Tex Mex Meatballs Recipe
Tex Mex meatballs are simmered in a thick, tangy chipotle sauce and served on a bed of rice with creamy avocado slices. This healthy-ish dinner reheats easily, and is a crowd-friendly weeknight meal that’s filled with sweet-smoky flavor.
Prep Time20 minutes mins
Cook Time25 minutes mins
Total Time45 minutes mins
Course: Main Dish
Cuisine: Tex Mex
Keyword: easy dinner, family friendly, gluten free, Mexican
Servings: 4
Author: Jess Smith via Inquiring Chef
Cost: $10.00
Meatballs:
- 1/4 cup white onion, grated or minced
- 1 cup very finely crushed tortilla chips (make sure these are very finely crushed so you don't have large pieces in your meatballs)
- 1/2 teaspoon Kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder (do not use garlic salt or the meatballs will be too salty)
- 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 2 Tablespoons tomato paste
- 1 pound lean ground beef
- 1 large egg
Sauce:
- 2 Tablespoons olive oil
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 teaspoons adobo sauce (from a small can of Chipotle peppers in adobo)
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 15 ounce can tomato sauce
- 1 Tablespoon apple cider vinegar
- 1/2 teaspoon sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon Kosher salt
To serve:
- 4 cups cooked rice
- 1 avocado, sliced
- 1/4 cup cilantro leaves
To make the meatballs, in a large mixing bowl, stir together the minced onion, crushed tortilla chips, and 1/2 teaspoon each of kosher salt, garlic powder, dried oregano, and black pepper. Add tomato paste, ground beef, and egg.
Gently combine everything with a spoon or clean hands. Form mixture into 1.5-inch balls, placing then on a baking sheet or clean plate as you make them. (Tip: If the mixture sticks to your hands, rub some cooking oil between your hands first.)
Refrigerate the meatballs while you make the sauce (this will help them to hold their shape).
Heat the olive oil in a large saute pan over medium heat. (Note: be sure to use a large enough pan to hold both the sauce and the meatballs.) Add the garlic, adobo sauce, chili powder, and ground cumin and cook until fragrant, 1 to 2 minutes.
Add all of the remaining sauce ingredients and bring to a simmer. When the sauce is simmering, gently add the meatballs to the sauce. Stir to coat.
Cover the lid with a pan or foil and reduce the heat to low-medium. Simmer the meatballs in sauce until cooked through, about 15 minutes.
Serve the meatballs immediately over rice with avocado slices and cilantro leaves.
Calories: 623kcal | Carbohydrates: 73g | Protein: 34g | Fat: 21g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 5g | Monounsaturated Fat: 10g | Trans Fat: 0.4g | Cholesterol: 117mg | Sodium: 1277mg | Potassium: 906mg | Fiber: 7g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 498IU | Vitamin C: 8mg | Calcium: 94mg | Iron: 5mg