Taco Meatballs

    A little hint of Mexican flavor in the form of a meatball! These meatballs are a great addition to any taco party or Taco Tuesday gathering or weeknight dinner. Surprise your guests or family with a different take on tacos!

    Taco Meatballs

    Prep Time: 30 minutes
    Cook Time: 25 minutes
    Servings: 20 Meatballs
    In the mood for a little hint of Mexican in your meatball? This recipe creates a bite-size beef taco that everyone will enjoy. These meatballs are just as easy as making tacos but come in little balls and they are stuffed with queso fresco. You can serve these meatballs as an appetizer for a Mexican feast, topping each one with a little lettuce, tomato, and sour cream on a toothpick, or as a replacement for taco meat in a softshell. Unfortunately, these probably wouldn't fit in a hard shell taco but you could possibly make little taco tostadas. with these meatballs.
    I would think you agree that everyone loves their meat stuffed with a little cheese. If for some reason you can't find queso fresco at your local grocery store you can always choose a different cheese to stuff these with. You can go with mozzarella if you want a milder cheese in the middle, or a nice cheddar if you want a little more punch in your cheese, or even a good pepper jack habanero if you want a little spice in your Taco Meatball. You can also always substitute your favorite taco seasoning for the spices I used. I am a fan of keeping things clean and being in control of the amount of salt I use - hence the individual spices.
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    Ingredients

    • 1 lb ground beef
    • 1 cup plain breadcrumbs
    • 2 eggs
    • 1 1/2 tbs chili powder
    • 1 tsp paprika
    • 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
    • 1/2 tsp Mexican oregano
    • 1/2 tsp coriander
    • 1/2 lime juiced
    • 25 cubes queso fresco
    • salt & pepper to taste

    Instructions

    • Preheat the oven to 350degrees Fahrenheit
    • In a bowl combine ground meat, breadcrumbs, eggs, chili powder, smoked cumin. Paprika, cayenne pepper, Mexican oregano, coriander, and lime juice. Season to taste salt and pepper.
    • Take the meat mixture and flatten it in the palm of your hand. Take one of the queso fresco pieces and wrap the meat mixture around the cheese. Roll the meat mixture and cheese around in your hand to form a ball.
    • Place your meatballs on a greased baking sheet and place them in the oven. Bake for 20 mins.
    Bowl of Taco Meatball ingredients before it has been mixed

    Add all of your ingredients to the bowl and combine them thoroughly. You can use either a spoon or you can do this by hand. In this particular recipe, it may be better to use a spoon only because of the spicier ingredients. If you do mix these meatballs by hand just be careful and mindful of the spices and obviously don’t touch your eyes. 

    These meatballs have such a nice color with all of the spices that are in the meat mixture. They are also super flavorful because of all of the great spices. I’m really into going to various markets where they have special ingredients and I’m especially interested in different spices. I love trying other ethnic foods and going to supermarkets to find new flavors and cuisines. I found the Mexican oregano and the chili powder I used in this recipe at a Mercado near us.

    Tinfoil lined baking sheet with cooking spray with raw Taco Meatballs

    Once you have all of your ingredients well mixed you can flatten out the mixture so you can place a cube of queso fresco in the middle and roll the meat around the cheese until you have a nice little ball. Rolling the meat around the cheese delicately to help make sure the cheese stays in the middle of the meat mixture. You can scoop out the meat by hand for each meatball. You really just want enough meat to surround the cheese. The more meat that you have for each meatball the more of a chance you have for the cheese to completely stay inside the meatball.

    Place your meatballs on a tinfoil lined baking sheet for easier cleanup. Also be sure to spray some cooking spray onto the tinfoil or baking sheet if you decide to just place them on the baking sheet to make sure the meatballs don’t stick. Beef meatballs tend to have more fat – depending on how lean of meat you decide to use – but they can still stick to the pan. When you stuff your meatballs with cheese that increases the tendency for the meatballs to stick, especially if the cheese leaks out onto the tinfoil or baking sheet. 

    Bowl of shredded iceberg lettuce, bowl of Queso Fresco cubes, bowl of diced tomatoes, and a little bowl of hot sauce for the finished Taco Meatballs

    You can add fresh tomatoes, lettuce and your favorite hot sauce to these meatballs to make them just how you like them. I like to serve them up with some chips and salsa and top mine with some fresh avocado – because who are we kidding that goes on everything! Adding a little fresh squeezed lime on top gives these meatballs a little brightness. Don’t forget a nice dollop of cool sour cream to help with the spice of the hot sauce.

    Taco Meatballs served on a flour tortilla with shredded cheese, shredded lettuce, diced tomatoes, hot sauce, and avocados with a side of tortilla chips.

    Taco meatballs are one of my favorites to make and they are so simple that you can make them for Taco Tuesday’s every week! You can play around with the condiments and extras that you love on your taco to make the perfect meatball taco. If you love taco meat you’ll love these little cheese stuffed balls to fill up your shell. They are a great little appetizer too if you wanna skip the shell and make these little balls a little lower in carbs.

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