Has anyone replaced breadcrumbs with quinoa when making meatballs?

mauldwright
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12 Comments

Frances August 17, 2018
I’m egg dairy yeast free I came up with the closest to bread I can have natural wraps that taste like cardboard when eating I blitzed them added salt pepper garlic dipped chicken in egg replacer then crumbs and made chicken schnitzel heaven have really missed this sort of simple food
 
Jennifer,Odell March 17, 2014
To make mine gluten free I use oat flour or oat bran. I actually prefer it to breadcrumbs!
 
Smaug August 17, 2018
I was much surprised to find that oatmeal- plain old, whole oatmeal (probably quick, what I usually have on hand)- makes an excellent additive for meatloaf-it absorbs enough moisture in the process to work very well texturally.
 
Smaug August 17, 2018
ps It goes in uncooked.
 
mainesoul March 17, 2014
Le Bec Fin, Which Boston restaurant are you referring to? I live in Boston and may want to try it.
 
LeBec F. March 23, 2014
i would suggest looking at the menus of the Red Fez, Oleana,the restnt near JPLicks in JP-that is run by Sami's son (I wrote it up once on CH but can't remember name, sorry)and posting your question on the Chowhound Boston board. It's not a dish i care for but i'm sure many CHs know where you can find it.
 
LeBec F. March 17, 2014
pierino, why would you say it's a bad idea? Kefteh is bulghur plus ground meat, and there are many middle eastern dishes that are like that. Is it something about quinoa especially that makes you think it not advisable? lola and mauld, there is a very innovative restnt here in boston and they have been sauteeing cooked red quinoa and then pan-toasting it a long time til crunchy, and using it like buttered toasted breadcrumbs- to add great texture to various dishes (esp. good on cooked greens!)
 
pierino March 17, 2014
Le Bec Fin, I like quinoa very much and I usually have three different kinds on hand in my pantry. But it's not a true cereal grain and texturally I don't think it works well with meatballs. Bulghur of course does work well as in kibbeh. But then back to the original question bulghur is not gluten free.
 

Voted the Best Reply!

lollarossa March 17, 2014
I have used quinoa in lieu of breadcrumbs in both meatballs and meatloaf for a gluten free line of food i sell, and along with my clients, i think it makes for a fantastic substitude. i recommend cooking it to full saturation (longer than i normally would for a rice-like quinoa dish) and consider using stock instead of water for added flavor
 
FDBaker March 16, 2014
Happy to hear the quinoa worked out! It actually sounds really good. I might try it in a GF meatloaf recipe.
 
pierino March 16, 2014
This is a really bad idea. If you need to be gluten free (and not just following the fad culture) you can grind up rice in a food processor and substitute that. It will give you a more pleasing mouth feel and actually taste like a meatball.
 
mauldwright March 16, 2014
It was in fact not a really bad idea. I asked as I had cooked quinoa that I wanted to use up, not because I was adhering to some fad culture. The chicken & quinoa meatballs were quite good. But, thank you for the rice suggestion.
 
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