Carne Asada is a Mexican preparation of steak, usually flank steak or falda. Marinated in citrus, herbs, cumin, often jalapeño too. Then broiled or grilled. It’s delicious and flavorful. So why did I make Carne Asada MEATBALLS?
Welp, the fact is… I’m not a huge fan of leftover steak. I like my meat rare or medium rare, so re-heating makes it too tough. But I LOVE leftover meatballs.
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Latin Inspired Recipes
If you didn’t know, now you know… I’m Cuban! First generation American, born to Cuban immigrants. My first language was Spanish (I’m still fluent). I have spent time in Spain, all over the Caribbean and Mexico. My step-dad is from Argentina and my step-mom from Colombia.
Needless to say, I’m well versed in Latin cooking. However, being away from my family for so long, I haven’t posted too many recipes inspired by my culture on the blog. There are quite a few in my book Made Whole though!
I promise to start posting more… starting with these Carne Asada Meatballs over Arroz Amarillo (yellow rice).
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PrintCarne Asada Meatballs with Arroz Amarillo
All the amazing flavors of Carne Asada in easy meatballs that are perfect for batch cooking. Served over roasted yellow cauliflower rice!
- Prep Time: 15
- Cook Time: 30
- Total Time: 45 minutes
- Yield: 4-5 servings
Ingredients
Carne Asada Marinade:
Juice of 1 lemon
Juice of 1 lime
2 teaspoons fine salt
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 cup minced fresh cilantro
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 large onion, small diced
2 cloves garlic minced
2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
2 tablespoons olive oil or avocado oil
2 pounds grass-fed ground beef
2 tablespoons pastured gelatin (I use this one)
2 tablespoons psyllium husk (or flax meal)
1 tablespoons bacon fat
For Arroz Amarillo/ Yellow Rice:
6 cups frozen riced cauliflower
1 tablespoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon fine salt
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon ground turmeric
3 tablespoons bacon fat
Extra Fresh cilantro, for garnish
Instructions
Mix all of the marinade ingredients in a small bowl and let it sit in the fridge overnight or at least one hour.
When ready to cook, pre-heat oven to 400F.
Add the marinade to a large bowl with the meat, gelatin, and psyllium husk. Mix well. Shape 18-20 2 inch meatballs. Brush with bacon fat.
Put meatballs in the oven, center rack. Set a timer for 25 minutes.
Right after you put the meatballs in the oven, get the rice ready.
Toss the frozen cauliflower with the rest of the yellow rice ingredients all together on a sheet pan, then spread the rice flat out all over the sheet pan. Pop the rice in the oven too, top rack.
When your timer goes off, remove the meatballs from the oven. Set the oven to broil the rice for 5 minutes. Then remove that from the oven.
Serve 3-4 meatballs over the rice. Spoon the pan sauce over everything (yum) and sprinkle with fresh cilantro!
Notes
If you don’t to psyllium husk or flax you can use 1 tablespoon of coconut flour or 1/4 cup almond meal instead.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: for 4 meatballs
- Calories: 426
- Fat: 26
- Carbohydrates: 7
- Fiber: 4
- Protein: 36
Chicken Satay + Grilled Zucchini (Whole30, Paleo, Keto, Nut Free)
These look and sound amazing! Do you happen to have the nutritional breakdown on them, or did I miss it being over excited! Can’t wait to try them!
I don’t have it for this post, sorry. But the meatballs, make about 20 and I think 4 meatballs is a good serving, s 5 servings. The cauli rice makes 3-4 servings… but I guess it could be 5 servings too. You can plug it in to an app with how much you decide to eat to figure out macros 🙂
What do you put the meatballs in for the oven? Just a oven safe skillet?
A sheet pan! Makes 20 meatballs, you’re going to need a sheet pan, with a 1-inch rim preferably.
Hi there, can you use hemp hearts in lieu of the psyllium or flax?
Hemp isnt absorbant like flax or psyllium husk.. maybe if you grind them up a bit… like a flour?
What’s the total cook time I should shoot for on the cauli rice? This sounds delish and I’ll be making it tonight! <3
20 min at 400F, broil for 5 min.
Tonight is the second time I’m making this recipe and I love it. It’s sooooo tasty.
The first time I made it I found the meatballs a little crumbling but I used the coconut flour because I don’t have psyllium, but the taste was sooo good. This time I used pork and flax (which I didn’t use last time because I don’t really like flax in my meatballs) but the texture is amazing! I can’t wait to try them with psyllium.
I have to talk about the cauliflower. I have never liked cauliflower rice. I think it’s awful. I have never made it in the oven before or thought to put all those spices on it and it’s sooooo good. I loved it the day of and the leftovers were really good (which I wouldn’t even try to eat before). And even I ate straight out of the bowl before it was cooked (I used fresh cauliflower).
This recipe is a great weeknight dish that come together so easily. I even grated my own cauliflower and it took me less than 30 min to make.
★★★★★
thank you so much!
I have all the ingredients except the gelatin; will bad things happen if I omit it? thanks!
★★★★★
No, it will still work, the gelatin just gives them a bit of stickiness to them that’s nice, but they will be great without it too 🙂