These chicken enchilada meatballs have all the cheesy Tex-Mex flavors of my favorite enchiladas! I baked up these ground chicken meatballs with perfectly-seasoned breadcrumbs, then covered them with red enchilada sauce and lots of cheese. With 7 ingredients and 30 minutes, I might have just made the best meatballs for Mexican night!
I think my favorite Mexican dish has to be chicken enchiladas, so it only made sense that I throw together some tasty meatballs inspired by those delicious flavors. Baking chicken meatballs in my favorite enchilada sauce and cheese is so quick and easy to do, and they come out of the oven just perfect. I like serving them with rice and beans for a unique Mexican dinner, but they work just as well for game day appetizers.
What’s in this Enchiladas Meatballs recipe?
All you need to make this zesty recipe for enchilada meatballs is an egg, some ground chicken, breadcrumbs, a little onion and garlic, enchilada sauce, and shredded Monterey jack cheese.
- Ground Chicken: Chicken makes for an excellent healthy alternative to beef meatballs without sacrificing any flavor.
- Breadcrumbs: Creates a crispy exterior that enhances the overall taste of the dish. Feel free to use your favorite kind of breadcrumbs.
- Onion: Diced onion adds a lot of vibrant flavor and texture to get the most delicious chicken meatballs.
- Garlic: Minced garlic adds earthy, savory flavor to the meatballs.
- Egg: A necessary ingredient to bind the meatball mixture.
- Enchilada Sauce: Use any enchilada sauce you like–canned, jarred, and or homemade. I used a red enchilada sauce, but green sauce works if you want a different flavor. It can be as spicy or mild as you want.
- Cheese: Monterey jack cheese is a great melty cheese that pairs super well with this recipe.
Low Carb Enchilada Meatballs
If you want to make these chicken enchilada meatballs low-carb and keto-friendly, swap the breadcrumbs for ⅓ cup of freshly grated cheese. This will reduce the total carb count to about 5 grams! This ingredient swap will also make the meatballs gluten-free.
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How to Store and Reheat
Store chicken meatballs with enchilada sauce in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. Reheat in the microwave in 30-second increments until hot, or in a 350°F oven for about 10 minutes.
How to Freeze
Chicken enchilada meatballs can be frozen before or after baking:
- Freeze the uncooked ground chicken meatballs in a single layer on a lined baking sheet until solid, about 1-2 hours. Transfer to an airtight container or resealable bag to store for up to 3 months. Then let them thaw overnight in the refrigerator before baking according to the recipe instructions.
- Freeze fully baked meatballs in an airtight container or resealable bag for up to 2 months. Let them thaw overnight in the refrigerator before reheating.
Notes and Tips
One of the issues I sometimes run into when making these enchilada chicken meatballs is getting the meatball mixture to stick together. The egg and breadcrumbs are the major binding ingredients in this recipe. But if it’s not working, I add about 2 tablespoons of milk to help things stick.
If the mixture gets too warm, that can also cause problems, so keep your ground chicken in the fridge right until you’re ready to make the meatballs!
Chicken Enchilada Meatballs Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 pound ground chicken
- ⅓ cup breadcrumbs
- ¼ cup diced onion
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 large egg
- 10 ounces red enchilada sauce (1 can)
- 4 ounces Monterey jack cheese shredded
- chopped fresh cilantro optional, for garnish
Equipment
- 9×13 Baking Pan
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400°F. Spray a 9×13-inch baking pan with nonstick spray.
- Combine the chicken, breadcrumbs, onion, garlic, salt, pepper, and egg in a large bowl. Mix thoroughly.1 pound ground chicken, ⅓ cup breadcrumbs, ¼ cup diced onion, 2 cloves garlic, ½ teaspoon kosher salt, ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper, 1 large egg
- Portion the ground chicken mixture into 24 meatballs with a cookie scoop or your hands. Roll into balls using your hands.
- Bake the meatballs for 20 minutes.
- Remove the meatballs from the oven, top with sauce and cheese, then return to the oven for 5 minutes.10 ounces red enchilada sauce, 4 ounces Monterey jack cheese
- Garnish with chopped cilantro if desired.chopped fresh cilantro
Notes
- Use cold ingredients straight from the refrigerator. This will make the meatballs easier to roll.
- You can use beef or turkey instead of chicken.
- Read your enchilada sauce carefully! Some cans are mild, while others are spicy!
- You can use green enchilada sauce if you prefer.
- To make these meatballs low carb, swap the breadcrumbs for ⅓ cup of freshly grated cheese.
- To make these meatballs gluten-free, follow the low-carb instructions or swap the breadcrumbs for gluten-free breadcrumbs.
- I recommend using freshly-shredded cheese, as it melts better than pre-shredded.
- If you find that your meatballs are not sticking together after adding the breadcrumbs and eggs, you may need to add some liquid (I like to use about 2 tablespoons of milk) to help them stick together.
- Make sure to fold the meatball mixture together gently so as not to overwork the meat.
- Gently roll the meatballs into balls. Don’t over-compact them, or they could turn out tough.
- Chicken meatballs are fully cooked when they reach 165°F internally.
- Try these meatballs served with your favorite hot sauce or a dollop of sour cream!
How to Make Chicken Enchilada Meatballs Step by Step
Add Meatball Ingredients: Preheat your oven to 400°F; then spray a 9×13-inch baking pan with nonstick spray and set it aside. In a large bowl, combine 1 pound of ground chicken, ⅓ cup of breadcrumbs, ¼ cup of diced onion, 2 cloves of minced garlic, ½ teaspoon of kosher salt, ¼ teaspoon of ground black pepper, and 1 large egg.
Mix: Thoroughly mix the ground chicken mixture. If it gets too warm, I recommend setting the bowl in the fridge for 5-10 minutes before forming the meatballs.
Roll Meatballs and Bake: Portion the ground chicken mixture into 24 meatballs. Use a cookie scoop to portion them out, then simply roll the meat into balls between your hands. Next, bake the meatballs for 20 minutes, or until the interior reaches 160°F (they will continue cooking in the next steps).
Add Enchilada Sauce: Remove the baked chicken meatballs from the oven, then top with 10 ounces of enchilada sauce.
Add the Cheese and Bake: Top with 4 ounces of shredded Monterey jack cheese. Then return them to the oven for another 5 minutes, until the cheese fully melts and the internal temperature reaches 165°F.
Serve: Garnish chicken enchilada meatballs with chopped cilantro if desired. You can serve them with bowls of rice and beans, wrapped in tortillas, or individually as bite-sized appetizers.
That depends on the type of enchilada sauce you use! Red enchilada sauce can be mild or spicy, so check the can carefully and choose whichever spice level you prefer.
Absolutely! These meatballs are great made with 80% lean ground beef or ground turkey!
Yes! Egg is an essential binding ingredient in these meatballs. Without it, they will fall apart.
I like to divide the ground chicken mixture into 24 equal-sized meatballs. Each meatball is just about ⅔ of an ounce of meat. I like to use a 1-ounce cookie scoop to do this, but you can use your hands! The meatballs should be about the size of a US quarter.
You sure can! Either type of enchilada sauce works, and both are delicious!
Meatballs can become tough if not enough liquid was used, if the meatball mixture was overworked, or if the meatballs were rolled too tightly. Make sure your meatball mixture is properly wet. It should stick together with little effort. If not, add a bit of liquid. Make sure to fold the meatball mixture together gently so as not to overwork the meat. Finally, gently roll the meatballs into balls. Don’t over-compact them!
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