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Albóndigas con Fideos Recipe

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★★★★★

4.8 from 129 reviews

Albóndigas con Fideos is a traditional Mexican dish featuring flavorful ground beef meatballs cooked in a rich chili-tomato sauce with toasted vermicelli noodles. This comforting one-pot meal combines aromatic spices, dried chilies, and tender noodles for a hearty and satisfying experience, perfect for family dinners or special occasions.

Ingredients

Scale

Meatball Mixture

  • 1 lb ground beef
  • ¼ onion, chopped
  • 2 garlic cloves
  • 1 egg
  • About 2 tablespoons ground cumin
  • 1 teaspoon salt (for paste)

Chili-Tomato Sauce

  • 2 dried guajillo chilies (seeds removed)
  • Optional: 5 dried árbol chilies (for extra spice, seeds removed)
  • 3 Roma tomatoes
  • ¼ onion
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 2 cloves
  • Water (for soaking and cooking)
  • Salt to taste

Others

  • 1 cup fideo vermicelli noodles
  • Oil for sautéing fideos and browning meatballs
  • Epazote leaves, a few (optional, for authentic flavor)

Instructions

  1. Prepare the Meat Mixture: In a molcajete or bowl, grind together ground cumin, 2 cloves of garlic, and 1 teaspoon salt until a paste forms. Add ground beef, egg, and chopped onion to this paste. Mix everything thoroughly until well combined. Set the mixture aside.
  2. Soak the Chilies: Remove seeds from the guajillo and árbol chilies if using. Rinse them under water. Heat water until hot but not boiling, remove from heat, add the chilies, cover the pot, and let them soak for about 5 minutes until softened.
  3. Cook the Tomatoes & Make Sauce: Boil the Roma tomatoes in water until soft, about 5 minutes. In a blender, combine the soaked chilies along with their soaking water, boiled tomatoes, remaining garlic (as desired), ¼ onion, bay leaves, and cloves. Blend until smooth to create the chili-tomato sauce.
  4. Form Meatballs: Shape the ground beef mixture into your preferred size meatballs. Place them aside ready for cooking.
  5. Toast the Fideos: In a pot over medium heat, add oil and then the fideo noodles. Sauté the noodles, stirring frequently, until they turn golden brown. Be careful to avoid burning.
  6. Simmer with Sauce and Meatballs: Pour the blended chili-tomato sauce into the pot with the toasted fideos. Let it simmer for about 5 minutes. Gently add the meatballs into the pot, bring to a gentle boil, then reduce heat to low. Cover and simmer for about 15 to 20 minutes or until meatballs are cooked through. Add water as needed to adjust sauce consistency and season with salt to taste.
  7. Serve: Remove the bay leaves from the pot. Serve the Albóndigas con Fideos hot, garnished with fresh chopped epazote leaves if using, and optionally extra onion or cilantro. It pairs wonderfully with warm tortillas, rice, or a squeeze of lime juice.

Notes

  • You can increase the spiciness by adding árbol chilies or adjust to taste.
  • Epazote adds authentic flavor but can be omitted if unavailable.
  • To make meatballs easier to form, chill the mixture in the refrigerator for 15 minutes before shaping.
  • Monitor the fideo carefully while toasting to prevent burning as they brown quickly.
  • Add water in small amounts during simmering to keep the sauce from drying out.
  • This dish is best served fresh but can be reheated gently with additional water or broth.

Keywords: Mexican meatballs, Albóndigas con Fideos, ground beef meatballs, chili tomato sauce, fideo noodles, traditional Mexican recipe

Find it online: https://cheframiflavor.com/albondigas-con-fideos-recipe/