Tex-Mex Chili Meatballs with Zesty Tomato Salsa
Submitted by yankee005
Tex-Mex beef meatballs with green chilies and cheese, served with homemade zesty tomato salsa and crispy tortilla chips. Mexican party appetizer ready in 75 minutes.
YIELD
4 servingsPREP
30 minCOOK
45 minREADY
75 minThese aren’t your Italian nonna’s meatballs, these are loaded with chili powder, green chilies, and melted cheese for serious Tex-Mex flavor.
The meatballs get their kick from mild green chilies mixed right into the beef along with Monterey Jack and cheddar. They’re browned until crispy on the outside, then piled onto a platter with more melted cheese on top. The homemade zesty tomato salsa (sautéed peppers, onions, fresh tomatoes, and hot sauce) brings bright acidity to cut through the richness.
Serve them with crispy baked tortilla chips for scooping, or skip the chips and pile everything over rice for a full meal. Either way, have plenty of napkins ready.
Chef Tips
- Use lean ground beef (90/10) to reduce grease but keep the meatballs tender
- Fresh bread crumbs (pulse sandwich bread in a food processor) work better than dried for moisture
- Brown meatballs in batches without crowding the pan so they get crispy, not steamed
- Make the salsa while the meatballs brown to save time
- Assemble the platter just before serving so the cheese melts from the hot meatballs
Variations
- Turkey Swap: Use ground turkey instead of beef for a lighter version (add 1 tbsp olive oil to the mix for moisture)
- Smoky Chipotle: Add 1-2 minced chipotle peppers in adobo to the meatball mixture
- Loaded Nachos: Serve over tortilla chips with all the toppings for Tex-Mex nacho meatballs
Ingredients
Directions
Heat the oven to 400℉ (200℃).
In 12 inch skillet, over medium high heat, heat 1tablespoon vegetable oil; add onion and chili powder; cook about 10 minutes, stirring frequently, until onion is tender and coated with chili powder.
Remove onion to large bowl; wipe skillet clean. To bowl with onion, add beef, egg, chilies, bread crumbs, 1 tablespoon of each of the cheeses and salt; using hands or wooden spoon, blend well.
Shape mixture into 1¼ inch balls.
In skillet over medium-high heat, heat remaining 2 tablespoon oil; add meat mixture; cook 15 minutes, turning frequently, until well browned on all sides and cooked through.
Meanwhile, place tortilla chips in single layer on jelly-roll pan; bake 10 minutes until crisp and golden.
Prepare Zesty Tomato Salsa.
To serve: Spoon meatballs into center of large serving platter; sprinkle with remaining Monterey Jack and Cheddar cheese.
Arrange tomato wedges and lettuce around meatballs if desired.
Serve with tortilla chips and salsa.
ZESTY TOMATO SALSA: In a saucepan over medium high heat, heat 1 tablespoon vegetable oil; add 1 each red and green bell pepper, cored, seeded and diced (about 2 cups), 1 medium size onion, diced (about ¾ cup) and 1 large clove garlic, crushed.
Cook about 10 minutes, stirring frequently, until tender.
Stir in 2 large fresh, ripe tomatoes, diced (about 2 cups) and ¼ to ½ teaspoon hot red pepper sauce; cook 1 minute longer until heated through.
Makes about 1½ cups.
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