Is the term "low carb fluffy meatball" an oxymoron?
 

Google has not been much help on this one :(

In the past I've always used breadcrumbs to make meatballs and meatloaf fluffy. I am looking for some sort of substitute. I've tried crumbled pork rinds but they simply don't work. I figure the breadcrumbs must absorb the fat and or egg and expand as the meat cooks adding that "light & fluffy" texture I love so much.

I've thought about trying some of that shirataki powder... any other ideas?

I use psyllium husks, which are all fiber, net carbs = 0. 1-3 Tablespoons per pound or so of ground meat, depending on how wet it is. They swell to soak up fat & liquid so start low, let it sit for 5 minutes to see if more husks are needed.

I just made some ground chicken/turkey into a fluffy casserole with poultry-seasoning herbs, psyllium and some brussel sprouts (I like one-pot meals with extras for future meals, so I add some vegs - no more than 5g net carbs/serving - to my protein & fat & herbs). It has the same taste & texture as stuffing that has been inside a turkey.

Stuffing was always my favourite Thanksgiving food; who knew you could make it without bread and a meal's worth of protein, which I just did off the top of my head on a whim based on what I had in the fridge.

Another backwards "meatball" dish I make is a meat sauce with ground beef, tomato paste, Italian herbs & spices with baby brussel sprouts as the balls (or slice green or red cabbage into linguini or lasagna "noodles" if I am in a mood for noodles). I do put a Tbsp or two of psyllium in the sauce to bind in the fat.

There may be some ideas for you from these well known bloggers:

https://www.ibreatheimhungry.com/?s=meatballs

https://alldayidreamaboutfood.com/?s=meatballs

https://www.lowcarbmaven.com/low-ca...-italian-style/

https://www.lowcarbmaven.com/low-ca...dish-meatballs/

Hey thanks for the tip. I was going to order this:

https://www.walmart.com/ip/Psyllium...-24-Oz/26969078

Is that the right stuff?

I use 1 tablespoon of nutritional yeast per pound of rabbit when I grind it. The original recipe called for bread crumbs. It adds some carbs - 2.5/tablespoon - but it also adds flavor. That may be more important with bland rabbit than seasoned meatballs.

I had assumed that oat bran was the same as psyllium husks, but just noticed it is a bit higher in carbs - or lower in fiber. I've been using it with nutritional yeast in recipes that call for bread crumbs. I don't use it much, but I think I'll try the psyllium husks.

It's free shipping so I went ahead and ordered some. I'll post here how it worked for me :)

I also use psyllium husks at times, but the best way to get "fluffy" meatballs is to treat them gently. With wet hands pick up enough meat mixture for your meatball, and form it gently into a ball - don't pack it in like a well formed snowball, but gently roll into a ball. Germans/Austrians/Czech etc are famous for their dumplings, which basically means anything rolled into a ball, sweet or savory, and recipes always stress the light hand. Most also include breadcrumbs, but many do not. My new, current, favorite is liver dumplings, great for soup; didn't think it would work at all without bread, but was mistaken.

I only ever use eggs to bind my meatballs: 2 eggs per pound of mince/ground meat.
And as Verbena says, the trick is to use a light touch. ;)

Thanks for the tip!

OK, my psyllium husks came in the mail today and I could not wait to try them out so I cancelled what I had planned for dinner and made meatloaf instead.

The market near my house had 80% lean ground chuck on sale this week which I love using for meatloaf. I used my usual recipe and just substituted the bread crumbs with psyllium husks. Following deirdra's recommendation I used about 6 tbs with two pounds of the ground chuck.

It was not as tasty as the bread crumbs, but it was an improvement vs having no substitute for the crumbs. The texture was a little "slimy?" but not really in a bad way lol. Next time I'll use less as they also gave the meat a sort of bland flavor. It also did not seem to absorb as well as the bread crumbs and there was quite a bit of fat in the bottom of the baking pan.

For binding meatballs or meatloaf, I use 1 egg + 2 Tbsp ground flaxseed per 500g (1 lb) of meat. Add seasonings and other ingredients as per your recipe -- minus the bread, oatmeal or cracker crumbs, of course ;). This works with any ground/minced meat .. beef, pork, turkey, lamb etc ...

I find it helps to mix all together in a bowl, cover with a lid or plastic wrap and let it sit in the fridge for 30 minutes or so BEFORE shaping into balls or a loaf. This not only helps all the flavours and seasonings to blend but also helps the flaxseeds absorb moisture, which improves the texture :thup:


Let the meatloaf cool in the baking pan .. it will reabsorb some of the drippings. Alternately ... if you haven't put some sort of topping on the meatloaf .. you could drain off the fat, poke holes in the top with a skewer, then pour the juices over. It will soak back into the meat :idea:

Hey thanks for the tips! I have some flax "meal" I've been experimenting with is that the same or comparable to the flaxseed?

flax meal = ground flax seeds (flaxseed). You might also see some pre-ground flax seeds called "milled" flax.

Basically all the same thing .. whole flax seeds that have been ground up :). I think flax meal tends to be a bit coarser, whereas milled flax is more finely ground. Personal preference, I guess. I prefer to buy whole seeds and grind them at home (cheaper). Also, whole seeds have a longer shelf life ... once ground, they have to be kept tightly wrapped in the fridge and used up fairly quickly.

Fluffy Meatballs
 

Depending on what your carb target is, textured vegetable protein (TVP) might be useful as a filler for meatballs. Soak it in seasoned water for several minutes then add it to your ground meat. About 1/2 cup dry weight per pound of meat will add 2-3g of carb per 1/2 lb serving (about 3 or 4 golf ball sized meatballs). Carbs vary by brand but most have about 8g fiber and 3g starches/sugars per 1/2 cup dry. It's also a good way to stretch ground beef in chili recipes.

My go-to for meatballs, meatloaf, salmon patties etc is coconut flour. :thup: It absorbs the fat rather than letting it pool. I can't call the results "fluffy", however. I'll typically use a combo of coconut flour, a bit of psyllium, parmesan cheese, and enough spices to balance out the taste of the coconut flour; even if it's just salt and pepper.