Chicken Taco Meatballs and Black Beans
Being on WW myself (at the moment), I’m always looking into those “low point” foods that are going to help me reach my goal weight.
You are welcome to change up your protein, but if you are looking into WW recipes, keep in mind that subbing ground pork or a high-fat ground beef will up your points quickly.
The meatballs are oven-baked, and that allows you to make the black beans in the meantime. Multitasking helps get dinner on the table quicker. Baking the meatballs instead of sauteing in oil, allows your fat content to be lower, and that makes it a win-win!
If you cook chicken often, you know a digital probe thermometer is an essential gadget in the kitchen. Chicken must be cooked to 165 degrees F for safe consumption. A thermometer will keep you from invading (cutting into) all the chicken meatballs to check for doneness.
I learned a trick from watching Giada de Laurentis decades ago on Food TV. Before shaping and baking all your meatballs, make a “trial” patty with about a tablespoon of the meatball mixture. Cook it thoroughly on the stovetop, taste and adjust any seasoning. Good idea, isn’t it? When I make this recipe exactly as it is, I use 2 teaspoons of kosher salt and 1 ½ tablespoons of the taco seasoning.
The Black Beans recipe is adapted from Goya’s Classic Black Beans and Rice.
Now, we’re all curious about the points, right? The Chicken Meatballs are 0 points. That’s right, you read it correctly! I choose zero point ingredients to keep them at zero. I have 2 meatballs as a serving size. The Black Beans are 1 point per ¾ cup serving. Since the points are SUPER low, if you wanted, you could add ½ cup of white rice (3 points) and a handful of tortilla chips (maybe as low as 4 points depending on your brand). WOW. I’ll say that again.. WOW! A super-low point dinner that makes you feel like you ate something substantial. I know, I’ve been there. Good luck with your weight loss journey!
Enjoy!
Chicken Taco Meatballs with Black Beans
Ingredients
Chicken Taco Meatballs:
- 1 pound ground chicken, or ground turkey
- 1 egg, lightly scrambled
- 1/2 cup zucchini, grated, see Notes
- 1/4 cup onion, grated
- 2 garlic cloves, grated on a zester or finely minced
- 1 1/2 tablespoons taco seasoning, my DIY Taco Seasoning recipe
- 1 - 2 teaspoons kosher salt, or to taste
- 1/2 cup ground rolled/old fashioned oats, see Notes
Black Beans:
- 2 teaspoons oil (avocado, olive oil, extra-virgin, etc.)
- 1/2 cup onion, diced
- 1/2 cup green bell pepper, diced
- 1 teaspoon garlic, minced
- 2 teaspoons ground cumin
- 2 teaspoons chili powder, or dark chili powder
- 2 teaspoosn BADIA Complete Seasoning, see Notes
- 1/2 cup low sodium (or unsalted) chicken stock
- 2 15-ounce cans black beans, drained and rinsed, see Notes
- 1 8-ounce can petite-diced tomatoes, undrained
- 1 4-oune can diced greenchiles, or diced Hatch chiles
- 2 teaspoons - 1 tablespoon white distilled vinegar
- 3 tablespoons cilantro, chopped, divided
- 2 - 3 chipotle peppers in adobo sauce, optional, but very good!
- 2 tablespoons Cotija cheese, crumbed, optional
- Tortilla chips, optional
Instructions
- Make the meatballs. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with foil or parchment paper.
- Combine all the meatball ingredients in a medium bowl. You can use a spoon, spatula, or disposable gloves to combine the mixture. I would not use a stand or handheld mixer because that will overwork the chicken and toughen the meat.
- Take about a tablespoon of the meat mixture and form a small patty. In a nonstick pan, fry the patty over medium heat, cooking on both sides, until cooked through. Taste and adjust any seasoning to the chicken mixture in the bowl.
- Shape the mixture into 2” balls and place them onto the baking sheet. I use a 1.52-ounce disher (#20, yellow handle) to get uniform-shaped meatballs that will cook evenly. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, or until cooked through (a digital thermometer reads 165 degrees F). The timing will depend on your oven’s heating and the size of your meatballs. Checking the internal temperature is the surefire way to know the meatballs are thoroughly cooked.
- While the meatballs are cooking, make the Black Beans. Heat the oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat.
- Once the oil is hot, add the onion and bell pepper. Stirring often, sauté the veggies until softened, approximately 5 to 7 minutes.
- Add the garlic, cumin, chili powder, and Complete Seasoning. Stir continually for 30 seconds, turning the heat down if the garlic begins to burn.
- Add the stock, black beans, tomatoes, green chiles, vinegar, 2 tablespoons cilantro, and chipotle peppers, if using. Stir to combine.
- Turn the heat to low and simmer, uncovered, stirring occasionally, for 20 minutes.
- Sprinkle with the remaining tablespoon of cilantro and cotija cheese if using. Serve the meatballs with the beans very warm. Serve with plain nonfat Greek yogurt or low fat sour cream and your favorite salsa.
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