Tex Mex Meatballs Recipe (2024)

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.

Tender and juicy homemade Tex Mex meatballs will remind you of the flavor-packed Southwestern dishes at your favorite neighborhood Mexican restaurant. Crushed corn chips give these saucy meatballs a unique twist, and once you shape the meatballs, absolutely no browning or baking is required. All of the magic happens in one pan.

Tex Mex meatballs are simmered in the chili powder and cumin adobo sauce for a spicy and smoky meal that can be served as an appetizer, or made into a standalone dinner and plated with aromatic cilantro lime rice and ripe avocado slices.

What is Adobo Sauce?

Adobo sauce is a flavorful marinade used in Mexican cuisine that is made from dried chilis, vinegar, salt, and pantry herbs. This traditional Mexican sauce is thick like BBQ sauce, and has a tangy, smokey, and slight spiciness to it. The rich, complex flavors in this deeply fragrant sauce can be used to marinate chicken, steak, and pork, or as a topping for rice and beans.

How to Make Tex Mex Meatballs

1. Make the meatballs. Combine the onion, crushed tortilla chips, and ½ teaspoon each of kosher salt, garlic powder, dried oregano, and black pepper. Add tomato paste, ground beef, and egg.
2. Form the meatballs. Create 1.5-inch balls, then place on a baking sheet or clean plate. Refrigerate while you make the sauce.
3. Make the sauce. Heat the garlic, adobo sauce, chili powder, and ground cumin with olive oil in a large skillet. Cook until fragrant.
4. Cook the meatballs. Add the remaining sauce ingredients and simmer. Add the meatballs and stir to coat. Simmer for 15 minutes.
5. Serve and enjoy! Serve while warm over cooked rice, and top with sliced avocado and cilantro.

Ingredients

Meatballs:

• White Onion – Grated or minced white onion adds a lovely tender bite.
• Tortilla Chips – Perfectly salty tortilla chips are used in the place of breadcrumbs to add some Southwestern flair to the meatball recipe. Make sure the chips are finely crushed so they integrate easily into the meat mixture.
• Kosher Salt, Garlic Powder, Dried Oregano, Black Pepper – This mixture of salt and spice seasons the meatballs. Be sure to use garlic powder, not garlic salt to prevent the meatballs from becoming too salty.
• Tomato Paste – The concentrated tomato flavors in tomato paste create a tangy base flavor in the meatballs.
• Lean Ground Beef – Lean ground beef with 10 to 15% fat content will give you meatballs that are tender without having excess, greasy fat.
• Large Egg – To bind the ingredients.

Sauce:

• Olive Oil – Any type of olive oil can be used to coat the pan. You could also use avocado oil or grapeseed oil.
• Garlic – Fragrant minced garlic cloves add flavor to the rich sauce.
• Adobo Sauce – Chipotle peppers in adobo sauce come in a small can and can be found in the ethnic food aisle of the most local grocery stores.
• Chili Powder, Ground Cumin – Classic Southwestern spices to add warmth and spice to the sauce.
• Tomato Sauce – For extra saucy meatballs.
• Apple Cider Vinegar – For a touch of zippy tang.
• Sugar, Kosher Salt – Sweet and salty elements to balance the spice in the chili powder and chipotle peppers.

To serve

• Cooked Rice – Both cooked white rice or brown rice are perfect with the meatballs.
• Avocado – An easy accompaniment for a taco-like meal.
• Cilantro Leaves – Chopped cilantro adds a fresh, vibrant touch to spicy and smokey meatballs.

Tips

• Meatball mixtures can be a little sticky. If the mixture sticks to your hands, rub cooking oil between your hands.
• Don’t skip the refrigeration step. This step will help the meatballs hold their shape as they cook.
• Use a large enough pan to allow the meatballs and sauce to cook evenly, and to prevent the liquid from overflowing.

Variations

• Change proteins – Replace ground beef with ground turkey or ground chicken for a leaner meatball.
• Make it spicy – Turn up the Southwestern flavors by adding jalapenos, chili pepper flakes, or Serrano peppers.
• Top with shredded cheese or other taco toppings – Add your favorite taco toppings like shredded cheese, shredded lettuce, chopped tomatoes, or salsa to make colorful taco bowls or salads.

FAQs

More Tex Mex Recipes

• Instant Pot Tex Mex Chicken and Brown Rice Stew
• Tex Mex Stuffed Zucchini
• Slow Cooker Tex Mex Stuffed Peppers
• Tex Mex Burgers with Guacamole

• Glass Mixing Bowls
• All Clad Saute Pan (3 quart)