Slow-Cooker Sticky Thai Meatballs Recipe (2024)

FAQs

How do you make meatballs that don't dry out? ›

For the most tender, moist meatballs, simmer in sauce

It's easy and hands-off. We use this method when making our turkey meatballs and love it. Bring your favorite sauce to a simmer, then gently drop formed raw meatballs into the simmering sauce. Leave them without moving, and cover the pot with a lid.

Adding raw meatballs to the sauce and gently simmering till cooked yields ultra-tender results, and infuses the sauce with meaty flavor—a slow cooker gives great results.

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.

Egg: A lot of meatball recipes add egg to the mince mixture because it helps to bind the balls together. Breadcrumbs: Breadcrumbs also help to bind your meatballs. If the mince mixture is quite wet, breadcrumbs will help soak up excess moisture so that the balls don't fall apart.

Turn the meatballs to brown all sides. Browning the meatballs seals in the juices and toughens the exterior so they do not fall apart from sitting in the liquid in the slow cooker.

Tenderizing the Meat:

As the collagen in the meat dissolves over time, it transforms into gelatin, which not only adds a silky texture to the sauce but also contributes to the overall richness and depth of flavor. The longer the simmer, the more tender and succulent the meatballs become.

In a large skillet or pot, heat your tomato sauce on medium-high heat. Add your meatballs to the sauce and bring it to a boil. Turn the stove down to medium-low heat and allow the meatballs to simmer for about 30 minutes or longer. Enjoy!

Browning meatballs is the first step in the cooking process. You aren't going to drop them into a pot of sauce raw. Not only will browning them prevent them from falling apart while they simmer in the sauce, it'll develop desirable color and flavor. Color and flavor elevate the dish.

Not using the right binder

Eggs are the most commonly used binder, because they are protein-rich, and when that protein cooks, it holds everything together. But the trick is to use the right amount of eggs; too many will make the mixture too sticky and give the meatballs a soft texture.

What is the secret to making tender meatballs? ›

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.

Home Cook World notes that if your non-meat ingredients are too large, they will keep the ground meat from binding together, and your meatball will fall apart.

Moisten Bread Crumbs – Remove the crusts and dice 3 slices of bread. Soak in water for 5 minutes, then mash with a fork. Do not skip this step- this 'panade' mixture acts as the binder to keep your meatballs together and adds moisture to create such juicy meatballs.

Lean meats, like ground turkey or very lean ground beef, can result in drier meatballs. Consider using a mix of lean and fattier meats, like a blend of ground beef with some ground pork or veal, for juicier meatballs.

One of the most common is using a very lean grind of beef. While this is desirable from the health perspective, it means the recipe needs to be adjusted to compensate for the reduced amount of fat. Various ingredients can be substituted to give a moist result. Overcooking is another common cause of dry meatballs.