Baked Mongolian Beef Meatballs - The Defined Dish Recipes (2024)

FAQs

Should you sear meatballs before baking? ›

And of course, browning them adds a lot of wonderful complex flavor to the meatballs, so you definitely don't want to skip this step.

Baking soda acts as a meat tenderizer by changing the physical composition of meat fibers. It raises the pH levels on the surface and makes it tougher (pun intended) for the proteins in the meat to bond.

Cook until they are no longer pink in the middle and any juices run clear. You'll need to turn them regularly to make sure they cook evenly and retain their round shape.

What makes these meatballs so juicy? Fat. Specifically 80% lean ground beef for the ideal meat-to-fat ratio. Some people like to use blends, and if you're getting nice beef, pork, and veal from your butcher, by all means, go for it.

After all of the Italian meatballs I've been making lately, I consider myself a meatball expert. A good rule of thumb is to bake meatballs for 25-30 minutes at 350 degrees fahrenheit.

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.

When it comes to adding liquid to meatball mixtures, milk is often used for its versatility, depth of flavor, and richness. Without the use of milk, you may be faced with a plate of dry meatballs. Milk adds a certain level of moisture that helps produce perfectly tender meatballs.

A traditional size for this sort of meatball is 2 to 3 inches across, but you can make them any size you want. Once you roll the meatball in your hands, roll it in the flour to give it a good coating. Set each one on a baking sheet as you work.

Baking them at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 20 minutes should do it. I bake turkey meatballs for 15 minutes, and bake beef/pork ones for 20–25 minutes to ensure they're cooked through. If you need the drippings to make your sauce, you can scraped them out of the broiler pan bottom.

Is it better to use milk or water in meatballs? ›

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.

Each of them uses ground beef, breadcrumbs, salt, and pepper. Even their optional ingredients have crossover with the likes of parsley, garlic, and sometimes parmesan cheese. However, while so far they're looking like the same thing, there is one key difference to make note of in their ingredients – the binding agent.

Most meatballs served in marinara sauce are made with a mixture of beef and another ground protein, like pork sausage or veal—or all three. Pork gives the meatballs extra flavor, and veal helps keep them moist and tender.

I've used the combination of pork, beef, and veal but you can make them with just ground beef and they still taste great. Definitely use fresh bread crumbs and freshly grate your cheese instead of using the canned variety... It really does make a difference! Searching for the best meatball recipe ever?

Pan-Searing

Range-top browning is straightforward, especially when you're working with a smallish batch of meatballs, plus the browned bits left in the pan give great flavor to a sauce. Brown the meatballs, pour off excess fat, deglaze with a bit of water or wine, and add to your tomato sauce.

Searing meat doesn't create an impermeable barrier that prevents the release of natural juices when cooking or slicing a steak or other cut of meat. But that doesn't mean you should abandon searing altogether. You should always consider searing steaks before grilling, baking, braising, roasting, or sautéeing.