Tex-Mex Meatballs in Spicy Chipotle Tomato Sauce
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These Tex-Mex meatballs are the perfect one-skillet dinner. With juicy, spiced beef meatballs simmered in a rich, smoky tomato sauce, they’re a delicious and straightforward Southwest-style meal!
These southwest-style meatballs are bursting with flavor. The beef meatballs are made with sautéed onion, garlic, jalapeño, and spices, which make them taste amazing. And instead of boring breadcrumbs, we use crushed corn chips to bind the meatballs together!
It’s a super cozy dinner recipe that is easy enough to make when you get home from work. And if your family is okay with a little heat, they’ll love this recipe.
I always love creating dinner recipes with a Tex-Mex twist, as I love the flavors. These honey jalapeño turkey burgers with avocado crema and my chipotle chicken stuffed poblanos are two of my other favorites.
Key ingredients
- Ground beef: Lean ground beef is ideal for meatballs so they don’t get too greasy.
- Tortilla chips: I use these instead of breadcrumbs to add a little Tex-Mex flair and extra flavor to these meatballs.
- Chipotle peppers in adobo sauce: This is the ingredient that brings a smoky flavor and a little heat. You can buy jars in the Mexican section of your grocery store. The peppers come packed in adobo sauce, and you’ll need 2 peppers plus a little of the sauce. Keep the extra in a clean jar in your fridge – it lasts virtually forever.
Tips and Substitutions
- Ground beef with a fat content of around 10-15% here is ideal for juicy meatballs, but ground turkey or chicken can also be substituted for a leaner option. Since these proteins are lower in fat, pan searing will be difficult and messy. Instead, I recommend baking the meatballs on a sheet pan at 425 degrees Fahrenheit for 15 minutes and then finishing them in the sauce over the stove.
- If you don’t like spicy foods, make sure you remove all the seeds from the chipotle peppers in adobo. Feel free to leave them in for extra heat.
- Use a cast iron skillet if possible. Cast iron retains heat very well and puts a perfect sear on the meatballs without overcooking the inside. If using cast iron, just make sure your pan is enamelled or the acid from the tomato sauce will damage the skillet and give your food a metallic taste.
What to Serve with Tex-Mex Meatballs
While these Tex-Mex meatballs are delicious on their own, feel free to get creative with toppings and sides! Here are some ideas:
- Guacamole
- Sour cream or shredded cheese
- Cooked brown or white rice
- Spicy Mexican Rice
- Flour or corn tortillas (serve taco style!)
- Roasted sweet potato or spaghetti squash
Tex-Mex Meatballs in Spicy Chipotle Tomato Sauce
These Tex-Mex meatballs are the perfect one-skillet dinner. With juicy, spiced beef meatballs simmered in a rich, smoky tomato sauce, they're a delicious and straightforward Southwest-style meal!
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil (divided)
- ½ cup onion (finely chopped)
- 1 jalapeño (seeded and minced)
- 2 cloves garlic (minced)
- 1 teasooon EACH: cumin, smoked paprika, and oregano
- ¾ teaspoon salt
- 1 lb ground beef
- ¼ cup crushed tortilla chips
- 2 tablespoons cilantro (chopped)
- 28 ounce can fire-roasted tomatoes
- 2 chipotle peppers in adobo sauce (seeded and minced)
- 2 tablespoons adobo sauce
- ½ teaspoon sugar
- Freshly squeezed lime juice and chopped cilantro (for serving)
Instructions
- Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and jalapeño. Sauté until softened, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic, cumin, smoked paprika, oregano, and salt. Cook for another 2-3 minutes or until fragrant. Transfer the mixture to a plate and place it in the fridge to cool.½ cup onion, 1 jalapeño, 2 cloves garlic, 1 teasooon EACH: cumin, smoked paprika, and oregano, ¾ teaspoon salt
- Once cooled, combine the sautéed vegetables with ground beef, crushed corn chips, and cilantro. Use your hands or a cookie scoop to roll the mixture into 3-4 tablespoon balls. You should get about 12 medium sized meatballs.1 lb ground beef, ¼ cup crushed tortilla chips, 2 tablespoons cilantro
- Wipe out the skillet and return it to medium heat. Add another 1 tablespoon of olive oil and tilt the skillet to coat. Add the meatballs and cook until browned, about 2-3 minutes per side. Transfer to a plate and set aside.
- To the skillet, add the fire-roasted tomatoes, chipotle peppers in adobo, adobo sauce, sugar, and a generous pinch of salt. Bring to a boil and add the meatballs. Reduce the heat to low and simmer gently for 5-10 minutes, until the meatballs are cooked through, but still a little pink on the inside. Serve warm with a squeeze of lime juice and chopped cilantro.28 ounce can fire-roasted tomatoes, 2 chipotle peppers in adobo sauce, 2 tablespoons adobo sauce, ½ teaspoon sugar
Notes
Can I use store-bought meatballs instead? While you can use store-bought meatballs in a pinch, remember that they won’t be as flavorful. For the best Tex-Mex meatballs, I recommend making them from scratch, as the recipe has a lot of flavor. It’s worth the extra work!
Storage: When sealed in a covered container, the meatballs and tomato sauce will keep for 4-5 days in the fridge and up to 2 months in the freezer.
Nutrition
Serving: 3 meatballs and ¼ of the sauce, Calories: 341kcal (17%), Carbohydrates: 20g (7%), Protein: 27g (54%), Fat: 16g (25%), Saturated Fat: 4g (25%), Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g, Monounsaturated Fat: 9g, Trans Fat: 1g, Cholesterol: 70mg (23%), Sodium: 2487mg (108%), Potassium: 473mg (14%), Fiber: 3g (13%), Sugar: 7g (8%), Vitamin A: 1245IU (25%), Vitamin C: 10mg (12%), Calcium: 106mg (11%), Iron: 5mg (28%)
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These are delicious!
Thanks, Laura!
The meatballs look good.
Hello, I’m making this right now but I can’t find fire roasted tomatoes here in Spain so I’m doing them myself. Do I whizz them up when cooked before adding the meatballs etc or do I just pop them in whole?
Let you know how it turns out 😉
The fire-roasted tomatoes that we buy are diced so I would chop yours before adding them. I bet it will taste even better with homemade fire-roasted tomatoes!
Wow! These meatballs are packed with so much flavor. They were fantastic. I can’t wait to make them again.
Being from Texas, this is my kind of recipe. I loved the additions of jalapeños, crushed tortilla chips, and chipotle peppers in adobo sauce! I will be making this again and again.
Such a delicious and easy meal! Everyone at my house loved this!
This beef meatball was delicious. I served it with rice.
I will be trying this recipe next week! It is difficult here in Canada to find ingredients for Mexican food, but I’m going to look around for the chipotle peppers in adobo sauce. If not, I will look for a substitute. Thank you for sharing your skills, and for you commitment to help all of us enjoy eating good food! Blessings to you!
Hi Michael! I’ve never had any trouble finding chipotle peppers in adobo sauce here in Canada – I’m on the west coast – so hopefully you’ll be able to find them, too. I usually spot them in the small Mexican section with hard shell tacos and things like that. I hope that helps!