Skip Store-Bought Breadcrumbs: Make Moist Meatballs Like Nonna With An Ingredient You Already Have

Meatballs are the ultimate comfort food — provided they aren't tough or dry on the inside. The ideal ones are easy to cut with the side of a fork, tender on the outside, and soft and rich on the inside. Coated with a flavorful marinara sauce, few dishes can match up to this classic. While some good frozen meatball options exist, they will never be as good as nonna's, which have that quintessentially homemade feel. Therefore, it's only fitting that to make these perfectly tender meatballs, you skip those store-bought breadcrumbs and reach for the loaf you have lying at home.

While it's generally the meat mixture that gets much of the attention in meatball recipes, breadcrumbs play a crucial role, not just in acting as a binder and holding everything together, but giving that all-important moistness and texture to the meatballs. Using store-bought breadcrumbs, which are incredibly dry, do meatballs no favors. Instead, simply take regular day-old bread, break it into chunks, and soak it in milk before mixing it into the meat mixture.

The milk-soaked bread adds delicious moisture to the meatballs, helping them remain tender. It also essentially disappears into the raw meat mixture, ensuring you get a smooth texture unlike what you might get with dryer store-bought breadcrumbs. This easy hack isn't just a clever way to use up stale bread; it's a trick used by many established chefs (and nonnas), including Gordon Ramsay, to make top-tier meatballs.

Making tender meatballs starts with the meat mixture. Using finely ground, high-quality meat (either pork, beef, or both) helps make melt-in-your-mouth meatballs. When using the bread you have at home, make sure it's soft and pliable to work its magic. Make a smooth mush with the bread and milk before adding it to the meat to ensure it mixes in uniformly. Mashing the bread first also ensures you don't end up overworking the meat, which can result in tough meatballs. Once the meatballs are formed, you come to a decisive crossroads: Should you bake, fry, or simply simmer the raw meatballs in sauce? All three methods, when done correctly, churn out delicious results. However, your choice of cooking influences the texture and flavor of the meatballs.

For the softest, melt-in-your-mouth meatballs, cook them directly in the sauce by simmering them for at least 30 minutes. Since the meatballs are raw and without an outer crust, they exchange flavors and fats with the sauce. This results in a richer-tasting sauce, and the meatballs take on a potent blend of absorbed flavors. Frying and baking, on the other hand, give the meatballs some outside texture, but also brown the meat, which adds deeper flavors. While not as soft on the outside, baked and fried meatballs, once simmered in the sauce, become tender enough not to feel tough or chewy. Plus, their insides remain soft, adding a nice contrast to the rough outer surface. Whichever method you use, make sure the meatballs are cooked through to 165 degrees Fahrenheit.