Eggless Italian Meatballs Recipe (2024)

FAQs

What can you use instead of eggs to bind meatballs? ›

Finally, for every egg your meatball recipe calls for, add ¼ cup of mashed potatoes, then prepare as usual. When using mashed potatoes as a binder for meatballs, the potato flavor won't come through very strongly, but the butter and cream will enhance other flavors in the meatballs and keep them moist.

Egg acts as a binder for the ingredients, but you only need a small amount. One small egg will do for one pound of minced meat. Alternatively, if you're following an egg-free diet, you could soak fresh bread in milk, squeezing out any excess milk, to use as a binder.

American meatballs are the biggest in size, with Italian and Swedish meatballs following on the depth chart. Italian meatballs call for seasonings like grated parmesan and oregano, while Swedish ones use seasonings like nutmeg and allspice. While it doesn't sound like a huge distinction, you'll notice it in the taste!

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.

No, eggs are not necessary for binding burger patties, though they are commonly used for binding them. However, you can use other binding agents such as breadcrumbs, cracker crumbs, potato starch, flour, and porridge oats to bind burger patties according to your preferences.

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.

Mix 2 tablespoons of flax seeds with 7 tablespoons water. Set aside and let it rest for 10-15 mins (more if you have the time). When the egg is coherent and sticky after 15 min., the egg is ready to use. Use the flax egg as a substitute in vegan meatballs, patties, fritters, baking recipes, pancakes and more.

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.

Raisins and pignoli nuts are combined with ground chuck, Pecorino Romano cheese, garlic, parsley, and breadcrumbs and cooked in a tomato sauce until tender. These meatballs are perfect served alongside pasta and sauteed greens, and freeze well so they can definitely be made ahead!

Do Italians in Italy put meatballs on their spaghetti? ›

Polpette Al Forno

"Al forno" simply means "baked in an oven," and it's the most customary way you'll find meatballs and pasta in the same dish together in Italy. While spaghetti and meatballs may not be so common, a casserole-style dish of pasta and meatballs certainly is - think baked ziti!

Our meatballs and meat sauce are made with 100% ground beef. They do not contain any pork.

Common egg substitutes for meatloaf include flaxseed meal, chia seeds, mashed banana, applesauce, silken tofu, yogurt, and various commercial egg replacers.

Chia seeds work great as a binder in recipes that require binding such as meatballs, meatloaf, and burgers. If you wish to use them in frying recipes, you should mix them with water to replace the eggs. Make sure that you don't add too much water to the chia seeds, and stir the mixture thoroughly to avoid clumping.

Some alternatives to eggs in baking include applesauce, mashed banana, yogurt or silken tofu, flaxseed or chia seed "eggs," and commercial egg replacers. Milk alone cannot replace eggs in baking due to differences in their properties.