Air Fry Turkey Meatballs Tips
It's time to prepare dinner again. Today, a batch of turkey meatballs were made with an air fryer. The crispy outside and tender inside texture made the whole family full of praise! After so many attempts, I finally found the most perfect heat and seasoning formula.
How to air fry turkey meatballs？
Frying turkey meatballs with an air fryer requires preheating at 180 degrees for 3 minutes. Lightly brush a layer of oil on the surface of the meatballs. Prepare clips and plates. Only after these preparations are done can you start frying.
When frying, place the meatballs neatly in the frying basket. Don't overlap each other with a spacing of 1-2 centimeters. Adjust the temperature to 180 degrees and fry for 8 minutes first. After the time is up, open the frying basket and turn the meatballs over with clips and continue frying for 7-10 minutes. The total time for small meatballs should be controlled within 12-15 minutes. Medium-sized ones need 15-18 minutes. For large ones, it is recommended to fry for 18-20 minutes.
After the finished product is out of the oven, let it stand for 1 minute before eating. This way, it won't be too hot and the taste will be better. The fried turkey meatballs have a golden and crispy skin. After biting open, you can see the tender and juicy meat inside. Pair it with your favorite sauce and you can enjoy it.
Why are my turkey meatballs rubbery?
The elasticity of turkey meatballs is mainly due to excessive stirring, which makes the meat filling too compact. When making meatballs, the meat filling only needs to be stirred to the point where it just combines. Excessive stirring will cause excessive cross-linking of protein fibers, resulting in a rubbery texture.
To avoid this situation, you can add an appropriate amount of breadcrumbs or starch to adjust the softness of the meat filling. When stirring, gently mix in a single direction. Don't knead back and forth. When forming a ball at the end, the force should be gentle and even. Adding some chopped green onions and ginger to the meat filling can not only enhance the fragrance but also make the meat more soft.
When preparing the meat filling, pay attention to the control of moisture. Too dry will affect the taste, and too wet will be difficult to form. The ratio of adding 50 grams of breadcrumbs and one egg to every 500 grams of meat filling is the most appropriate. This way, the meatballs are easy to form and not too elastic.
How do I serve turkey meatballs?
There are multiple ways to eat turkey meatballs:
Pair with pasta: Pasta and turkey meatballs complement each other. Drizzle tomato meat sauce or cream of mushroom sauce and sprinkle some Parmesan cheese. The smoothness of pasta, the tenderness of meatballs, the richness of sauce and the fragrance of cheese blend together, bringing rich layers of taste.
Make sandwiches: Slice the meatballs and put them in a long bread roll. Add lettuce, tomato slices, drizzle with garlic sauce or Thousand Island dressing, and then place sliced cheese on top. This combination is nutritionally balanced and convenient to eat.
Dip directly in sauces: Such as ketchup, garlic mayonnaise, etc., paired with lettuce and carrot sticks. It can be used as a staple food to fill the stomach or as an appetizer for parties.
Do you need to brush oil on turkey meatballs?
The surface of turkey meatballs needs to be brushed with a thin layer of oil. Before cooking in an air fryer or oven, dip an appropriate amount of vegetable oil with a brush and gently brush it on the surface of the meatballs. This can make the skin more golden and crispy.
When brushing oil, pay attention to using a light force and a moderate amount of oil. Too much oil will make the meatballs greasy, and too little oil will make it difficult to color. It is recommended to use corn oil or olive oil. A spray bottle is also a good choice, which can oil the surface of the meatballs more evenly.
If frying in a pan, just put a little oil in the pan and there is no need to brush oil additionally. For boiling or making soup, there is no need to brush oil at all, so that the turkey meatballs can maintain their original fresh fragrance.
Should you marinate turkey meatballs?
Turkey meatballs need to be marinated for 20 to 30 minutes. Add salt, pepper, minced garlic and cooking wine to the ground turkey. Seal it with plastic wrap and put it in the refrigerator for marinating. This can make the meat more delicious.
When making at home, fresh rosemary and thyme can be added, and a little olive oil can be added to enhance the fragrance. The ratio of ingredients for every 500 grams of meat filling is 4 to 5 grams of salt, 1 teaspoon of pepper, and 2 slices of minced garlic. This ratio can make the turkey meatballs flavorful without being too salty.
Do you need breadcrumbs in turkey meatballs?
Turkey meatballs need to be added with breadcrumbs. According to past experience, adding 50 grams of breadcrumbs to every 500 grams of turkey meat filling is the most appropriate. This can prevent the turkey meatballs from falling apart after being formed and have a moderately soft texture.
The main function of breadcrumbs is to absorb the moisture exuded by the turkey meat during stirring and prevent the meat filling from being too damp. When heated in an air fryer or oven, the surface breadcrumbs will form a golden crispy crust. After biting open, the inside still remains tender. This taste hierarchy is particularly popular.
During the production process, breadcrumbs can make seasonings such as salt, black pepper, and dried herbs more evenly distributed. When these seasonings are sprinkled on the breadcrumbs and then kneaded into the meat filling, every part can be flavored and there will be no situation where some places are too salty and some places are too bland.
Depending on the freshness of the turkey meat, the humidity of the meat filling will be different. If the meat filling is sticky and difficult to form a ball, an additional 10 to 15 grams of breadcrumbs can be added; if it feels too dry, the amount can be reduced or 1 to 2 spoons of milk can be added to the breadcrumbs for adjustment.
