How to make minced meat tender and soft. Secrets of making delicious homemade minced meat

There are many components that affect the taste of a hamburger, but the most important is the meat.

What is the perfect ground beef?

As you know, meat contains a lot of muscle fibers separated by connective tissue plus some fat. If you want to prepare a dish from raw meat (tartar, carpaccio), there should be little fat. But if we are preparing a dish with heat treatment from meat, then it is better to have more of it. Muscle fibers are long and quite strong (resistant), so chopping them can reduce this resistance. To what size should the minced meat be ground? .

Large pieces in ground meat ensure that the original taste of the meat is preserved and allows you to enjoy its texture.

Medium ground beef

If the “grind” is too fine, then we risk preparing a dish with a lack of meaty flavor. Often, store-bought minced meat suffers from its fine, smooth texture. This is done to disguise the quality of the meat or the “origin” of the parts used for mincing. Therefore, pay attention to this when purchasing! High-quality ground beef can be determined visually - by the size of the “grains”.

Fine ground beef

Instead of salt - pickled cucumber

Grinding the meat releases proteins, which hold the pieces of minced meat together well. Therefore, salt the minced meat only when the product - meatballs or cutlet - is formed. If you do this too early, the meatball or patty may simply fall apart during cooking. We recommend simply adding some salty ingredient to the minced meat dish. Olives, tapenade, or pickles are perfect for a hamburger. Then you won’t need salt at all for the minced meat dish.

Salted cucumbers

The perfect beef cutlet recipe

So, you have 200g of beef fillet and you want to make hamburger patties. You will also need a little pork fat, 20 g of softened or melted butter and 2 tbsp. l. olive oil plus freshly ground black pepper. Place the meat and fat in the freezer for about 30 minutes until it begins to firm up. Now cut the beef into 3-4 pieces and pass through a meat grinder along with the fat, not forgetting our advice about the size of the “grains”.

Mix the resulting mass with the remaining prepared ingredients. If you wish, you can add finely chopped parsley, marjoram and 1 head of shallot and 1-2 cloves of garlic, previously chopped and fried until soft. Pepper it. Mix the minced meat with your hands, saturating the mixture with air, and form cutlets. Try not to use the currently fashionable molds. Don't press the cutlets too hard. Act without fanaticism! Many people advise putting the already formed cutlets back in the refrigerator for 20-30 minutes before frying. You can do this, or you can fry them immediately after cooking.

Frying cutlets in a frying pan

Salt the cutlets and fry them in a frying pan greased with a little oil or on the grill for 2-3 minutes on each side. That's all! Here are wonderful cutlets for a homemade burger. Although... These are just wonderful beef patties that can be used for a burger too!

Cooking cutlets on the grill

The word “minced meat”, as you know, comes from the French farce (filling). The most popular and favorite minced meat product is cutlets. In addition, you can use minced meat to make dumplings, juicy cabbage rolls, casseroles, pies and many other delicacies.

Perfectly cooked minced meat is the basis of all these wonderful dishes, which is why it is so important to know how to make it correctly. In this article we will reveal to you the carefully guarded culinary gurus secrets of delicious minced meat.

The most delicious minced meat

How to grind meat

  1. Scroll in a meat grinder.
  2. Grind using a blender.
  3. By hand - finely chop using two sharp knives.

Preparation of minced meat It starts with chopping the meat. Before chopping meat, remove all veins, films, bones and cartilage from it. When chopping with knives, the meat turns out juicier: after all, it is chopped, and not crushed, as in a meat grinder, and all the juices remain inside. A blender does something similar, but it chops too finely.

You can chop meat with one knife, but with two it’s much faster! The knives should be sharp and fairly heavy (chef knives are a good option). You need to “deal” with the meat on a heavy and durable board, under which you should place a kitchen towel for stability.

It is often recommended to use several types of meat so that they complement each other in juiciness and taste. Chicken breast, turkey or lean beef, if combined with medium-fat pork, will produce minced meat that is close to ideal - moderately fatty and at the same time juicy. We suggest you try less common combinations.


© DepositPhotos

Meat duets

  1. Beef + lamb.
  2. Beef + chicken.
  3. Lamb + chicken.
  4. Pork + turkey.
  5. Pork + rabbit.

What to put besides meat

  1. Oil
  2. White bread soaked in milk
  3. Grated cheese
  4. Raw vegetables: potatoes, pumpkin, zucchini
  5. Apples
  6. Cereals: rice or bulgur
  7. Tomato juice


© DepositPhotos

To make minced beef or veal more fluffy, add an apple to it - 1 fruit is enough for 600 g of meat. White bread is needed so that the cutlets keep their shape and are more tender. The bread must be soaked in boiled water, milk or cream, squeezed out, the crust removed and passed through a meat grinder.

If a minced chicken dish turns out too dry, add tomato juice: 50 ml per 500 g of meat. To make minced fish more juicy, add a little lemon juice to it. You can add potatoes, beets, bright carrots and juicy zucchini to the minced meat. This will give the minced meat a richer taste and unique aroma. It is better to chop vegetables for minced meat using a fine grater.

Spices and seasonings

  1. For beef: pepper + nutmeg.
  2. For lamb: cumin + coriander.
  3. For pork: pepper + nutmeg.
  4. For the chicken: (if you're a curry fan) turmeric.


© DepositPhotos

The classic seasoning for minced meat usually includes the following components: ground pepper, dried garlic, sweet paprika, ground coriander, mustard seeds, nutmeg, thyme, cumin. The Italian version of seasoning for minced meat is called “tomatoes and herbs.” This seasoning contains dried tomatoes, carrots, paprika and oregano.



Good afternoon dear friends. Let's talk about cutlets today, or rather, let's look at recipes for juicy cutlets made from different types of minced meat. It would seem that there is nothing complicated here, minced meat, bread, egg, mix it all and fry it.

But things don’t always work out as they should. It is especially difficult for young housewives. You have to make mistakes many times before you get fluffy and juicy cutlets so that the whole family likes them.

That’s why we tried to collect not just recipes, but also reveal the secrets of making delicious cutlets or meatballs, as they are also called.

Also, there are almost always cutlets on the holiday table. Sometimes a regular lunch or dinner cannot be done without them. They can decorate any holiday table. Every housewife wants to cook something interesting and unusual. And that's great. You can make your own recipe and praise it in front of your guests and so on.

But before you cook, you need to know a few simple rules. They were not invented just like that; this is the experience of many housewives of all times. Let's take a closer look.

How to cook juicy and tasty cutlets?

The cutlets must be very tasty, this is not in dispute. But it is also necessary that they are not dry and fluffy. It depends on many factors. Such as the choice of minced meat, the method of mixing the minced meat, additional ingredients, and so on. And of course experience.

Now let’s look in more detail at the recipes for juicy minced meat cutlets, or rather, first prepare the minced meat.

By the way, it’s best to make minced meat yourself. I never recommend buying it in a store, because you never know what and how is involved in it. Usually, store-bought minced meat does not make good homemade cutlets.

Choosing meat for cutlets.

First of all, you need to decide what kind of meat you will use to make cutlets. Usually I do it this way: whatever meat I have, that’s what I use. But that's not always the case. If we want to surprise guests, or even just our family at dinner, then we think through everything in advance.

The choice of meat also affects the calorie content. Here's how you can divide meat by calorie content:

  • The most juicy and high-calorie are the pork cutlets. Calorie content is around 350 kcal/100 g (290 kcal/100 g when steamed).
  • If you do mixture of ground pork and beef, then the calorie content will be around 267 (190) kcal/100 g. It is better to dilute minced pork by 2/3 with minced beef.
  • When using pure ground beef calorie content is even less: 235 (172) kcal/100 g.
  • The most dietary are chicken cutlets. The calorie content here is approximately 145-125 kcal/100 g. But they turn out a bit dry. Therefore, such cutlets contain fat or other additives, which increase calories.
  • Ground turkey- the most ideal option not only for those who watch their figure, but also for children. Turkey meat itself is quite juicy and the calories are not high: 180 kcal when frying in a pan and 140 when steaming.

We must not forget that additives such as bread crumb, egg and oil increase calorie content when frying. But without this, you usually won’t get cutlets, and it all depends on what exactly we want to cook.

How to choose the right meat for minced meat.

Don’t forget that recipes for juicy minced meat cutlets will turn out great only with homemade minced meat. You need to choose the right meat and make it yourself. Then success will definitely await you.

The main argument is fresh meat

  • When choosing meat, be sure to inspect and smell it. The meat should smell like fresh meat. No off-odors, sourness or other odors indicating old or stale meat.
  • The meat should be elastic and firm. If you press on the meat with your finger, the hole should soon level out.
  • The color of the meat should be pinkish-red and moist. There should be no windy areas or slimy surfaces.
  • For lamb it is better to take the thigh or rump.
  • If you buy pork, beef or veal, it is better to take: hind thigh, neck, tenderloin or shoulder.
  • When choosing poultry meat, pay attention to the legs (drumstick and thigh). Then the cutlets turn out more juicy. Breast is also suitable - the lower calorie part, but rather dry.

Subtleties of cooking cutlets.

First of all, I want to note that it is best to roll the meat through a small mesh, preferably 2-3 times. This will make the cutlets more fluffy. Some recipes for juicy minced meat cutlets directly indicate how many times you need to twist and not always through which mesh.


Many argue that it is better to scroll through a large grid. They are right, on the one hand. Then the meat turns out to be large pieces and gives off less juice, which means less fat content. But if you want to get fluffy cutlets, then it is better to twist through a fine mesh, or even better to use a blender.

What you need to consider when preparing cutlets:

  • When adding crumb to minced meat, you need to take wheat bread. Preferably yesterday's bread, because fresh bread will give you the wrong consistency and extra calories.
    Also, for 1 kg of meat you need approximately 150-200 g of crumb.
  • It is necessary to soak bread in boiling water, and not in milk, as many people believe. Milk deprives the cutlets of juiciness. But the crumb soaked in water will add fluffiness and airiness.
  • Onions add juiciness to the minced meat. It can be used 300 g per 1 kg of meat. Onions will not spoil the minced meat in any way; on the contrary, it will be tastier and juicier.

    But you cannot grind the onion through a meat grinder, as this will squeeze out all the juice. It’s better to finely chop it with a knife and add it to the minced meat.

  • If you want to get tender, tender cutlets, then you can add mayonnaise to the minced meat, but just a little, no more than 50 g.
  • To prevent the cutlets from falling apart and to be more fluffy, you can add potatoes by grating them on a fine grater.
  • If you use eggs in minced meat, you should not just add them to the minced meat. First, prepare the minced meat completely: add everything you need, including spices. Knead well. And only at the end add the eggs in this way:
    Separate the whites from the yolks. Beat the whites until fluffy foam. And slowly pour the protein into the prepared minced meat, stirring from bottom to top.
    Try this method and immediately notice how the cutlets take on a fluffy shape right before your eyes.
  • Add spices and salt to your taste. There are no restrictions here. It is better to have a lot of greens in fish cakes.

How to properly and how long should you fry minced meat cutlets?

While looking through recipes for juicy minced meat cutlets for my holiday table, I came across the fact that the recipe doesn’t say much about how to properly fry the cutlets.


  1. You need to form cutlets, make them thick enough and not flatten too much. It is better to wet your hands with cold water to make it easier to sculpt.
  2. With proper frying, you can avoid loss of juiciness in the cutlets. But usually they use breading. It holds the juiciness inside well. Usually crackers or salted flour are used. But both semolina and Japanese corn flakes work well.
  3. The pan needs to be heated well over medium heat. Pour oil for frying and then lay out our breaded cutlets.
  4. After 3-5 minutes, turn our cutlets over, turn the heat to low, and cover the pan. So fry for 15 minutes. During this time, the meat and onions are fried, and the soybean does not evaporate.
  5. Now open the lid, increase the heat to medium and bring to an appetizing crust.
  6. It is better to change the oil every time you fry.

On average, one batch takes a decent 25 minutes to cook in the pan. But it's worth it.

How else can you cook cutlets?

In addition to traditional methods, recipes for juicy minced meat cutlets suggest frying them by steaming, in the oven and in the microwave. Here's how long it takes:

  • In the multicooker that housewives love, in the “frying” or “baking” mode, cooking cutlets also takes 20-25 minutes.
  • In a double boiler or multicooker with this function it will take 25 minutes. At the same time, it contains less calories and is also very tasty.
  • If you use a microwave steam attachment, you can cook cutlets in 15 minutes. Just first cook for 5 minutes, then turn over and cook for another 7-10 minutes.
  • If you use the oven for baking, then at 180 ºС it will take 30 minutes.
  • In a microwave with a power of 800 W you can cook cutlets in 7 minutes.
  • In an air fryer, the cutlets are baked in 20 minutes.

Here's a look at the version of fluffy cutlets:

The best recipes for juicy and fluffy meat cutlets.

Now let’s look at various recipes for juicy minced meat cutlets. At the same time, do not forget about the subtleties described above. We will not repeat ourselves in the recipes.

Let's try to consider different recipes, with different types of meat.

Recipes for juicy minced meat cutlets - classic with bread.

Sometimes such cutlets are called “homemade platters.” This recipe actually makes the cutlets more tasty and of normal juiciness. We often cook these for lunch or dinner.

We will need:

  1. Pork meat - 300 g;
  2. Beef meat - 300 g;
  3. Bread crumb - 90-100 g;
  4. Egg - 1 piece;
  5. Onions - 2 pcs;
  6. Garlic (optional) - 2 cloves;
  7. Flour - 150 g;
  8. Vegetable oil;
  9. Salt to taste;
  10. Spices to taste.

Step 1.

Prepare the minced meat, grind the pork and beef in a fine mesh meat grinder 2 times and use a blender. Immediately chop the onion finely. Add to the minced meat.

Step 2.

Place the bread crumb into boiling water to soak. While we squeeze the garlic, add salt and pepper to taste. Add bread to the meat, passing it through a meat grinder and mix everything thoroughly.

Step 3.

Now the egg, separate the whites and beat. Add to the minced meat, mix thoroughly.

Step 4.

Now let’s form meat balls with our hands and flatten them a little. At the same time, we wet our hands in cold water so that the minced meat does not stick to them.


Step 5.

Now roll the cutlets in flour or you can use any other breading.

Step 6.

Now everything is as per the instructions described above. First, fry one side over medium heat, then reduce the heat to low, turn the cutlets over and cover with a lid. Then we bring it to readiness and it’s done.


Minced chicken cutlets in the oven.

As we said, these cutlets are very dietary and are perfect for those on a diet. Kids really love these cutlets. You can use turkey instead of chicken. Then the cutlets will be more juicy.


We will need:

  1. Chicken breast - 200 g;
  2. Wheat bread - 40-50 g;
  3. Egg - 1 piece;
  4. Onion - 1 piece;
  5. Garlic - 1 clove;
  6. Salt to taste;
  7. Spices to taste.

Step 1.

We wash the breast, dry it and separate it from the bone. We pass the fillet through a meat grinder or blender.

Step 2.

Soak the bread in boiling water, after a couple of minutes squeeze it out a little and add it to the minced meat. Salt and pepper to taste, squeeze out the garlic, finely chop the onion, add to the minced meat and mix everything well.

Step 3.

Now it’s up to the egg, or rather the white. Beat and add to the minced meat.

Step 4.

Set the oven to preheat at 180 ºС. Meanwhile, place foil on a baking sheet. We form the minced meat into not very thick cakes and place them on a baking sheet.

Step 5.

Bake the cutlets in the oven for 30 minutes. When ready, you can serve.

Ground beef cutlets.

Recipes for juicy cutlets made from minced beef or other meat are quite simple. Almost everything is prepared according to the same recipe. Now let's look at the simplest recipe, the main thing is to choose the right meat so that it is not dry.

Ingredients:

  1. Beef meat (veal) - 800 g;
  2. Onion - 2 pcs;
  3. Bread - 140-150 g;
  4. Egg - 1 piece;
  5. Salt to taste;
  6. Spices to taste;
  7. Vegetable oil or butter for frying.

Step 1.

We twist the meat. Finely chop the onion and add to the minced meat.

Step 2.

Soak yesterday's wheat bread in boiling water. Squeeze and add to the minced meat. Pepper, salt to taste and mix.

Step 3.

Separate the white from the egg, beat and add to the minced meat.

Step 4.

With wet hands we form meat balls, flatten them a little and place them in a heated frying pan. I use vegetable oil, but you can also fry it in butter. This will make the cutlets more juicy.

We fry according to the technology described above. When ready, you can serve with a vegetable side dish.

Here's another beautiful recipe:

Another recipe for beef cutlets, but with gravy.

Usually cutlets are served with a vegetable side dish or pasta. So I always like to make gravy for cutlets. It's tastier and juicier. Many recipes for juicy minced meat cutlets allow you to make the gravy right away, not separately from the cutlets, but together... Once you try it, you will always do it this way.

We will need:

  1. Beef - 500 g;
  2. Potatoes - 2 pcs;
  3. Egg - 1 piece;
  4. Bay leaf - 1 piece;
  5. Onion - 1 piece;
  6. Flour for breading;
  7. Salt and spices to taste;
  8. Greenery.

Step 1.

Cooking minced meat. We pass the meat through a meat grinder 2-3 times. Finely chop the onion and add to the meat. Grind the potatoes on a fine grater and add them all at once. Salt and pepper. Finely chop the greens and also into minced meat.


Mix everything thoroughly and then add the whipped egg white.

Step 2.

Now with wet hands we form beautiful little balls. Roll them in flour or other breading.


Step 3.

We'll fry it a little differently. Fry in a heated frying pan on both sides until golden brown.

The gravy itself. Fill the cutlets in the frying pan with water, just enough to barely cover the cutlets. Add bay leaf, salt, spices to taste and simply close the lid and let it simmer for about 20 minutes over low heat. Then the cutlets will give their taste and aroma to the gravy, it will turn out simply amazing.


To make the gravy thick, you need to add flour to it, if you like. Then you need to add a couple of tablespoons of flour to 1/2 cup, stir and pour into the gravy. Stir the sauce and let it simmer for another couple of minutes. Then you can put our cutlets and gravy aside.

Juicy minced chicken cutlets stuffed with cheese.

Some recipes for juicy minced meat cutlets require filling. You can experiment with different fillings. We love cheese filling more, so we present you this recipe.


We will need:

  1. Chicken meat - 550 g;
  2. A piece of loaf - 120-130 g;
  3. Garlic - 4 cloves;
  4. Onions - 35-40 g;
  5. Egg - 3 pcs;
  6. Hard cheese - 120 g;
  7. Salt and spices to taste;
  8. Dill and parsley to taste;
  9. Vegetable oil.

Step 1.

Boil 2 hard-boiled eggs, cool, peel and grate on a fine grater.

Step 2.

Cut the cheese into a thin salt shaker.

Step 3.

Wash all the greens well, dry and finely chop. Now combine the egg, herbs and cheese and mix. This is our filling.

Step 4.

We make minced meat. We pass the chicken meat through a meat grinder or blender.

Step 5.

Place the bread crumb in boiling water and after a couple of minutes take it out and add it to the minced meat. Squeeze the garlic through a press into the minced meat.

Step 6.

Chop the onion finely and also add it to the minced meat. Add salt and spices to taste. Mix everything thoroughly.

Step 7

Separate the egg white, beat and mix with the minced meat.

Step 8

Now we make thin cakes from minced meat, put our filling in the middle. Then wrap it in minced meat and flatten it a little. Shape into a cutlet. Don't forget to wet your hands so the meat doesn't stick.



Step 9

Now heat the pan and fry our cutlets.

Cutlets in batter with filling.

This recipe is a little more complicated than those described earlier, but the taste is excellent and they look very beautiful on the holiday table. We continue to look at recipes for juicy minced meat cutlets, now in batter.

Ingredients:


Step 1.

First we make the minced meat. You can take any, you can have assorted ones. I use 2/3 beef and part pork. It is best to take non-fat meat, as there will be enough oil.

Grind the meat through a meat grinder. Finely chop the onion and add to the meat. Add salt and pepper to taste. Mix everything thoroughly. You can add a little water if the meat is very dry.

Step 2.

Let's make the filling. Grate the cheese. Finely chop the pineapples and mix with cheese.

Step 3.

Now the minced meat needs to be divided into equal parts. Let's roll them into balls - future cutlets.

Step 4.

We make flat cakes from the balls, put a spoonful of filling and a piece of butter in the middle. Close like pies. Now we make a cutlet shape with our hands and correct it, so to speak.

We put the resulting cutlets in the refrigerator for now. Let's make the batter.

Step 5.

Beat eggs, mayonnaise, soda and salt into a deep bowl. Beat well. Then gradually add flour while stirring. You want the dough to turn out like pancakes.

Step 6.

We take out the cutlets. Melt the fat in a frying pan. You can simply fry it in vegetable oil. First dip the cutlets into the batter and then into a heated frying pan. Leave space between the cutlets so they don't stick together.

When one side is browned, turn it over. Fry until browned on all sides.

Step 7

After frying, it is advisable to place the cutlets briefly on a paper towel to drain excess fat. You can then serve it with a side dish.

Essentially these are the same cutlets, but they are made thin. Also the difference is that a lot of oil is required. You need to completely submerge the cutlets there. Traditionally, schnitzel is made from pork. But you can also make it from other meat. Let's look at recipes for juicy minced meat cutlets in German.


We will need:

  1. Pork - 1 kg;
  2. Cream - 2 tablespoons;
  3. Egg - 2 pcs;
  4. Onion - 1 piece;
  5. Breadcrumbs;
  6. Salt and pepper to taste;
  7. Ground coriander and bay leaf to taste;

Step 1.

We pass the washed meat through a meat grinder. Finely chop the onion and add to the meat.

Step 2.

Pour the cream into the minced meat, add pepper and salt to taste. Beat the whole eggs in there. Mix the minced meat thoroughly, it is advisable to even beat it.

Step 3.

With wet hands, form thin cakes, roll in breadcrumbs and leave on the table for a couple of minutes.

And here is an interesting recipe and very beautiful:

Fish cutlets with semolina.

Finally, let’s look at a simple recipe for fish meat cutlets. For those who are tired of other meat, recipes for juicy cutlets made from minced fish meat are suitable. It also makes delicious cutlets. Reba contains a lot of useful substances, especially phosphorus. You can cook from any fish. We will cook it with pollock.

We will need:

  1. Any fish (mine is pollock) - 1 kg;
  2. Onions - 1-2 pcs;
  3. Bread or loaf - 150 -200 g;
  4. Tomato paste - 2 tablespoons;
  5. Salt and pepper to taste;
  6. Semolina for breading;
  7. Vegetable oil.

Clean the fish and cut into small pieces. Soak the bread in water and squeeze. Finely chop the onion and fry in a frying pan until a beautiful golden color. Be sure to cool.

Step 2.

Now we pass the fish fillet, bread and fried onions through a meat grinder. Salt and pepper the minced meat to taste. Mix everything thoroughly.

Step 3.

With wet hands, form balls and flatten them a little. Heat the frying pan, roll the cutlets in semolina and place in the frying pan. Fry on both sides, reduce the heat, cover with a lid and let them fry a little.


Step 4.

After frying, place the cutlets in a saucepan. Bring the water to a boil, add tomato paste and bay leaf. You can add any other spices to your taste. Cover with a lid and simmer for 2-3 minutes.


Then remove from the stove and cool slightly. Can be served.


That's all for me, I hope you found our tips and recipes useful. Bon appetit, bye everyone and see you later. Don't forget to leave your comments and share the post on social networks.

Recipes for juicy minced meat cutlets and the secrets of their preparation. updated: December 8, 2017 by: Subbotina Maria

Meatballs and meatballs, meatballs, cutlets, cabbage rolls, dumplings - all these dishes are based on minced meat. Homemade is always more attractive in taste and appearance than store-bought, but creating such a meat base is not as easy as we would like. Where is the secret of perfect minced meat for cutlets of any kind and what mistakes do inexperienced housewives make?

How to make minced meat for cutlets

Pieces of pork, beef, poultry or even fish twisted through a meat grinder - in the general understanding, this is minced meat. However, such a “bare” base is not suitable for further work, since it falls apart, dries out during heat treatment, and has almost no taste. As a result, you have to add some binding components, spices, etc., so the question of how to prepare minced meat for cutlets can take a very long time to figure out. First of all, it is advisable to decide how this dish will be prepared.

In the oven

This method of heat treatment is very popular along with cooking in a slow cooker. There are no special requirements for minced meat for cutlets in the oven, but it is desirable that it be juicy, since the moisture is actively evaporated. Breading is not necessary here, but it is recommended to make a wet filling for the cutlets - it will saturate them from the inside, preventing them from drying out. Mixed pork-beef, pork-chicken or fish mixture is ideal.

For a couple

This cooking method is mainly used for fish and poultry, when dietary recipes are selected and fats are not allowed. The minced meat for steam cutlets can even be completely dry - the humidity inside will be created and preserved by the chosen method of heat treatment. The only disadvantage of the finished dish is its outward appearance: the steamed cutlets are very pale, so experts advise putting them in the oven for a quarter of an hour so that a crust appears.

A couple of important nuances:

  • There is no need to bread the formed cutlets - a steamer will turn this dry shell into an unsightly mess.
  • Don't have a meat grinder? Use a blender or food processor. The consistency of the minced meat will vary depending on the duration of operation of the device.

In a frying pan

If we talk about the classic fried dish, then it uses mainly combined minced meat, part of which is necessarily juicy pork. Professionals do not recommend using ground chicken or turkey for frying cutlets, as it can become too dry when frying. Some chefs make a twisted pork-beef tandem with a small amount of lard - this makes the dish especially tender.

Minced meat recipe for cutlets

After reading the methods outlined below for creating minced meat, poultry or fish, you will forget about the problem of falling apart or burnt cutlets, and learn how to choose the right flavoring additives. Each step-by-step recipe for preparing minced meat is accompanied by a photo, and at the end the most valuable advice from professionals is collected, selected based on the frequency of questions that housewives have.

Classical

The traditional version of this delicious dish is pork and beef, complemented with white onion, black pepper, and salt. Most housewives prefer to make classic minced meat for cutlets with an egg, whose task is to give the mass elasticity and integrity. Be sure to bread it with ground breadcrumbs, and for tenderness, add a piece of butter at the very last stage.

Ingredients:

  • beef – 400 g;
  • pork – 180 g;
  • egg higher cat.;
  • bulb onions;
  • salt pepper;
  • butter – 20 g.

Cooking method:

  1. Scroll the meat and onion slices twice at the same time.
  2. Add salt and pepper. Taste the mixture, because more often it happens to be under-salted than over-salted.
  3. Beat the egg and add it in. Knead with your hands (!) for a couple of minutes.
  4. Pour in a spoonful of ice water and add butter. Knead for another minute.

From pike

This fish is characterized by dry fillet, so professionals always use butter, which will make the cutlets juicy. You can take lard or even fatty pork, but if you are planning to prepare a dish for a child, this option is not suitable. The remaining secrets of how to make ideal minced pike for cutlets are revealed as the algorithm is described.

Ingredients:

  • pike – 550 g;
  • butter – 30 g;
  • milk – half a glass;
  • bulb;
  • salt;
  • a sprig of cilantro;
  • slice of white loaf.

Cooking method:

  1. Cut the bread crumb and pour in milk - this will make the cutlets tender.
  2. Clean the pike fillet and grind through a meat grinder with chopped onion.
  3. Add the squeezed bread mass, salt, chopped cilantro.
  4. Before frying/baking, the cutlets will definitely need to be breaded, otherwise all the juice will go away.

Consider another option for a fish dish -. Delicious cooking recipes with photos and videos await you.

From beef and pork

If you like the big, hearty burgers sold at food chains, but are wary of their unknown ingredients, learn how to make this dish yourself. First of all, you need to figure out how to prepare minced meat for pork and beef cutlets. This mass, according to professionals, is ideal for burgers. The dietary version discards pork.

Ingredients:

  • beef – 250 g;
  • pork – 250 g;
  • egg 1 cat.;
  • white loaf – 100 g;
  • salt, oregano, basil - a pinch;
  • caraway seeds – 1/2 tsp.

Cooking method:

  1. Grind the beef and pork through a meat grinder.
  2. Freeze the loaf and grate it coarsely.
  3. Beat the egg and add to the meat mixture. Add spices and salt there.
  4. Add the loaf crumbs last - the mass should be thick.
  5. You can fry burger patties made from minced pork and beef without oil, remembering to give them the correct flattened shape.

Chicken

A very quick, tasty, tender dish is obtained if you prepare the base according to this recipe. Chicken fillet is low-fat, so it is complemented with processed cheese or regular cheese with sour cream, and fresh herbs will give it a pleasant aroma and taste. Minced chicken for cutlets also wins over others due to the speed of frying, especially if you make small flattened balls.

Ingredients:

  • chicken fillet – 500 g;
  • one processed cheese;
  • eggs 2 cat. - 2 pcs.;
  • a bunch of dill;
  • green onion feathers;
  • salt.

Cooking method:

  1. Chop the chicken fillet with a knife and grind in a blender. Add salt.
  2. Mash the cheese, add torn dill and green onions.
  3. Add beaten eggs, knead chicken mixture. If it is very liquid, add a little flour.
  4. These cutlets are best baked or steamed to keep them low in calories. If frying, make breading.

From fish

For such a dish, experts do not place restrictions on the type of main product - you can use both juicy fatty trout and skinny pollock, as well as pike perch and cod. The only important thing is the absence of a large number of bones, otherwise cleaning will turn into torture. There are no special secrets in how to make minced fish for cutlets - even all the components that complement the fillet can be identical to those for meat.

Ingredients:

  • fish fillet – 600 g;
  • a bunch of parsley;
  • semolina - 3 tbsp. l.;
  • salt;
  • ground white pepper;
  • breadcrumbs.

Cooking method:

  1. Cool the fish fillets before using. Clean, rinse.
  2. Cut into cubes and grind with a blender.
  3. Add torn parsley, salt and ground white pepper.
  4. Add semolina to make the mixture less liquid.
  5. Form cutlets and cover with breadcrumbs.

From pork

This type of meat is rarely used alone due to its fat content. Even if housewives do not add beef/poultry, they try to make a filling that will make the dish easier to digest. Apples, prunes and greens are ideal. These minced pork cutlets are juicy, fluffy, beautiful, and are in no way inferior to dishes from restaurant photos. Try this recipe to see for yourself.

Ingredients:

  • pork – 700 g;
  • bulb;
  • salt, ground pepper;
  • prunes - a handful;
  • green apple;
  • semolina – 3 tbsp. l.

Cooking method:

  1. Toss cooled pork with onion pieces.
  2. Salt, pepper, add semolina. Beat this mass and knead for several minutes.
  3. Grate the apple, steam the prunes, make cutlets, adding the filling to the center.

Beef

For such a dish, choose the front zone of the carcass - it is the most tender, but not too greasy. If you use a spatula, it is better to cook mixed minced meat or add butter/lard. However, the fluffiness is also affected by beating - without it, the cutlets will be flat and very heavy inside. How to make ground beef so that your homemade dish can compete with restaurant photos? The technology is disclosed below.

Ingredients:

  • beef – 500 g;
  • lard – 100 g;
  • bulb;
  • tomato paste – 2 tsp;
  • salt pepper.

Cooking method:

  1. Twist the meat with lard, add ground pepper.
  2. Salt the minced beef and combine with tomato paste.
  3. Beat for 3-4 minutes, immediately form cutlets.

With bread

A culinary trick such as using a loaf or a simple white bun helps make even fried cutlets very tender. This technique is especially actively used for fish or chicken mass, which is devoid of fat. Homemade minced meat cutlets with bread are always juicy, fluffy, and soft. Take stale slices - they will work better due to the gluten. This stuffing cannot be prepared in advance!

Ingredients:

  • meat – 600 g;
  • garlic clove;
  • stale bread – 120 g;
  • milk – 150 ml;
  • salt.

Cooking method:

  1. Pour milk over the bread, wait 10-12 minutes.
  2. Grind the beef through a meat grinder. Send it there again, but with squeezed bread and garlic.
  3. Salt the resulting mass, add chopped onion. Beat and start making cutlets.

With potatoes

Housewives and even culinary professionals like this simple method - grated potatoes added to chopped meat perform the same role as an egg. This recipe is suitable for people allergic to albumin and is often used in children's menus. Tender, juicy minced meat for cutlets with potatoes can be prepared from any base - it always turns out perfect.

Ingredients:

  • meat (any) – 600 g;
  • large potatoes;
  • onions – 1/2 pcs.;
  • salt.

Cooking method:

  1. Grind the meat pieces through a meat grinder and add half the chopped onion.
  2. Add salt. Beat for 2-3 minutes - this way the cutlets will be fluffy.
  3. Add finely grated potatoes, stir for another 1-1.5 minutes.

Turkey

Chefs call this type of meat an excellent compromise between the fat content of pork and the dryness of chicken. Turkey is juicy, tender, but has low calorie content, so it is actively used in the diet menu. If you wanted to know how to make ground turkey, but were constantly faced with a hundred insoluble questions, this recipe will help you figure it out completely.

Ingredients:

  • turkey fillet (not breast) – 600 g;
  • zucchini pulp – 100 g;
  • sour cream – 2 tbsp. l.;
  • dried herbs - a pinch;
  • salt;
  • bell pepper

Cooking method:

  1. Pour milk over the bread.
  2. Chop the turkey with a knife and grind through a meat grinder with pepper. Season with herbs and salt.
  3. Mix with sour cream and egg. Add grated zucchini.
  4. Knead for a couple of minutes and form into cutlets.

What can you add to minced meat for cutlets?

Any classic recipe can be modified to change the taste and appearance/consistency of the dish. Professionals tell us what to add to the minced meat for cutlets to get the perfect result:

  • Do you want dietary but juicy fluffy cutlets? Mix grated beets or carrots with the meat mixture.
  • Minced cod can be supplemented with sour cream or low-fat cream.
  • An unusual way to prepare minced meat for cutlets without bread is to use a little grated zucchini pulp.
  • Too liquid and no flour? Take bran or oatmeal.

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