Mexican Meatballs

Juicy Mexican meatballs flavoured with black beans & Fancy Hanks taco seasoning, covered in an rich tomato sauce and cheese! Total winner! Ready from start to finish under an hour, they make a delicious weeknight dinner served over rice, in tortillas with salad, or Mexican meatball subs!

Serves 4

Effort: Easy

Prep: 15mins

Cook: 40mins

Ingredients

• 250g Beef mince

• 250g Pork mince

• 1 Can of black beans, drained & chopped (You could use a blender if you wanted)

• 3 Tbsp Fancy Hanks taco seasoning

• 1 Garlic clove, finely diced

• 1 Tsp smoked paprika

• 1 Tbsp tomato paste

• 1/2 Bunch coriander, chopped including stalks

• 1 Egg

• 1/2 Cup panko breadcrumbs

• Salt & pepper

Tomato Sauce

• 500ml passata

• 1 Tsp smoked paprika

• 1 Tsp garlic powder

• 1 Tsp oregano

• 1 Tsp chilli powder (optional)

• 2 Cups grated cheese (Mexican blend if you can find it)

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 180c fan, 200c.

2. In a bowl mix all the meatball ingredients together & season well with salt & pepper. Leave to stand for 10mins.

3. Using wet hands, roll tablespoon-portions of the mixture into balls. Place in oiled baking dish and cook in the oven for 10mins turning once.

4. Meanwhile mix passata, paprika, garlic powder & oregano together.

5. Add tomato sauce to the baking dish around the meatballs, return to the oven for 20 mins or until the sauce has reduced.

6. Top with cheese and bake for 5-10 mins until it has melted.

Serve with a dollop of sour cream over rice, in wraps or make Mexican meatball subs.

Hints & tips

Don’t overmix the meat mixture. Make sure to mix the mixture until it just comes together. Overmixing can cause the meatballs to be tough, but you want to be firm when rolling your balls so they don’t fall apart.

If you can find Mexican blend cheese I recommend using it to finish your dish - if not mix a little more seasoning through your grated cheese before adding it to the meatballs.

The meatballs can be stored in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to 4 days.

To freeze any leftovers, simply place the meatballs along with all the sauce in a freezer-safe container or zip-top bag and freeze for up to 3 months.