Mexican Meatballs
I discovered these amazing meatballs on a cooking website and had to share them with you! They're incredibly popular and loved by all who try them. Here's my version of the recipe, complete with my own photos. I served these as cocktail meatballs, and they were a hit with my guests.
I discovered these amazing meatballs on a cooking website and had to share them with you! They're incredibly popular and loved by all who try them. Here's my version of the recipe, complete with my own photos. I served these as cocktail meatballs, and they were a hit with my guests.
- 2 lbs. ground beef lean
- 2 cups cornbread crumbled
- 1/2 tsp. kosher salt
- 3/4 tsp. cumin
- 1/4 cup onions finely chopped
- 2 large cloves garlic minced
- 16 oz. mild salsa divided in half
- 1/4 cup mild taco sauce divided in half
- 1/2 tsp. cayenne pepper divided in half
- 8 oz. canned tomato sauce
- 1 tbls. chili powder
- 4 oz. can mild chopped green chilies
- 2 8oz. pkgs. jalapeno jack cheese cut into 60 small cubes
- *note instead of using the cheese cubes, you can shred the cheese and sprinkle it ontop.
- Carbohydrate 23.2197400009085 g
- Cholesterol 89.01656232 mg
- Fat 18.1932157251377 g
- Fiber 1.32192879807912 g
- Protein 20.2449726917531 g
- Saturated Fat 6.56649119736551 g
- Serving Size 1 1 Serving (147g)
- Sodium 525.272972848196 mg
- Sugar 21.8978112028294 g
- Trans Fat 2.36772123680338 g
- Calories 343 calories
Step-by-step
- In a large bowl combine corn bread crumbs, onion, garlic, cumin, salt, chili powder, green chilies and 1/2 the salsa, 1/2 the taco sauce and 1/2 the cayenne pepper,
- Add ground beef and mix well.
- Shape into 1 inch little meatballs and form the meatballs around each cheese cube. Make sure none of the cheese is exposed.
- Place in baking pan.
- Bake at 350 degrees, uncovered for about 15 minutes.
- Meanwhile in a small saucepan heat the tomato sauce and the remaining salsa, taco sauce and cayenne pepper. Heat til simmering then pour over cooked meatballs and bake for another 10 minutes.
- To serve, stick one toothpick into each meatball, pour sauce from baking dish on top. And serve warm.
Swapping crumbled cornbread for plain breadcrumbs alters the structural integrity and sweetness of the finished dish, requiring careful moisture adjustment in the meat mixture. Scaling this recipe upward for a crowd demands precise arithmetic, particularly when dividing wet ingredients like salsa, taco sauce, and tomato sauce into precise simmering components. Doubling the batch means multiplying every spice measurement rather than estimating, because cayenne pepper and chili powder compound aggressively in closed baking environments. Success hinges entirely on completely sealing the cheese cubes inside the ground beef casing. Exposed dairy will melt out into the baking pan during the initial 15-minute exposure at 350 degrees Fahrenheit, leaving hollow meat shells and greasy puddles instead of a molten center. Rolling consistent one-inch spheres ensures even heat penetration throughout the meat. Simmering the tomato sauce base separately before coating the partially cooked beef prevents scorching and melds the partitioned spices evenly. Toothpicks inserted into each unit transform the presentation into finger food while anchoring the meat structure during service. Storing leftovers safely requires refrigeration within two hours of baking to prevent bacterial growth in the dairy filling.
