If you're a fan of the menu at this American chain of restaurants which serves a variety of foods such as burgers, steaks, pasta, and seafood then you'll love this collection of copycat recipes.
El Chico Mexican Restaurant Albondigas
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- #6941
 
ingredients
  
Meat Balls (Albondigas)
1 1/2 pound ground beef
1/3 cup long grain rice
2 slices white bread
1/2 cup milk
2  eggs
2 teaspoons salt
1 tablespoon black pepper
  
Soup (Sopa)
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
4 cloves garlic, chopped
8 ounces onion, chopped
1/2 cup diced bell pepper
3 quarts water or salt-free broth
3  tomatoes, diced
1 cup rice
2 tablespoons salt
1 tablespoon cumin
1 tablespoon black pepper
2  carrots, sliced 1/8-inch
1  zucchini, sliced 1/8-inch
  
Garnish
  Fresh limes
  cilantro
  Hot corn tortillas
directions
Soak the bread in the milk. Place all the ingredients for the meat balls in a deep pan; include the milk and bread. Mix all the ingredients by hand very well. Make small meat balls rotating your hands in a circular motion making meat balls of the size 1 inch to 1 1/2 inches.  
 Bake meat balls for 20 minutes at 400 degrees F. Set aside.  
 Soup preparation: Place vegetable oil in a saucepan over medium heat. Add the garlic, onions and bell pepper. Cook until onions are soft. Add the water, diced tomatoes, rice and spices. Bring to hard boil. Carefully add the meat balls, carrots and zucchini to the boiling soup. Lower the heat to a slow boil and cook until rice is soft, approximately 35 to 45 minutes. Add more water if necessary. 
 Serve with hot corn tortillas, lime wedges and chopped cilantro. Squeeze the lime in the soup to accentuate the flavor of the vegetables in the soup. Sprinkle with chopped cilantro.
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nutrition data
Please note:
This is a copy cat recipe submitted to CDKitchen by a third-party. This recipe is not an original recipe unless specifically stated and is considered only to be an acceptable "clone" to the original for the home cook to attempt to duplicate. Please also note that many nationwide restaurant chains vary their menus and ingredients by region so the version provided may not be similar to what you may have tried before. All trademarks referenced are property of their respective owners.
Keeping a can of frozen orange juice concentrate in the freezer means you can make more than just orange juice. Try it in a variety of orange-flavored recipes.
Beer makes batters better, meat more tender, and sauces more flavorful.

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reviews & comments
September 17, 2010
I agree with Jonny - also add 2 dried arbol chile, a bay leaf and celery to this. It only took 20 min to prep - EASY!!!!!
December 23, 2007
Great recipe except the salt needs to be cut down to 2 teaspoons.
February 5, 2006
After some mods, my Albondigas loving wife can't get enough. Important changes are to half the pepper in the meatballs (I used pork), 2 quarts chicken stock with 1 quart beef stock, add one potato, 4 not 3 tomatoes, 1/2 cup rice in the soup, 1/2 the pepper in the soup, and cut bigger chunks for the veggies. Love this recipe.