Baked Meatballs Recipe (No Breadcrumbs) - Healthy Recipes Blog (2024)

FAQs

What is a healthy substitute for breadcrumbs in meatballs? ›

Simply pulse rolled oats in a food processor until they reach a breadcrumb-like consistency, and use them as a light and nutritious coating for meats or as a binder in meatball recipes.

Instead of frying, I have a really easy recipe that I use to make baked meatballs. As you may already know, baking is a lighter and healthier cooking process than frying because in baking you miss all the fat and calories of the frying oil. You also have less cleanup – yay.

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.

If the meatballs are made with high-quality lean meat, minimal added fats, and a balanced mix of spices and seasonings, they can be a more nutritious option. Frying Method: The way the meatballs are fried matters. Deep-frying in a large amount of oil can make them less healthy due to the added calories and fat.

Go with a Grain

Puffed quinoa is a great sub for breadcrumbs to create satisfying, crunchy food, says Becker. "Set up three bowls: ground puffed quinoa, raw scrambled eggs, and puffed quinoa. Plunge chicken, fish, or veggies into the ground puffed quinoa, then the egg, then the puffed quinoa, and sear or bake.

A good rule of thumb is to bake meatballs for 20-25 minutes at 400 degrees fahrenheit. Every oven is different so the cooking time will not be the same for everyone. You will know the meatballs are ready when the internal temperature of the meatballs is 165 degrees.

The best meatballs are tender, baked and browned in a hot oven to seal in all the juices.

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.

An egg is usually a good start, as that can help with the tenderness and texture, but the king of meatball binders is breadcrumbs soaked in milk (also known as a panade). Soaking the breadcrumbs first makes them pliable and soggy, which allows them to easily and evenly mix into the ground meat.

Use breadcrumb navigation for large websites and websites that have hierarchically arranged pages. An excellent scenario is e-commerce websites, in which a large variety of products is grouped into logical categories. You shouldn't use breadcrumbs for single-level websites that have no logical hierarchy or grouping.

What can you use instead of breadcrumbs in meatloaf? ›

There can be health benefits to eating homemade meatballs as opposed to store bought frozen meatballs. Homemade meatballs can be made with leaner meats, and the cook can control the amount of added salt and other seasonings.

Meatballs are also a great choice if you're looking for simple and tasty ways to lose weight and eat healthy. You can make Italian meatballs, Asian inspired meatballs, barbecue meatballs and so much more. It's all about what herbs and spices you decide to put in the meat mixture.

But these simple-looking protein portions can be surprisingly unhealthy if you're not making the meatballs yourself. From excessive saturated fat and sodium levels to curious ingredients you'd rather not be eating, some store-bought meatballs can be full of things that make them far from nutritious.

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.

I suggest using either rolled oats, old-fashioned oats or quick cooking oats in this recipe as the bread/breadcrumb substitute.