Chipotle Meatballs

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The secret to these delicious little meatballs, besides a healthy amount of our Chipotle Paste is the milk-soaked breadcrumbs. They give them a beautifully light and fluffy texture and once you’ve had one you won’t be able to stop…luckily this recipe makes quite a few!

We teamed up with our friends at Big Green Egg for this recipe, using their ceramic barbecue to grill these beauties to perfection. If you’re not barbecuing this could be done using a griddle pan or under the grill.

Once you’ve mastered the Mexican meatballs you should check out our post on different ways you can serve them.

Prep time

1 hour
Cook time

15 mins
Total time

1 hour 15 mins
Ideal for

Classic
Make it

Mexican
Serves

6+ people

This recipe uses

Chipotle Paste

Find us in the
Mexican Section

Ingredients

100g (3.oz) panko breadcrumbs or blitzed cream crackers
150ml (5fl oz) milk
1 onion, peeled
1 garlic clove, peeled
70g (2.oz) pancetta, diced
1 tsp dried oregano
2 tsp Gran Luchito Chipotle Paste
2 tbsp water
300g (10.oz) minced beef
200g (7oz) minced pork
1 handful of parsley leaves, finely chopped
salt and freshly ground black pepper
olive oil
pomegranate seeds
1 lime, cut into wedges
metal or water-soaked wooden skewers
Perfect Guacamole

How to make it

Mix the breadcrumbs with the milk and leave to soak.
Reduce the onion and garlic to a paste in a food processor.
Cook the pancetta in a pan over a medium heat for 10 minutes until crisp. Remove, chop really finely, then return to the pan over a low heat. Add the paste, the oregano and smoked chipotle chilli paste. Stir and cook for about 7–8 minutes.
Add the water, stir and continue to cook for 5–6 minutes until the water has evaporated. Leave to cool a little.
In a large bowl, combine the pancetta mixture with the soaked breadcrumbs, minced beef and pork, parsley and a good pinch of salt and pepper. Mix well (with your hands preferably) and form into small balls about 2.5cm (1in) in diameter. Put in the fridge for at least an hour.
Slide the balls onto the soaked wooden or metal skewers.
Brush each ball with a little olive oil before placing them onto a smoking-hot barbecue. Give them some colour over a high heat, then move to a cooler spot to cook through.
Remove from heat when slightly pink inside, wrap in foil and leave to rest. The residual heat should finish cooking them.
Serve with guacamole, pomegranate seeds and lime wedges.