Other than adding flavor to your meatloaf, eggs are also crucial for acting as bidding agents.
A bidding agent will help keep the meatloaf intact. It ensures that it has structure.
You may have several reasons you don't want eggs in your meatloaf recipe. You may realize you don't have any eggs left or are allergic to eggs. Whatever your reason, a suitable substitute is needed.
The substitute you choose should have binding agents and may or may not add flavor. It depends on your preferences. Some of the replacements to use are readily available in your home.
If whatever you choose is not available in your kitchen, you can quickly get them in the store.
Also, Check-Out: How to Fix Mushy Meatloaf. Here
Alternatives for eggs in meatloaf.
Below are seven suitable substitutes for eggs in meatloaf.
1. Virgin Olive Oil
Olive oil is one ingredient that you might have in your kitchen. You might already know that you can use olive oil instead of eggs. After reading through, if you were not aware, you would be familiar with that fact.
You might not know that virgin olive oil is a great binding agent. If you use it in your meatloaf, it will help it to remain intact.
Ensure you use virgin olive, for it is the one with the binding agent. Most cooking oils serve the opposite purpose. That is why you need to use virgin olive oil.
Without eggs, it will be hard for the meatloaf to remain intact; hence you need to substitute the eggs with something similar. Virgin oil is a perfect substitute. Other than binding the meatloaf, it has a ton of health benefits.
They include;
- It reduces the chances of becoming diabetic
- It helps maintain blood pressure
- It is good for your hair and skin
- It reduces the chances of becoming cancerous
Also, Read On: What to serve with Meatloaf.
2. Mayonnaise
Mayonnaise has excellent taste. However, the excellence of the flavor is different from one person to the next. If you love mayonnaise, it will be a perfect substitute for eggs.
Besides tasting good and adding flavor to your meatloaf, mayonnaise has binding agents. In the end, you want to get a well-bound meatloaf, such that it will remain neat even when you cut through it.
The vital point to note about binding agents is they are responsible for ensuring that the meat and other ingredients stick nicely together.
If you decide to use mayonnaise instead of eggs, it will serve you best to use high-quality mayonnaise. It will taste better and ensure your meatloaf is intact—quality matters.
Mayonnaise consists of egg white and oil. It contains low proteins; hence, it will not affect you as much as eggs if you are allergic to proteins. The oil in it will ensure that your meatloaf is not dry.
If you are not looking to add flavor to your meatloaf, use regular mayonnaise—also, be keen on the amount of mayonnaise you use. Too much mayonnaise will be sour for your meatloaf.
3. Mashed Potatoes
Even if you lack anything else on this list, potatoes are hard to lack. You can use it for most meals, and therefore, they are readily available.
Most people aren't aware that potatoes have binding characteristics. If you didn't know that you can use potatoes instead of eggs in your meatloaf, read on to understand how you can do so.
Cook the potatoes and ensure that you don't overcook them. Mash them, and don't make them soggy. You can then add your ground beef and other ingredients and mix well. You can then go ahead and cook your meatloaf.
The mashed potatoes will help your meatloaf to remain structured and not crumble when you finish cooking it.
On the plus side, mashed potatoes will add to the volume of your meatloaf. It will be most advantageous if you are preparing meatloaf for many people. Plus, if you love potatoes, it will add to the sweetness of the meatloaf.
4. Gelatin
It might come as a shock to you that you can use gelatin instead of eggs in your meatloaf. You most probably use gelatin to make soup. You did not know that gelatin has crucial binding agents that can be very helpful when you are making meatloaf.
Gelatin is highly known for its health benefits. It comes from animals, and hence if you are a vegetarian, you might want to avoid it. For vegetarians, there are a few vegetarian gelatin substitutes.
It is gluten-free, and it has proteins. As a result, numerous health benefits are associated with gelatin. These benefits include;
- Gelatin contains collagen that is essential in avoiding wrinkles on your skin. Ingesting collagen helps your skin to retain water, thus making your skin more elastic. You, therefore, look younger.
- It makes your bones stronger.
- Helps with digestion
- It improves the quality of your sleep.
As you can see, gelatin has various benefits other than being an excellent biding agent.
5. Bread Crumbs
You most probably are already using breadcrumbs to make your meatloaf. Breadcrumbs are great in binding the meatloaf.
Even if you are using breadcrumbs, you can use them again to ensure your meatloaf is perfectly bound. Furthermore, breadcrumbs will not alter the flavor of the meatloaf.
If you find you have no eggs but have bread, you are good to go. It is crucial to use bread that has lasted a few days. The bread should, however, not be spoilt to avoid complications. Three to fours days old bread will do.
You might be wondering why it's not advisable to use fresh bread. Fresh bread is very soft and will not provide the meatloaf with the binding it needs. Yes, it will bind it, but it will be weak. If you only have fresh bread, you can use it, but it won't yield the results that you might be looking for.
6. Wheat Flour
Wheat flour is a well-known binding agent. When kneaded or made into a thick paste, you can use it as a binding agent.
Most people use it when baking numerous delicacies. If you suddenly realize that you don't have or don't want eggs in your meatloaf, you can use wheat flour. On the plus side, wheat flour is readily available, and you most probably have it in your kitchen.
If you combine it with enough flour, your meatloaf will be intact. Another massive advantage of using wheat flour in your meatloaf is that it will add the volume of the meatloaf. It serves you when you are feeding many people.
A problem that will arise if you have wheat flour in your meatloaf is making a dry meatloaf. A dry meatloaf will not yield the best results that you were hoping to get. To avoid it, use another ingredient with oil like virgin olive oil or mayonnaise to curb the dryness.
The result will be a delicious meatloaf that you don't need a glass of water to help it get to your stomach. You are looking to make a delightful meatloaf, after all.
7. Flax Eggs
A flax egg is made out of combining flax seeds with water. You might not have heard about flax eggs until now. As a result, it might not be an ingredient in your house.
If you have an egg allergy or dislike eggs, consider flax eggs. To use flax eggs in your meatloaf recipe, you need to have planned so that you can buy flax seeds.
To make a flax egg, you should follow a particular process. You don't just mix the flax seeds with water. You follow a specific routine. For every tablespoon of flax seeds, use a quarter of a cup of water.
The amount of meatloaf you are making will determine the amount of flex egg you will use. Flex eggs are good binding agents, and they will make your meatloaf stick together.
If you are a vegetarian or vegan, flax eggs will be the best egg substitute for your meatloaf. You might not be vegetarian or vegan, but you might want to start eating healthy; flax eggs are the way to go.
Flax eggs have low cholesterol and are rich in omega 3, which is beneficial to your health. They are also enriched with fiber, so they help with digestion.
Bottom line
There are so many substitutes that you can use in place of eggs when making meatloaf. The ones stated above are some of the best egg substitutes for your meatloaf.
There are several reasons you might want something other than eggs in your meatloaf. An allergy, you ran out of eggs, or you hate eggs. If that is the case, you don't have to be worried.
The above list provides you with enough choices to use in place of eggs. In addition to acting as a binding agent, these ingredients have a ton of health benefits.
From now onwards, you won't have to worry again about what to use in your meatloaf other than eggs. Now you know.