Mexican meatballs
The kick from these spicy meatballs, along with the chilli tomato sauce makes this absolutely delicious.
What goes well alongside this dinner?
I like to serve this alongside some plain boiled rice and some shop bought tortillas. It also goes well with some spaghetti.
Mexican meatballs
Ingredients
Meatballs
- 700 g minced beef
- 1 tsp garlic paste
- 1 large red chilli, finely chopped with seeds
- ¾ tsp ground cumin
- large pinch of salt and pepper
- 1 egg, beaten
- 3 tbsp fresh breadcrumbs
- ½ tsp ground coriander
- 5 tbsp olive oil
Spicy tomato sauce
- 1 large onion, chopped
- 1 tsp garlic paste
- 1 red pepper, deseeded and chopped
- ½ tsp ground coriander
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 1 tsp dried chilli flakes
- few dash of tabasco sauce
- ½ tsp caster sugar
- 2 400g tins of chopped tomatoes
- 250 ml vegetable stock
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 180°c. Place a deep lidded casserole dish to one side.
- Add all the meatball ingredients, except the oil, into a large mixing bowl and with your hands, combine together and then make around 20 small balls.
- Heat 2 tbsp of oil in a large frying pan over a medium head and cook half of the meatballs for around 5mins, carefully turn them so that they brown all over. Place in the casserole dish and repeat with the remaining meatballs.
- Wipe the frying pan with a bit of kitchen roll.
- Heat the remaining oil. Add the onions and cook until they begin to soften.
- Add the garlic and red pepper and cook until the peppers begin to soften.
- Pour the onion mixture into a blender and add the tomatoes. Blend the mixture until smooth.
- Pour the tomato mixture, stock (see top tip), coriander, cinnamon stick, dried chilli flakes, tabasco and caster sugar into the casserole dish and gently stir, try not to break up the meatballs.
- Place in the oven and cook for around 2 hours, checking regularly that the sauce isn't getting too dry. If it does, add some extra boiled water.
- Serve alongside some plain boiled rice and shop bought tortilla chips.
Top Tip
- Use the stock to rinse out any leftover tomato mixture that maybe left in the blender.