
About this recipe
This Mexican albondigas recipe is a bit different from your typical Mexican albóndiga. These are topped with a delicious broth; they are not a soup. They are vegan albondigas, made with masa harina, and are one of my childhood all-time favorite meals.
What are albóndigas?
Albondigas, meatballs, are a traditional Mexican dish consisting of ground beef or pork mixed with spices and herbs, formed into small balls and then simmered in a flavorful tomato-based broth, like my albondigas con chipotle recipe.

ingredients
- I like vegan ground meat and Impossible ground beef, but Beyond beef or regular ground beef will also work.
- Masa harina, the masa harina acts as a binder. Any masa harina works here; I prefer Masienda´s masa harina because it has the best flavor.
- Minced garlic and onion



How to make meatballs with MAsa harina
Combine the ground meat, diced onion, garlic, and salt in a large mixing bowl. Be careful not to over-mix.
Form the mixture into small meatballs, about 1-2 inches in diameter.
Place on a baking sheet and bake at 350ºF for 20 minutes, or air fry at 400ºF for 15-18 minutes.
You could also cook the albondigas on a pan lightly covered with oil over high heat.
Caldo (broth) ingredients
- Onion
- Tomatoes. I love Roma tomatoes, which are the most used in Mexican Cuisine. But feel free to use any that you have on hand.
- Cilantro and spearmint. If you can’t find spearmint or Mexican hierba buena, use oregano. Mexican oregano will be best here.



How to make the tomato caldo (broth)
This is the simplest thing ever, but you must do it first. In a soup pot, add a tablespoon of vegetable oil, the sliced onion, the tomatoes (quartered), the cilantro, and spearmint over medium-low heat.
Let the tomatoes and onions cook until a thick broth forms. Lightly smash the tomatoes with the back of a wooden spoon to release all of their juices. If the broth is too thick, add about a cup of water; you could also blend it if it is too chunky.
If you’d like, you can add the cooked albondigas to the broth so they can absorb all the flavors. When using plant-based ground beef, it’s important to be cautious about how the faux beef is prepared. Due to its ingredients, the meatballs might disintegrate in the broth.
How do you serve the albondigas with masa?
I usually serve them over a bed of white Mexican rice, ladle the caldo over them, and top them with roasted calabacitas or zucchini. I finish them with chile piquín in escabeche (pickled chile piquín). If you can’t find these little gems, substitute them with jalapeños en Vinagre.

How to roast the calabacitas (Mexican zucchini)?
- Cut in half crosswise, and then each half sliced lengthwise into quarters.
- Drizzle with oil (vegetable, canola, or olive oil) and season with salt
- Preheat the oven to 425°F.
- Roast the zucchini or calabacitas for 15-20 minutes or until tender and lightly browned, flipping halfway through.
- If you wish, you could pan-fry them.

Albóndigas with masa
Equipment
- 1 Soup pot
- 1 quarter baking sheet
Ingredients
Albóndigas
- 1 12-oz Impossible Beef (vegan ground meat)
- 1/4 cup Masa harina
- 1 teaspoon Kosher salt
- 1/2 cup diced onion
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
Caldo
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 5 Roma tomatoes
- 1 medium onion sliced
- 2 teaspoons dried oregano
- ¼ cup cilantro
For serving
- Arroz blanco
- 1 pound roasted Calabacitas, zucchini
- chile piquín en vinagre
Instructions
Caldo
- This is the simplest thing ever, but you must do it first. In a soup pot, add a tablespoon of vegetable oil, the sliced onion, the tomatoes (quartered), the cilantro, and spearmint over medium-low heat.Let the tomatoes and onions cook until a thick broth forms. With a back of a wooden spoon, lightly smash the tomatoes to release all of their juices.
Albóndigas
- In a large mixing bowl, combine the vegan ground meat, diced onion, garlic, and salt. Be careful not to over-mix. Form the mixture into small meatballs, about 1-2 inches in diameter. Place on a baking sheet and bake at 350ºF for 20 minutes, or air fry at 400ºF for 15-18 minutes.
Calabacitas
- Cut in half crosswise, and then each half sliced lengthwise into quarters. Drizzle with oil (vegetable, canola, or olive oil) and season with salt. Preheat the oven to 425°F.And roast the zucchini for 15-20 minutes or until tender and lightly browned, flipping halfway through.
Notes
- If the broth is too thick, add about a cup of water, you could also blend it if it is too chunky.
- If you don’t have chile piquin en vinagre, use pickled jalapeños
Nutrition
information
Nutritional information of this recipe is only an estimate, the accuracy for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
- Vegan red lentil soup - February 18, 2025
- Vegan Fresas con Crema - February 17, 2025
- Chickpea, Cilantro & Pumpkin Seed Falafel Pita - February 16, 2025