Taco Meatballs
Everything you love about taco night in a meatball. Ground beef or turkey seasoned with a full packet of taco seasoning, bound with an egg and crushed Tostitos instead of plain breadcrumbs, mixed with grated onion, salsa, and shredded Mexican cheese, rolled into balls, and placed in a skillet with a drizzle of olive oil and a spoonful of salsa before going into a cold oven set to 375Ā°F. The cold oven start is the technique detail that makes these different. The meatballs warm up gradually as the oven comes to temperature, cooking evenly all the way through without the outside drying out before the center is done. Eight to ten minutes later, dinner is ready.
The crushed Tostitos are the ingredient worth talking about. They do what breadcrumbs do in terms of binding and absorbing moisture, but they also add a subtle corn chip flavor and seasoning that makes these meatballs taste specifically like a taco rather than just a Mexican-spiced meatball. Combined with the taco seasoning, the salsa, and the cheese, every element in the mixture is pointing in the same direction and the result is a meatball that has real taco DNA from the inside out.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
They taste exactly like a taco in meatball form. Taco seasoning, crushed Tostitos, salsa, and Mexican cheese all in the mixture means the flavor is built in rather than applied from the outside.
The cold oven technique is the move. Starting the meatballs in a cold oven and setting the temperature at the same time means they cook gently and evenly as the oven heats rather than aggressively searing from the outside in. The result is a juicier, more evenly cooked meatball every time.
The crushed Tostitos are the unexpected detail everyone notices. More flavor than plain breadcrumbs, slightly crunchy texture in the mix, and a subtle corn chip saltiness that is unmistakably right in a taco-seasoned meatball.
They are ready in 20 minutes. Mix, roll, skillet, cold oven. This is a genuinely fast weeknight dinner.
The serving options are endless. Over rice, in soft tacos, as a party appetizer with queso, on nachos, on top of a salad. Taco meatballs belong in every format.
Ingredients Needed to Make Taco Meatballs
One bowl and a skillet. Here is what you need.
The Meat and Binders
Ground beef or ground turkey is the base. 80/20 ground beef produces the richest, juiciest meatball. Ground turkey is a leaner alternative that works well with the bold seasoning. The egg binds everything together. The crushed Tostitos replace plain breadcrumbs and add corn chip flavor, slight texture, and seasoning throughout.
The Flavor Builders
A full packet of taco seasoning runs through the entire meatball. Grated or very finely diced onion adds moisture and a savory depth that distributes evenly through the mixture. Salsa adds flavor, moisture, and a slight acidity. Some goes in the mix and more goes in the pan. Shredded Mexican cheese blend melts into the mixture and adds a creamy richness in every bite.
For the Pan
Olive oil for the base of the skillet and additional salsa spooned around the meatballs create a slightly saucy base that bastes the bottom of the meatballs as they cook.
How to Make Taco Meatballs
1
Make the Mixture
Add the ground beef or turkey, taco seasoning, egg, crushed Tostitos, grated onion, salsa, and shredded cheese to a large bowl. Mix with your hands or a fork until everything is just combined with no dry streaks of seasoning remaining. Do not overwork the mixture. Overworking develops the proteins in the meat and produces a dense, tough meatball. Mix only until everything is evenly incorporated and stop.
2
Roll the Meatballs
Portion the mixture into evenly sized balls roughly 1 1/2 inches in diameter. Rolling them evenly ensures they all cook at the same rate. Wet your hands slightly before rolling if the mixture is sticking to your palms.
3
Set Up the Pan
Place the meatballs in a single layer in a skillet or baking dish. Drizzle olive oil lightly over the bottom of the pan and spoon additional salsa over and around the meatballs. The salsa in the pan creates a slightly saucy base that bastes the bottom of the meatballs as they cook.
4
Cold Oven Bake
Place the skillet directly in the cold, unpreheated oven. Set the oven to 375Ā°F at the same time. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes until the meatballs are cooked through to an internal temperature of 165Ā°F for turkey or 160Ā°F for beef. The cold start allows the meatballs to come up to temperature gradually with the oven, producing an evenly cooked, juicy result.
Taco Meatballs (Easy 20-Minute Dinner)
Ingredients
- 1 lb ground beef or ground turkey
- 1 packet mild taco seasoning
- 1 egg
- 1 cup Tostitos crushed
- 1 tbsp onion grated or finely diced
- 2 tbsp salsa plus more for the pan
- 1/4 cup Mexican cheese blend shredded
- Olive oil for the pan
Instructions
- In a large bowl, combine the ground beef or turkey, taco seasoning, egg, crushed Tostitos, onion, salsa, and shredded cheese. Mix until just combined.
- Roll into evenly sized balls, about 1 1/2 inches each.
- Drizzle olive oil into a skillet or baking dish. Spoon additional salsa around the pan. Place the meatballs in a single layer.
- Place directly into a cold oven. Do not preheat. Set the oven to 375Ā°F and bake for 8 to 10 minutes until cooked through.
