texas tamale balls

★★★★★ 3
a recipe by
Mary Lou Ivy
Dallas, TX

This is one of my husband's favorite appetizers. You can adjust the spices to suit your taste. Enjoy!!

Blue Ribbon Recipe

Now, these may look like your average meatball but they sure don't taste like them. They are full of Tex-Mex flavor. Crushed Fritos not only serve as the binding agent but add the corn flavor that makes these smell and have the flavor of tamales. The chili sauce is a nice complement and the flavor soaks into the tamale balls while simmering in the slow cooker. If you need an appetizer, these are definitely different and everyone will keep coming back for more.

— The Test Kitchen @kitchencrew
★★★★★ 3
prep time 30 Min
cook time 1 Hr 30 Min
method Bake

Ingredients For texas tamale balls

  • MEATBALLS
  • 1 lb
    lean beef
  • 1 lb
    pork sausage
  • 3/4 - 1 c
    V-8 juice
  • 1 1/2 tsp
    garlic powder
  • 2 Tbsp
    chili powder
  • 1 tsp
    salt
  • 1 tsp
    pepper
  • 2 tsp
    cumin
  • 2 tsp
    paprika
  • 4
    eggs, beaten
  • 1/2 c
    crushed chips, Fritos or any flavor Doritos
  • SAUCE
  • 2 bottle
    chili sauce (12 oz each)
  • 1 Tbsp
    chili powder

How To Make texas tamale balls

  • Meats, V-8 juice, and eggs mixed together.
    1
    Mix meats, V-8 juice, and eggs.
  • Dry ingredients combined in a bowl.
    2
    Combine dry ingredients.
  • Dry ingredients added to the beef.
    3
    Add the dry ingredients to the meat mixture. Be sure that all dry mix is evenly blended with meat.
  • Scooping small pieces of beef.
    4
    Pinch off a small amount and roll into marble or bite-size balls. NOTE: I used a small cookie scoop (either way works fine).
  • Tamale balls on a cookie sheet.
    5
    Place on two large cookie sheets with sides.
  • Tamale balls baking in the oven.
    6
    Bake at 350 for 25-30 minutes depending on the size of the balls.
  • Sauce and seasonings added to a slow cooker.
    7
    Pour both bottles of sauce into a slow cooker. Add the chili powder. Put the slow cooker on high.
  • Adding tamale balls to the slow cooker.
    8
    Once the meatballs are cooked, add them to the slow cooker on high. After about an hour, turn the slow cooker to warm and serve.
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