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
Mallory @ Because I Like Chocolate says
Cynthia Hernandez / cruizen4u says
Tricia Buice says
Anonymous says
Mary says
I tend to keep panko on hand, so it is my go-to breadcrumb. It gives the meatballs a slightly lighter texture.
Anonymous says
Chris says
Lisa says