These Mexican Meatballs are taco spiced meatballs that are slow cooked in an easy enchilada sauce. Serve the over rice or tortilla chips or turn them into a Tex-Mex style hoagie sandwich!
Love meatballs? You should also check out these Teriyaki Meatballs or Sweet and Sour Meatballs.
We all know that our daily schedules can make dinner time pretty crazy. Sometimes there just isn’t time to make dinner. So what do you do?
I am pretty good about menu planning, and when I sit down to make my calendar, I make note of any nights that are going to be extra crazy. And those nights are normally dedicated to the slow cooker.
These Slow Cooker Mexican Meatballs are a perfect dinner idea for one of those busy nights. All the prep can be done a little earlier, then dinner is waiting for you after you get done running kids and getting everything checked off on the to-do list.
Ingredients
- Ground Beef & Sausage: I like to do a mixture of ground beef and sausage for extra flavor. But feel free to use all ground beef, if desired.
- Breadcrumbs: I used store bought breadcrumbs.
- Cheese: I had some Mexican blend cheese on hand it it worked great in these meatballs. But you could also use cheddar, Monterey Jack, pepper jack, or any easy melting cheese.
- Milk: The milk will just help to keep the meatballs moist.
- Eggs: The eggs act as a binder to keep the meatballs together.
- Seasoning: To season the meatballs, you will use taco seasoning and salt. For the sauce, you’ll also need chili powder.
- Tomatoes: I used canned, diced tomatoes.
- Enchilada Sauce: I usually go with a mild enchilada sauce, but if you like some heat, feel free to use hot!
- For Serving: I like to serve the meatballs over rice with cilantro and avocado. But like I mentioned above, they are great on hoagie rolls with some extra cheese as a Tex-Mex meatball sandwich!
How to Make Slow Cooker Mexican Meatballs
Start by prepping your meatballs. Combine the meats, breadcrumbs, cheese, milk, eggs, taco seasoning and salt. Form the mixture into meatballs and place on a baking sheet.
Once the meatballs have been formed, cook them under the broiler for about 8 minutes. You’ll want to turn them once or twice. You are not cooking the meatballs through – just browning them up on the outside. Place the meatballs in your slow cooker.
Combine the tomatoes, enchilada sauce, and chili powder, along with salt and pepper, and pour this over the meatballs
Cook this on low for about 4 hours, or until the meatballs are cooked through.
Serve as desired!
Tips and Tricks
One of my biggest hints when it comes to slow cooker meatballs (or most meat in the slow cooker, for that matter) is to sear them off first. I do this under the broiler in the oven. This helps the meatballs stay together and gives them an extra layer of flavor.
These meatballs are super flavorful. We love to eat them over rice, but they would be great over tortilla chips as well, or turn them into a Tex-Mex meatball sandwich.
You should get between 40-45 meatballs out of this recipe. If you don’t need as many, you can easily halve this recipe.
Make Ahead and Freezing Instructions
You can easily make these meatballs ahead of time, then put them in the slow cooker to cook when you are ready for them. They would be great to make the night before to save you some time.
You can also freeze the meatballs. I would suggest cooking them completely and then freezing the leftovers. You can reheat them in the slow cooker, or even in a pot on the stove.
More Slow Cooker Recipes
Crock Pot Chili
Asian Slow Cooker Pork Roast
Slow Cooker Cuban Ropa Vieja
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Slow Cooker Mexican Meatballs
Ingredients
- 2 lbs ground beef
- 1 lb mild sausage
- 1 1/4 cup breadcrumbs
- 1/2 cup shredded Mexican blend cheese
- 1/2 cup milk
- 4 eggs
- 3 tablespoons taco seasoning
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 2 (14.5 oz) cans diced tomatoes undrained
- 2 (10 oz) cans mild enchilada sauce
- 1 tablespoon chili powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon pepper
- cooked rice, sliced avocados, chopped cilantro, optional
Instructions
- Place the oven rack 4-5 inches from the broiler, then preheat the broiler to high. Spray 2 large baking sheets with nonstick cooking spray.
- In a large bowl, combine the ground beef, sausage, breadcrumbs, cheese, milk, eggs, taco seasoning and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Mix together until completely combined, but don’t over-mix.2 lbs ground beef, 1 lb mild sausage, 1 1/4 cup breadcrumbs, 1/2 cup shredded Mexican blend cheese, 1/2 cup milk, 4 eggs, 3 tablespoons taco seasoning, 1/4 teaspoon salt
- Either by hand, or using a small scoop, form the mixture into balls, using about 2 tablespoons of the mixture for each meatball. You should end up with 40-45 meatballs. Place on the prepared baking sheet.
- Bake the meatballs under the broiler until browned, flipping halfway through, about 8 minutes total. Transfer to a large slow cooker.
- In a bowl, combine the diced tomatoes, enchilada sauce, chili powder, salt and pepper. Pour over the meatballs.2 (14.5 oz) cans diced tomatoes, 2 (10 oz) cans mild enchilada sauce, 1 tablespoon chili powder, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/4 teaspoon pepper
- Cook on low until the meatballs are cooked through, about 4 hours.
- If desired, serve over rice, topped with avocados and cilantro.cooked rice, sliced avocados, chopped cilantro, optional
Nancy says
This is just what I needed! I like to use the crock pot at least once a week, and this was a great way to change up our normal recipe rotation.
Deborah says
Thanks, Nancy – I’m glad you enjoyed the recipe!
Katherine says
Yum! This was delicious
Supriya Kutty says
wow.. it looks too delicious.. So gonna try this