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texas tamale balls

(3 ratings)
mlou avatar
Blue Ribbon Recipe by
Mary Lou Ivy
@mlou
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 taste similar to tamales. The chili sauce is a nice complement and the flavor soaks into the meatballs 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 ratings)
prep time 15 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
  • 4
    eggs, beaten
  • 1 1/2 tsp
    garlic powder
  • 2 Tbsp
    chili powder
  • 1 tsp
    salt
  • 1 tsp
    pepper
  • 2 tsp
    cumin
  • 2 tsp
    paprika
  • 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
    To make the meatballs, mix the meats, V-8 juice, and eggs in a large bowl.
  • Dry ingredients combined in a bowl.
    2
    In a separate bowl, combine the remaining ingredients.
  • Dry ingredients added to the beef.
    3
    Add the dry mixture to the meat mixture. Be sure that all dry mix is evenly blended with the meat.
  • Scooping small pieces of beef.
    4
    Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Pinch off a small amount of the mixture and roll into marble or bite-size balls. (I use a small cookie scoop, but either way works fine.)
  • Tamale balls on a cookie sheet.
    5
    Place the balls on two large cookie sheets with sides.
  • Tamale balls baking in the oven.
    6
    Bake for 25-30 minutes, depending on the size of the balls.
  • Sauce and seasonings added to a slow cooker.
    7
    For the sauce, pour both bottles of chili sauce into a slow cooker. Add the chili powder and stir. Set the slow cooker on high.
  • Adding tamale balls to the slow cooker.
    8
    Once the meatballs are cooked, transfer them to the slow cooker. After about an hour, turn the slow cooker to warm and serve.
  • Last Step: Don't forget to share! Make all your friends drool by posting a picture of your finished recipe on your favorite social network. And don't forget to tag Just A Pinch and include #justapinchrecipes so we can see it too!
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