• Guest - w'd love to know what you think about the forum! Take the 2025 Survey »

How to replace breadcrumbs and flour in meatball recipes?

Blitz some pork scratchings. They make a good coating for KFC chicken.
 
resander said:
The linked recipe below contains 22g carbs per 5 meatballs. Not suitable for keto diet. I guess other meatball recipes also contain about the same amount of carbs.

link to recipe:
https://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/classic-swedish-meatballs
Click to expand...

Personally, I'd just leave the breadcrumbs out.

If you massage the minced meat well enough it'll be fine. My only thought would be that without the breadcrumbs to soak it up the egg might make things a bit wet.

Others use crushed scratchings or pork crunch, but I'd just make it super-simple.
 
resander said:
The linked recipe below contains 22g carbs per 5 meatballs. Not suitable for keto diet. I guess other meatball recipes also contain about the same amount of carbs.

link to recipe:
https://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/classic-swedish-meatballs
Click to expand...
The breadcrumbs are just to make the meat go further. Just use the pork mince and whatever seasoning you like.
I found even the egg isn't really necessary although it may help the binding slightly.
 
Jim Lahey said:
More meat less wheat
Click to expand...
I often make meatballs and I never put egg or breadcrumbs in them. Minced meat, seasoning, herbs and sometimes a small amount of chopped onions and often a bit of cheese. Works great and Delicious! I also skin good quality (very high meat content) sausages and roll the contents into meatballs. Also delicious.
 
resander said:
The linked recipe below contains 22g carbs per 5 meatballs. Not suitable for keto diet. I guess other meatball recipes also contain about the same amount of carbs.

link to recipe:
https://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/classic-swedish-meatballs
Click to expand...

I don't use breadcrumbs when making meatballs, but I find that I had to add 2 tbsp flour, otherwise my meatballs seem like "cardboard" textured. I put a lot of chopped onions and add homo milk to make them juicy-tender. Marinating the meat for an hour or so at room temp before cooking them seems to also help.

Adding sausage meat (as the post above suggests) is a great idea! Choose the type of sausage (herbs used), that will be compatible with Swedish meatballs.

Sausage mixtures has lots of fat - and the fat will help bind the balls together so they don't easily fall apart.
 
Last edited:
I have seen some keto recipes make breadcrumbs from one of those 90 sec microwave breads, dry it out and blitz that. Not tried it myself, I did make the bread once and found it a bit weird - not horrible, just... not bread.
 
resander said:
The linked recipe below contains 22g carbs per 5 meatballs. Not suitable for keto diet. I guess other meatball recipes also contain about the same amount of carbs.

link to recipe:
https://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/classic-swedish-meatballs
Click to expand...

Hi I make my own meatballs and never use any type of breadcrumbs or flour as they are really not needed, just meat, small onion, 1/2 egg to bind, flavourings and sometimes grated cheese.
 
I would leave the bread out and try it.
If the texture is too crumbly, add a beaten egg next time.
If that doesn’t work, ad a sprinkle of psyllium husks or powdered chia seeds.

I actually prefer cooking mixes like this in a slab, meatloaf style, and then cutting into cubes to serve. It is a heck of a lot less phaff than shaping 6 million individual raw mearballs.
 
Thank you all!
for letting me know the high-carb breadcrumbs and flour can be left out. I Googled and found 2 very similar Meatball Base Recipes. Will try one of these.
4 servings:

800g beef mince (or mixed beef 70% pork 30%)
half onion, finely chopped
half tsp salt
1 egg
50ml cream
half tsp white pepper
butter for frying


1kg beef mince (or mixed beef 70% pork 30%)
1 small onion, finely chopped
1 egg
1.5 tbsp mustard, coarse-grain and/or strong
2-3 tsp salt
black pepper (freshly ground best)
oil for frying

It is possible to add thyme, oregano, feta/normal cheese, parmesan, chilli, coriander etc to the mix too.
 
I would leave the egg out. It just makes the mixture wet when not using bread crumbs.
 
I have seen one keto chef use psyllium husk instead of breadcrumbs, however it was in a coating meat and then frying it crispy recipe! Not sure how/if it could work for meatballs.

What do the breadcrumbs do exactly?
 
Jam&Scones said:
I have seen one keto chef use psyllium husk instead of breadcrumbs, however it was in a coating meat and then frying it crispy recipe! Not sure how/if it could work for meatballs.

What do the breadcrumbs do exactly?
Click to expand...

the breadcrumbs are usually described as a binder (think glue), but in reality, they do a lot more than that.
They absorb liquids , to stop the mix getting too wet. Then they hold it, preventing the mix from getting too dry.
They add bulk (always useful to Mums trying to feed large families on a small budget!)
By holding the liquid, and absorbing fat during cooking, they keep the flavour inside the food, and add succulence.

(My favourite Low carb breadcrumb-like coating is unbelievably easy - just equal quantities of coconut flour and ground linseed, with salt, pepper and whatever secret recipe herbs and spices you like. Dip piece of food in beaten egg, then roll in the powdered mix, then bake or fry)
 
I never use breadcrumbs in meatballs as I have never found is necessary. When making a meatloaf I have used large porridge oats,
However if I do wish to use something for coating, making sauces I always use low GI , high protein gram flour. (Found on Indian shelves at the supermarket and used for onion bhajis) Once the flour (made from 100% chickpeas) is cooked you would never know. My husband would never accept it if he knew!!!
 

Thanks for the explanation - I must also try the above at some point!
 

Thanks for this I will try it but what oven setting do you use and for how long please. Do you bung the lot in a bowl and mix it together or do you have to do the yeast and honey activation first with the warm water I presume?
Thanks
 
Last edited:
You must log in or register to reply here.
Menu
Log in
Register
Cookies are required to use this site. You must accept them to continue using the site. Learn More.…