How to make meatballs that won’t fall apart (2024)

FAQs

What do you put in meatballs so they don't fall apart? ›

Eggs: Whole eggs lend moisture and help bind the meatballs together so they don't fall apart.

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.

Freezing the meatballs in a single layer first means that they won't stick together once frozen. This means you can take out only what you need, which is helpful if you're freezing more than one batch at a time. Place meatballs in a single layer on a tray lined with baking paper and put in the freezer.

You can improve the texture of the meatballs by adding either a moistening ingredient or a moisture-retaining ingredient. Appropriate moistening ingredients include ice water, milk, tomato juice, broth and shredded vegetables or vegetable purees.

Some recipes also call for taking slices of bread, cutting the crusts off and soaking them in milk for several minutes. Once the bread is soaked, you squeeze out as much of the milk as you can. What soaking the bread does is add moisture to the meatball as well as bread for a binder.

Rolled Oats

Oats are the perfect substitutes for breadcrumbs in meatballs or meatloaf.

Even if you don't shy away from ground meat that contains a higher percentage of fat, whole milk's luscious consistency adds richness to any meatball recipe. Home chefs who enjoy using lean ground chicken or turkey can rely on eggs and dairy to replace the missing fat component in this versatile dish.

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.

Because meat shrinks when cooked, mince proteins are likely to separate and crumble unless bound together. Whether it's breadcrumbs or egg (or both), or simply salt, binding the mince is a crucial step in maintaining the softness of your meatballs while preventing them from falling apart.

Is it better to bake meatballs at 350 or 400? ›

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.

A traditional size for this sort of meatball is 2 to 3 inches across, but you can make them any size you want. Once you roll the meatball in your hands, roll it in the flour to give it a good coating. Set each one on a baking sheet as you work.

Cornstarch is used as a low-fat alternative to tapioca starch in meatball dough, resulting in a healthier version of the snack. The addition of corn silk, a byproduct of sweet corn production, to meatballs increases their crude fiber and ash contents, as well as their redness, yellowness, juiciness, and shrinkage.

Egg: A lot of meatball recipes add egg to the mince mixture because it helps to bind the balls together. Breadcrumbs: Breadcrumbs also help to bind your meatballs. If the mince mixture is quite wet, breadcrumbs will help soak up excess moisture so that the balls don't fall apart.

Use a small ice cream scoop to make perfectly round meatballs of the same size. Put some of the meatball mixture in one hand and dish up (with your scooper) equal-sized meatballs and drop them on a baking pan. After scooping, smooth them out into round meatballs by gently rolling in your hands.

Too much time spent forming the balls can also make them tough, and you're more likely to overwork them if you can't get them off your hands. To avoid this sticky situation, keep a dish of cold water next to you as you work, and dip your fingers in as you make the balls.

The Key to Tender Meatballs

(Eggs also contribute to tenderness, so don't skip them!) If you don't have breadcrumbs handy, you can use panko, a slice of torn-up bread, or even crumbled saltine crackers.

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.

Do meatballs get softer the longer you cook them? ›

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.

Cook's Illustrated explains that adding too many eggs will put your meatballs at risk of having a soggy texture. Any additional and unnecessary liquid will also cause difficulty mixing and forming meatballs. Adding a single egg should be enough to do the trick, with two being the maximum for each pound of meat you use.

When making meatballs — whether with beef, turkey, or another meat — it's essential to get the textural balance right. You want them firm enough so they don't fall apart when cooking, while still keeping a tender, juicy texture. That is why it is key to use a binder or two.