Skinny Mexican-Style Meatloaf Cupcakes
These adorable dinner cupcakes have all the great flavors of Mexican food. The savory topping is a combination of a little guacamole, skinny ranch dressing, and salsa. They are fantastically low in calories and fat. Each delectable cupcake has just 107 calories and 3 grams of fat.
Why You'll Love My Skinny Mexican-Style Meatloaf Cupcakes
Oh, you are going to fall completely in love with these Skinny Mexican-Style Meatloaf Cupcakes because they give you all the cozy comfort of a home-cooked meal with a fun taco night twist that completely satisfies without any of the guilt. Baking them in a muffin tin is pure genius for built-in portion control, and since they are in individual cups, they cook way faster on busy weeknights while staying wonderfully juicy and protein-packed. Topped with a tangy salsa glaze and melted cheese, they hit every craving while staying light, macro-friendly, and a huge hit with the whole family.Ingredients For Skinny Mexican-Style Meatloaf Cupcakes
Let’s break down the star ingredients in these cupcakes and how you can easily swap things out depending on what you have in your kitchen!
- 96% Extra-Lean Ground Beef or Ground Turkey: Keeps the saturated fat very low while providing a lean, protein-packed base that holds its shape nicely in the muffin tin. (Swap: Ground chicken works wonderfully too!)
- Diced Onions: Adds a savory depth of flavor and moisture as they bake down into the meat. (Swap: Shallots or green onions in a pinch.)
- Red Bell Pepper: Brings a subtle sweetness, a nice pop of color, and extra veggie nutrients. (Swap: Green or yellow bell pepper, or finely diced zucchini.)
- Corn: Adds a fun, sweet burst of texture throughout the cupcakes. (Swap: Fresh off the cob, frozen and thawed, or well-drained canned corn.)
- Pace Chunky Salsa (or your favorite): Pulls double duty by adding instant Mexican-style flavor right into the meat mixture and creating a tangy glaze on top. (Swap: Any mild or medium store-bought salsa you love.)
- Cornmeal or Crushed Reduced-Fat Tortilla Chips: Acts as our light binder instead of heavy breadcrumbs, absorbing the juices to keep the meat tender while adding a great Tex-Mex flair. (Swap: Gluten-free tortilla chips or certified gluten-free oat flour if you need it GF.)
- Egg: Binds everything together so the cupcakes hold their cute shape when you pop them out of the pan. (Swap: Your favorite liquid egg substitute.)
- Salt & Fresh Ground Black Pepper: Essential seasonings to elevate all the savory flavors.
- Mashed Avocado: Blended with a touch of salsa, salt, and pepper to create a rich, creamy topping without heavy fats. (Swap: Guacamole or a simple squeeze of fresh lime juice.)
- Skinny Ranch Dressing or Fat-Free Sour Cream: Mixed with a little extra salsa for the ultimate creamy, tangy finishing drizzle on top of the avocado. (Swap: Plain Greek yogurt mixed with a pinch of ranch seasoning.)
How to Make Skinny Mexican-Style Meatloaf Cupcakes
Step 1: Preheat and Prep
Preheat your oven to 350°F and generously coat a standard 12-cup muffin tin with cooking spray so your cupcakes won't stick.
Step 2: Mix the Ingredients
In a large bowl, combine your extra-lean ground beef or turkey, diced onions, red bell pepper, corn, 1/2 cup of salsa, cornmeal or crushed tortilla chips, the egg, and a little salt and pepper. Mix well until everything is thoroughly incorporated.
Step 3: Fill and Glaze
Divide the meatloaf mixture evenly into 10 muffin cups, filling them to the top and leveling them off using a 1/3-cup measuring cup. Spread the remaining 1/2 cup of salsa evenly across the top of each muffin, adding a little extra if desired.
Step 4: Bake and Rest
Bake for 40 minutes. Remove them from the oven and let them stand right in the pan for 5 minutes so they can set. Carefully remove them with a spoon and transfer them to paper towels to drain.
Step 5: Make the Topping and Serve
In a small bowl, mix together your mashed avocado, 2 teaspoons of salsa, and a dash of salt and pepper. Top each cupcake with 1 teaspoon of the avocado mixture, spread about 1/2 teaspoon of salsa over that, and finish with a light drizzle of ranch dressing or sour cream. Enjoy!
Pro Tips for Success
When combining your ground beef or turkey with the veggies and seasonings, mix just until incorporated so you don't overwork the meat and make them dense. Using a one-third cup measure ensures every single cup is filled evenly so they all finish baking at the exact same time. Give them a full five-minute rest in the pan after baking to let the juices settle and help them firm up so they lift out cleanly. Placing the cooked cupcakes briefly on paper towels after removing them from the pan keeps the bottoms from getting soggy, and since avocados brown quickly, mash up your topping right before you are ready to serve for the freshest look.
Helpful Tips About this Recipe
Makes 10 meatloaf cupcakes
Healthy Benefits
Trader Joe’s extra lean ground beef is a terrific, healthy choice. It has 130 calories and 4 grams of fat for 4 ounces. Free forming the loaf cuts the calories and fat down even further. Salsa is actually very healthy food. Thanks to tomatoes, onions, and chilies, it’s heart-healthy and can help to prevent certain types of cancer. A ½-cup serving of salsa contains approximately 35 calories, 2 grams of fiber, and 0 fat.
Shopping Tips
I used Trader Joe’s extra lean ground beef. Most supermarkets sell extra lean ground beef or use ground turkey if desired. You can use either cornmeal or crushed reduced-fat tortilla chips. There are several brands of baked tortilla chips in the supermarkets such as Guiltless Gourmet or Baked Tostitos Scoops.
WW Freestyle SmartPoints 2-Blue
WW SmartPoints 3-Green
WW POINTS PLUS 2
Healthy Benefits
Trader Joe’s extra lean ground beef is a terrific, healthy choice. It has 130 calories and 4 grams of fat for 4 ounces. Free forming the loaf cuts the calories and fat down even further. Salsa is actually very healthy food. Thanks to tomatoes, onions, and chilies, it’s heart-healthy and can help to prevent certain types of cancer. A ½-cup serving of salsa contains approximately 35 calories, 2 grams of fiber, and 0 fat.
Shopping Tips
I used Trader Joe’s extra lean ground beef. Most supermarkets sell extra lean ground beef or use ground turkey if desired. You can use either cornmeal or crushed reduced-fat tortilla chips. There are several brands of baked tortilla chips in the supermarkets such as Guiltless Gourmet or Baked Tostitos Scoops.
WW Freestyle SmartPoints 2-Blue
WW SmartPoints 3-Green
WW POINTS PLUS 2
| SKINNY FACTS: for 1 meatloaf cupcake including toppings 107 calories, 3g fat, 1g sat. fat, 42mg chol, 10g prot, 8g carbs, 2g fiber, 323mg sod, 3g sugar |
| FACTS: for Freestyle SmartPoints 76 calories, 1g sat. fat, 0g sugar, 9g protein |
Skinny Mexican-Style Meatloaf Cupcakes
Ingredients
- 1 pound extra-lean ground beef (96%) or ground turkey, see shopping tips
- 1 cup onions, diced into small pieces
- ½ cup red bell pepper, diced into small pieces
- ½ cup corn (cut off the cob) or frozen and thawed
- ½ cup salsa, I love Pace Chunky Salsa (medium) or use your favorite
- ¼ cup cornmeal or 1 ounce (~⅓ cup) reduced-fat tortilla chips, crushed into crumbs, see shopping tips
- 1 egg, I like using Egg-Land’s Best eggs
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- Fresh ground black pepper, to taste
- ½ cup salsa for topping the meatloaf before baking
Ingredients for Topping:
- ¼ cup mashed avocado, about ½ avocado
- 2 teaspoons salsa
- Dash of salt and pepper
- ¼ cup salsa
- 2 tablespoons The BEST Skinny Ranch Dressing (3 ingredients) or fat-free sour cream
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Coat a 12-cup, regular size muffin tin with cooking spray.
- In a large bowl, combine beef, onions, red bell pepper, corn, ½ cup salsa, cornmeal or crushed tortilla chips, egg, and a little salt and pepper. Mix well until thoroughly combined.
- Divide meatloaf mixture into 10 muffin cups. Fill to top and level off. I like to use a ⅓ cup measuring cup to fill each. Spread remaining ½ cup salsa evenly over the top of meatloaf muffins. Add more, if desired.
- Bake 40 minutes. Remove from oven and let stand for 5 minutes before removing from pan. Carefully remove with a spoon and place on paper towels to drain.
- For the topping: In a small bowl, mix together the mashed avocado, 2 teaspoons salsa, a little salt, and pepper. Top each cupcake with 1 teaspoon guacamole and spread about ½ teaspoon salsa over the top. Drizzle each with about ½ teaspoon ranch dressing or sour cream.
Nutrition
Serving: 1cupcakeCalories: 107kcalCarbohydrates: 8gProtein: 10gFat: 3gSaturated Fat: 1gCholesterol: 42mgSodium: 323mgFiber: 2gSugar: 3gBlue Smart Points: 2Green Smart Points: 3Plus Points: 2
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I love this recipe and so do my kids!