Baked Mexican Meatballs and Rice

Introduce some Mexican flavours to the family with this one dish Baked Meatballs and Rice. Such an easy meal to prepare!

I was so excited with how delicious this easy recipe for baked Mexican meatballs and rice turned out. It is a simple throw everything in the dish and then bake meal. Served with fresh tomatoes, avocado and sour cream. 

HOW TO MAKE MY BAKED MEXICAN MEATBALLS AND RICE:

In a large ovenproof proof dish, mix together stock, tomatoes and spices, add the corn and rice then stir again.  Place the meatballs into the dish one by one, spacing them evenly then cover with a lid or tinfoil.  Bake in the pre-heated oven for one hour or until the rice is cooked through. 

Scatter over the grated mozzarella and bake for another 10 to 15 minutes on fan grill until the cheese is golden and bubbling.  In this recipe I have used a small amount of cayenne pepper but you can leave it out if you want your dish to be mild and more kid friendly. 

To make this meal quick to prepare I have used pre-made meatballs from the supermarket. Any kind of meat would work; beef, pork or even chicken. If you want to make your own at home you can use my recipe for Pork Meatballs.

I baked my meatballs in this beautiful Le Creuset dish that comes with a lid. If you don't have a baking dish with a lid, simply cover tightly with foil until the rice is cooked through. 

I like to scatter mozzarella over the top to get some lovely stretchy cheese, but any grated cheese would work well. Serve your baked Mexican meatballs in bowls topped with sour cream, avocado, tomato and spring onion. This is the perfect meal to feed a crowd. 

Do you love Mexican food? Check out my super easy recipes for BBQ Steak Fajitas, Multi Cooker Mexican Chicken and Rice and Chicken Burrito Bowls.

Common questions about Baked Mexican Meatballs and Rice:

Can I make my own meatballs instead? Sure thing. Feel free to roll up your own meatballs using ground mince. I have a great recipe for Pork Meatballs on my website.

Could I use fresh corn in this recipe? Yes you can! Cook the corn as you normally would, then slice it from the cob and add it in with the rice, making sure you break up any clumps.

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Baked Mexican Meatballs and Rice

Yield: 6 serves

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 1 hour 10 minutes

Total Time: 1 hour 20 minutes

Tasty meatballs and rice baked in the oven in one dish.

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Ingredients

• 1 cup vegetable stock
• 1 can (400g) crushed tomatoes
• ¼ tsp cayenne pepper (optional)
• 1 tsp paprika
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 1 can (400g) corn kernels, drained
• 1 cup long grain white rice
• 20 meatballs (400g)
• 1 cup grated mozzarella

To serve

• 1 tub sour cream (125g)
• 1 avocado, diced
• 2 tomatoes, diced
• 1 spring onion, finely sliced

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 190°C fan bake. 
2. In a large ovenproof proof dish, mix together stock, tomatoes and spices.
3. Add the corn and rice then stir again. 
4. Place the meatballs into the dish then cover with a lid or tinfoil.
5. Bake for one hour or until the rice is cooked through.
6. Scatter over grated mozzarella and bake for another 10 to 15 minutes on fan grill until the cheese is golden and bubbling.
7. Serve in bowls with sour cream, avocado, tomato and spring onion.

Notes

• You can use either premade or homemade meatballs for this recipe.

Nutrition Information:

Yield: 6 Serving Size: 1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 436Total Fat: 31gSaturated Fat: 11gTrans Fat: 1gUnsaturated Fat: 17gCholesterol: 78mgSodium: 1253mgCarbohydrates: 22gFiber: 6gSugar: 6gProtein: 20g

Nutritional values are approximate. Please use your own calculations if you require a special diet.

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