This Enchilada Meatball Bake encompasses everything you know and love about enchiladas. These enchilada meatballs are made with pork and beef, baked to perfection in an enchilada sauce and smothered with cheese.
Meatballs are such a versatile little treat, I mean if you don’t believe me just check out some of the different things I’ve done with them in my kitchen! Today I’m introducing some sizzling jalapeno, a rich vibrant enchilada sauce, and a meatball made using a combination of pork and beef. It’s all topped off with even more sauce and ooey gooey melted cheese.
Do you guys love meatballs as much as I do? Well if that answer is anything other than yes then just wait till you try this recipe, you’ll be converted. All that rich sauce makes it feel as if you’re truly biting into an enchilada with perfectly melted cheese and perfectly moist meatballs. This recipe is by no means authentic, but it sure is drool worthy.
Ingredients
Detailed measurements and instructions can be found on the printable recipe card at the bottom of the page.
Meatballs
- Beef & pork – We’re using a combination of these 2 meats today to ensure a juicy flavorful meatball.
- Enchilada sauce – We’re using store bought today, you can find it in the international aisle of your grocery store or you can follow the link in the section above to make your own.
- Jalapeno – This is a must in my opinion, but if you’d rather not eat anything too spicy feel free to omit it.
- Garlic – Use as much or little as you like.
- Herbs – Fresh oregano and cilantro chopped up fine.
- Onion – We’re just using chopped green onion for a nice sweet mellow onion flavor today.
- Breadcrumbs – I used store bought panko breadcrumbs today. It’ll absorb tons of flavor and is the best option if you’re not using fresh crumbs.
- Seasoning – Salt and pepper to taste.
Bake
- Enchilada sauce – We’re using another entire can for our bake.
- Cheese – Monterey Jack shredded fresh.
Additional Toppings
- Veggies РAvocado, tomatoes, more jalape̱os.
- Herbs – Cilantro and green onion.
- Condiments – Salsa and sour cream.
How To Make Enchilada Meatball Bake
- Preheat your oven: Preheat your oven to 400 F degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper; set aside.
- Form the meatballs: In a large bowl add all the meatball ingredients and mix well using your clean hands. Shape the meat mixture into balls around the size of a golf ball. You should get around 30 meatballs.
- Bake the meatballs: Place the meatballs onto the prepared baking sheet and bake for 30 minutes until golden brown. In a large skillet or a casserole dish, pour the enchilada sauce over the entire bottom. Sprinkle with about half of the cheese. Place the meatballs over the sauce then top with the remaining cheese. Bake the casserole for another 20 minutes until the cheese melts and starts to brown on top.
- Garnish and Serve: Sprinkle with the optional toppings, if preferred.
Frying Meatballs
Alternatively you can fry these meatballs in a large skillet until brown all over. Do not remove them from the skillet, simply pour the sauce over them then top with cheese, then place in the oven and bake for 20 minutes as specified. This will turn this recipe into a one pot dish.
If you choose to fry these meatballs you will want to place them formed and raw in the fridge for 1 hour before frying, this will ensure they retain their shape while cooking.
Storing Leftovers
In an airtight container these meatballs will keep for up to 3 – 4 days in the fridge. To freeze, just spread the cooked meatballs separately on a baking sheet and place in the freezer till they’re just frozen. Remove them and place in a freezer bag or other airtight container and place back in the freezer for up to 3 months.
When ready to eat allow these meatballs to thaw overnight in the fridge and pop them in your rolls and follow the instructions above to finish the dish.
More Delicious Meatball Recipes To Try:
- Chimichurri Meatballs
- Greek Meatballs
- Sweet and Spicy Korean Meatballs
- Dutch Meatballs
- Stout Meatballs with BBQ Sauce
- Porcupine Meatballs
- Firecracker Meatballs
- Meatball Parmesan
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Enchilada Meatball Bake
Ingredients
For Meatballs
- 3/4 pound ground pork
- 3/4 pound ground beef
- 10 ounce enchilada sauce (10 oz can)
- 1 jalapeno chopped
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1/2 cup cilantro fresh, chopped
- 1 tablespoon oregano fresh, chopped (dried oregano can be used as well)
- 5 green onions chopped
- 1 cup breadcrumbs (I used Panko)
- salt and pepper to taste
For the Bake
- 10 ounce enchilada sauce (10 oz can)
- 1 1/2 cups Monterey Jack cheese shredded
Optional Toppings
- cilantro
- green onions
- jalapenos
- tomatoes
- avocados
- salsa
- sour cream
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 400 F degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper; set aside.
- In a large bowl add all the meatball ingredients and mix well using your clean hands. Shape the meat mixture into balls around the size of a golf ball. You should get around 30 meatballs.
- Place the meatballs onto the prepared baking sheet and bake for 30 minutes until golden brown.
- In a large skillet or a casserole dish, pour the enchilada sauce over the entire bottom. Sprinkle with about half of the cheese. Place the meatballs over the sauce then top with the remaining cheese.
- Bake the casserole for another 20 minutes until the cheese melts and starts to brown on top.
- Sprinkle with the optional toppings, if preferred.
This recipe is very good! I used frozen meatballs and served it over creamy grits. My husband really liked it.
I’ve made this recipe for a charity pot luck and the dish was gone in minutes and had multiple people asking for the recipe. I’ve also made it numerous times for family and they love them. I usually will make a big batch so I have leftovers for a few days and freeze the remainder. I also find with most recipes I make little tweaks or modify slightly but this recipe really hits the nail on the head. I’ve never made any substitutions. I always serve with the suggested black bean & corn salad (recipe listed above) and it truly is a winning combo! Thanks for this recipe 🙂
I have a question, why no egg in this meatball recipe
The breadcrumbs mixed with fattier ground pork work really well as a binder.
Very delicious. The meatballs are juicy and full of flavour. I made 1.5 portions for family and we ate them all. Keeping this as my easy weekend recipe, yeay.!!!