All of your favorite Mexican spices are wrapped up in these tender juicy bite-size meatballs. This might be the easiest meatball recipe ever and it happened almost by accident a few weeks ago. I made a huge tray of Black Bean and Beef Taco Nachos for lunch and I still had some ground beef that needed to be used. The Mexican spice mix was sitting on the counter and one thing led to another.
I made the first batch of these meatballs using ground beef alone. However, I’m partial to a 2/3 mix of beef and pork in my meatballs. So, the next time I made them, I used the measurements below. If you aren’t a fan of pork or if you (like me) have a bunch of ground beef that needs to be used, they are delicious both ways.
My whole family gave these meatballs two thumbs up. I served the meatballs with Spanish Rice and Roasted Green Beans the first time I made them. The next time, I served them with tortilla chips and Queso Blanco Dip.
If you happen to follow me on Instagram, you had a sneak peek of my 8 year old making these meatballs all by himself! I can’t believe I never thought to have the kids roll the scooped meat into meatballs before this time. Huge help for me and it was fun for him!
- 1 lb ground beef
- 1/2 lb ground pork
- 3/4 cup panko breadcrumbs
- 3 tablespoons Mexican spice mix or your favorite taco seasoning
- 2 eggs
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line 2 baking sheets with aluminum foil or silpat mats. (or be a rebel and skip it, but I'm all in favor of less to clean up later!) Place the beef and pork in a large mixing bowl and use a wooden spoon to
- break up the meat. Add the rest of the ingredients and stir gently with a
- wooden spoon and then mix lightly with your hands to combine well
- without over mixing.
- Using a 1" scoop (for small bite-size meatballs) or a 1 1/2" scoop (for
- larger ones) place the meatballs on the baking sheet. Round with your
- hands to smooth out each meatball. (If your meatballs are cracking, wet
- your hands to help smooth them.) I usually drop a scooped portion into
- one hand and smooth it gently before placing them on the trays.
- Bake the small meatballs for 15-16 minutes, larger ones for 20-25
- minutes depending on size. Remove from the oven and let cool for a few minutes before serving. Enjoy!
- FREEZER MEAL: Let the meatballs cool completely and then transfer to a
- freezer safe container or large ziploc bag. Thaw in the refrigerator prior to reheating in the
- microwave.
Jenn S says
What a great little twist on such a classic dish! Can't wait to try this!
Mallory @ Because I Like Chocolate says
Clever idea! There are so many different flavours you can add to meatballs!
Cynthia Hernandez / cruizen4u says
This is a great idea and I will be making it for my family!
Tricia Buice says
Combined with your cheese dip – incredible!
Anonymous says
so just what is panko breadcrumbs?
Mary says
Panko is a Japanese-style breadcrumb. The biggest difference between panko and standard breadcrumbs is that panko is made from bread without crusts. Panko’s crustless bread is coarsely ground into airy, large flakes that give fried foods a light, crunchy coating. The flakes tend to stay crispier longer than standard breadcrumbs because they don’t absorb as much grease. Source: chow.com
I tend to keep panko on hand, so it is my go-to breadcrumb. It gives the meatballs a slightly lighter texture.
Anonymous says
Can you get Panko breadcrumbs from a regular market /Walmart?
Chris says
I like these, they'd be great for tailgating or stuffed in a flat bread with salsa and avocado.
Lisa says
I recently tried the queso dip with these taco meatballs…oh my…heavenly!!