Mexican Meatballs with Chipotle Tomatillo Sauce
User Reviews
5
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Prep Time
20 mins
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Cook Time
1 hr 10 mins
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Total Time
1 hr 30 mins
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Servings
4
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Calories
582 kcal
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Course
Main Course
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Cuisine
Mexican
Mexican Meatballs with Chipotle Tomatillo Sauce
Description
This recipe creates Mexican-style meatballs combining ground beef and crumbled chorizo spiced with oregano, salt, pepper, and fresh cilantro. The meat mixture is formed into balls flattened around diced hard-boiled eggs, adding a surprise creamy center. Meanwhile, tomatillos, quartered onions, and whole garlic cloves are roasted until blistered and smoky, then blended with chipotle peppers and beef broth to form a bright, spicy tomatillo sauce.
The meatballs are pan-fried briefly to brown and finished cooking in the oven or the sauce. The sauce's smokiness and acidity complement the spiced meatballs, balancing heat and tang with savory richness. The dish is garnished with fresh cilantro for a fresh herbal touch.
This combination makes for a unique meatball presentation with an extra texture inside and offers a hearty, flavorsome meal that showcases Mexican ingredients and techniques.
Ingredients
- For the sauce:
- 1 lb tomatillos , husks removed and washed
- 1 onion quartered, small, white
- 1 onion finely diced, small, white
- 5 cloves garlic , peels left intact
- 2 chipotles en adobo , seeds removed if you prefer less spicy
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup beef broth
- For the meatballs:
- 1 lb ground beef
- 1/4 lb Mexican chorizo , crumbled
- Mexican chorizo easy to make and recommended for the BEST flavor!, homemade
- 3/4 cup dried breadcrumbs
- 2 tablespoons milk
- 2 egg lightly beaten
- 1 teaspoon oregano
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper freshly ground
- 3 tablespoons cilantro chopped, fresh
- 2 egg diced, hard-boiled
- cilantro chopped; for garnishing
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425. Place the onion quarters, tomatillos and unpeeled garlic on a baking sheet and drizzle with olive oil. Roast the vegetables until they begin to blacken and blister, about 35-40 minutes. Squeeze the garlic from the peels and discard the peels. Place the vegetables in a blender along with the beef broth, chipotles and the 1/2 teaspoon salt. Process until smooth. Pour the sauce into a small saucepan, bring to a simmer, reduce the heat to low and simmer for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add more salt to taste.
- In a large bowl, combine the ground beef, chorizo, breadcrumbs, milk, eggs, oregano, salt, pepper and cilantro. Using your hands, knead the mixture until thoroughly combined. Form the meat mixture into 1-inch balls, flatten them and place a piece of hard-boiled egg, and close the meat around it to form back into a ball. Repeat for all meatballs. Makes about 30 meatballs.
- Heat some vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat and fry the meatballs on all sides until brown. Transfer the meatballs to paper towels to drain the grease. Pour the sauce into the skillet and nestle the meatballs in the sauce. Bring to a simmer, reduce the heat to low, cover and simmer for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally to prevent burning. Add a little more beef broth as needed to think the sauce.Serve with your choice of sides (e.g. rice, crusty bread, warm corn tortillas, a salad).
Nutrition Information
Show DetailsNutrition Facts
Serving: 4Serving
Amount Per Serving
Calories 582 kcal
% Daily Value*
| Calories | 582kcal | 29% |
| Carbohydrates | 31g | 10% |
| Protein | 35g | 70% |
| Fat | 37g | 57% |
| Saturated Fat | 13g | 65% |
| Polyunsaturated Fat | 2g | 12% |
| Monounsaturated Fat | 12g | 60% |
| Cholesterol | 274mg | 91% |
| Sodium | 1591mg | 66% |
| Potassium | 862mg | 18% |
| Fiber | 5g | 20% |
| Sugar | 9g | 18% |
| Vitamin A | 574IU | 11% |
| Vitamin C | 19mg | 21% |
| Calcium | 132mg | 13% |
| Iron | 5mg | 28% |
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.
User Reviews
Overall Rating
5
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