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Albondigas de Pollo reminds me of my grandmother.
My grandmother was famous for her Caldo de Albondigas. It is one of the most popular recipes on this website!
This Dia de los Muertos, to honor her and her amazing cooking, I’m making a chicken version of her recipe.
Comforting goodness in each spoonful!
Table of Contents
🥘 Ingredients
- Ground chicken
- Salt and Pepper
- Oregano
- Potato
- Carrots
- Chicken broth
- Onion
- Garlic
- Mint
- Tomato sauce
- Rice
- Eggs
- Mazola® Corn Oil
In case you can’t find it at the grocery, swap out for ground turkey or ground beef. Or, to make your own ground chicken, place boneless chicken breasts in a food processor and grind into really small pieces.
Also consider adding other veggies – calabacitas, Italian squash, green beans, fresh spinach, etc.
Instead of a soup, you can make a spicy sauce as in Albondigas al Chipotle.
🥣 Instructions
- Mix the chicken with fresh herbs, spices, and rice.
- Then form the meatballs in a large bowl. About 2-inch meatballs.
- Place in a single layer on a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Put them in the fridge while you are chopping up the rest of the ingredients.
Make them about the same size so they’ll cook evenly. Or use an ice cream scoop.
If the ground chicken mixture is too wet, add some panko breadcrumbs or crumble some toast, even parmesan cheese. Do not add more rice.
The meatballs will puff up with the rice. You can also make mini chicken meatballs. Take off 5 minutes from the cooking process. Small meatballs will cook faster.
🍚 Rinsing Rice
Rinse the rice with cold water until the water is not milky. When you rinse rice, you remove excess starch and any dust it might have. However, this step is up to personal preference and totally optional.
- Saute the onion and garlic over medium high heat in a large pot for 1-2 minutes.
- Then pour in the chicken broth (or chicken stock).
- Add the meatballs one by one to the large soup pot.
- Pour in the tomato sauce and cover to bring to a simmer.
For this recipe we are using Mazola® Corn Oil as it is a heart-healthy* option and it can be used in multiple ways such asbaking, grilling, and in this case, marinades.
Did you know Mazola® Corn Oil is also officially Heart-Check certified by the American Heart Association?
The Heart-Check is designed to help consumers make informed choices about the foods they purchase, and by having an all-purpose cholesterol free** cooking oil on hand like Mazola® Corn Oil you’re always certain to prepare easy and delicious meals for you and the whole family!
- Add the potatoes and carrots.
- Cover and lower to medium heat. Cook for 25 minutes.
Like it spicy? Chop up 2 chipotle peppers in adobo and add to the pot along with the potatoes and carrots.
Here is also where you would add more veggies.
Once you have tender veggies and the potatoes are soft, that’s when the chicken soup is ready.
👩🏼🍳 Slow Cooker Instructions
Assemble the meatballs. Place everything (except for the oil, carrots, and potatoes) inside the slow cooker. Cook on high for 4 hours. Add cooked carrots and cooked potatoes. Let them warm up in the soup. Once warm, serve the Albondigas de Pollo with desired toppings.
🫙 Storing and Reheating
- Place any leftovers of your homemade soup in an airtight container and store in the fridge for 4 days.
- If freezing, place in a sealable bag and remove as much air as possible. Store in the freezer for up to 4 months.
- To reheat, place soup in a stock pot and cook for 7-8 minutes, or until warm. Thaw overnight before reheating. Or, place in the microwave for 2-3 minutes on high, depending on your microwave.
🍲 More Mexican Soups
Top with cilantro or fresh mint, a few slices of jalapeno for some heat and lime juice. This easy homemade chicken meatball soup is perfect for the winter months and loved by picky eaters.
Albondigas de Pollo is a hearty and tasty soup that’s SO easy to enjoy. I know my grandmother would be proud of this delicious soup recipe.
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Did you make this recipe? Please rate the recipe below!
Albondigas de Pollo
Ingredients
For the Meatballs:
- 2 lb ground chicken
- 7 mint leaves finely chopped
- ¾ cup white rice (uncooked)
- ¼ teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon pepper
- ¼ onion finely diced
- 2 garlic cloves finely minced
- 2 eggs
- Bread saltine crackers, bread crumbs (optional)
For the Sauce:
- ½ 29- ounce can tomato sauce 14.5 ounces
- ¼ onion rough chopped
- 1 garlic clove whole
- 1 tablespoon Mazola Corn Oil
- 6 cup chicken broth
Optional Vegetables:
- 2 carrots diced
- 1 potato peeled and diced
Instructions
For the Meatballs:
- In a large bowl, add the chicken, mint, rice, oregano, salt, pepper, onion, garlic, and eggs.
- Mix until well combined.
- Form meatballs. About the 1” to 1 ½” in diameter.
- Repeat until you no longer have meat.
- If the meatballs are not coming together, add some breadcrumbs or crushed saltine crackers until they do.
- Place in the fridge until ready to use.
For the Tomato Sauce:
- Heat the oil in a large stock pot.
- Add the onion and garlic. Cook for 1 minute.
- Then add the tomato sauce. Cook for 2 minutes.
Making the Soup:
- Gently and carefully add the meatballs to the pot, one-by-one.
- Add the chicken broth. Stir gently.
- Cook for 5 minutes.
- Add the carrots and potatoes, if using.
- Stir gently to combine.
- Cover and let cook for 25 minutes.
- Serve with lime and enjoy.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
*See www.mazola.com for information about the relationship between corn oil and heart disease.
**Corn oil is a cholesterol-free food that contains 14g of total fat per serving. See nutrition information for fat and saturated fat content.
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