Eggs have always been an essential part of meatloaf recipes. However, there may be multiple instances when you will not be able to use eggs in your recipe. This can be due to last-minute availability issues, dietary restrictions, or even cultural reasons. No matter the scenario, we will help you with a few good options for egg substitutes in meatloaf. Now before we proceed with the reserves, we need to understand why eggs are an essential part.
Why Are Eggs Necessary?
Eggs are semi-liquid and with a thick sticky consistency. The reason eggs are used in many kitchen recipes is because it helps dissolve the contents, and the stickiness helps it all bind together. Therefore, meatloaf egg substitute has to perform this function very well. While you can still go ahead and make meatloaf without any eggs, it’s just that it will crumble during the cooking process and, in worse cases, even fall apart, creating a mess.
Meatloaf is a simple combination of some ground meat, usually beef, some filling agent, and something that helps it all stick/ bind together. Now let’s take a look at the substitute for egg in meatloaf.
Olive Oil
When it comes to a thick consistency, olive oil scores well above all others in terms of taste and the desired stickiness needed. This is one of the best substitutes because it’s almost always available. Pour it one tablespoon at a time and keep checking if you need more.
Mayonnaise
Mayonnaise is also one of the substitutes readily available in the kitchen. Its made from oil and eggs and so it forms the perfect replacement. Oil and egg add the desired richness in flavor and the taste due to the oil. However, Mayonnaise is very high in fats and calories, so you may need to consider that before using it. Add one teaspoon at a time till you feel it’s enough.
Flax Egg
Chances are, you may not have heard of this one yet. A flax egg is a mixture of flax seeds in water, making a liquid that can be used as a binding agent. Use one tablespoon of flax seeds and mix them with 1/4th cup of water. That’s it, and your binding agent is ready. Easy as that. One benefit of using flax seeds is that they will not add a different flavor to your preparation.
Flour and Oatmeal
What can be a good option other than flour if we have to make a sticky binding agent. Just mix a little bit of flour with oatmeal in water. The flour will act as the binding agent in the mix, and the oatmeal will serve as a filler and help it hold well with the ground meat. This combination is easy and excellent. But do not overuse it in the recipe else. The meatloaf will carry the flavor of flour and oatmeal, which we do not want. There is no specific measurement for the usage. You can mix equal quantities of flour and oatmeal.
Bread Crumbs
Another super easy ingredient is easy to find in every kitchen. Bread is made of flour, and so it goes without saying that it has all the qualities we discussed above in the oatmeal and flour option. The best part is that it acts as a filler and a binder. The only pre-condition is that you need 3 – 4 days old and little dry bread. You can still use fresh bread as a replacement, but it will contain excess moisture.
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Final Words
Thank you for reading on Cooking At Noon! We have presented you with five readily available substitutes to replace eggs in meatloaf. They are also straightforward to make and will not put additional work into your preparation. So even if you realize you are out of eggs at the last moment, you are still good to go. I hope to see you around soon.