Forget Ground Beef — Give Meatballs 10x The Flavor With A $2 Mexican Swap

Meatballs may be one of the most versatile ways to use ground meat. Sure, burgers are delicious, but meatballs somehow add equal parts indulgence and sophistication to everything from sandwiches and pasta dishes to soups and stews. Of course, making them can be tricky; you need to cook meatballs at the perfect temperature to ensure they're not dry or undercooked. Another issue is infusing meatballs with flavor, which can be tough since mixing in too many seasonings can throw off the ratio of binder to meat.

One simple, inexpensive way to make your meatballs into little flavor bombs is to swap some or all of your meat for Mexican chorizo. At just about $2 per ½ pound (depending on regional pricing and local grocery stores), this deeply seasoned pork sausage is infused with ground spices, such as paprika and dried chiles, that give it its distinctive dark red color.

It's worth noting that Mexican chorizo is very different from the Spanish style, which isn't suitable for making meatballs because it's dried, cured, and sliceable. On the other hand, Mexican chorizo is soft, fatty, and perfect for forming into uniform meatballs. Use it on its own, or mix it with the unseasoned ground meat of your choice to tame the spice, or to make the chorizo go further. You can also enhance the meatballs overall flavor by folding in ingredients such as minced garlic, fresh parsley, or lemony coriander to give the smoky spice of the chorizo complexity and contrast.

When using chorizo to make deeply flavorful pork chili, understanding how to season and serve it is pretty much a no brainer. Chili already lends itself to the Tex-Mex flavors that blend so nicely with this spicy sausage. This can be a little trickier when making meatballs because we often associate them with Italian American dishes, such as spaghetti and meatballs or meatball marinara sub sandwiches. However, there's nothing more American than fusion cuisine, so mixing and matching flavors and serving styles is definitely encouraged.

For instance, you could make your favorite style of pasta and sauteed summer squash with a garlicky lemon honey vinaigrette to bring sophistication and cohesiveness to the entire dish. Since sweet and spicy work well together, the vinaigrette elevates the chorizo meatballs, while a hit of acid from the lemon and garlic enhances the overall flavor of the dish. If meatball sandwiches are your thing, think a garlic and herb-infused toasted bun loaded with chorizo meatballs, shredded aged cheddar cheese, and warm tomatillo salsa.

Meatballs are also an underrated appetizer, and chorizo meatballs are the perfect upgrade for the glazed meatball tray present at most potlucks. Instead of grape jelly or pineapple syrup, consider serving them glazed with a hot honey barbecue sauce. Spear a slice of pickled jalapeño to the top of each meatball with a toothpick just before serving for an extra kick of heat and acid for the perfect, flavorful bite.