Cheese-Stuffed Taco Meatballs (Oh Yes We Did)

I could eat tacos every night of the week and never get bored. My family, on the other hand, likes a little bit of variety in their meals. So, I’ve been looking for ways to put taco twists on our favorite foods so everybody stays happy. My latest creation combines tacos and another fan-favorite: meatballs!

Seasoned with Old El Paso taco seasoning, these meatballs have plenty of Mexican flair and, to make them even tastier, they’re stuffed with sharp cheddar cheese. Plus, they’re really easy to make. You only need 5 ingredients, and they bake up quick (just 15 minutes in the oven). Simple, cheesy and delicious—let’s learn how to make these already, shall we?

For this recipe you’ll need a pound of ground beef, a packet of Old El Paso taco seasoning, Progresso plain bread crumbs, an egg and some cubes of sharp cheddar cheese. If you want to add an extra kick, you can swap pepper jack for the cheddar.

First, preheat the oven to 400°F and line a cookie sheet with parchment paper. Then, add the ground beef, taco seasoning, bread crumbs and egg to a large mixing bowl. Work the mixture together with your hands until it’s all combined.

To make each meatball, grab a golf ball-sized amount of the beef mixture and flatten it into a patty. Once flat, place a cube of cheese right in the center. Bring the edges up around the cheese and roll to shape into a uniform ball. Make sure the entire piece of cheese is covered.

One of the nice things about this recipe is you can skip cooking on the stove—these meatballs bake up perfectly in the oven. Place them on the parchment-lined baking sheet and bake for 15 minutes. It’s okay if a bit of cheese is oozing out of the meatballs when you pull them from the oven. It just makes them look even more delicious!

To serve as an appetizer, pop a toothpick in the meatballs and set out some salsa and sour cream for dunking. Grab one for yourself quick! They will disappear fast.

Alternatively, you can turn these into a main course by serving them in Old El Paso taco boats. I used the mini boats here, but you could use the regular-sized boats for a heartier meal option, too. I like to sprinkle some shredded lettuce on the bottom of the taco boat, add one cheesy meatball, drop in a few pieces of diced tomato and then drizzle with my favorite taco sauce. Feel free to try other taco toppings, too! No matter how you serve this recipe, it’ll be a big hit—promise!