Mexican Meatballs with Chipotle Tomatillo Sauce

Kimberly Killebrew

Chock full of authentic flavors, these juicy beef and chorizo meatballs are served in a fabulous roasted garlic, chipotle, tomatillo sauce!

5 from 75 votes

Prep Time 20

Cook Time 1 10

Total Time 1 30

Course Main Course

Cuisine Mexican

Servings

Calories 582 kcal

For the Sauce:
1 lb tomatillos , husks removed and washed
1 small white onion , quartered
1 small white onion , finely diced
5 cloves garlic , peels left intact
2 chipotles en adobo , seeds removed if you prefer less spicy
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup beef broth
For the Meatballs:
1 lb ground beef
1/4 lb Mexican chorizo , crumbled
Homemade Mexican Chorizo Recipe , easy to make and recommended for the BEST flavor!
3/4 cup dried breadcrumbs
2 tablespoons milk
2 eggs , lightly beaten
1 teaspoon oregano
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
3 tablespoons fresh cilantro , chopped
2 hard-boiled eggs , diced
chopped cilantro for garnishing

Preheat the oven to 425.
Place the onion quarters, tomatillos and unpeeled garlic on a baking sheet and drizzle with olive oil. Roast the vegetables until they begin to blacken and blister, about 35-40 minutes. Squeeze the garlic from the peels and discard the peels.
Place the vegetables in a blender along with the beef broth, chipotles and the 1/2 teaspoon salt. Process until smooth. Pour the sauce into a small saucepan, bring to a simmer, reduce the heat to low and simmer for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add more salt to taste.
In a large bowl, combine the ground beef, chorizo, breadcrumbs, milk, eggs, oregano, salt, pepper and cilantro. Using your hands, knead the mixture until thoroughly combined. Form the meat mixture into 1-inch balls, flatten them and place a piece of hard-boiled egg, and close the meat around it to form back into a ball. Repeat for all meatballs. Makes about 30 meatballs.
Heat some vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat and fry the meatballs on all sides until brown. Transfer the meatballs to paper towels to drain the grease.
Pour the sauce into the skillet and nestle the meatballs in the sauce. Bring to a simmer, reduce the heat to low, cover and simmer for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally to prevent burning. Add a little more beef broth as needed to think the sauce.
Serve with your choice of sides (e.g. rice, crusty bread, warm corn tortillas, a salad).

Keyword Mexican Meatballs

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