Spiced beef meatballs with avocado crema

Spiced beef meatballs with avocado crema and salsa. Photograph: Lilly Higgins
Spiced beef meatballs with avocado crema and salsa. Photograph: Lilly Higgins
Serves: 4
Course: Dinner
Cooking Time: 20 mins
Prep Time: 10 mins

Ingredients

  • 500g minced beef
  • 200g cooked rice
  • 3 spring onions, roughly chopped
  • Handful of coriander, roughly chopped
  • 1tsp smoked sweet paprika
  • 1/2tsp cumin seeds, toasted and crushed
  • 1/2tsp salt
  • FOR THE AVOCADO CREMA:
  • 1 avocado
  • 4tbs sour cream
  • Juice of 1 lime
  • 2tbs fresh coriander, chopped
  • Pinch sea salt
  • FOR THE SALSA:
  • 4 tomatoes, diced and drained
  • 1/2 red or yellow pepper, diced
  • 1 small red onion, diced
  • 2tbs coriander, finely chopped
  • 2tbs jalapeñonos, finely diced
  • Juice of 1 lime
  • TO SERVE:
  • Soft corn tortillas or tortilla chips

1 Preheat the oven to 200 degrees.

2 Place all of the ingredients for the meatballs into the bowl of a food processor and blitz until evenly combined.

3 Using wet hands, shape tablespoons of the meat into 20-25 balls. Arrange evenly on a large baking tray. Bake for 15-20 minutes, turning halfway through until cooked through. I usually thread these on skewers for novelty and ease.

4 Meanwhile, make the crema. Blitz the avocado, sour cream, lime juice, coriander and salt until smooth and creamy. Set aside.

5 Mix all of the salsa ingredients until combined. Taste for seasoning and set aside.

6 Serve the meatballs right away with warm soft tortillas, the avocado crema and the salsa.

Lilly Higgins

Lilly Higgins

Lilly Higgins, a contributor to The Irish Times, is a food writer