A healthy twist to a family favorite.
Elk enchilada meatballs are a family favorite especially with a delicious homemade red enchilada sauce made in minutes. So I thought why not change things up a bit for one of our favorites and by-pass the flour or corn tortillas and focus on the MEAT!
I used a blend of aromatic herbs and spices but instead of browning the ground meat, I hand formed 10-12 medium sized meatballs.
Wood-fire or bake and then simmer in a mouthwatering red enchilada sauce topping each ball of meat with shredded cheese, chopped green onions and fresh cilantro.
Serve with sour cream, sliced avocado and a warm tortilla (optional of course).
And don’t forget… you can substitute other ground game meat if you don’t have elk in the freezer. This recipe works with ground venison, bison, antelope and moose. ~ Enjoy
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In a bowl, combine the ground elk meat and seasonings. Using your hands, form 10-12 individual meatballs and set aside on a plate or baking sheet.
Heat a sauce pan over medium heat and add the oil. Whisk in the flour and all seasoning ingredients creating a paste like base. Carefully pour in broth whisking the sauce until smooth. Reduce heat to low and simmer for 10-15 minutes until slightly thickened. Remove from heat. (Note: you can make this sauce a day ahead and simply refrigerate overnight.)
Preheat the Traeger Grill or Oven to 400 degrees. Set a 12-14 inch cast iron skillet on the grates to preheat before baking, about 10-15 minutes.
Carefully place the meatballs in the skillet and drizzle the tops with olive oil. Wood-fire or bake for 20 minutes.
Pour the enchilada sauce over the meatballs.
Top with shredded cheese, chopped green onions and cilantro. Continue baking for 10-15 minutes until bubbling hot.
Serve with sour cream, sliced avocado and warm flour tortillas.
Ingredients
- 2 lbs ground elk, (or venison, bison or antelope)
- 1 tsp ancho chile powder
- 1 tsp cumin
- 1 tsp coriander
- 1 tsp mexican oregano
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1/2 tsp kosher salt
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1/2 cup shredded cheese
- 2 green onions, chopped
- 1/4 cup cilantro, chopped
- 1 avocado, sliced
- sour cream
Red Enchilada Sauce
- 2 tbsp vegetable oil
- 3 tbsp flour
- 2 tbsp dark chili powder
- 1 tsp cumin
- 1 tsp coriander
- 1 tsp mexican oregano
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1/2 tsp kosher salt
- 2 cups vegetable (or) chicken broth
Instructions
- In a bowl, combine the ground elk meat and seasonings. Using your hands, form 10-12 individual meatballs and set aside on a plate or baking sheet.
- Heat a sauce pan over medium heat and add the oil. Whisk in the flour and all seasoning ingredients creating a paste like base. Carefully pour in broth whisking the sauce until smooth. Reduce heat to low and simmer for 10-15 minutes until slightly thickened. Remove from heat. (Note: you can make this sauce a day ahead and simply refrigerate overnight.)
- Preheat the Traeger Grill or Oven to 400 degrees. Set a 12-14 inch cast iron skillet on the grates to preheat before baking, about 10-15 minutes.
- Carefully place the meatballs in the skillet and drizzle the tops with olive oil. Wood-fire or bake for 20 minutes. Pour the enchilada sauce over the meatballs and top with shredded cheese, chopped green onions and cilantro. Continue baking for 10-15 minutes until bubbling hot.
- Serve with sour cream, sliced avocado and warm flour tortillas.
Celebrate your harvest from the field to the dinner plate with my favorite Wild Game Cooking and Kitchen Essentials – because every meal tells a story.
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Just made this recipe and it was really good! A different take on the traditional enchilada that was easy to make. Thank you for the the recipes!