Can I use mayo in meatballs instead of egg?

Yes. There are recipes that call for plain yogurt and mayonnaise instead of eggs . But keep in mind that mayonnaise is made with eggs. If someone has an egg allergy you should not use mayonnaise.

What does adding egg to meatballs do?

You only need a small amount of egg – it's there only to help the cooked meatball retain its shape , and shouldn't detract from the meat's flavour or texture. Filler ingredients like breadcrumbs or flour are important too because they stop the meatballs becoming dry.

Is it better to bake meatballs at 350 or 400?

In an oven preheated to 350 degrees F , these meatballs should be fully cooked through and evenly browned in about 30 minutes. An instant-read thermometer inserted into the middle of the meatball should read at least 165 degrees F.

What can you use to keep meatballs from falling apart?

Whether it's breadcrumbs or egg (or both), or simply salt, binding the mince is a crucial step in maintaining the softness of your meatballs while preventing them from falling apart. Try soaking your breadcrumbs in milk for extra moisture and fluffiness.

What can I use instead of breadcrumbs to bind meatballs?

Pretzels . Pretzels are a great all-purpose substitute for bread crumbs. You can pulse them in a food processor until they're super-fine and use them as a binder for meatballs or meatloaf.

What can I substitute for egg in meatballs?

Thankfully, mashed potatoes work as an excellent egg substitute for meatballs. The function of egg in meatballs has very little to do with flavor and more to do with its binding properties, similar to why you might use breadcrumbs in meatloaf or burgers: to help everything hold together.

Can I substitute mayonnaise for eggs?

Mayonnaise. If you have a jar of mayo in the fridge, you can use 3 tablespoons in place of one egg . "Mayonnaise has been used as an egg substitute because of its moistening properties and is best suited for cakes with strong flavors, like spice cakes and chocolate cakes," Tutunjian says.

Can I use mayonnaise instead of eggs as a binder?

There are more than a few reasons why mayo makes sense as a substitute for egg wash . Since they both share the same main ingredient (eggs), they function in very similar ways. Much like egg wash acts as a binding agent to help seasonings and breadcrumbs stick to meat, creamy mayonnaise also manages to do the same.

What is the best binder for meatballs?

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.

Tender Turkey Meatballs and Orzo with Whole-Lemon Vinaigrette Recipe on Food52 (2024)

Serves a Crowd

by: EmilyC

March8,2021

4.7

15 Ratings

Tender Turkey Meatballs and Orzo with Whole-Lemon Vinaigrette Recipe on Food52 (1)

Prep time 20 minutes
Cook time 30 minutes
Serves 6-8 people

Jump to Recipe

Author Notes

Mayo is certainly not a traditional ingredient in meatballs. But it’s not an unusual choice, either, when you consider its parts: egg, oil, and a small amount of vinegar or lemon juice, all whisked or blended together. Because it’s a stable emulsion, mayo serves as an excellent binder for meatballs. It easily slips into the role played by eggs and bread crumbs. With mayo, the path to meatballs is simple: no eggs to crack, no bread to blitz into fine crumbs, no guessing at the amount of crumbs to work in (too much...hockey puck meatballs! Too little...crumbly, fall-apart meatballs!). And a good quality mayo adds a lot of flavor in the process. Easier still, these meatballs are cooked on a sheet pan under the broiler, so they get golden brown without the mess and time required of frying. The recipe below calls for 2 pounds of turkey (enough to serve 6 to 8 people), but if you're cooking for a smaller crowd, the meatball recipe can be easily halved.

Together, the meatballs and orzo are bright, light, and lemony. The orzo is double dressed, first with mayo to add body and light creaminess (and prevent the orzo from sticking and clumping as it rests), and then by a whole-lemon vinaigrette inspired by Alison Roman’s recipe in Bon Appétit. —EmilyC

What You'll Need

Ingredients

Turkey Meatballs
2 poundsground turkey (dark meat recommended)
¹/₂ cupmayonnaise
3 cloves garlic, minced
Finely grated zest from 1 large lemon (saving juice for the orzo)
¹/₂ cupparsley, finely chopped
¹/₂ cupgrated Parmesan cheese
2 teaspoonskosher salt, plus freshly ground black pepper, to taste
2 or 3 big pinches of red pepper flakes, or to taste
2 tablespoonsolive oil, plus more for greasing pan

Orzo with Whole-Lemon Vinaigrette
1 poundorzo
2 tablespoonsmayonnaise
2 tablespoonsfinely chopped shallots (from 1 small shallot)
1 cupgreen olives, such as Castelvetrano, pitted and coarsely chopped or torn
1 large lemon, quartered, seeds removed, and finely chopped (peel and flesh)
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
¹/₃ cupolive oil
¹/₂ cupgrated Parmesan, plus more for serving
4 cupscoarsely chopped greens (such as spinach, arugula, kale, or a mix)
Freshly squeezed lemon juice, to taste (from the lemon you zested for the meatballs)

Directions

Turkey Meatballs
Heat broiler and place top oven rack below heat source.
In a large bowl, combine turkey, mayonnaise, garlic, lemon zest, parsley, Parmesan, salt, black pepper, and red pepper flakes. Mix together with your hands until well combined.
Line a large sheet pan with foil and, using your hands, rub olive oil over the entire surface.
Shape turkey mixture into small meatballs, about 2 tablespoons each or 1 1/2-inches wide, and place them on the foil-lined sheet pan. It’s fine if they’re close together. Drizzle the meatballs with 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Broil meatballs about 8 to 10 minutes, flipping them once, until they’re browned on both sides and cooked through. Remove from oven; cover with foil to keep warm.

Orzo with Whole-Lemon Vinaigrette
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add orzo, and cook according to package directions. Drain (do not rinse) and transfer to a large bowl. Immediately add mayonnaise, and stir until evenly incorporated.
While orzo is cooking, make the whole-lemon vinaigrette: in a bowl, combine shallots, olives, and chopped lemon. Season with kosher salt and few grinds of black pepper. In a small skillet or saucepan, heat olive oil over medium-low heat. Add lemon-olive mixture, and cook, stirring frequently, until ingredients are warmed through and the shallots have softened but not browned, about 3 to 5 minutes.
Pour the whole-lemon vinaigrette over the warm orzo and mayonnaise, and toss to combine. Add Parmesan and chopped greens, and toss again. Taste the orzo, and add salt, pepper, and lemon juice to taste.
Gently toss in the meatballs, or place them on top of the orzo. Serve warm, with more grated Parmesan if desired.

Tags:

Recipe by: EmilyC

I'm a home cook. I love salads. Two things you'll always find in my refrigerator are lemons and butter, and in my pantry good quality chocolate and the makings for chocolate chip cookies.

Popular on Food52

13 Reviews

Emw August 18, 2022

We loved this! I was a bit leery of the combination of ingredients but everything combined was bright and great for summer

Miss_Karen March 19, 2022

I didn't have any turkey but, ground lamb was nice substitute. I agree, leave out the olives... This recipe is good without them.

NXL April 26, 2020

I'm not a meatball lover and chose to make this recipe to use up some ground turkey that was one of the meats available during Covid-19 shortages. These were pretty good and moist, and the cooking method was easy. I'd probably add some spice next time. The star of the dish was the lemony vinaigrette along with the olives. So much flavor that, again, they outshone the meatballs and made them seem bland.

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thedaley January 2, 2019

So delicious! I have celiac so I love that these are naturally GF and are made from things I already usually have around the house. Adding this recipe to my rotation for sure

Katlyn G. August 31, 2018

So good! Will be making again!

EmilyC August 31, 2018

Oh good, thanks Katlyn!!

mrslarkin July 14, 2018

These meatballs are so delicious! Thanks for such a great recipe, Emily! Didn’t make the orzo this time, but I will soon. I didn’t have a lemon to grate, so I used half a navel orange. Really tasty.

EmilyC July 15, 2018

Liz! What a delight to get your note. Thanks so much for trying these. So glad you liked them!!

Kate December 1, 2017

Hi and thanks for sharing this recipe. I wonder whether you have any suggestions about substituting for orzo? orzo is not easily found in where I am based.

EmilyC December 1, 2017

Hi Kate! I think that virtually any type of pasta will work well here! It'd be delicious with linguine or fettuccine, or if you want to use a smaller pasta, something like orecchiette or shells. Hope you enjoy the dish!

Regine November 11, 2017

I made the meatballs but placed them on cookie sheet and then in freezer. I wanted to make them in advance for when I want to cook them. I, however, cooked one to see how it taste, and it is super delicious. It is well seasoned. The only thing is that I could have used 1 1/2 to 1 3/4 tsp salt instead of 2. I used table salt because recipe for the meat did not specify kosher salt which is less salty. So next time I make it, I will either use less than 2 tsp table salt or 2
tsp kosher. Regardless though, meatballs are delicious. I made 2 tbsp worth of meatballs. This gave me 28 meatballs.

EmilyC November 11, 2017

Hi Regine! So glad you liked the meatballs! I just updated the recipe to specify 2 teaspoons of kosher salt; thanks for pointing that out! And good idea to freeze a whole pan of them for later. Thanks for your note.

Regine November 12, 2017

Hi Emily. Thumbs up!! 0)
Looking forward to eating them. Will let you know how the orzo dish turns out when i make it.