Quick and easy meatball recipe that doesn't require a food processor

[nappyaddict]

Whenever I have made them before they tend to fall apart. I used egg to bind them but I think maybe my finely chopped onions were still to big?

I heard breadcrumbs can help. Can I make breadcrumbs without a food processor or am I best buying them ready made?

Ummm, this is how I make them. Buy lean beef mince. Put in large china bowl. Shake of tumeric. Shake of paprika. Shake of cumin seeds.Salt, pepper. Then, with very clean hands, I mix it, and then make very small balls rolling by hand. About two/3 cms across. These fry really quickly, and don't fall apart despite lack of binder. I serve with chili and garlic tomato sauce and rice and greek salad, or toss in spagghetti with basil, garlic and tomato sauce

If you have a hand blender (the stick kind) you can make breadcrumbs and fine onion by sticking that into a bowl of crumbled bread and already-chopped onions.

Or just miss out the bread and onion

it's all in the squishing! You have to work the mince and other stuff really well, with your hands....poking it about with a fork or spoon is just not enough.

Also chilling them before coking can help, and don't make them too big, or they will fall apart as you cook them and move them about.

I'd generally only use mince, herbs/spices S&P and maybe some odd bits of chutney or ketchup or pesto depending which way I am going with the meatballs.

I sometimes put onions in and sometimes not and you just make small meatballs then roll them in flour and fry them off, when they are browned all the way just drop them into your saucepan of sauce to cook through. They don't need any binding at all, I never use lean mince though if that makes a difference, mostly lamb.

Bit of breadcrumbs can help. If u don't have any stale bread very very very lightly toast and then blitz

I will try half mince/half sausage meat next time. Have done half beef/half pork before and they didn't fall apart if i remember.