The Best Vegan Mexican Meatballs (You Won’t Miss the Meat)
Hearty, smoky, and plant-based—these mushroom albóndigas simmered in chipotle-tomato broth are pure comfort.
6 people
Calories: 316kcal
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
Serving: 1serving | Calories: 316kcal | Carbohydrates: 64g | Protein: 11g | Fat: 2g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 861mg | Potassium: 787mg | Fiber: 9g | Sugar: 6g | Vitamin A: 1173IU | Vitamin C: 21mg | Calcium: 73mg | Iron: 3mg