These enchilada meatballs are everything you love about enchiladas but with a fun twist! They feature juicy all-beef meatballs made with Mexican spices and laced with green onion and jalapeños, then seared and smothered in my easy homemade enchilada sauce and topped with shredded cheese, avocado and cilantro. All ready in only 30 minutes!
Enchilada meatballs are a super versatile dish. Make them for a weeknight dinner, party appetizer, or potluck dish. They’re a fun twist on regular enchiladas when you’re in the mood to cook something different.
Juicy all-beef meatballs are the base of this recipe and then smothered in my easy enchilada sauce that only takes 10 minutes to whip up.
If you want to save some time, you can use your favorite store-bought enchilada sauce. Don’t forget to top it with shredded Mexican-blend cheese, extra cilantro, and avocados!
Ingredients
- Egg and panko breadcrumbs: I used egg and panko breadcrumbs as the binding agent for the meatballs.
- Seasonings: You’ll need a mixture of chili powder, salt, cumin, and oregano.
- Cilantro, jalapeños, green onions: These finely chopped veggies add freshness to the meatball. If you want to add some extra spice, don’t remove the jalapeño seeds.
- Ground beef: I used lean ground beef for a slightly healthier option, but you can mix ground beef and ground pork together for extra flavor and juiciness.
- Enchilada sauce: I used a batch of my easy enchilada sauce that’s ready in only 10 minutes. You can also use my authentic enchilada sauce, green enchilada sauce, or 1 ½ – 2 cups of your favorite store-bought enchilada sauce to save some time.
- Shredded cheese: I used shredded Mexican-blend cheese, but you can use Colby, Monterey Jack, or cheddar if you prefer.
- Garnish: I garnished with diced avocado and cilantro. You can also add extra finely chopped green onions.
How to Make Enchilada Meatballs
Make meatballs. Whisk together the egg, chopped cilantro, jalapeño, chili powder, salt, cumin, oregano, panko breadcrumbs, and chopped green onions in a bowl until fully combined.
Add lean ground beef into the bowl and mix by hand until all the ingredients are fully incorporated.
Using your hands, take a small amount of the meat mixture and roll it into a meatball about the size of a tablespoon. Place the meatballs on a separate plate as you work. Keep rolling and making the meatballs until you’ve used up all of the meat mixture. You should end up with a total of 24 meatballs.
Sear. In a large skillet over medium-high heat with some olive oil, sear meatballs on the top and bottom, about 2 minutes on each side. (I like using a cast-iron skillet for this.) The meatballs won’t be fully cooked yet. That’s exactly what we want.
Bake. Prepare a large baking or casserole dish by pouring 1 cup of enchilada sauce on the bottom. Arrange the meatballs in a single layer over the sauce. Pour the remaining enchilada sauce on top, and sprinkle with shredded cheese.
Bake for 10-12 minutes at 350 degrees F, until the meatballs are cooked and the sauce bubbles.
Garnish and serve. Garnish with diced avocado and cilantro, and serve!
Recipe Tips
- To get uniform meatballs, use a heaping tablespoon or small cookie scoop to shape them into balls.
- Make this a one-skillet dish by using a large 12-inch cast iron skillet or other oven-safe skillet. Simply assemble the dish in the same skillet used to sear the meatballs, then bake.
Serving Suggestions
Enchilada meatballs are a great lower-carb option on their own, but I also love serving them with some of these dishes:
Storing and Reheating
To store, place the meatballs and any extra sauce in an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 1 week.
To reheat, heat in the microwave in 1-minute increments or reheat in the oven at 350℉ for 5-10 minutes until warmed.
More Recipes
Enchilada Meatballs
Ingredients
- 1 large egg
- ¼ cup panko breadcrumbs
- ¼ cup finely chopped green onion
- 1 tablespoon finely chopped cilantro
- 1 jalapeño, seeded and finely chopped
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon ground cumin
- ½ teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 pound lean ground beef
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 ½ cups enchilada sauce (a batch of easy enchilada sauce or a 15-ounce can of red enchilada sauce)
- 1 cup shredded Monterey Jack or cheddar cheese
- Diced avocado and cilantro, for garnish
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350℉.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the egg, breadcrumbs, green onions, cilantro, jalapeño, chili powder, salt, ground cumin, and oregano until fully combined.
- Add the ground beef to the bowl and mix together with your hands until all the ingredients are just combined. Try not to over-mix, or your meatballs will be tough.
- Roll the meatball mixture into balls using a heaping tablespoon or small cookie scoop. Place them on a plate. You should have about 22-24 meatballs.
- Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the meatballs and sear on both sides, about 2 minutes per side. The meatballs will not be fully cooked.
- While the meatballs are cooking, prepare a large casserole or baking dish by evenly spreading 1 cup of enchilada sauce on the bottom.
- Add the meatballs to the baking dish in a single layer. Pour the remaining enchilada sauce on top and sprinkle with shredded cheese.
- Bake for 10-12 minutes until fully cooked and the sauce is bubbling.
- Garnish with avocado and cilantro. Serve with a side of cilantro lime rice and warmed flour tortillas.
Notes
- Make this a one-skillet dish by using a large 12-inch cast iron skillet or other oven-safe skillet. Simply assemble the dish in the same skillet used to sear the meatballs, then bake.
Nutrition Information
Photos by Ashley McLaughlin.
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