This Albóndigas con Fideos is a warm, comforting Mexican soup featuring juicy meatballs (albóndigas) simmered in a rich chili‑tomato sauce, with fideo noodles adding just the right texture. The combination of dried guajillo chilies, garlic, epazote, and spices gives the broth a deep, smoky flavor and subtle heat. It’s a hearty, satisfying dish that feels like something from abuela’s kitchen.
Making albóndigas from scratch, including grinding your spices and soaking your chilies, may take a little more prep, but the result is authentic and flavorful. This dish is perfect for family meals, when you want something wholesome, or when you have guests who appreciate bold, traditional flavors. Serve with warm tortillas or crusty bread to soak up every drop of the sauce.
Table of Contents
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
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Juicy homemade meatballs infused with garlic, cumin, and chilies
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Smoky, rich sauce made with guajillo and optional árbol chilies for adjustable heat
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Fideo noodles add both texture and heartiness
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Warm, comforting meal ideal for cooler evenings or family dinners
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Customizable: more spice, less spice, change herbs etc.
Ingredients (Serves ~4‑6)
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1 lb ground beef
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¼ onion, chopped
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2 dried guajillo chilies
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3 Roma tomatoes
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Optional: 5 dried árbol chilies (for extra spice)
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2 garlic cloves
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1 cup fideo (vermicelli noodles)
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1 egg
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Ground cumin (about 2 tablespoons)
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Epazote (a few leaves, optional, for authentic flavor)
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2 bay leaves
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2 cloves
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Salt to taste
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Oil (for sautéing fideo and browning meatballs)
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Water as needed
Instructions
Step 1: Prepare the Meat Mixture
In a molcajete (or bowl), grind together cumin, 2 cloves garlic, and 1 teaspoon salt until a paste forms. Add ground beef, egg, and chopped onion to this paste. Mix until evenly combined. Set aside.
Step 2: Soak the Chilies
Remove seeds from guajillo (and árbol, if using) chilies. Rinse. Heat water until hot (but not boiling). Remove from heat, add chilies, cover pot, and soak about 5 minutes until softened.
Step 3: Cook the Tomatoes & Make Sauce
Boil Roma tomatoes until soft (about 5 minutes). In a blender, combine soaked chilies (with their soaking water), boiled tomatoes, leftover garlic (as desired), ¼ onion, bay leaves, and cloves. Blend until smooth to make the chili‑tomato sauce.
Step 4: Form Meatballs
Shape the ground beef mixture into meatballs of your preferred size. Set them aside.
Step 5: Toast the Fideos
In a pot over medium heat, add oil. Add fideo noodles and sauté, stirring frequently, until they turn golden brown. Be careful not to burn.
Step 6: Simmer with Sauce and Meatballs
Pour the chili‑tomato sauce into the pot with golden fideos. Let it simmer for ~5 minutes. Then gently add the meatballs. Bring to a gentle boil, reduce heat, cover, and simmer until meatballs are cooked through (about 15‑20 minutes). Add water as needed to adjust consistency. Adjust salt to taste.
Step 7: Serve
Remove bay leaves. Serve hot, garnished with chopped fresh epazote (if using), extra onion or cilantro. Great with warm tortillas, rice, or a squeeze of lime.
Tips for Success
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Soak chilies just until they’re soft to preserve flavor—over‑soaking can make them bland.
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Toasting fideo properly gives it that nutty flavor; watch the heat and stir often.
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Use fresh garlic and good quality ground cumin for authenticity.
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Don’t overcrowd meatballs in the pot so they cook evenly.
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If sauce becomes too thick, add warm water or stock a little at a time.
Final Thoughts
Albóndigas con Fideos is more than just a soup—it’s tradition in a bowl. The tender meatballs, the spicy‑smoky sauce, and the soft fideo combine to create a meal that’s comforting and flavorful. This dish is perfect for feeding family, warming up in colder months, or sharing with friends who appreciate hearty, authentic food.
You’ll find the flavors deepen the next day if you have leftovers. Whether you make it with extra spice or dial it back, the essence of this recipe is in its mixture of textures and flavors: spicy, savory, soft, and fragrant. Definitely a recipe to keep in your regular rotation.
Share Your Creations
Made this Albóndigas con Fideos?
Leave a comment and let me know how your meatballs turned out!
Did you use árbol chilies, omit epazote, or adjust spice? I’d love to see your photos and hear about your version!
Albóndigas con Fideos
Ingredients
Method
- In a molcajete (or bowl), grind together cumin, 2 cloves garlic, and 1 teaspoon salt until a paste forms. Add ground beef, egg, and chopped onion to this paste. Mix until evenly combined. Set aside.
- Remove seeds from guajillo (and árbol, if using) chilies. Rinse. Heat water until hot (but not boiling). Remove from heat, add chilies, cover pot, and soak about 5 minutes until softened.
- Boil Roma tomatoes until soft (about 5 minutes). In a blender, combine soaked chilies (with their soaking water), boiled tomatoes, leftover garlic (as desired), ¼ onion, bay leaves, and cloves. Blend until smooth to make the chili‑tomato sauce.
- Shape the ground beef mixture into meatballs of your preferred size. Set them aside.
- In a pot over medium heat, add oil. Add fideo noodles and sauté, stirring frequently, until they turn golden brown. Be careful not to burn.
- Pour the chili‑tomato sauce into the pot with golden fideos. Let it simmer for ~5 minutes. Then gently add the meatballs. Bring to a gentle boil, reduce heat, cover, and simmer until meatballs are cooked through (about 15‑20 minutes). Add water as needed to adjust consistency. Adjust salt to taste.
- Remove bay leaves. Serve hot, garnished with chopped fresh epazote (if using), extra onion or cilantro. Great with warm tortillas, rice, or a squeeze of lime.
