Chicken Taco Meatballs with Black Beans
Taco flavored Chicken Meatballs with a side of dressed-up black beans. A delicious WW meal, full of protein and low in points!
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.
Notes
See above the recipe for points.
Don’t squeeze the moisture out of the zucchini. It helps keep the meatballs moist. I grate the zucchini right over the bowl. Same with the onion.
What to do with the leftover zucchini? Sauté for an omelet or veggie quesadilla.
I use my spice grinder to grind the oats because I like the texture better than leaving the oats whole, but you can certainly skip this step and add them whole!
If you do not want to use canned black beans, you make them from dried. That’s how I make them when time allows. I love my stovetop pressure cooker for cooking dried beans!
BADIA “Complete Seasoning” does contain MSG. You can omit the ingredient if you are sensitive to the MSG. You can add 1 - 2 teaspoons of dried Mexican oregano in its place if desired.
The nutrition chart was calculated with 1 teaspoon of kosher salt in the Chicken Meatballs. Chart does not include chipotle peppers, cotija, nor tortilla chips. The nutrition chart is a guesstimate only.
Nutrition Facts
Chicken Taco Meatballs with Black Beans
Amount per Serving
Calories
374.16
% Daily Value*
Fat
12.13
g
19
%
Saturated Fat
2.92
g
18
%
Trans Fat
0.06
g
Polyunsaturated Fat
2.45
g
Monounsaturated Fat
5.38
g
Cholesterol
110.75
mg
37
%
Sodium
1659.09
mg
72
%
Potassium
1109.93
mg
32
%
Carbohydrates
35
g
12
%
Fiber
10.75
g
45
%
Sugar
3.31
g
4
%
Protein
28.38
g
57
%
Vitamin C
31.18
mg
38
%
Calcium
98.87
mg
10
%
Iron
5.29
mg
29
%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
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