Matzo Balls are traditionally served in chicken soup but can be a great addition to any soup you love.
What Are Matzo Balls?
Matzo balls or matzah balls, are dumplings made from a mixture of matzo meal, beaten eggs, seasonings, and a fat. They are a traditional food during the feast of Unleavened Bread or Passover.
The first time I made matzo balls, Mr. Smith looked at them and asked, “What are those?” I explained to him what they were…and after he tried them, he was hooked. The very next time I made soup, he asked if I could put matzo balls in that one as well.
To Make This Recipe You Will Need:
- matzo meal
- ground ginger
- dry parsley
- salt
- black pepper
- eggs
- chicken broth
- melted butter (or schmaltz or duck fat)
- large shallow pan
- mixing bowls
- whisk
- foil or plastic wrap
- scoop
- small dish of water
- slotted spoon
First of all, you’ll need matzo meal. Matzo meal is very simply cracker-style matzo that has been ground up into a fine meal. You can make your own or get it already as meal. I personally like to use the Manischewitz matzo meal for this recipe.
To begin, you’ll combine matzo meal, dry parsley, powdered ginger, salt and black pepper in a bowl. Stir it together and set it aside for now.
In a mixing bowl, beat 4 eggs well with a whisk.
Add in melted butter and chicken broth. You can also use melted schmaltz (rendered chicken fat) or duck fat instead of butter if you wish.
Add the dry ingredients to the egg mixture and mix well.
Cover and refrigerate at least 3 hours.
While the matzo ball dough chilled, I made a simple chicken soup to serve the matzo balls in. Chicken soup is the most common, and traditional way to serve matzo balls, but you can have them in any soup you like.
After the matzo ball dough has chilled, fill a large, shallow pan with salted water (like you are cooking pasta) and bring it to a boil.
You May Also Like: Easy Matzo Pizza
Meanwhile, matzo ball roll the dough into balls about the size of a ping ping ball. I use one of my cookie dough scoops to scoop the dough and get a consistent sized ball.
Have a small dish of water handy to dampen your hands. You want your hands to be wet when you roll the dough, to keep it from sticking to you.
Carefully drop all of the matzo balls into the boiling water, cover the pan and reduce the heat to a simmer. Allow the matzo balls to cook for about 35-40 minutes.
The matzo balls will puff up as they cook.
Once the matzo balls have cooked, use a slotted spoon to transfer them to the soup you are serving them with.
Enjoy!
Did you Make this Recipe? I’d love for you to give me a 5 star rating in the recipe card below. If you share it on Instagram, please tag me!
How to Make Matzo Balls
Ingredients
- 1 c matzo meal
- 1 teaspoon dry parsley
- 1 teaspoon salt, I use Redmond real salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper, freshly ground
- 1/4 teaspoon dry ginger
- 4 eggs, beaten
- 1/4 c butter, unsalted, melted
- 1/4 c chicken broth
For cooking
- salted, boiling water
Instructions
- To begin, combine the matzo meal, salt, pepper and seasonings in a bowl. Stir together and set aside for now.
- Beat the eggs well with a whisk in your mixing bowl.
- Add the melted butter and chicken broth and stir together.
- Add the dry ingredients to the egg mixture. Stir until combined.
- Cover your bowl with plastic wrap or foil, and refrigerate at least 3 hours.
- When you are ready to make the matzo balls, start a large, shallow pan of salted water (like you're cooking pasta) – bring it to a boil.
- While the water is heating, roll the matzo dough into balls. I use a cookie dough scoop to measure out the dough and give me a consistent size. Have a small dish of water to dip your hands in, as you want your hands to be wet so that the dough doesn't stick to you.
- Roll the matzo dough into balls about the size of a ping pong ball (just over an inch in diameter.) Place them on a plate or shallow dish as you get them all rolled.
- Carefully drop all of the matzo balls into the boiling water. Cover the pan, reduce the heat to a simmer and cook them for 30-40 minutes.
- When the matzo balls are done, use a slotted spoon to scoop the balls out and serve them with your favorite soup.
- Enjoy!
Equipment Used
- cookie scoop small
- large shallow pan with lid
- slotted spoon
- small dish of water
- foil or plastic wrap
Nutrition
If nutritional values are provided for this recipe, they are an estimate and will vary depending on the brands of ingredients you use. The values do not include optional ingredients or when ingredients are added to taste or for serving. If nutritional values are very important to you, I suggest using your favorite nutritional calculating tool with the brands you use.
I love hearing from you! Comments, thoughts and questions are always welcome. Manners are requisite. Your email address is never published. Don't forget to rate recipes!