The perfect matzo ball doesn’t require seltzer, baking powder, egg whites, or even a light touch, and this recipe proves it. We like chicken schmaltz for the flavor and texture it gives (make sure to use the good stuff) and added in some dill and black pepper for extra flavor. This recipe makes 16 balls total and was developed to go with BA’s Best Matzo Ball Soup.
Ingredients
Makes 16
6
½
6
3
¾
3
1½
Preparation
Step 1
Whisk eggs in a medium bowl until no streaks remain. Add schmaltz, broth, dill, pepper, and 1½ tsp. salt and whisk vigorously to combine. Whisk in matzo meal until well combined. Chill at least 35 minutes or up to 2 hours (this is essential so that the matzo meal can hydrate).
Step 2
Bring 3 qt. water to a boil in a medium pot. Season with remaining 3 Tbsp. salt.
Step 3
Using dampened hands, roll matzo mixture into 16 balls about 1½" in diameter. It’s okay to really work them into a ball; they won’t get dense—trust us, we tried! Transfer to a small rimmed baking sheet or large plate.
Step 4
Carefully lower matzo balls into boiling water with a slotted spoon, adjusting heat as needed to maintain a low simmer. Cover pot and simmer over low heat, checking occasionally to make sure water isn’t boiling too rapidly, until balls are very puffed and light in color, 30–40 minutes. Don’t remove them sooner than this; they will be dense in the middle if undercooked. Turn off heat and let balls sit in cooking liquid until ready to serve.
Step 5
Do Ahead: Matzo balls can be made 2 days ahead. Transfer to an airtight container along with 2–3 Tbsp. cooking liquid and chill.
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Reviews (31)
Back to TopThe liquid to matzo meal ratio was really off for me. Maybe my eggs were larger than specified. After letting the mixture rest in the refrigerator for 30 minutes, I kept adding more motzo meal and putting it back in the fridge. Eventually, I started adding flour and corn starch until I was able to form balls. In the end, they were funny looking but absolutely delicious!
Anonymous
New York, NY
11/26/2022
Good Recipe. We had to simmer them for an hour. They got bigger and fluffier the longer we simmered the.
Celia
Houston, Texas
2/26/2022
Although completely cooked, they did not expand and were doughy and chewy. I a mystified why they turned out that way. I followed the directions.
Foodie Gal
Los Angeles
1/29/2022
I did the same thing as Jullietee - put all the salt in the mix AND in the water but unlike her I didn't realise my mistake until I was eating them. My partner was so kind when she said perhaps it's a little salty.. These would've been delicious had I read the manual correctly aaaagh!
Mark
Sydney, Australia
1/9/2022
These are the best matzoh balls. I made a few mistakes. The first thing I did is I read the 3 tablespoons +1 1/2 teaspoons of salt and put them all in the mix so I started over again. Oops. Then, I made them and cooked them and forgot to put the 3 tablespoons of salt in the water. And they turned out perfect anyway. I did not have fresh dill so I used half the amount of dried dill and they were amazing. I gave this recipe a perfect 10
Jillietee
Los Angeles CA
12/5/2021
A suggestion to travelers out there--I make these for our freezer so that when we come home and are worn out I just pull them out of the freezer, heat up my homemade chicken stock and feel like I'll make it another day. (I freeze them on parchment paper and then in a vacuum sealer and they never disappoint. Ever. I sometimes tweak this recipe and add some onion powder and a dash of cayenne. Yummy.
BPat15226
Pittsburgh, PA
8/23/2021
These were without a doubt the least hassle no frills matzo ball recipe I've made. No need for mixes or additions. Just some matzo meal and stuff you have laying around. I subbed light olive oil for schmaltz. Last 2 times I let the balls rest 2 hours in the fridge. One thing I feel is key is boiling in just the salted water. Something about cooking balls in the soup directly always gives me wonky results. WAAAAAY too much salt on the cooking part of the recipe. Like for real. Believe the other SALT BOMB comment from another reviewer. It's for really real true. Just salt the water lightly like you'd do with pasta. After the balls are cooked just let them rest in the soup a bit. In the end every ball bite you take will have some of the tasty soup in it anyway. I think the goal here for most ball-ers is the texture. Let's face it these are just balls of matza and matza isn't exactly the show stopping flavor monster. In short...follow the recipe up to the salt in the water for cooking. WAY TOO MUCH
Anonymous
New York
4/29/2020
Wow! I made these Matzo Balls for a pot of chicken soup following recipe. Didn’t have dill on hand so I substituted with fresh parsley. Simmered 40 minutes and spoon test resulted in a perfect Matzo Ball. These were, light, fluffy and delicious!! Pretty good for a first time making Matzo Balls. I passed this recipe on to several friends. Will definitely make these again.
Apekrol57
Margate, FL
4/13/2020
@bookbitch -you probably made the same mistake I did, which is to add the entire amount of salt that's written in the recipe into the actual matzo balls, whereas they meant for the bulk of the salt, three tablespoons, to go into the boiling water. Luckily I realized my mistake before boiling them, so I doubled the recipe without any more salt, and they came out just fine. The recipe should be changed to show the two quantities of salt separately so more people don't make the same mistake, as to them puffing up, I personally like a dense matzahball and enjoyed these very much. Making them for the second time.
Alipali333
Nyc
4/8/2020
Just threw these in the trash and starting over. They didn't puff up much, though they were cooked all the way through. The big issue was the salt; they were little salt bombs and just inedible.
bookbitch
Florida
4/8/2020