No matter how experienced and talented a woman is in the kitchen, the question will always slip through her mind: what to cook? Surely it should be something useful, but at the same time tasty, to surprise your household. The perfect solution to the problem is meatballs. They turn out very tasty, rich and satisfying. And most importantly - it’s a pleasure to cook them, if the kitchen has such an indispensable thing as a slow cooker.
Meatballs in a slow cooker
The easiest and fastest way to cook tasty, healthy and aromatic food is to use a slow cooker. It is so easy to use that even a child can handle it. These are not the only advantages of the multicooker. Thanks to its modes, you can easily do your housework, knowing that nothing in the kitchen will burn and boil away. It will be enough only to choose a cooking recipe and prepare the necessary ingredients.
Steamed meatballs are a great option for children and adults who want to get their figure in shape, but at the same time eat deliciously. The recipe for meatballs with rice in the Redmond slow cooker is very simple, if you know some secrets. Choose any recipe and surprise your family!
Meat selection for meatballs
Meatballs are a very tasty and versatile meat dish that can be prepared from any meat. It all depends on taste preferences. If this dish will be served to children, then it is better to opt for minced chicken. It turns out softer and juicier, unlike pork or beef. The latter is suitable for diet foods. For minced pork, it is better to take in moderation fatty pieces, such as a neck or ham.
The meat balls are especially tasty and juicy if they are prepared from a mixture of several types of meat, which scroll simultaneously. You can combine everything that your heart desires: pork and beef, pork and chicken, turkey and chicken, beef and rabbit. This method of cooking is called classic. The recipe for meatballs with rice in a slow cooker with a photo is presented below.
The classic recipe for cooking meatballs with rice in a slow cooker
The classic recipe is considered one of the simplest and fastest. To make the meatballs quite juicy, it is recommended to cook them in tomato sauce.
Ingredients for making a classic recipe for meatballs with rice in a slow cooker:
- Minced meat 500 g.
- Rice 250 g
- Chicken eggs 2 pcs.
- Bulbs 1-2 pcs.
- Flour 100 g.
- Tomatoes 500 g or tomato paste 3 tbsp. l
- Spices, salt.
Cooking method
First, you should cook the rice until half cooked in a slow cooker. While the rice is boiling, mincemeat should be prepared. To do this, take two types of meat and scroll in a meat grinder. You can also use purchased minced meat.
Next, you need to peel and finely chop the onion. Once the rice is cooked, it should be mixed with meat, onions, eggs, salt and spices. It is thoroughly mixed until smooth, and then the meat balls are molded. It is important to remember that the meatballs are baked, their size should be small. Bone each in flour and send to a slow cooker until a crust appears. The "Frying" mode is set.
To prepare tomato sauce, you need 500 g of tomatoes. They should be ground without spices with the addition of spices and salt. To soften the acid, cream or sour cream is added to the tomato mixture. A great alternative to tomatoes is tomato paste. It should be diluted in boiled water at the rate of 3 tbsp. l 240 ml.
The main secret in the recipe for meatballs with rice in a slow cooker is sauce. The meat balls should be abundantly soaked in it so that the meatballs turn out to be mouth-watering and juicy. Otherwise, the dish will turn out dry.
The bottom of the multi-cup is greased with vegetable oil, and meatballs, drenched in sauce, go there. Put the "Extinguishing" mode and after 30 minutes the dish is served at the table. You can decorate meatballs with greens.
Meatballs without rice
There are many recipes for cooking meatballs. And in our time it is impossible to imagine this dish without rice. But many housewives have already learned how to cook meat balls without adding this ingredient. The recipe for meatballs without rice in a slow cooker is as simple as classic, but with its own zest.
To prepare this dish, you will need:
- Pork 0.5 g.
- Chicken egg 1 pc.
- Bulbs 1-2 pcs.
- Flour 2 tbsp. l
- Sour cream 1 tbsp. l
- Tomato paste 1 tbsp. l
- Garlic cloves 2-3 pcs.
- Greens.
- Salt, spices.
Cooking process
First you need to cook minced pork. After thoroughly washing the meat, remove the veins and pat them with paper towels. Next, finely scroll through a meat grinder and add the minced garlic egg to the minced pork. To make the meatballs as saturated as with rice, chopped fresh herbs should be added to the resulting mixture. You can use parsley, dill or basil.
Meat balls are molded with wet hands and each is crumbled in flour. Vegetable oil is poured into a multi-cup and a piece of cream is placed. The meatballs are laid out at the bottom of the multicooker and poured with sauce. The sauce is prepared in the same way as in the classic recipe for meatballs with rice in a slow cooker. First set the "Frying" mode, until all sides of the meat balls are covered with a crust, and then the "Stewing" mode for 30 minutes.
And meatballs without rice are ready! Serve the dish with any side dish.
Recipe for chicken meatballs with rice in a slow cooker
Or else this dish is called "Hedgehogs with Rice." The meatballs got this name because at the time of cooking the rice swells and “hedgehogs” are obtained.
A distinctive feature of this dish is minced chicken, which scrolls from the juiciest parts of the chicken: ham, thighs and breast. If you use the fillet, it will ultimately be a little dry and not any sauce can fix the situation.
For children, this dish is considered a favorite, because it is in kindergartens that this recipe is used for cooking meatballs.
The cooking method is no different from the classic, only there is one feature. In the classic recipe, rice was cooked almost completely, and in this case it should either be used raw or cooked for several minutes. In this dish, cereal is more suitable for long grain.
"Hedgehogs with rice" are most often steamed and without sauce, especially for children. And so that the meatballs do not turn out dry, they can be served with herbs or sour cream.
Side dishes for meatballs
Meatballs are a versatile dish to which any side dishes are suitable. Such as mashed potatoes, rice, pasta, buckwheat. Stewed or baked vegetables will also be an ideal complement to this dish, especially for losing weight. Whatever recipe you choose for meatballs with rice in a slow cooker, it will be difficult to make a mistake with the side dish.
The variety of meatball recipes is great, as it turned out, and all recipes are unique in their own way. In the end, they turn out to be tasty, mouth-watering, with a rich aroma, regardless of what recipe you prepared.