Baked Cheesy Mexican Meatballs

Easy and cheesy, these Mexican Meatballs can be served as an appetizer or for dinner with your favorite side, like rice or even polenta. You can even try stuffing the meatballs with different cheeses. No matter how you serve them, they are always a favorite.

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Change up Taco Tuesday with taco meatballs. They won't disappoint because, honestly, anything stuffed with cheese is a winner.

Jump to:

• These cheesy meatballs are...
• Meatball Ingredients
• Hey, let's change things up
• How to Make Meatballs: Step-By-Step
• How to serve these stuffed meatballs
• Want To Store For Later, Here's How
• Meatball FAQ's
• Hungry for more delicious recipes? Try these
• Recipe

These cheesy meatballs are...

• Super quick to make; just mix in one bowl.
• A go-to family favorite when life gets busy and the family wants something yummy.
• Stuffed with cheese because cheese makes everything better.
• Oven baked in 30 minutes.
• Freezer friendly, so you can pull some out anytime.
• Serve as a Main Dish or Appetizer
• A favorite recipe for game day, I usually triple the recipe.

Meatball Ingredients

• Ground beef - An 80/20 or 90/10 ground meat works great as the fat helps to create juicy meatballs.
• Egg - the egg will bind all the ingredients together.
• Breadcrumbs - I used plain breadcrumbs or panko works too.
• Taco Seasoning - You can use homemade taco seasoning with your favorite Mexican spices or a packet of taco seasoning.
• Milk
• Cheese - You can use any type of cheese; I used Colby jack cheese.
• Cilantro - An optional garnish but super tasty for cilantro lovers.

Hey, let's change things up

• You could use ground turkey instead of beef. Or you could do half ground pork and half beef for a double meat mixture that will create a flavorful and juicy meatball.
• You can substitute the bread crumbs for saltine crackers by finely crushing them and placing them in the meatball mixture.
• Sprinkle with cotija cheese or another shredded cheese in the last 5 minutes of baking.
• If you have a lime, cut it open and drizzle the lime juice over the meatballs. I am a big fan of this since I love the flavor of lime.

How to Make Meatballs: Step-By-Step

This is a quick walkthrough on how to make this recipe. Full directions on how to make these meatballs are in the printable recipe card.

Step 1. Heat the oven to 400 degrees F.

Step 2. Cut the cheese into small cubes.

Optionally, you can use shredded cheese or presliced cheese and cut it into small slices.

Step 3. In a large bowl, add all the ingredients and mix well until combined.

Meatball tip #1: Don't overmix the meatball mixture or it will make them heavy and dense. Mix lightly, and don't press too hard when shaping into balls for moist meatballs.

Step 3. Using a tablespoon, scoop out two tablespoons and roll the mixture into a ball. You can also use a large cookie scoop.

Meatball tip #2 Another way to form the meatballs is to spread the hamburger mixture out on a piece of wax paper and form it into a square about 8" x 8" then cut it into twelve squares and make balls. I just kind of eyeballed this to make 12 balls of even size. If one is smaller than the other, just pinch off some hamburger from the larger ball and add the smaller ball to equal them out.

Step 4. Flatten the balls out like a hamburger patty.

Step 5. Place the cheese cube in the center of the meat, and then create a round ball covering the cheese with meat. Make sure the cheese isn't exposed, or it will melt out when baking.

Step 6. Place the cheese-stuffed meatballs in the baking sheet.

Step 7. Bake for 25-30 minutes.

One of my meatballs lost some of the cheese, so make sure to get that cheese stuffed inside.

When done, top with cilantro and serve.

How to serve these stuffed meatballs

• Heat some enchilada sauce and place the cooked meatballs in the sauce
• Serve over a bed of white rice, Mexican rice, or mashed potatoes and top with sour cream and Pickled Red Onion. This is a great dish for a hearty supper that has a ton of flavor.
• You can pair these meatballs with this Corn and Bean Soup with a spicy kick of flavor and a creamy broth. You can also bake a pan of our favorite Veggie Cornbread to serve with the meatballs.
• Serve as an appetizer with salsa for dipping, or top with this deliciously spiced pineapple habanero sauce for a kick of flavor.

Want To Store For Later, Here's How

Refrigerate - You can refrigerate the meatballs in an airtight container for up to three days in the fridge. Then, reheat the meatballs in the microwave, oven, or air fryer.

Freezing Raw Meatballs - You can prep your meatballs and freeze them raw. If you do place them in a freezer-friendly container using wax paper between layers if you stack them. Then place the uncooked meatballs on the prepared baking dish and bake the same way in the oven just add time for the meatballs to cook fully.

Freeze Cooked Meatballs - Go ahead and freeze any meatballs you don't plan to eat right away. Just place them in a freezer-safe container or zip-top bag. Freeze for 4-6 months. Then, you can thaw in the fridge or reheat them straight from frozen. This is a great make-ahead meal to reheat and serve for an easy dinner.

Meatball FAQ's

Just in case you are looking for more meatball recipes, you gotta try this dump and bake Meatball and Pasta Casserole, or this 4-Cheese Meatball Casserole. Who said meatballs have to go with spaghetti? Or these Buffalo Chicken Meatballs that can be an appetizer or main dish.

Hungry for more delicious recipes? Try these

Recipe

First published: Dec. 5, 2022, Last updated: April 10, 2024 for better readability.

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About Jere'                             

From learning to cook on a farm in Indiana to culinary school in California, my passion for food is never-ending.  Turning on my oven to bake something for friends and family is my happy place, and I am glad to be here at One Hot Oven sharing sweet and savory family-friendly recipes for your cooking and baking inspiration.