Turkey Meatball Soup - My Gorgeous Recipes (2024)

FAQs

Why are my turkey meatballs rubbery? ›

Recipe Tips & Tricks

If your turkey meatballs are hard or rubbery, you likely overworked the meat or compacted them too tightly. Trust and Believe: Baking Is Best. It's fast, has easy clean up, and as long as you brush the meatballs with olive oil, you'll get juicy results.

Usually if meatballs are dense or heavy then it is because the meatball mixture has been handled too much and the minced (ground) meat has become compacted.

Shake your meatballs

Shake the meatballs in the pan as they cook too, don't flip them. This will give you that lovely round meatball shape with a crispy, browned exterior. Alternatively, bake your meatballs in the oven for 15-20 minutes, depending on their size.

The chicken stock and gelatin help make meatballs that are insanely juicy and tender, but these meatballs will still be incredibly moist even without them.

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.

I don't suggest using 99% lean ground turkey as it may result in tough meatballs. Breadcrumbs: Breadcrumbs combine with the egg to help bind the turkey together to keep the turkey meatballs from falling apart. They also hold moisture, which helps keep the meatballs tender.

Once the meatballs reach an internal temperature of 165°F (74°C), remove them from the pan. Thermapen ONE is fast enough that you can easily check every meatball.

Because meat shrinks when cooked, mince proteins are likely to separate and crumble unless bound together. 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.

Why do you put milk in 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.

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.

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.

Milk: Adds moisture and tenderizes the meat, making our meatballs juicy and tender once cooked. Egg: Adds more moisture and helps the mixture firm up once cooked. Parmesan: My secret ingredient for the best meatballs! Parmigiano-Reggiano adds flavor and salt to our mixture.

If you've ever made a long-cooking stew or stock and found the liquid all jellied after a night in the fridge, that's gelatin at work. In its natural form, it gives stocks and sauces a thicker body and lip-smacking richness.

When meatballs are packed together too tightly, they cook up tough, rubbery, and chewy. → Follow this tip: Being gentle is the name of the game when it comes to forming meatballs. Consider oiling your hands so the mixture won't stick to them, and then gently and quickly form the meat into evenly sized balls.

This is just me, But i have Found that Cooking At A Lower Temp Makes Poultry More Rubbery, Try Cooking At A Higher Temp, Like 350*-375*... You Would Be Surprised at the Difference it Makes.....

Rubbery texture comes from cooking too long with too low a heat. Most land fowl like chicken, turkey, pigeon, guineafowl, peafowl, etc. are best when cooked hot and fast. The quicker you seal up the outside, the more moisture that will be retained inside.

Place your carved meat in a shallow baking dish and cover it with stock. Cover the dish with aluminum foil and place in low oven, somewhere around 250 degrees, for 5-10 minutes. The dryness won't be entirely gone after this short broth bath, but the turkey will definitely be more moist than before.