About this recipe
These vegan albóndigas are a plant-based twist on one of my favorite Mexican comfort meals. These albóndigas are made with brown rice, black beans, and mushrooms. These Mexican meatballs are hearty, satisfying, and full of flavor.
Then comes the chipotle-tomato broth (or caldillo, as we call it in Mexico), smoky and rich, the kind of sauce you want to scoop up with a warm tortilla or over a bowl of rice. This is the kind of recipe you make once and keep in your rotation forever.
Why you’ll love this recipe
- Full of flavor: Smoky chipotle, sweet tomato, savory mushrooms—every bite is layered and rich.
- Meaty without meat: Mushrooms and beans give that perfect “bite” you want in an albóndiga.
- Easy to make: No fancy ingredients or steps—just a food processor and a blender.
- Versatile: Serve them with rice, in tacos, over pasta, or even tucked into a sandwich.
What are albondigas?
Albondiga means meatball in Spanish. In Mexico, we eat a lot of albondigas (meatballs). There are many types and different recipes. There are meatballs in clear broth, tomato-based broth, meatballs stuffed with cheese, rice, vegetables, and even hard-boiled eggs.
Ingredient notes
For the mushroom meatballs
- Brown rice: I always cook extra and keep it in the fridge for meals like this. White rice or even quinoa works too.
- Black beans
- Mushrooms: Sliced mushrooms cook fast and bring great texture.
- Panko breadcrumbs: I prefer panko but regular breadcrumbs are fine too.
- Garlic powder
- Mexican oregano
For the chipotle tomato broth (caldillo)
- Tomato. You can use canned tomato, natural tomato, or homemade tomato sauce.
- Onion
- Garlic. Because everything tastes better with garlic.
- Chipotle in adobo is delicious. The chipotle chiles that come in cans are especially tasty.
- Mexican oregano.
How do you make vHow to make vegan mushroom albóndigas
- Step 1: Brown the mushrooms
- Step 2: Make the meatball mixture
- Step 3: Form and brown the albóndigas
- Step 4: Brown them in a skillet with oil until golden on all sides.
How to make the chipotle tomato sauce?
- To make the sauce, or caldillo as we call it in Mexico, put all the ingredients, except the oil, in the blender and blend until everything is perfectly well blended and smooth.
- Add the teaspoon of oil to a pot, heat a little, and add the sauce. Bring to a boil and lower the heat. Simmer for about five or seven minutes. Try and adjust the seasoning if necessary.
- To serve, smother the meatballs with tomato chipotle sauce.
How to serve the vegan albondigas
These vegan Mexican meatballs can be served on their own, on a bed of white or brown rice, in a corn tortilla taco, on pasta, or on zucchini noodles. They taste delicious and are super easy to make.
But for me, the best way is to serve them on a bed of rice so that the tomato sauce with chipotle stays in it. It really is delicious.
Home cook to home cook tips
- Pulse, don’t blend: Over-mixing the meatball mixture makes it gluey. You want texture.
- Caldillo color = ready: Once the tomato-chipotle sauce turns from orange-ish to deep red and smells amazing, it’s done.
- Batch-friendly: Freeze uncooked albóndigas or double the sauce for a second meal later in the week.
- Serve over rice: It catches all the sauce and makes a super comforting meal. Corn tortillas on the side? Always a yes.
The Best Vegan Mexican Meatballs (You Won’t Miss the Meat)
Equipment
Ingredients
For the vegan albóndigas:
- 1½ cups cooked brown or white rice
- 1½ cups cooked black beans drained
- 8 oz sliced mushrooms about 227 g
- 1 tbsp oil for sautéing mushrooms
- 1 cup panko breadcrumbs or regular breadcrumbs
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp salt
- ½ tsp dried oregano preferably Mexican
- Neutral oil for browning the meatballs
For the chipotle-tomato broth (caldillo):
- 1 28 oz can diced tomatoes (or fresh equivalent)
- ¼ small onion roughly chopped
- 2 cloves garlic
- 2 chipotle peppers in adobo
- ½ tsp dried oregano
- 1 tsp salt adjust to taste
- 1 tsp oil for sautéing the sauce
- 1 small handful fresh cilantro add whole at the end
Instructions
Cook the mushrooms:
- In a skillet, heat 1 tbsp of oil over medium heat. Add sliced mushrooms and cook for 10–15 minutes until golden brown. Do not add salt while cooking.
Prepare the meatball mixture:
- Let mushrooms cool slightly. In a food processor, pulse them with rice, beans, breadcrumbs, garlic powder, salt, and oregano until combined but still textured. Do not over-process.
Form and brown the meatballs:
- Roll into 1–1½ inch balls. Heat oil in a skillet and brown the meatballs on all sides until golden and crisp. Set aside.
Make the chipotle broth:
- In a blender, combine tomatoes, onion, garlic, and chipotle peppers. Blend until smooth.
- In a saucepan, heat 1 tsp oil and pour in the sauce. Add oregano, cilantro and salt. Bring to a simmer and cook for 5–7 minutes, or until it deepens in color.
Serve:
- Plate the albóndigas with warm chipotle sauce spooned over the top or simmer them gently in the sauce for a few minutes before serving.
Notes
- Pulse the meatball mix—don’t blend—to keep the texture right.
- You can prep the meatballs in advance and freeze them uncooked.
- Serve over rice, in tacos, or with crusty bread to soak up the sauce.
Nutrition
information
Nutritional information of this recipe is only an estimate, the accuracy for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
This recipe appeared first in Ale Cooks in 2016.
- About the Author
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I’m Ale Graf, a Mexican living in Texas and the creator of AleCooks and Piloncillo&Vainilla. I share easy, family-friendly recipes—some Mexican, mostly plant-based—that can be enjoyed all day, every day. My focus is on recipes that bring people together around the table, making mealtime simple, delicious and meaningful. I’m also the co-author of Yo Cocino Latino, and my recipes have been featured in numerous online magazines and publications.
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