Can you make meatballs without eggs? Sure! They are tender, made with simple ingredients, and perfect for the whole family. Enjoy them with your favorite sides, make a meatball sub, or serve them with spaghetti and tomato sauce.
Do you want to make meatballs but can't have eggs or just discovered you forgot to buy some? No worries! You can make our tender meatballs without eggs, and no one will know they're different from the traditional ones.
When making meatballs, eggs are a binding agent, keeping all the ingredients together and helping the meatball keep its shape. However, this recipe for meatballs without eggs allows you to enjoy really good meatballs even if you don't eat or don't have any eggs.
Try more recipes that are supposed to include eggs but don't: Breaded Chicken without Eggs, Spelt Banana Bread, and Eggless Almond Cookies.
Jump to recipe
Recipe ingredients
- Ground meat: A pound of meat, a mixture of ground beef and ground pork. You can use only one type of meat or even ground turkey. However, if you choose only beef, aiming for medium fat content is preferable, meaning 20% fat and 80% lean meat; otherwise, the eggless meatballs might be too dry.
- Try some Turkey Meatballs without Breadcrumbs or Veal Meatballs.
- White bread soaked in water (or milk) is essential. Soaked fresh breadcrumbs also help the ingredients bind together.
- Try our homemade Meatballs Without Breadcrumbs, too.
- Other ingredients: Onion, fresh garlic, parsley, tomato paste, vegetable or olive oil, and Dijon or plain yellow mustard. These two last ingredients will also help the meat mixture bind.
- Spices: Fine sea salt, ground black pepper, sweet paprika powder and thyme. You can use a store-bought mixture for ground meat instead or any other spices you like.
- Or try the spice combinations we used to make these Spanish Meatballs, the Pork Meatballs, or the Turkish Kofta.
Variations: For Italian meatballs and extra flavor, add 2 tablespoons of freshly grated Parmesan cheese and season the balls with Italian seasoning. Use other fresh herbs like dill, chives, thyme, or oregano instead of parsley.
How to make meatballs without eggs?
Step #1: Soak the bread in a small bowl and sautรฉ the onions.
Step #2: Mix the meatball mixture in a large bowl.
Step #3: Shape and chill the uncooked egg-free meatballs.
Step #4: Cook the balls in two batches in a large skillet or frying pan on the stovetop.
Good to know
Chill the meatballs without eggs before cooking them; a short chilling time will help them keep their shape better.
Check Doneness: Use a meat thermometer (the Amazon link opens in a new tab) to ensure the meatballs reach a safe internal temperature (165ยฐF/ 74ยฐC) without overcooking them. The cooking time depends on the size of the meatballs, pan, and heat level.
Recipe FAQs
Bake them at 400ยฐF/ 200ยฐC on a rimmed baking sheet lined with parchment paper for about 15 minutes or until cooked through (check!). However, when making eggless meatballs, I prefer to pan-fry them; the light crust formed during frying helps them stay together better.ย
Sure, they are great for meal prep. You can make, cool, and refrigerate until ready to serve. You can serve them directly or reheat them in the oven.ย
For 3-4 days, in an airtight container in the fridge.
You can also freeze them in a freezer bag for up to 3 months.ย
What to serve with eggless meatballs?
There are different ways to enjoy these simple meatballs. Serve them with your favorite sides like Garlic Parmesan Mashed Potatoes and Buttered Vegetables or spaghetti and your favorite pasta sauce. Try our Spicy Marinara Sauce, Polish Meatballs in Mushroom Sauce, or make some Swedish meatballs.
Do you like this recipe?
Please leave a good rating in the recipe card below. Stay in touch through social media: Pinterest, Facebook, and Instagram. Don't forget to tag #whereismyspoon when you try a recipe!Recipe
Easy Meatballs Without Eggs
Equipment
- Large frying pan (nonstick) or cast iron skillet
- Spatula or tongs
Ingredients
- ยฝ lb ground beef 225 g, Note 1
- ยฝ lb ground pork 225 g
- 2 slices white bread crusts removed, about 2 oz/ 60 g
- 1 small onion finely chopped
- 2 garlic cloves grated
- 1 small bunch parsley finely chopped
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard or plain yellow mustard
- 2 teaspoons sweet paprika powder Note 2
- ยฝ teaspoon thyme
- 1 teaspoon fine sea salt
- ยฝ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 3 tablespoons vegetable oil divided
Instructions
- Bread: Remove the crust from the bread and tear it into small pieces. Place the pieces in a small bowl and soak them in cold water (or milk) while you prepare the rest.2 slices white bread / about 2 oz/ 60 g
- Onion: Chop the onion finely. Heat 1 tablespoon of the oil in the pan and sautรฉ the onions until translucent and very lightly golden (2-3 minutes). Remove them from the pan. You will use the same pan to cook the meatballs.1 small onion + 1 tablespoon oil
- Meatball mixture: Place the ground meat, cooked onions, grated garlic cloves, chopped parsley, tomato paste, mustard, and spices in a large bowl. Squeeze the bread and add it to the bowl. Mix well with your hand.ยฝ lb ground beef / 225 g + ยฝ lb ground pork / 225 g + 2 garlic cloves + 1 small bunch parsley + 1 tablespoon tomato paste + 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard + 2 teaspoons sweet paprika powder + ยฝ teaspoon thyme + 1 teaspoon fine sea salt + ยฝ teaspoon ground black pepper
- Shape 16-18 round meatballs and place them in the refrigerator for 10 minutes.
- Cook meatballs: Heat 2 tablespoons oil in the frying pan. Fry the meatballs in two batches, being careful not to overcrowd the pan. Cook them on one side until nicely browned. Flip them gently using tongs or a spatula so that they cook and get brown on all sides; it will take about 8 minutes, but check that they are cooked through. You might need to turn them a few times to ensure they cook evenly.2 tablespoon oil
- Second batch: If required, add a bit more oil when cooking the second batch.
Notes
- Ground meat: You can also make these meatballs with only ground beef, pork, or ground turkey. If you use only beef, aim for medium, meaning 20% fat and 80% lean meat; otherwise, the meatballs might be too dry.
- Spices: You can use any other spices or your favorite store-bought spice mixture for ground beef or meat.
Leave a Reply