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By: Oriana Romero/Published: /Updated: / 12 Comments
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1.BEST Eggless Italian Meatballs Recipe
3.How To Make Italian Meatballs Without Eggs
4.Frequently Asked Questions
6.Reheat Meatballs
7.More Eggless Meatball Recipes You’ll Love!
8.Best Eggless Italian Meatballs
BEST Eggless Italian Meatballs Recipe
These Italian Meatballs with Tomato Sauce are classic comfort food and everyone’s favorite. And now you can make the Best Eggless Italian Meatballs.
I often make meatballs at my house, and lately, I have been getting lots of questions about replacing eggs in a meatball recipe.
The secretto making meatballs without eggs is plain yogurt, which will act as a binding agent and help keep the meatballs tender and moist.
These eggless meatballs are tasty and juicy and pretty simple to make. This recipe is also great for meal prep since it freezes and reheats really well.
Here’s how to make perfect eggless meatballs every time.
Ingredients Notes & Substitutions
Please check the recipe card at the bottom of the post for exact quantities and instructions(scroll down).
For the meatballs, you’ll need:
- Breadcrumbs: I prefer using fresh breadcrumbs for this recipe. To make fresh breadcrumbs, I place 2 slices of white bread and process until finely chopped, about 30 seconds. 2 slices of white bread will make 1 cup of breadcrumbs.
- Plain yogurt
- Fresh parsley
- Parmesan cheese: Most fresh Parmesan cheeses contain lysozyme from egg whites, which accelerates ripening and prevents the growth of bacteria. I would recommend you substitute Parmesan cheese for Pecorino. Kraft Grated Parmesan Cheese seems to be safe, but as always, read the labels first.
- Fresh Onion
- Garlic powder
- Italian herb seasoning: If you don’t have Italian herb seasoning, you can add ½ teaspoon of dried oregano + ½ teaspoon of dried basil or 1 whole teaspoon of either.
- Salt and black pepper
- Ground Meat: I always use 95 – 5 ground beef to make this recipe. However, feel free to use 1 lb ground beef + 1 lb ground pork or 1 lb ground beef + ½ lb ground pork + ½ lb Italian sausage casings removed.
- Olive oil
- Fresh basil
For the Tomato Sauce, you’ll need:
- Diced tomatoes: I prefer San Marzano tomatoes.
- Tomato sauce
- Water
- Tomato paste
- Spices: Garlic powder + Onion Powder.
- Herbs: I like to use Italian herb seasoning. If you don’t have Italian herb seasoning, you can add ½ teaspoon of dried oregano + ½ teaspoon of dried basil or 1 whole teaspoon of either.
- Salt and black pepper
How To Make Italian Meatballs Without Eggs
Please check the recipe card at the bottom of the post for exact quantities and instructions(scroll down).
1 – Make The Tomato Sauce
Place all the ingredients in a medium mixing bowl and mix until well combined. Reserve.
2 – Make The Meatballs Mixture
Place fresh breadcrumbs, yogurt, parsley, parmesan, onion, Worcestershire, garlic, Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper in a large mixing bowl and mix until well combined. Add ground beef; mix until well combined.
3 – Form The Meatballs
Form beef mixture into 1″ balls.
4 – Brown The Meatballs
In a large, high-sided skillet over medium heat, heat oil. Working in batches if necessary, sear meatballs on all sides to develop a crust.
Pro Tip: Alternatively, you can bake the meatballs. To bake meatballs, just spray the baking tray and the meatballs generously with oil and bake at 400º F -200º C for 20 minutes. I like to use a rack placed on the tray to help keep the base of the meatballs more round.
5 – Add The Tomato Sauce And Cook
Return all the meatballs to the skillet. Add the tomato sauce. Bring to a low simmer, reduce the heat to low, and let cook partially covered, turning the meatballs occasionally, for 25 to 30 minutes. Meatballs will be tender, and the sauce will be thickened.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I Make Meatballs Without Eggs?
Yes, you definitely can, and you won’t even notice the difference. Instead of using eggs as a binding agent, I like to use a combination of fresh bread crumbs and plain yogurt.
How Long To Cook Meatballs?
Once browned, these 1-inch meatballs will need about 15 to 20 minutes to cook in the sauce.If you want, you can check them with a digital thermometer; the meatballs should register 160°F in the center.
What Should I Serve With Meatballs?
The obvious answer is spaghetti, my family’s fave btw. But these Eggless Italian Meatballs are super versatile. You can use them to make sandwiches or serve them with mashed potatoes, rice, or roasted veggies.
Storing & Freezing Instructions
Store Meatballs
Cooked meatballs can be stored in the refrigerator with the tomato sauce for up to 5 days.
Freeze Meatballs
These meatballs can also be frozen. Let the meatballs cool completely, then transfer to a freezer container bag and freeze for up to 3 months.
Reheat Meatballs
To reheat frozen meatballs, thaw them overnight in the fridge before reheating them gently on the stovetop or in the microwave.
More Eggless Meatball Recipes You’ll Love!
- Easy Instant Pot Stroganoff Meatballs
- Instant Pot Teriyaki Turkey Meatballs
- Easy Greek Chicken Meatballs (Baked – No Eggs)
- Easy Instant Pot Stroganoff Meatballs
- Browse more recipes…
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Best Eggless Italian Meatballs
Oriana Romero
These Eggless Italian Meatballs are juicy, tender and full of flavor. No eggs? No problem! Here I share how to make perfect eggless meatballs every time and you won't even notice the difference.
4.44 from 51 votes
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 15 minutes mins
Cook Time 30 minutes mins
Total Time 45 minutes mins
Servings 10 people (4 meatballs per serving – make 40 meatballs approx.)
Equipment
Ingredients
Tomato Sauce (see note)
- 1 can (14.5 oz) diced tomatoes
- 1 can (8 oz) tomato sauce
- ½ cup (120 ml) water
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 2 teaspoons garlic powder
- 2 teaspoons onion powder
- 1 teaspoon Italian herb seasoning (see notes)
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
Meatballs
- 1 cup fresh breadcrumbs (see notes)
- ½ cup plain yogurt
- ½ cup fresh parsley, finely chopped
- ½ cup parmesan cheese (see notes)
- 1 cup onion, finely chopped
- 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
- 2 teaspoons garlic powder
- 2 teaspoons Italian herb seasoning (see notes)
- 2 teaspoons salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- 2 lb ground beef (see notes)
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- ¼ cup fresh basil, chopped
Instructions
Tomato Sauce:
Place all the ingredients in a medium mixing bowl and mix until well combined. Reserve.
Meatballs:
Place fresh breadcrumbs, yogurt, parsley, parmesan, onion, Worcestershire, garlic, Italian seasoning, salt and pepper in a large mixing bowl and mix until well combined. Add ground beef; mix until well combined.
Form beef mixture into 1″ balls.
In a large high-sided skillet over medium heat, heat oil. Working in batches if necessary, sear meatballs on all sides to develop a crust. You can also bake the meatballs, go to notes for details.
Return all the meatballs to the skillet. Add the tomato sauce. Bring to a low simmer, reduce the heat to low and let cook partially covered, turning the meatballs occasionally, for 25 to 30 minutes. Meatballs will be tender and sauce will be thickened.
Five minutes before meatballs are done, stir in chopped fresh basil. Taste and adjust seasoning adding more salt and/or pepper, if necessary.
Serve over pasta, mashed potatoes, rice or roasted veggies.
Oriana’s Notes
Tomato Sauce: Instead of making the tomato sauce you can use 1 or 2 jars of your favorite marinara sauce.
Herbs: If you don’t have Italian herb seasoning you can add ½ teaspoon of dried oregano + ½ teaspoon of dried basil, or 1 whole teaspoon of either.
Breadcrumbs: I prefer using fresh breadcrumbs for this recipe. To make fresh breadcrumbs I place 2 slices of white bread and process until finely chopped, about 30 seconds. 2 slices of white bread will make 1 cup of breadcrumbs.
Parmesan Cheese: Most fresh Parmesan cheeses contain lysozyme from egg whites, which accelerates ripening and prevents the growth of bacteria. I would recommend you substitute Parmesan cheese for Pecorino. Kraft Grated Parmesan Cheese seems to be safe but as always, read the labels first.
Meat: I always use 95 – 5 ground beef to make this recipe. However, feel free to use 1 lb ground beef + 1 lb ground pork, or 1 lb ground beef + ½ lb ground pork + ½ lb Italian sausage casings removed.
Baked Meatballs:To bake meatballs, just spray the baking tray and the meatballs generously with oil and bake at 400º F -200º C for 20 minutes. I like to use a rack placed on the tray to help keep the base of the meatballs more round.
Store: Cooked meatballs can be stored with the tomato sauce in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Reheat gently on the stovetop or in the microwave.
Freeze: These meatballs can also be frozen. Let the meatballs cool completely, then transfer to a freezer container bag and freeze for up to 3 months.
Reheat:To reheat, thaw the frozen meatballs overnight in the fridge before reheating gently on the stovetop or in the microwave.
How Long To Cook Meatballs?
Once browned, these 1-inch meatballs will need about 15 to 20 minutes to cook in the sauce. If you want, you can check them with a digital thermometer; the meatballs should register 160°F in the center.
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Please note that nutritional information is a rough estimate and it can vary depending on the products used.
Nutrition
Calories: 331kcalCarbohydrates: 8gProtein: 19gFat: 24gSodium: 977mgFiber: 1gSugar: 3g
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Course Main Course
Cuisine Italian
Calories 331
Keyword dinner easy eggfree Eggless meatballs sauce tomato
Welcome to my eggless kitchen!
Thanks for stopping by! I’m Oriana, a wife, mom to three wonderful kids, and a passionate baker and cooker of all eggless things delicious. My goal is to give you the confidence and knowledge to cook and bake without eggs while providing quality recipes that your whole family will love. I’m really happy that you’re here, so take a seat and have fun exploring! Read More…
