The secret ingredient in these apps is a link of fresh chorizo-the spicy Mexican pork sausage (not to be confused with the cured Spanish kind). It does double duty here, adding a zesty taco kick and keeping the meatballs extra moist.
| Level: | Easy |
| Total: | 35 min |
| Active: | 25 min |
| Yield: | 10 servings (3 meatballs per person) |
Ingredients
- 3/4 pound ground beef
- 1 link fresh chorizo (3 to 4 ounces), casing removed
- 1 large egg
- 1/4 cup fine yellow cornmeal
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1 tablespoon chili powder
- 1 tablespoon ground cumin
- 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1/2 teaspoon granulated onion
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 2 cups corn tortilla chips
- 2 ounces Cheddar, cut into 30 cubes just under 1/2 inch thick
- Shredded iceberg lettuce, guacamole, pico de gallo and sour cream, for serving
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment.
- Mix together the ground beef, chorizo, egg, cornmeal, tomato paste, chili powder, cumin, oregano, granulated onion, 1 teaspoon salt and a few grinds of pepper with your hands in a large bowl. Scoop the mixture into tablespoon-sized portions. For each, press 1 cube of cheese into the center, press the meat around it to seal, and roll into a smooth ball.
- Put the chips in a plastic bag, seal and crush with a rolling pin. Drop 3 or 4 meatballs at a time into the bag, and roll them around to lightly coat with the crushed chips. Arrange the coated meatballs on the prepared baking sheet, and bake until the outsides are browned and the cheese is melted inside, 10 to 12 minutes.
- Serve the meatballs on a platter over a bed of shredded lettuce with guacamole, pico de gallo and sour cream on the side.
Nutrition Facts
| Serving Size | 1 of 10 servings |
| Calories | 245 |
| Total Fat | 16 g |
| Saturated Fat | 6 g |
| Carbohydrates | 13 g |
| Dietary Fiber | 1 g |
| Sugar | 1 g |
| Protein | 12 g |
| Cholesterol | 57 mg |
| Sodium | 276 mg |
Reviews
Great recipe! I used 80/20 beef after reading another review. They were great! Very easy to whip up just before the big game! Very filling.
I had a meatball themed dinner party and these were the favorite. When I make the again, I’ll crush the chips up a bit more than I did. Otherwise, delicious!
Not great. I won’t make again. They were so dry. I used 85/15, maybe I needed to use beef with more fat? Really wanted to love these…
Terrible recipe! Very labor-intensive and not at all worth the effort. Despite the cheese, they were dry and hard to swallow.
This tastes like a taco salad in a meatball. Very easy to make and yummy.
I loved this, it was real good, emmmmm, I’ll make it again.
This is a great recipe/appetizer for the Super Bowl 50! It’s really flavorful and the ingredients mix together so well.