Meatballs are quite seriously one of the best Paleo snacks around. You can make a giant batch, eat some for dinner, save a few for the week, and freeze the rest for emergency moments. You can also make them taste like just about anything, which is really important if you love variety and traveling the globe through your food. I’m from California and one of the things that I miss deeply about living there is the ability to wake up and, on any day, have a craving for a particular nationality’s cuisine that I can satisfy virtually immediately – either by going to an amazing restaurant or by readily finding the ingredients and making it at home. I love living in Colorado, but California (I’ve lived up and down the coast) is truly a foodie’s heaven. But…since I don’t live in CA anymore, I need to feed my heart and soul with flavors that transport me. Otherwise, I get bored.

If you are new to Paleo or you are trying to reinvigorate your Paleo eating, then I suggest you make a batch of these. They’re delicious, easy, and you can do a bunch of different things with them. We ate them just like in the picture with a dollop of quick guacamole and a handful of veggies that we grabbed because we were in a hurry, but you could slice them and have them in a Paleo tortilla or wrap them in lettuce and add salsa or serve them with a Mexican inspired cauliflower rice. And you know what else? You can just eat them! Pre-workout, post-workout, protein-filled snack…whatever you need! Seriously, meatballs save the day.

You could probably add an extra minced chipotle pepper if you like it spicy. I also had to feed a 10 year old so I didn’t want to go overboard. As I think about these, I’m wishing I had some Carrot-Jicama Chipotle Slaw handy because they would make an excellent lunch paired together. Whatever you do with them, I hope you enjoy it!

Chipotle Meatballs

About 3 lbs. of ground beef

1 shallot, finely chopped, about 3 Tbsp.

2 1/2 tsp. garlic powder

2 1/2 tsp. onion powder

1 1/2 tsp. ground cumin

1 tsp. dried oregano

1/4 tsp. chipotle powder

2 1/2 tsp. salt

1/4 tsp. freshly ground black pepper

2 chipotle peppers in adobo sauce, minced (3 if you like it spicy)

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
2. Place meat and all the seasonings in a large bowl.
3. Mix everything together gently but completely.
4. Form meatballs that are about 2 oz., or small golf ball sized, and place them on a cookie sheet.
5. Bake for about 15 minutes, switching oven shelves about half way through.
6. Check for doneness and cook another 3-5 minutes if not done to your liking.
7. Let rest for about 10 minutes and then enjoy!

Notes: These keep well in the refrigerator or freezer for future snacks and meals, so make a bunch!