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4.7 from 51 votes

Mexican Meatballs

Juicy Mexican pork meatballs covered in an addicting roasted tomato and smoky chipotle sauce. Ready from start to finish in only 40 minutes.

Prep Time
10 mins
Cook Time
10 mins
Total Time
40 mins
Servings: 4 servings
Calories: 451 kcal
Course: Dinner
Cuisine: Mexican

Ingredients

For the meatballs
  • 1 pound ground pork
  • 1/2 cup plain breadcrumbs
  • 1 egg, beaten
  • ¼ medium onion, minced (about 1/4 cup)
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced (about 1 teaspoon)
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
  • 1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil
For the sauce
  • 8 roma tomatoes
  • 3 cloves garlic
  • 2 chipotle peppers in adobo sauce, plus 1 tablespoon adobo sauce
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon dried Mexican oregano,

Instructions

    Cup of Yum
  1. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil and place tomatoes on top. Set the oven rack directly underneath the broiler and turn the broiler on high.
  2. Broil the tomatoes for 3-4 minutes, or until the skin is blackened and blistered. Carefully flip over the tomatoes and broil for another 3-4 minutes, or until the skin is blackened and blistered on all sides. Remove from the oven and set aside.
  3. Preheat the oven to 450°F.
  4. Add ground pork, breadcrumbs, egg, onion, garlic, salt, cumin, and coriander to a large mixing bowl. Gently combine using your hands until everything is just mixed. Be careful not to overmix or they may come out tough.
  5. Shape the mixture into 16 meatballs and set aside.
  6. Heat olive oil in a large cast-iron skillet (or other oven-safe skillet) over medium-high heat. Add meatballs to the skillet and sear until golden brown on one side, about 1-2 minutes.
  7. Flip the meatballs over and transfer the skillet to the oven. Bake for 8 minutes, or until the internal temperature of the meatballs reach 160F.
  8. While meatballs are baking, add the roasted tomatoes, garlic, chipotle peppers, adobo sauce, oregano and salt to a large blender. Blend until smooth, or pulse a few times if you prefer a chunky sauce.
  9. Remove the skillet from the oven and pour the chipotle tomato sauce on top. Be careful of any splatters since the skillet will be very hot!
  10. Stir the sauce in the skillet and let it sit and cook with the residual heat for 2 minutes. Garnish meatballs with chopped cilantro and serve.

Notes

  • Storage: The meatballs can be stored in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to 4 days.
  • Freezing: To freeze any leftovers, simply place the meatballs along with all the sauce in a freezer-safe container or zip-top bag and freeze for up to 3 months. 
  • To save some time, you can use 1 (28-ounce) can of fire-roasted tomatoes instead of roasting your own under the broiler. Just skip the roasting step and blend the canned roasted tomatoes with the rest of the sauce ingredients.
  • Don't overmix the meat mixture. Make sure to mix the ground meat mixture until it just comes together. Overmixing can cause the meatballs to be tough, which is no bueno!
  • Use a cast-iron skillet if you have one. I love using a cast-iron skillet for this recipe because it retains heat really well. When you take out the meatballs and pour the sauce on top, the heat of the skillet will continue to cook the sauce a bit and give it some extra depth of flavor.

Nutrition Information

Serving 14th of recipe Calories 451kcal (23%) Carbohydrates 18g (6%) Protein 24g (48%) Fat 31g (48%) Saturated Fat 10g (50%) Cholesterol 123mg (41%) Sodium 1443mg (60%) Potassium 680mg (19%) Fiber 3g (12%) Sugar 5g (10%) Vitamin A 1467IU (29%) Vitamin C 19mg (21%) Calcium 66mg (7%) Iron 3mg (17%)

Nutrition Facts

Serving: 4servings

Amount Per Serving

Calories 451

% Daily Value*

Serving 14th of recipe
Calories 451kcal 23%
Carbohydrates 18g 6%
Protein 24g 48%
Fat 31g 48%
Saturated Fat 10g 50%
Cholesterol 123mg 41%
Sodium 1443mg 60%
Potassium 680mg 14%
Fiber 3g 12%
Sugar 5g 10%
Vitamin A 1467IU 29%
Vitamin C 19mg 21%
Calcium 66mg 7%
Iron 3mg 17%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.