Albondigas de Pollo

5 from 2 votes

Albondigas de Pollo (Chicken Meatball Soup) captures the authentic taste of Mexico in a bowl. These tender chicken and rice meatballs are gently simmered in a rich, tomato-infused broth. A must try!

Prep Time25

Cook Time45

Total Time1 10

Course: Dinner

Cuisine: Mexican

Servings:

Calories: 405kcal

Author: Maggie Unzueta

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

Adding Other Veggies: Consider adding other veggies - like calabacitas, Italian squash, kale, or fresh spinach - 5 minutes before the soup is ready. If using green beans, add them 10 minutes before soup is ready.

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.

Nutrition