I’m giving a Tex-Mex spin on a classic Italian-American dish that we all know and love. If you’ve ever been to any old school pizza parlor, then chances are you’ve probably had your fair share of meatball subs. Perhaps, you’ve made them at home countless of times? Chewy bread filled with meatballs, marinara sauce and lots of mozzarella cheese—what’s not to love about that? Absolutely nothing. Although I’m a big fan of the classic, I wanted to take things a step further and make these Tex-Mex Meatball Subs. Why? Because it just seemed like the right thing to do. These crusty rolls are filled with taco-spiced meatballs and pepper jack cheese, and then topped with a spicy slaw, avocado, cotija cheese, pickled jalapeños and a spicy crema. It’s a recipe you never knew you needed but won’t be able to live without. Did I mention they come together quickly and without much fuss? That’s what makes them so great, aside from their taste of course.
Let’s start with the meatballs. These are taking on a taco-esque flavor profile and so you can either use store bought taco seasoning mix or make your own (you only want about a tablespoon of it)! In a large bowl, combine the ground beef, pork, breadcrumbs, egg, onion, garlic, salt, pepper and spices until evenly incorporated. Using a small cookie scoop portion out the mixture and shape into small meatballs.
**Note: Whenever I make meatballs, I always use a mixture of both ground beef and ground pork because I find that they’re more flavorful this way. If you don’t eat pork or just want to use all beef that’s okay! You can also make these with ground chicken or ground turkey as well!**
Place the meatballs on a baking sheet that has been lined with foil and greased with either olive oil or cooking spray. Bake until golden brown and fully cooked through, about 20 to 25 minutes, flipping them over halfway through cooking time for even browning.
In a small bowl, whisk together the mayo, Mexican crema (or sour cream), lime juice, adobe sauce (as much as you like depending on your level of heat preference) and a pinch salt and pepper until evenly combined. Set aside.
**Note: This sauce can be made a few days in advance and stored in an airtight container in the fridge until ready to use! It’s one less thing to have to worry about on the day you make the subs!**
In a large bowl, toss together the coleslaw mix, fresh cilantro leaves and half of the spicy sauce until combined. Cover with plastic wrap and chill until ready to use.
**Note: We’re saving the rest of the sauce for topping the subs at the end!**
Once the meatballs are done, remove the pan from the oven and set aside. You’ll find that there are a few extra meatballs than required for the subs, this is solely for this step of the recipe when you try one or two…just to make sure they’re alright.
Split open the rolls and place on a baking sheet. Lay a slice of cheese onto each split roll and toast under the broiler until golden brown and the cheese has melted.
**Note: Make sure to keep a close eye on them under the broiler because you don’t want them to burn and the broiler has a knack for burning things in a flash. As soon as you look away they’re toast. Literally.**
Speaking about the rolls though, I’m using small Kaiser rolls but any medium-longish heart roll will do! The meatballs are small because the rolls are small….but if you can only find those larger San Fransisco style sub rolls, then you can make the meatballs larger and just up the cooking time by 5 to 10 minutes!
Fill each sandwich with about 3 or 4 meatballs. Top each with some of that slaw we made earlier, sliced avocado, pickled jalapeños, cotija cheese and the remaining spicy sauce.
**Note: Cotija cheese is a hard salty Mexican cheese that you can find in most grocery stores nowadays. You’ll find it in the Mexican refrigerated section where the refrigerated salsas are! If you can’t find it, you can use crumbled feta for that same saltiness.**
If you want to make these subs ahead of time, you can cook the meatballs in advance and store them in the fridge until ready to assemble. You can make the sauce in advance as well and then just toss together with the slaw ingredients. Then on the day you plan on eating them, you can rewarm the meatballs and assemble the sandwiches!
I like to serve these Tex-Mex Meatball Subs with chips and salsa on the side and fresh lime wedges for squeezing over the subs right before eating! They’d also be great with a green salad on the side. They’re incredibly easy to make and take no time at all! Give them a try and let me know what you think! I hope you enjoy!
- 1 lb ground beef
- 1 lb ground pork
- ½ cup Panko breadcrumbs
- 1 large egg
- ½ small yellow onion, finely diced
- 1 garlic clove, minced
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 teaspoon granulated onion
- 1 teaspoon granulated garlic
- ½ teaspoon ground cumin
- ½ teaspoon dried oregano
- ½ teaspoon paprika
- ½ teaspoon chili powder
- ¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- ½ cup mayo
- ¼ cup Mexican crema (or sour cream)
- 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
- 1 to 2 tablespoons chipotle pepper in adobe sauce
- 16 ounces shredded coleslaw mix
- ½ cup fresh cilantro
- 6 rolls
- 6 slices Pepper Jack cheese
- 2 avocados, pitted and sliced
- ¼ cup crumbled cotija cheese
- ½ cup pickled jalapeños, drained
- Preheat oven to 375°F. Line a baking sheet with foil, grease with cooking spray and set aside.
- In a large bowl, combine the ground beef, pork, breadcrumbs, egg, onion, garlic, salt, pepper and spices until evenly incorporated. Using a small cookie scoop portion out the mixture and shape into small meatballs. Place on the prepared baking sheet in rows. Bake until golden brown and fully cooked through, about 20 to 25 minutes, flipping them over halfway through cooking time for even browning.
- In a small bowl, whisk together the mayo, crema, lime juice, adobe sauce and a pinch salt and pepper until evenly combined. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, toss together the coleslaw mix, cilantro and half of the spicy sauce until combined. Cover with plastic wrap and chill until ready to use.
- Once the meatballs are done, remove the pan from the oven and set aside. Split open the rolls and place on a baking sheet. Lay a slice of cheese onto each split roll and toast under the broiler until golden brown and the cheese has melted. Fill each sandwich with about 3 or 4 meatballs. Top each with slaw, sliced avocado, pickled jalapeños, cotija cheese and the remaining spicy sauce. Serve immediately and enjoy!
This looks so yummy!