Quick & Easy Eggless Meatball Recipe (2024)

FAQs

What to use if you don't have eggs for meatballs? ›

Thankfully, mashed potatoes work as an excellent egg substitute for meatballs. The function of egg in meatballs has very little to do with flavor and more to do with its binding properties, similar to why you might use breadcrumbs in meatloaf or burgers: to help everything hold together.

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.

If you forgot to grab eggs at the grocery store, don't worry. The liquid and breadcrumbs are sufficient to hold the egg-free meatballs' shape and ensure the meatballs are tender. However, we do want to add a little extra liquid to make up for the lack of egg.

Mayo is certainly not a traditional ingredient in meatballs. But it's not an unusual choice, either, when you consider its parts: egg, oil, and a small amount of vinegar or lemon juice, all whisked or blended together. Because it's a stable emulsion, mayo serves as an excellent binder for meatballs.

If you want to use a binder in your meat, but don't want to use egg, other alternatives are flour such as wheat flour, cracker crumbs, or even oatmeal. I do not use anything to bind ground meat for burgers. They are moist enough to stick together on their own.

Egg and breadcrumbs are added to meatballs to help hold together, and the combination helps give the meatballs a slightly more tender texture.

You only need a small amount of egg – it's there only to help the cooked meatball retain its shape, and shouldn't detract from the meat's flavour or texture. Filler ingredients like breadcrumbs or flour are important too because they stop the meatballs becoming dry.

After all of the Italian meatballs I've been making lately, I consider myself a meatball expert. A good rule of thumb is to bake meatballs for 25-30 minutes at 350 degrees fahrenheit.

What is the best binder for meatballs? ›

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.

Egg is used as a binding agent, and some type of bread crumb or cracker is added to give meatballs a bit more depth. 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.

Mayonnaise. Eggs are a key ingredient in mayonnaise, so it makes sense that it can be a perfect substitute when you're out of eggs. Use 3 tablespoons of mayo as an egg substitute.

Olive oil makes a perfect egg substitute for meatballs. It provides moisture and it works as a binding agent to keep the meatballs together. Fresh parmesan cheese adds a delicious savory and cheesy flavor and also works with almond flour to keep the meatballs from falling apart.

Mayonnaise. If you have a jar of mayo in the fridge, you can use 3 tablespoons in place of one egg. "Mayonnaise has been used as an egg substitute because of its moistening properties and is best suited for cakes with strong flavors, like spice cakes and chocolate cakes," Tutunjian says.

You only need a small amount of egg – it's there only to help the cooked meatball retain its shape, and shouldn't detract from the meat's flavour or texture. Filler ingredients like breadcrumbs or flour are important too because they stop the meatballs becoming dry.

Coconut oil

And it can be used to replace eggs when you're breading foods, such as tofu, before baking or frying. Others oils, such as vegetable oil, can also be used to replace eggs. However, anything with a strong flavour will affect the end results.

Chia seeds work as a great egg replacer. 2 tablespoon of Chia Seeds soaked in 3 tablespoon of water is the equivalent of one egg.

The typical three-step process is flour, eggs and then breadcrumbs. Instead of the egg, Moskowitz recommends a mix of cornstarch and water, which, when stirred together, forms a slurry. It, too, is an effective glue, and you may even notice more crispness to, say, your chicken parm.