Air Fryer Meatballs - perfectly juicy! - The Recipe Rebel (2024)

FAQs

How to make meatballs that aren t dry? ›

Milk: Adds moisture and tenderizes the meat, making our meatballs juicy and tender once cooked. Egg: Adds more moisture and helps the mixture firm up once cooked. Parmesan: My secret ingredient for the best meatballs! Parmigiano-Reggiano adds flavor and salt to our mixture.

Check the fat content.

Leaner meat can easily result in dry meatballs, which need to be fully cooked to be served safely. (Ground poultry should be cooked to 165 degrees, and other ground meats should be cooked to 160 degrees.)

Add a lightly beaten egg, but not too much. 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.

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.

Making sure you have a high fat content in your meatballs is the best way to ensure they stay juicy and don't dry out. Our ideal ratio is 80/20, with 20% being fat.

The Key to Tender Meatballs

Here, we're soaking fresh or dried breadcrumbs in a little milk until the bread becomes soggy, then mixing that right into the meat. This binder (aka panade) helps add moisture to the meatballs and also prevents the meat proteins from shrinking and becoming tough.

Milk: We will mix a bit of milk with the breadcrumbs to form a panade, which will help to keep our meatballs nice and moist. Ground beef and pork: I like to use a 50/50 mix of the two to make meatballs, but you can also make all-beef or all-pork meatballs if you prefer.

Using the wrong amount of bread crumbs (or flour)

Bread crumbs are another popular binder for meatballs that can become problematic if used incorrectly. Adding too many bread crumbs to the mix will cause your meatballs to become loose and fall apart.

Should I cover meatballs when frying? ›

For the best result, seal them on all sides in a pan first before plopping them into your sauce; this will ensure they don't fall apart as they cook. Cover the pot with a lid to prevent unnecessary spattering on your cooktop and stir occasionally.

Filler ingredients like breadcrumbs or flour are important too because they stop the meatballs becoming dry. The breadcrumbs absorb the juices from the meat as it cooks, trapping them within the meatball.

Filler ingredients like breadcrumbs or flour are important too because they stop the meatballs becoming dry. The breadcrumbs absorb the juices from the meat as it cooks, trapping them within the meatball. Again quantity is important here; too much and your meatball will be more like stuffing or a dumpling.

Tenderizing the Meat:

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.

As the egg cooks, the proteins coagulate and set. This provides structure and sturdiness to the meatball. The egg yolk also helps lock in moisture and provides consistency in texture, resulting in tender meatballs with a pleasant mouthfeel as opposed to crumbly ones.