The Ultimate Guide to Making Old-School Meatballs (2024)

FAQs

What not to do when making meatballs? ›

But browning the meatballs on the stovetop first creates a crust that creates a more complex flavor and helps the meatballs hold their shape as they simmer. It's an extra step that adds hands-on cook time, but it pays off in flavor dividends.

One trick to making sure meatballs are totally tender once they're cooked is to use a binder. Here, we're soaking fresh or dried breadcrumbs in a little milk until the bread becomes soggy, then mixing that right into the meat.

A little bit of milk will add moisture to your meatballs. (Many people think it's the eggs that add the moisture, but their role is to bind the meat, breadcrumbs, cheese and herbs.)

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.

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.

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.

Crackers. Crushed-up crackers make an excellent bread crumb substitute in baked dishes like meatballs or meatloaf.

Baking will result in meatballs with a crunchy exterior, though the caramelisation achieved from frying will be superior. Baked meatballs take the least amount of effort, as you'll only need to turn them once or twice throughout the cook and you can make a larger batch at once.

What causes meatballs to fall apart in sauce? ›

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.

Some people like to drop the raw meatballs directly in a pot of Italian tomato sauce and let them simmer. Some people like to cook the meatballs in the oven first and then put the browned meatballs in the tomato sauce.

Using the wrong amount of bread crumbs (or flour)

Bread crumbs are another popular binder for meatballs that can become problematic if used incorrectly. Adding too many bread crumbs to the mix will cause your meatballs to become loose and fall apart. The same applies to flour.

You can try adding some breadcrumbs (couple of tablespoons) which when combined with the egg can help to 'glue' the meatballs together. Fine tapioca can be an alternative to breadcrumbs as well.

Cornstarch is used as a low-fat alternative to tapioca starch in meatball dough, resulting in a healthier version of the snack ⁵.

Abstract. A four-factor central composite design was adopted for studying the effects of fat, salt, sugar and cooking temperature on qualities of an emulsified meatball or Chinese meatball. Results indicated that texture is the most important characteristic of this type of meat product.

When meatballs are tough, it's often because they've been overworked. Start by thoroughly mixing all of the ingredients except for the ground meat. Once you add the meat, you want to work it only just enough so the ingredients are evenly distributed.

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.

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.