Meatball Recipes | Taste of Home (2024)

FAQs

What is the secret of a tender meatball? ›

Egg and breadcrumbs are common mix-ins to add moisture and tenderness. Another binder option that people swear by is a panade, which is fresh or dry breadcrumbs that have been soaked in milk. “The soaked breadcrumbs help keep the proteins in the meat from shrinking,” as food writer Tara Holland explained in the Kitchn.

Baking will result in meatballs with a crunchy exterior, though the caramelisation achieved from frying will be superior.

You can bake meatballs at both 350°F and 400°F. Baking at a higher temperature (400°F) will result in a golden brown outside and juicy inside in a shorter amount of time. A 350° F oven will still result in a juicy center too, it will just take longer to cook all the way through.

Baking soda, otherwise known as sodium bicarbonate, appears often in köfte recipes. It raises the PH level of the meat, making it harder for the meat's protein molecules to bond. This in turn allows the meat to retain water as it cooks. And more water means a moist meatball.

Milk: Adds moisture and tenderizes the meat, making our meatballs juicy and tender once cooked. Egg: Adds more moisture and helps the mixture firm up once cooked.

Tenderizing the Meat:

As the collagen in the meat dissolves over time, it transforms into gelatin, which not only adds a silky texture to the sauce but also contributes to the overall richness and depth of flavor. The longer the simmer, the more tender and succulent the meatballs become.

Overworking ground meat makes it tough and will never lend itself to a tender and light meatball. The best way to combine your ingredients to perfection is by using your fingers, which are much lighter than a hard spoon, and will keep the meatball mix from turning into a paste.

The biggest challenge with meatballs is achieving the perfect amount of brownness on the outside while ensuring that they're cooked all the way through. And of course, browning them adds a lot of wonderful complex flavor to the meatballs, so you definitely don't want to skip this step.

Moisten them with milk or water and let them stand until they absorb all the liquid. 3) beat the eggs separately before adding them to your meat mixture so it combines better. 6) If you prefer to bake instead of fry them, chill the meatballs for at least an hour before baking.

From there, leave it in the refrigerator for at least 3 hours or overnight. Then take the meat out of the container and rinse it ensuring that all—or most—of the baking soda is off the steak.

What is the secret ingredient to tenderize meat? ›

Baking soda. Here's where it gets science-y: The baking soda raises the pH on the outside of the meat as it marinates, in a process known as velveting (which can also be done with a cornstarch slurry). This makes it so the proteins have a harder time bonding to each other when it's time to cook the meat.

Filler ingredients like breadcrumbs or flour are important too because they stop the meatballs becoming dry. The breadcrumbs absorb the juices from the meat as it cooks, trapping them within the meatball. Again quantity is important here; too much and your meatball will be more like stuffing or a dumpling.

Avoid Overworking the Meat

Another trick to tender meatballs is not overworking the meat — mix the meat with the binder and other ingredients just until they're combined. I also recommend using your hands for this step; since you can actually feel when things are mixed, you're less likely to overwork the meat.

We're talking about the fat content of your meat. If you want to walk away with 100% profit, you should use ground meat that's at least 20% fat. A higher fat content ensures that your meatballs stay juicy. If you've ever had a sad, dry meatball, a lean fat content is most likely one of the reasons why.

An egg is usually a good start, as that can help with the tenderness and texture, but the king of meatball binders is breadcrumbs soaked in milk (also known as a panade). Soaking the breadcrumbs first makes them pliable and soggy, which allows them to easily and evenly mix into the ground meat.