Easy Teriyaki Meatballs RECIPE + VIDEO - Self Proclaimed Foodie (2024)

FAQs

How to make meatballs that aren t tough? ›

Don't Over-Mix the Meat

Over-mixing. The more you mix ground meat with seasonings, the tougher, springier, and more compact the finished product will be—we want loose and tender, not tight and sausage-like.

More Reasons Your Meatballs are Hard

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.

Chill your meatballs: refrigerating your meatballs an hour before cooking helps them hold their shape throughout the cooking process. They can chill in the fridge for up to 24 hours before cooking, making meatballs a great make-ahead dish, too.

Consider the other ingredients.

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.

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.

You want enough to keep the mixture stable and easy to handle, but too many will make the mixture overly soft. Excess eggs will also make meatballs tough and spongy, rather than toothsome and tender.

Milk, definitely. Water doesn't add flavor or fat, so it detracts from the finished meatballs. If I don't have milk, or I'm making them for people who don't eat milk with meat (a significant portion of my family keeps kosher) I use beef or chicken stock. It adds moisture and flavor, which is what you want.

When it comes to adding liquid to meatball mixtures, milk is often used for its versatility, depth of flavor, and richness. Without the use of milk, you may be faced with a plate of dry meatballs. Milk adds a certain level of moisture that helps produce perfectly tender meatballs.

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.

Is it better to cook meatballs in sauce or oven? ›

Baking drains the fat out of the meat which takes away a lot of the flavor. Frying is my preference, however, many times I just drop the meatballs right into the sauce without frying or baking. The meatballs stay in tact, are tender, and all the flavor is there and into the sauce.

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.

Rolled Oats

Oats are the perfect substitutes for breadcrumbs in meatballs or meatloaf. While they aren't ideal for a crispy coating, they add the right amount of texture to bind meat, eggs and flavorings together into a delicious Italian-inspired feast.

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.

ANSWER: Usually when meatballs fall apart, it's the binder that is the problem. Most meatball recipes call for using bread crumbs and eggs. But too much bread crumbs make them too loose, and not enough bread crumbs won't help them hold together either.

It all starts with the meat

If poultry is your meat of choice, pay extra attention not to overcook the meatballs, as they can turn rubbery very easily. Fry in plenty of oil or lard to keep them moist and cook them slowly on low heat after they are seared.

Ideally, you want your finished meatballs to be not only flavorful but moist and tender without being mushy. To achieve this, it's critical to start with the right proportion of meat to fat. You might be wondering why meatballs need fat if they're also going to include breadcrumbs and eggs, which have their own fat.

You won't need more than an egg or two per every one to two pounds of meat. If you use too many eggs, you'll wind up with soggy, heavy meatballs. Yet with too little egg, the meatball won't hold its shape and will be on the dry side.