A simple tutorial to prepare egg-free meatballs suitable for those with allergies or food intolerances, as well as for those who, for health or dietary reasons, prefer not to combine different protein sources.
The light egg-free meatballs are just as soft and flavorful.
A basic and versatile recipe that lends itself to the preparation of:
– meatballs;
– meatloaf;
– hamburgers and mini hamburgers;
– meat pizza;
– meat sandwiches;
– fillings and stuffings.
How to replace eggs in meatballs
To achieve egg-free meatballs that are even softer and lighter, simply add vegetables or greens, raw or cooked, to the basic ingredients.
- Difficulty: Easy
- Cost: Inexpensive
- Preparation time: 20 Minutes
- Portions: 2 People
- Cooking methods: Electric Oven, Air Fryer, Stove
- Cuisine: Italian
Ingredients
For my meatballs, I used:
selected ground meat, a mix of beef and pork, lean first cut – if you want even leaner meatballs, you can use ground white meat like chicken or turkey, preferably breast.
- 8.47 oz ground mixed meat (beef and pork, lean, first cut)
- 0.53 oz breadcrumbs (or whole wheat breadcrumbs)
- 0.53 oz cheese (grated: caciocavallo, Grana, or Parmigiano)
- 1 pinch garlic powder (optional)
- 1 pinch salt
- 1 pinch mixed peppercorns (with grinder)
- to taste chopped parsley
- to taste vegetables or greens (raw or cooked)
Suggested Tools
- 1 Bowl
- Spoons measuring
- 1 Plate or tray
Preparation
In a bowl, pour:
– the ground meat;
– the breadcrumbs or whole wheat breadcrumbs, a 15 g measuring spoon or 1 heaping tablespoon;
– the grated cheese, a 15 g measuring spoon or 1 heaping tablespoon;
– garlic powder [optional];
– a pinch of salt;
– a pinch of pepper;
– chopped parsley if desired;
and mix the ingredients well until you get a homogeneous mixture.
To achieve egg-free meatballs that are even softer and lighter, simply add vegetables or greens:
– raw, chopped, grated, or julienned, e.g., carrots, onions, celery, zucchini;
– cooked, chopped or blended, e.g., broccoli, cauliflower, eggplant, pumpkin.In the quantity as needed to achieve a soft but moldable dough, just like when eggs are added.
Form balls with your hands and place them on a plate or tray.
To achieve uniform meatballs, you can use a 7.5 g or 15 g measuring spoon according to the desired size.
You can vary the size and shape to taste: small or medium, round or flattened.
Your egg-free meatballs are ready to cook.
You can cook your egg-free meatballs in the oven or in an air fryer, in a pan and in sauce.
Since it is a ground meat-based preparation, the meatballs should always be well cooked and not rare to avoid the risk of foodborne illnesses from pathogenic microorganisms.Oven cooking
Preheat the oven.
Cook in a ventilated oven at 350°F for about 20 minutes.Air fryer cooking
Follow the instructions – program, temperature, and times – indicated in your appliance’s manual.
Check the degree of cooking from time to time.
For the detailed procedure step by step you can read the complete recipe by clicking on the following link: egg-free meatballs in air fryer.Cooking in sauce
For the detailed procedure step by step you can read the complete recipe by clicking on the following link: egg-free meatballs in sauce.Cooking times may vary depending on the shape and size of your meatballs.
Turn them halfway through cooking to even out the color.– meatballs;
– meatloaf;
– hamburgers and mini hamburgers;
– meat pizza;
– meat sandwiches;
– fillings and stuffings.
Storage, Tips, and Variations
You can use gluten-free breadcrumbs for a gluten-free version.
You can omit the cheese.
You can flavor the mixture with herbs or spices.
Cooked meatballs can be stored in the refrigerator in an airtight container for a couple of days.
You can reheat them in the oven or air fryer.
FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions)
For my meatballs, I used:
– selected ground meat, a mix of beef and pork, lean first cut.
Things You Should Know!
Since it is a ground meat-based preparation, it must always be well cooked and not rare to avoid the risk of foodborne illnesses from pathogenic microorganisms.
On a steak, any contamination remains superficial and is eliminated during cooking.
– This is why it’s possible to eat a rare or undercooked steak.
In ground meat preparations, contamination can spread internally.
– This is why when consuming hamburgers, meatballs, or other ground meat dishes, it is important that the cooking is complete and there are no pink or undercooked areas.What meat for meatballs?
– beef;
– pork;
– mixed beef and pork;
– chicken;
– turkey.Meat cuts for meatballs
For light meatballs, ask for a first-cut choice ground meat, meaning a lean first-cut meat.
Your trusted butcher will serve you best.
For your information, lean meat cuts are:
– round or shank for beef;
– tenderloin or loin for pork;
* the loin or rib is a cut where the lean part is visibly distinguishable from the fat part, making it easy to trim.What grind of meat for meatballs?
The first-cut grind is leaner.
The second-cut grind is fattier.
For light meatballs, choose a first-cut grind.
