Meatballs without Breadcrumbs & Eggs
These meatballs are the best I've ever had! Easy to make without both eggs & breadcrumbs, and all done in under 1 hour (resting & rolling time included). With 3 cooking methods: stove top, air fryer & finishing them in the oven. The end result is a juicy, flavor packed meatball ready to serve anyway you like.
Servings 40 meatballs
Calories 38kcal
Equipment
- Skillet, frying pan or air fryer
- Oven safe dish (optional)
- Meat thermometer (optional but recommended)
Ingredients
- ½ lb ground pork
- ½ lb ground beef
- 1 teaspoon ground white pepper
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
- ½ teaspoon fine table salt
- ½ teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1 small yellow onion peeled and shredded
- 1 boiled potato peeled and shredded
- 2 tablespoon cream
For Pan Frying
- 1 tablespoon butter
For Air Frying
- 1 teaspoon vegetable oil
Instructions
- Place both types of meat in a bowl and add white pepper, black pepper and salt. Mix well until you can't see any traces of the spices.½ lb ground pork, ½ lb ground beef, 1 teaspoon ground white pepper, ½ teaspoon ground black pepper, ½ teaspoon fine table salt
- Add Worcestershire sauce, shredded onion and shredded potato and mix well, until the different components can't be distinguished.½ teaspoon Worcestershire sauce, 1 small yellow onion, 1 boiled potato
- Add cream and mix until well combined with the meat.2 tablespoon cream
- Cover with plastic and place in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes.
- Bring out the meatball mixture and roll into meatballs.
Pan Frying
- Melt the butter in a pan over high heat.1 tablespoon butter
- Add the meatballs and cook for 30 seconds without stirring, then flip them and cook for 30 more seconds.
- Lower the heat to medium-low, and cook for 5-7 minutes, until the inner temperature of the meatballs is 160°F (70°C).
Pan Frying and Finishing in the Oven
- Preheat the oven to 300°F (150°C).
- Melt the butter in a pan over high heat.
- Add the meatballs and cook for 30 seconds without stirring, then flip them and cook for 30 more seconds.
- Place the meatballs in an oven safe dish and bake in the middle of the oven for 7 minutes, until the inner temperature of the meatballs is 160°F (70°C).
Air Frying
- Preheat the air fryer to 350°F (175°C).
- Brush the air fryer basket with vegetable oil, then place meatballs in the basket in a single layer.1 teaspoon vegetable oil
- Air fry at 350°F (175°C) for 6 minutes, shaking them around once halfway, until the inner temperature of the meatballs is 160°F (70°C).
Video
Notes
Ingredient notes & substitutions
- Meat: I always use 50/50 ground beef & ground pork, to get the flavor from the beef and the fat from the pork. You can use just one of them, or another ratio, but using less pork can make the meatballs drier
- Turkey meatballs: use ground turkey to make turkey meatballs
- Chicken meatballs: use ground chicken to make chicken meatballs
- Boiled potato: This is the secret to getting the meatballs to stick together without eggs & breadcrumbs. Allow it to cool (or use leftovers), and peel it.
- Yellow onion can be swapped for red onion or shallots
- Vegetable oil & butter: You can use one of them, or both, depending on what you like and how you cook your meatballs (see below)
- Worcestershire sauce sometimes has gluten, please check your bottle if gluten free is important to you
- Cream: I generally use heavy cream, but you can also use half and half or milk, as well as dairy free alternatives
Tips & tricks
- Mix in everything well with the meat for an even flavor
- If you're unsure about the seasoning, season lightly at first, then - after refrigerating - fry one small patty and taste test. If the seasoning is good, go ahead and roll the meatballs. If not, adjust the seasoning and test again.
- Make the meatball mixture ahead of time and either roll them out ahead of time as well, or do it just before frying. You can keep the meatballs uncooked, in an airtight container, in the fridge for up to 24 hours before cooking.
- For easiest rolling dip your fingers in some water first, and repeat when the meatballs start sticking to your fingers
- Try to make the meatballs even in size for even cooking
- Use a meat thermometer for the absolute best result
- Air frying is the lowest-fat option but this also means it has the highest risk of drying out the meatballs
- Store leftover meatballs without eggs & breadcrumbs in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 4 days
- Freeze leftover meatballs without eggs & breadcrumbs in freezer bags to store them for up to 3 months
- Reheat leftovers in a pan stove top, in the microwave, or in the air fryer (my favorite option, especially for frozen meatballs). Check out my guide to cooking frozen meatballs in the air fryer for all the details!
Why did my meatballs fall apart?
If these meatballs without eggs & breadcrumbs fall apart it is likely due to either mixing too little, not refrigerating before rolling out the meatballs, not rolling the meatballs enough or frying at too low heat initially. To avoid this, make sure to mix everything together really well, until you can't tell the different components from each other. Then refrigerate for at least 30 minutes, and when rolling out the meatballs, make sure the meatballs have a smooth exterior without any cracks. If pan frying the meatballs, make sure you are initially doing this over high heat.Nutrition
Calories: 38kcal | Carbohydrates: 1g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 3g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 10mg | Sodium: 39mg | Potassium: 58mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 16IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 4mg | Iron: 1mg