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Baked Enchilada Meatballs
These Enchilada Meatballs are truly something special – guaranteed to become a new favorite dinner with the entire family! The meatballs are laced with cilantro, green onions, chili and cumin, baked to succulent perfection then smothered with the BEST rich, bold, smoky homemade enchilada sauce, topped with melty cheese, then loaded with your favorite toppings such as sour cream, guacamole and pico de gallo. Keep the Enchilada Meatballs low-carb or serve them over Cilantro Lime Rice along with Mexican Street Corn Salad and Pina Colada Fruit Salad for the ultimate feast! You can make the baked meatball recipe completely from scratch, or swap in store-bought meatballs or enchilada sauce for those need-it-now dinner wins.
👥 6 Servings⏱️ Prep & Cook: 50 min⏳ Prep: 30 min🔥 Cook: 20 min👤 Jen📖 carlsbadcravings
🥘 Ingredients
Check off ingredients as you prepare them:
🍳 Cookware
- baking sheet
- oven
- bowl
- whisk
- skillet
📝 Preparation Steps
1
Make the Meatballs
2
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with foil (optional for easy cleanup) and top with an oven safe baking rack. Spray the rack lightly with cooking spray; set aside.
3
Whisk all of the meatball ingredients together EXCEPT the beef in a large bowl. Add the beef and mix with your hands just to combine (don’t over-mix or your meatballs will be tough).
4
Scoop the meat mixture using a 1 tablespoon cookie dough scoop (or a heaping 1 tablespoon), then gently roll them into balls, but don't compact too much or the meatballs will be dense. Place the meatballs onto the prepared baking sheet without touching, you should have about 30.
5
Transfer the baking sheet to the oven and bake at 400 degrees F for ⏱️ 12 minutes (they won’t be quite done at this point). Meanwhile…
6
Make the Enchilada Sauce
7
Whisk the flour and all seasoning together in a small bowl (chili powder through optional cayenne pepper); set aside.
teaspoons chili powder1 1/2chili powder3 tablespoons
8
Melt the butter in the oil in a large braiser, cast iron skillet or oven safe skillet over medium heat. Whisk in the flour mixture and cook, while whisking, for ⏱️ 2 minutes. Whisk in the tomato paste until completely combined and continue to cook for ⏱️ 1 minute.
9
Reduce the heat to low. Gradually whisk in the chicken broth. Continue to whisk until smooth and the lumps are dissolved. Whisk in cocoa powder, sugar and cinnamon.
sugar1 teaspoon
10
Bring the sauce to a simmer, whisking often, until it thickens to your desired consistency, about ⏱️ 5-7 minutes. Keep in mind the sauce will thicken a little when baked. Remove from heat and stir in the apple cider vinegar.
apple cider vinegar1 teaspoon
11
Combine and Bake
12
Transfer the seared meatballs to the enchilada sauce and turn to coat. Spread into an even layer then top with the cheese. Bake for ⏱️ 8-12 minutes more or until the meatballs are cooked to an internal tempreature of 160 degrees F on an instant read thermometer and the cheese is melted.
13
Delicious served over plain rice, cilantro lime rice or cauliflower rice along with desired toppings.
minced fresh cilantro3 tablespoonsCilantro
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