Meatball Taco Bowls

Fresh, fast, and loaded with flavor, meatball taco bowls are one of our favorite freezer-friendly meals. These are gluten-free, totally customizable, and only 520 calories!

Freezer meals are like money in the bank, right? Few things make me as happy as seeing a week or two worth of fast, homemade meals lined up in the freezer. They quite possibly saved us from spending a small mortgage on take-out dinners after Molly and Clara were born.

These bowls are one of my favorite things to come across in the freezer. All of the key elements freeze well (including that homemade enchilada sauce), so all you need are a few fresh taco toppings and 25 minutes to toss it all together while the meatballs simmer in flavorful sauce.

I've had tacos on the brain this week. I blame the margaritas.

Happy Taco Tuesday friends!

More Tex-Mex Recipes

• Sheet Pan Tacos
• Instant Pot Crispy Pork Carnitas
• Slow Cooker Carnitas Taco Salad
• Tex Mex Stuffed Zucchini
• Tex Mex Burgers with Guacamole
• Slow Cooker Tex Mex Stuffed Peppers
• Mexican Pita Pizzas
• Taco Casserole with Ground Beef
• Honey Lime Salmon Tacos

Favorite Tools

• Anchor 3-Piece Glass Mixing Bowls 
• Half Sheet Pan
• All Clad Saucepan 

Print Recipe

4.75 from 4 votes

Meatball Taco Bowls

One of our favorite weeknight freezer meals, simmer meatballs in sauce and top taco bowls with any of your favorite toppings.

Prep Time20 mins

Cook Time20 mins

Total Time40 mins

Course: Main Dish

Cuisine: Tex Mex

Keyword: easy dinner, family friendly, freezer friendly, gluten free

Servings: 4 Servings

Calories: 661kcal

Author: Jess Smith via Inquiring Chef

Cost: $9.00

Equipment

• Mixing Bowl
• Half Sheet Pan
• Large Saucepan

Ingredients

Meatballs:

• 1 pound Lean Ground Beef (sub any ground meat like pork, turkey or chicken)
• 1 Egg
• ¼ cup finely chopped Kale or fresh herbs like Parsley or Cilantro (optional)
• 1 teaspoon Salt
• ½ teaspoon Black Pepper

Taco Bowls

• 2 cups Enchilada Sauce (we use homemade)
• 16 Meatballs (ingredients listed above)
• 2 cups Cooked Rice, white or brown
• 1 Avocado, sliced
• 1 cup store-bought Salsa or Pico de Gallo
• 1 cup Shredded Cheese
• 1 Jalapeno, thinly sliced (optional)
• 1 Tablespoon Cilantro, chopped
• 1 Lime, cut into wedges
• Tortilla Chips, for serving

Instructions

To Make / Freeze:

• In a large bowl, combine ground meat, eggs, kale (if using), salt and pepper. Mix with your hands just until evenly combined. Form into 16 meatballs about 1-inch in diameter and place on a sheet pan lined with foil.
• If using within a couple days, refrigerate for up to 2 days.
• If freezing, place sheet pan in freezer until meatballs are solid. Transfer to a freezer bag. Meatballs will keep in the freezer for 3 to 4 months.

To Cook:

• In a medium saucepan, bring enchilada sauce to a low simmer. Add meatballs (no need to defrost first if meatballs were frozen). Simmer meatballs until cooked through, 12 minutes if fresh and 20 minutes if frozen.
• While meatballs simmer, prep other ingredients.
• Assemble taco bowls by topping rice with meatballs and sauce, sliced avocado, salsa, cheese, jalapeño slices, and cilantro. Serve with lime wedges and tortilla chips.

Notes

Print and attach the label below so cooking instructions are ready when you are!

Nutrition

Serving: 1g | Calories: 661kcal | Carbohydrates: 44g | Protein: 48g | Fat: 33g | Saturated Fat: 12g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 174mg | Sodium: 2384mg | Potassium: 1096mg | Fiber: 8g | Sugar: 12g | Vitamin A: 1911IU | Vitamin C: 23mg | Calcium: 213mg | Iron: 5mg

And even though I just shared another photo of Molly and Clara pooling it up over the weekend, I couldn't resist just one more. These girls love the pool!

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