Best meatballs ever
April 24, 2022 5:25 AM Subscribe
Please share with me recipes for the easiest and best meatballs/koftas/rissoles/other similar food.
Some requests:
* I would like the recipe to involve at least one egg
* Hoping for something which will be quite tender, so that my toddler is okay with the texture
* Hoping for something that I can bake in the oven rather than pan fry.
Thank you
Some requests:
* I would like the recipe to involve at least one egg
* Hoping for something which will be quite tender, so that my toddler is okay with the texture
* Hoping for something that I can bake in the oven rather than pan fry.
Thank you
This is my favourite recipe for Spanish pork and beef meatballs
posted by kenchie at 7:16 AM on April 24, 2022
posted by kenchie at 7:16 AM on April 24, 2022
This recipe from Smitten Kitchen for sheet pan meatballs over chickpeas can be made with ground chicken, turkey, or lamb. Many commenters remarked that their young children liked the meatballs; you will know your own toddler best and can reduce/swap spices accordingly. Also from Smitten Kitchen, these baked chicken meatballs are versatile enough to use in a variety of ways: in pasta sauce, on a sandwich, over rice, or simply dipped into your favorite condiments.
Tenderness in baked meatballs is an outcome dependent upon the protein used (avoid anything too lean, such as 99% lean ground turkey/ground poultry made exclusively from the breast), the binding mixture (if it contains a small quantity of fat in the form of dairy or oil, this helps with texture), and the length of time in the oven. If your oven runs hot, start checking a few minutes early for doneness.
posted by little mouth at 7:17 AM on April 24, 2022 [1 favorite]
Tenderness in baked meatballs is an outcome dependent upon the protein used (avoid anything too lean, such as 99% lean ground turkey/ground poultry made exclusively from the breast), the binding mixture (if it contains a small quantity of fat in the form of dairy or oil, this helps with texture), and the length of time in the oven. If your oven runs hot, start checking a few minutes early for doneness.
posted by little mouth at 7:17 AM on April 24, 2022 [1 favorite]
Turkey Ricotta Meatballs From Julia Turshen’s cookbook Small Victories is a favorite for my family.
posted by Swisstine at 7:45 AM on April 24, 2022
posted by Swisstine at 7:45 AM on April 24, 2022
I made these recently and it was a big hit, and very tender. I swapped out half the mince for sausage meat, not sure if that contributed to the tenderness. Also I didn't grate the onion, but food processed it with the bread and left it soaking there for a bit. You can bake rather than fry.
(not sure about the sauce as I didn't follow the recipe for that. I made the simple onion + butter + canned tomatoes sauce that I learned about on here)
posted by pianissimo at 7:50 AM on April 24, 2022
(not sure about the sauce as I didn't follow the recipe for that. I made the simple onion + butter + canned tomatoes sauce that I learned about on here)
posted by pianissimo at 7:50 AM on April 24, 2022
Serious Eats: Best Italian American Meatballs - The contain eggs and they are tender and they are broiled then simmered in sauce. I can't say this is the easiest recipe just due to number of ingredients and the amount discrete steps/equipment used. However, as far as these things go, the steps are straightforward and forgiving so there is a high likelihood of success.
posted by mmascolino at 8:31 AM on April 24, 2022
posted by mmascolino at 8:31 AM on April 24, 2022
Best answer: OK, I freestyle meatballs, so here's my guidelines:
To have tender meatballs, you need to add filler—I typically use panko or bread crumbs, but you can also just finely mash crackers or matzah. Bread crumbs blend well into the meatball, but you can use cooked rice if you don't mind it being identifiable. No-filler = tougher meatballs.
You also MUST NOT overwork the meat. Add all your ingredients, mash into the meat briefly. Don't worry about getting it perfectly evenly mixed, don't worry about making perfect spheres. You want to avoid overheating the meat with your hands and liquifiying the little pieces of fat. These pieces melt while you cook, leaving little voids in the ball. This is part of getting a tender texture.
Here's the recipe for what it's worth:
1 lb ground lamb
1 egg
1/4-1/2 cup bread crumbs or panko
1 tsp salt
black pepper
Then I adjust the seasoning for what I'm feeling, and apologies in advance to ALL the cultures I'm insulting here:
Italian-ish:
Add 1/4 cup finely chopped onion
2 cloves garlic crushed
a little bit of parsley, mint or oregano--not too much or it'll be bitter.
Middle Eastern-y:
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp sweet paprika or less of ground hot pepper
3 cloves garlic crushed
little bit of allspice
Or variations thereof. I never make meatballs without either onion or garlic, but I vary the other savory spices by whatever I have and am feeling at the moment. As long as the ingredients are finely chopped you're ok. Big pieces may impact the integrity of the meatball.
Add all ingredients in a big bowl, and lightly mash by hand. Just do enough to get the egg and filler incorporated, and don't worry about having a perfectly even mixture—not overworking the meat is really important, and cooking spreads the flavors of the various spices through the whole of the meatball, even if they aren't evenly distributed in the structure of the ball. My go-to size is between golf ball and skee ball.
I then either cook them in a pan or simmer them in sauce until done. If you just pan fry them, put them into a hot pan at medium-high, and cook about 5-7 minutes covered, and then turn over for another 5 covered. Total cook time will vary based on the size of the meatballs.
If you cook them in either tomato sauce or another simmering liquid like broth, bring them to a simmer and go for about 15 minutes.
I usually reserve one or two to break open to check doneness, but you can use a meat thermometer.
If I haven't cooked them in tomato sauce, I like to serve the meatballs with yogurt with fresh mint and a little salt.
posted by Playdoughnails at 8:53 AM on April 24, 2022 [2 favorites]
To have tender meatballs, you need to add filler—I typically use panko or bread crumbs, but you can also just finely mash crackers or matzah. Bread crumbs blend well into the meatball, but you can use cooked rice if you don't mind it being identifiable. No-filler = tougher meatballs.
You also MUST NOT overwork the meat. Add all your ingredients, mash into the meat briefly. Don't worry about getting it perfectly evenly mixed, don't worry about making perfect spheres. You want to avoid overheating the meat with your hands and liquifiying the little pieces of fat. These pieces melt while you cook, leaving little voids in the ball. This is part of getting a tender texture.
Here's the recipe for what it's worth:
1 lb ground lamb
1 egg
1/4-1/2 cup bread crumbs or panko
1 tsp salt
black pepper
Then I adjust the seasoning for what I'm feeling, and apologies in advance to ALL the cultures I'm insulting here:
Italian-ish:
Add 1/4 cup finely chopped onion
2 cloves garlic crushed
a little bit of parsley, mint or oregano--not too much or it'll be bitter.
Middle Eastern-y:
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp sweet paprika or less of ground hot pepper
3 cloves garlic crushed
little bit of allspice
Or variations thereof. I never make meatballs without either onion or garlic, but I vary the other savory spices by whatever I have and am feeling at the moment. As long as the ingredients are finely chopped you're ok. Big pieces may impact the integrity of the meatball.
Add all ingredients in a big bowl, and lightly mash by hand. Just do enough to get the egg and filler incorporated, and don't worry about having a perfectly even mixture—not overworking the meat is really important, and cooking spreads the flavors of the various spices through the whole of the meatball, even if they aren't evenly distributed in the structure of the ball. My go-to size is between golf ball and skee ball.
I then either cook them in a pan or simmer them in sauce until done. If you just pan fry them, put them into a hot pan at medium-high, and cook about 5-7 minutes covered, and then turn over for another 5 covered. Total cook time will vary based on the size of the meatballs.
If you cook them in either tomato sauce or another simmering liquid like broth, bring them to a simmer and go for about 15 minutes.
I usually reserve one or two to break open to check doneness, but you can use a meat thermometer.
If I haven't cooked them in tomato sauce, I like to serve the meatballs with yogurt with fresh mint and a little salt.
posted by Playdoughnails at 8:53 AM on April 24, 2022 [2 favorites]
Best answer: A bit left-field, but the turkey and courgette (zucchini) meatballs in Jerusalem (by Ottolenghi and Tamimi) are absolutely fantastic; so moist and tender, and not as strongly flavoured (or difficult to make) as many of Ottolenghi’s recipes; I reckon a toddler would be fine with them - you might want to leave out the cayenne, and the lemon in the sauce might be a bit much, but the meatballs themselves would be fine. They’re one of our favourite things to cook; so incredibly delicious. They contain egg; you start them in a pan and then transfer to the oven but you could probably just bake them.
You’d need to buy the book for the actual recipe but there are plenty of “inspired by” recipes from food bloggers than are basically exactly the same thing. This one, for example.
posted by parm at 11:29 AM on April 24, 2022 [1 favorite]
You’d need to buy the book for the actual recipe but there are plenty of “inspired by” recipes from food bloggers than are basically exactly the same thing. This one, for example.
posted by parm at 11:29 AM on April 24, 2022 [1 favorite]
If you follow an online recipe for Lincolnshire sausagemeat you can bread and fry or bake the sausagemeat in balls or patties without stuffing into sausage skins. English sausage has breadcrumbs in, so you get the tenderness you seek.
The real recipe expects you to grind the meat yourself, which is how I make it; but, to simplify, if you knead bread blitzed into breadcrumbs (or a bag of panko) into a reasonably fatty pack of ground pork you should get a good result. (Additionally you need sage, white pepper and salt, plus a bit of water; the proportions you find online will work even with the modifications.)
it freezes well uncooked, and the meatballs are moreish from the fridge when cold.
posted by How much is that froggie in the window at 12:03 PM on April 24, 2022
The real recipe expects you to grind the meat yourself, which is how I make it; but, to simplify, if you knead bread blitzed into breadcrumbs (or a bag of panko) into a reasonably fatty pack of ground pork you should get a good result. (Additionally you need sage, white pepper and salt, plus a bit of water; the proportions you find online will work even with the modifications.)
it freezes well uncooked, and the meatballs are moreish from the fridge when cold.
posted by How much is that froggie in the window at 12:03 PM on April 24, 2022
I wing it with a method similar to Playdoughnails’s Italian version, except I usually use stale bread soaked in milk rather than bread crumbs, and I grate the garlic and onion on a microplane rather than chopping - that technique might help with the texture. I add pine nuts and a grating of nutmeg, and go for parsley or basil as the fresh herb. Shape into golf ball sized meatballs and bake at 400F for 20 minutes. Use any combination of lamb/pork/beef.
posted by yarrow at 4:42 PM on April 24, 2022
posted by yarrow at 4:42 PM on April 24, 2022
I heartily recommend America's Test Kitchen's kofte recipe. It's super delicious. You do not need a grill. We just stick it under the broiler when we don't have access to a grill and it's just as good. Absolutely no frying involved. You can use beef, lamb, or a combo. They are quite tender in the end.
posted by Conrad Cornelius o'Donald o'Dell at 7:52 PM on April 24, 2022
posted by Conrad Cornelius o'Donald o'Dell at 7:52 PM on April 24, 2022
Here's a recipe for porcupine meatballs that resembles the one my mom used. It even includes an egg.
Honestly, I just mix a quarter cup or more of uncooked Minute Rice into a pound of ground chuck. No spices or eggs added. Then I pinch off and roll 1-inch meatballs and drop them (no crowding) into a couple of cans of Campbell's tomato soup heating up in a nonstick pan, and wait until the meatballs are no longer pink inside (about 15 to 20-ish minutes at a simmer, longer as needed). I usually toss in the last of the rice and ground chuck mixture to improve the soup.
Now I'm hungry. Thanks for the suggestions, everybody.
posted by TrishaU at 8:39 AM on April 25, 2022
Honestly, I just mix a quarter cup or more of uncooked Minute Rice into a pound of ground chuck. No spices or eggs added. Then I pinch off and roll 1-inch meatballs and drop them (no crowding) into a couple of cans of Campbell's tomato soup heating up in a nonstick pan, and wait until the meatballs are no longer pink inside (about 15 to 20-ish minutes at a simmer, longer as needed). I usually toss in the last of the rice and ground chuck mixture to improve the soup.
Now I'm hungry. Thanks for the suggestions, everybody.
posted by TrishaU at 8:39 AM on April 25, 2022
The Guardian Felicity Cloake Best Meatball recipe summarises a bunch of options to a mixed best-of recipe.
posted by k3ninho at 8:49 AM on April 25, 2022
posted by k3ninho at 8:49 AM on April 25, 2022
It might seem a bit pedestrian, but I love these: Meatball Nirvana
posted by routergirl at 1:20 PM on April 25, 2022
posted by routergirl at 1:20 PM on April 25, 2022
Not a full recipe but just a small cooking tip. Whenever I add breadcrumbs to meat, as in a meatloaf or meatballs, I'll soak the breadcrumbs in some water to make a panade. It seems any kind of liquid will work (e.g.: milk, broth, etc..). The amount to put is basically just enough to make the breadcrumbs kind of squishy. The panade makes the meat noticeably more tender versus regular dry breadcrumbs.
posted by mhum at 6:21 PM on April 25, 2022 [1 favorite]
posted by mhum at 6:21 PM on April 25, 2022 [1 favorite]
Response by poster: Thanks everyone. Lots of great recipes to try.
posted by kinddieserzeit at 9:36 PM on April 25, 2022
posted by kinddieserzeit at 9:36 PM on April 25, 2022
This thread is closed to new comments.
posted by Miko at 7:01 AM on April 24, 2022 [1 favorite]