Baked Enchilada Meatballs are tender, juicy, loaded with fiesta flavor, smothered in enchilada sauce and cheese!
These Enchilada Meatballs are truly something special – guaranteed to become a new favorite dinner with the entire family! The meatballs are laced with cilantro, green onions, chili and cumin, baked to succulent perfection then smothered with the BEST rich, bold, smoky homemade enchilada sauce, topped with melty cheese, then loaded with your favorite toppings such as sour cream, guacamole and pico de gallo. Keep the Enchilada Meatballs low-carb or serve them over Cilantro Lime Rice along with Mexican Street Corn Salad and Pina Colada Fruit Salad for the ultimate feast! You can make the baked meatball recipe completely from scratch, or swap in store-bought meatballs or enchilada sauce for those need-it-now dinner wins. All shortcuts and recipe variations included!
Meatballs have my heart. Tender, juicy flavor bombs that are oh so satisfying. If you’re looking to mix up your meatball routine, don’t miss these favorites: Honey Buffalo Meatballs, Korean Meatballs, Cranberry Meatballs, Cocktail Meatballs, Greek Meatballs, Turkey Meatballs or Teriyaki Meatballs.
HOW TO MAKE Baked Enchilada MEatballs VIDEo
Baked Meatball Recipe
In this family favorite recipe, baked meatballs are transformed into Mexican-inspired comfort food. It’s impossible not to inhale them! Here’s why you’ll love this Baked Enchilada Meatball recipe:
The juicy meatballs: Store-bought meatballs can’t hold a candle to these succulent, juicy, herbaceous, chili, cumin, paprika spiced homemade meatballs.
The homemade enchilada sauce with TONS of rave reviews: It’s rich, bold, smoky, smooth, made with pantry friendly ingredients in less than 15 minutes!
It’s easy without any babysitting: Baking the meatballs in the oven makes for super easy prep and even, hands-off cooking. While they’re in the oven, you’ll whip up the quick enchilada sauce.
Shortcuts available! While this recipe is a showstopper with the from-scratch meatballs and enchilada sauce, you can use store-bought when needed, so all you have to do is dump all the ingredients together and bake.
100% make ahead friendly: Completely assemble the Enchilada Meatballs, then just pop the skillet in the oven at dinner time! You can also freeze the meatballs and sauce months ahead of time.
- spectacular, multi-dimensional, rich and smoky
- spiked with a pinch of cinnamon, cocoa powder and sugar (to mimic Mexican chocolate) for true authentic flavor with a hint of warm, sweet, spicy mole complexity
- completely accessible by using pantry friendly ingredients instead of dried chilies
- made in 15 minutes!
What Readers Area Saying about the Enchilada Sauce:
“This enchilada sauce recipe knocks of out of the park! This is now my go-to enchilada sauce. It is replacing my old recipe which came out of an authentic Mexican cookbook given as a gift from a Mexican friend. This is far richer with layered more complicated yet very pleasing spices. Don’t skip the cocoa powder or cinnamon.”
“This sauce is wonderful! I just wanted to pour it in a cup and drink it! I’ve made homemade enchilada sauce from dried chilis before and this sauce is just as good and easier…”
“This sauce has changed my life! Seriously the best red enchilada sauce I’ve ever had…. Thank you so much for this wonderful recipe that I will be making for the rest of my life now 🙂”
Ingredients in Enchilada Meatballs
Here’s a quick overview of the ingredients needed to make Enchilada Meatballs from scratch, but keep in mind you can use store-bought enchilada sauce if you’re in a hurry. (Full recipe in the printable recipe card at the bottom of the post):
For the Meatballs:
For the Enchilada Sauce
For the Toppings:
Ingredient Substitutions
How to Make Them Gluten Free
As written, this Baked Enchilada Meatball recipe is not gluten free. To make them gluten free, use gluten free panko or your favorite gluten free salty cracker in place of the Ritz/saltines and gluten free flour in the enchilada sauce.
How to Make Baked Enchilada Meatballs
Baked Enchilada Meatballs are incredibly easy to prepare. If you use a cookie dough scoop to shape the meatballs, the process goes by in a flash! While the meatballs bake, the enchilada sauce gets whisked together and then all that’s left to do is combine the two. Exact instructions are provided in the printable recipe card at the end of this post, but here’s an overview of the cooking process:
Step 1: Make the meatball mixture. Whisk together all of the meatball ingredients in a large bowl, except the ground beef. Add the beef last and mix with your hands just to combine.
Step 2: Shape the meatballs. Scoop the meat mixture using a 1-tablespoon cookie dough scoop, then gently roll them a couple times in between the palms of your hands to shape into balls.
Step 3: Bake the meatballs. Bake the meatballs at 400 degrees F for 12 minutes. The meatballs will NOT be fully cooked through at this point, and will finish cooking with the enchilada sauce.
Step 4: Make the enchilada sauce. While the meatballs are baking, make the enchilada sauce. Melt the butter in oil in a cast iron skillet, braiser (this is the exact one I use) or large oven-safe skillet. Whisk in the flour and seasonings and cook for 2 minutes, followed by the tomato paste, then gradually whisk in the chicken broth. Continue to whisk until smooth and the lumps are dissolved. Whisk in the cocoa powder, sugar and cinnamon and bring to a simmer to thicken for about 5 minutes.
Step 5: Melt the cheese. Carefully transfer the baked meatballs to the enchilada sauce and turn to coat in the sauce. Top the meatballs with the cheese and place the pan in the oven until the meatballs are cooked to 160ºF.
Step 6: Add toppings and serve! Remove the skillet from the oven and top the meatballs with your favorite enchilada toppings.
HOW DO I KNOW WHEN MY baked MEATBALLS ARE DONE?
Ground beef meatballs are cooked through and safe to eat when they reach an internal temperature of 160 degrees F. To reach this temperature without overcooking the meatballs, cook them to an internal temperature of 155 degrees F, then let them rest for 5 minutes to allow for a 5-degree carryover to reach 160 degrees F.
The most accurate way to check the internal temperature of your baked meatballs is with an instant read thermometer inserted into the middle. These thermometers eliminate all of the guesswork without having to break open a meatball! This digital probe thermometer is my favorite!
- Start with cold ingredient: use cold eggs, cold milk and add cold beef straight from the fridge. This will make the meatballs much easier to roll.
- If the meatballs are dry: add a splash of milk to the meatball mixture. The meatball mixture should be moist but hold its shape.
- Don’t overmix the meatball ingredients: overmixing results in tougher Enchilada Meatballs.
- Make uniform meatballs: use a cookie scoop to form your meatballs so they are all the same size and will cook evenly. This also makes forming the meatballs quick and easy. If you do not have a scoop, use a measuring spoon to make them roughly the same size.
- Don’t roll the meatballs too tightly: roll the meatballs as loosely as you can without falling apart. The looser the meatballs, the more tender.
- Non-stick trick: if the meatballs are sticking to your hands (it’s a good thing, means they are extra moist), lightly grease your hands with cooking spray or cold water.
- Don’t overcook: overcooked meatballs are dry meatballs. Cook just to an internal temperature of 160 degrees F. The easiest way to tell when they’re done is by using an instant read thermometer.
- Cook the flour when making the enchilada sauce: cook the flour for a full two minutes before adding the tomato paste. We don’t want any raw flour taste to ruin our enchilada sauce!
- Add the chicken broth over low heat: this prevents the broth from bubbling and spattering, but most importantly, it really gives you time to whisk the flour and broth together before heat is introduced which makes getting rid of lumps 10X harder.
- Simmer the enchilada sauce to your desired consistency: this can be different for every individual, but make sure it is at least thick enough to coat the back of a spoon.
meal prep
You can prepare parts of the Enchilada Meatball recipe in advance, or you can make the entire recipe as written to reheat and enjoy later. Here’s the breakdown:
Make Meatballs: roll the meatballs up to 24 hours ahead of time, cover with plastic wrap, refrigerate, then bake when ready. You can also go one step further and bake the meatballs, cool, then either store in an airtight container or store in the skillet with the enchilada sauce.
Enchilada sauce: prepare the sauce up to 7 days in advance and store in the fridge until ready to use or freeze for up to three months, then thaw when needed.
Fully assembled: prepare and bake the meatballs as written, transfer to the skillet with the enchilada sauce and top with cheese, cover and refrigerate. When you’re ready to enjoy, pop the skillet in the oven until warmed through.
HOW TO STORE
Let the pan cool completely, cover and store in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
HOW TO REHEAT
-Microwave: Transfer servings to a microwave safe plate (I add mine over rice) and microwave for 30-second increments until warmed through.
-Stove: Transfer the pan to the stove, cover and heat until warmed through, stirring occasionally.
-Oven: Transfer the oven-safe skillet to the oven and heat at 350ºF for about 10 minutes, or until warmed through. You can also top with additional cheese before reheating – yum!
HOW TO Freeze
You can freeze the Enchilada Meatballs before or after baking them in the sauce.
TO FREEZE RAW MEATBALLS:
1. Arrange meatballs on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet so they aren’t touching.
2. Place the entire baking tray with the meatballs in the freezer. If your freezer can’t accommodate your baking tray, then use a small tray and freeze in batches. Freeze for 1-2 hours, until solid.
3. Transfer meatballs to a freezer-safe bag or container and squeeze out excess air to prevent freezer burn.
4. Label meatballs and store in the freezer for 3-4 months.
5. When ready to enjoy, thaw the meatballs in the refrigerator overnight then continue to bake per recipe instructions.
TO FREEZE BAKED MEATBALLS
1. Transfer meatballs and enchilada sauce to a freezer safe container (preferable without the cheese).
3. Label and store in the freezer for 2-3 months.
4. When ready to use, let meatballs thaw overnight in the refrigerator. Transfer to an oven safe pan, top with cheese, then bake per instructions.
Additional baked meatball FAQs
Meatballs require both eggs and crushed crackers to bind the ingredients together. If you don’t have enough of either ingredient compared to the ratio of meat and liquid, the meatballs can fall apart. My general rule of thumb for no-fail enchilada meatballs is 1 large egg + ½ cup crushed crackers + 2 tablespoons milk/or other liquid per 1 pound of ground meat. Works like a charm every time! If your meatballs are too loose to roll, then try adding more crushed crackers.
Contrary to popular belief, eggs do not add moisture to meatballs. Instead, their role is to help bind the ground meat, crackers, and herbs together. As the meatballs cook, the eggs cook which helps all the ingredients stick together instead of crumble apart. Typically, you don’t want more than 1 egg per pound of meat, otherwise the meatballs can be dense instead of soft.
Meatballs can be tough and dense instead of light and juicy because of three reasons:
1. too little liquid
2. overworking the meatball mixture
3. over-rolling/compacting the meatballs
To prevent tough meatballs, add all of the meatball ingredients to the bowl except the ground meat, stir to combine and then mix the ground meat in with your hands. This method allows you to handle the meat as little as possible. You don’t want to over-mix the meat into a paste, instead, pieces of ground meat should still be visible. Also, take care when rolling the meatballs to use a light touch by not squeezing them too much or rolling them too much. Leave them airy instead of compact.
Cook them within 24 hours for optimal freshness and juiciness. Make sure to bring them to room temperature by sitting on the counter for 30 minutes before baking. Cooked meatballs are good for up to five days stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
When deciding how large to make your meatballs, take into consideration how you will be serving them and that, in general, larger meatballs are juicier. For baked skillet meatballs, like in this recipe, about 1 tablespoon inches in diameter is appropriate so they are bite size but still juicy.
WANT TO TRY THIS RECIPE?
PIN IT TO YOUR Dinner, MExican or Meatball recipe BOARD TO SAVE FOR LATER!
FIND ME ON PINTEREST FOR MORE GREAT RECIPES! I AM ALWAYS PINNING :)!
©Carlsbad Cravings by CarlsbadCravings.com
Baked Enchilada Meatballs
Save This Recipe To Your Recipe Box
You can now create an account on our site and save your favorite recipes all in one place!
Ingredients
MEATBALLS
- 1 egg
- 11 Ritz or saltine crackers, crushed (may sub scant ½ cup panko with pinch of salt)
- 3 tablespoons minced green onions
- 3 tablespoons minced fresh cilantro
- 2 tablespoons milk
- 1 1/2 teaspoons chili powder
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 tsp EACH ground cumin, smoked paprika, dried oregano, salt, pepper
- 1 pound lean ground beef
ENCHILADA SAUCE (May sub 2 cups store-bought)
- 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 3 tablespoons chili powder
- 1 tsp EACH ground cumin, garlic powder, onion powder, ground coriander
- 1/2 tsp EACH smoked paprika, salt, dried oregano
- 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper (optional for spicier)
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter (may sub oil)
- 2 tablespoons canola oil or other neutral oil
- 1/4 cup tomato paste
- 3 cups reduced sodium chicken broth
- 1 teaspoon unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- pinch of cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
Toppings (Pick your favs!)
- 3/4 cup combo of shredded cheddar and Monterrey cheese (or all cheddar)
- Cilantro
- Jalapenos
- Tomatoes
- Olives
- Sour cream
- Guacamole
- Lime wedges
Instructions
Make the Meatballs
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with foil (optional for easy cleanup) and top with an oven safe baking rack. Spray the rack lightly with cooking spray; set aside.
- Whisk all of the meatball ingredients together EXCEPT the beef in a large bowl. Add the beef and mix with your hands just to combine (don’t over-mix or your meatballs will be tough).
- Scoop the meat mixture using a 1 tablespoon cookie dough scoop (or a heaping 1 tablespoon), then gently roll them into balls, but don't compact too much or the meatballs will be dense. Place the meatballs onto the prepared baking sheet without touching, you should have about 30.
- Transfer the baking sheet to the oven and bake at 400 degrees F for 12 minutes (they won’t be quite done at this point). Meanwhile…
Make the Enchilada Sauce
- Whisk the flour and all seasoning together in a small bowl (chili powder through optional cayenne pepper); set aside.
- Melt the butter in the oil in a large braiser, cast iron skillet or oven safe skillet over medium heat. Whisk in the flour mixture and cook, while whisking, for 2 minutes. Whisk in the tomato paste until completely combined and continue to cook for 1 minute.
- Reduce the heat to low. Gradually whisk in the chicken broth. Continue to whisk until smooth and the lumps are dissolved. Whisk in cocoa powder, sugar and cinnamon.
- Bring the sauce to a simmer, whisking often, until it thickens to your desired consistency, about 5-7 minutes. Keep in mind the sauce will thicken a little when baked. Remove from heat and stir in the apple cider vinegar.
Combine and Bake
- Transfer the seared meatballs to the enchilada sauce and turn to coat. Spread into an even layer then top with the cheese. Bake for 8-12 minutes more or until the meatballs are cooked to an internal tempreature of 160 degrees F on an instant read thermometer and the cheese is melted.
- Delicious served over plain rice, cilantro lime rice or cauliflower rice along with desired toppings.
Video
Notes
- Enchilada Sauce: If you don’t have all the ingredients, you’re welcome to use store-bought enchilada sauce, but at some point, please try it with the sensational homemade sauce! It only takes 15 minutes to make, is rich and smoky spiked with a pinch of cinnamon, cocoa powder and sugar (to mimic Mexican chocolate) for true authentic flavor with a hint of warm, sweet, spicy mole complexity.
- Frozen meatballs: These Enchilada Meatballs are infused with cilantro, green onions, garlic, chili powder, cumin, smoked paprika, etc. which is part of what makes them Enchilada However, sometimes you just don’t have time to make meatballs from scratch – so break out those frozen meatballs! To use, cook the meatballs according to package directions until completely warmed through. Transfer to the skillet with the enchilada sauce, add the cheese and bake until the cheese is melted.
- Ground chicken or turkey: Ground poultry contains less fat than ground beef, so you may want to add a little oil to the meatball mixture or swap the milk for sour cream or plain Greek yogurt. I also recommend adding 2 teaspoons granulated beef bouillon, better than bouillon or 2 cubes, crushed to infuse the meatballs with bold beefy flavor. Reduce the salt in the meatballs if using bouillon.
Meal Prep
You can prepare parts of the Enchilada Meatball recipe in advance, or you can make the entire recipe as written to reheat and enjoy later. Here’s the breakdown:- Make Meatballs: roll the meatballs up to 24 hours ahead of time, cover with plastic wrap, refrigerate, then bake when ready. You can also go one step further and bake the meatballs, cool, then either store in an airtight container or store in the skillet with the enchilada sauce.
- Enchilada sauce: prepare the sauce up to 7 days in advance and store in the fridge until ready to use or freeze for up to three months, then thaw when needed.
- Fully assembled: prepare and bake the meatballs as written, transfer to the skillet with the enchilada sauce and top with cheese, cover and refrigerate. When you’re ready to enjoy, pop the skillet in the oven until warmed through.
How to Store and Reheat
- Storage: Let the pan cool completely, cover and store in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
- To freeze: Transfer meatballs and enchilada sauce to a freezer safe container (preferable without the cheese). Label and store in the freezer for 2-3 months. When ready to use, let meatballs thaw overnight in the refrigerator. Transfer to an oven safe pan, top with cheese, then bake per instructions.
- To reheat: Microwave servings at 30-second increments until warmed through, on the stove, stirring occasionally or transfer the oven-safe skillet to the oven and heat at 350ºF for about 10 minutes, or until warmed through. You can also top with additional cheese before reheating – yum!
Want To Make This Recipe?
Did You Make This Recipe?
Tag @CarlsbadCravings and Use #CarlsbadCravngs
Leave a Review, I Always Love Hearing From You!
Lynn says
Hi Jen, this recipe couldn’t have come at a better time! Hubby & I are helping our son, daughter-in-law and grandson move to a new home. I always take frozen prepared meals down with us when we visit with them. This will be absolutely perfect because we all love Tex Mex food! Thanks so much for sharing this recipe! I know it will be another winner from your fabulous repertoire!
Jen says
Thank you so much for taking the time to comment Lynn! That is so thoughtful of you to take prepared frozen meals to your son/daughter-in law – I’m sure that is SO appreciated. I’m excited for you/them to try this recipe!
Teena says
This was amazing! Was looking for something different for taco Tuesday and this was a hit! Will definitely make the enchilada sauce and double it to freeze for other recipes. I will never buy store bought again. I also made your cilantro lime rice….all I can say is amazing! Hubby can’t stop eating it lol. Thank you for amazing recipes I can’t wait to try some of your others.
Jen says
Thank you so much Teena! I’m thrilled you loved the enchilada sauce so much – it really is a game changer! I hope you enjoy exploring my site and hopefully discover many new favorites!
Mary says
Hi Jen! What a great recipe! I love meatballs!!! I made your recipe exactly as you wrote it. It was delicious. I served it on rice as recommended but also added the option of putting it on a salad (even with your enchilada sauce as the dressing). On the side, I also had diced green onions, diced jalapenos, sliced black olives, diced green chilies, diced avocado, diced tomato, shredded cheese, sour cream, lime wedges. It was a huge hit whether it was on rice or the salad and everyone could customize their plate as they desired. The meatballs were so tender, and the enchilada sauce was wonderful. The next time I make it, I will double the recipe as it went fast! I think I may just make the meatballs in the future, cook them and freeze them to have on hand. I never would have thought to make a Mexican meatball……you are a GENIOUS…!!!
Jen says
Thank you so much for your kind comment Mary, I’m so happy this recipe was a huge hit! I love your idea of adding the meatballs to a salad – I never would have thought of that – sounds delicious! I’m sure many readers will love your idea as well!
Paddy says
JEN!!!!!
This is sooooo good!!!! Thank you again for all you do!!!! I no you don’t no it, but you are a regular in our home! Everyone knows you i will be makeing this meal over and over!!!!
Jen says
YAY! Thanks so much Paddy, I’m so pleased this recipe is a new repeat favorite! Thank you for making my recipes and always bringing a smile to my face!
Tammy says
What kind of rice do you use?
Jen says
I used basmati 😉
Daryl says
I made the enchilada meatballs and I will “write home” about how delicious the dish is! Thanks for sharing your cooking expertise & recipes.
I’ll be back searching for more dishes.
Jen says
That is awesome, thank you so much Daryl!
Susan says
I made sure I had everything, all lined up on the counter. Followed the recipe to the letter. Fantastic! Don’t change anything! My husband came in from outside just as I was putting the meatballs in the sauce “whoa, that smells awesome!”
Thank you for yet again a total score recipe!
Jen says
You are so welcome Susan, thank you for making it and taking the time to comment! I’m so pleased it was a hit!
Karrie says
This is such a great recipe, we’ve already made it two weekends in a row! We have an egg allergy in our family and used an egg replacer and they still turned out wonderful. Thanks for another winning recipe!
Jen says
I love hearing that Karrie and I’m so pleased they work well with the egg substitute!
Angela says
You had me up to the cocoa powder and cinnamon. My husband and father-in-law are pretty conservative as to what they will eat. Does the cocoa flavor come out. I just can’t imagine it. I make everything from scratch due to many food allergies in our home, but never saw one like this. I’m open to new foods and tastes, but I don’t’ want to go through all the work and they curl up their noses…lol.
Jen says
Hi Angela, it gives it a slight mole flair which we all love. You can read the reviews of the enchilada sauce used in this recipe here: https://carlsbadcravings.com/enchilada-sauce/
Kitty says
I do not normally cook Mexican food. I made this for a Cinco De Mayo Potluck at work and got rave reviews!!!
Jen says
Thank you so much, Kitty! I am so pleased this was such a hit with everyone at work – Yay!
Jamie Kelly says
We tried this tonight and were blown away with how fantastic they were. Thank you for a new family favorite!
Jen says
Yay! So happy to hear this is a new family favorite! Thanks so much, Jamie!
Lynn says
Another winning recipe, Jen! These meatballs are soooo flavourful and moist and the enchilada sauce is perfect. I served this dish with Mexican Rice and it was a meal that hubby still raves about!
Jen says
Yay! I am so glad it was a winner!!