Floater Matzo Balls (2024)

Prep Time: 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 1 hour hour

Total Time: 1 hour hour 15 minutes minutes

• 1 cup matzo meal
• 1 teaspoon baking powder (optional for Passover – see notes below for details)
• 1/4 teaspoon sea salt, heaping
• 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder, heaping
• 1/4 teaspoon onion powder, heaping
• 1/4 teaspoon white pepper (optional)
• 4 large eggs
• 1/4 cup melted schmaltz, avocado oil, or safflower oil (use schmaltz for best flavor)
• 1/4 cup unflavored seltzer (only needed if not using the baking powder)
• 1 tablespoon minced fresh dill or parsley (optional)
• 5 quarts chicken stock (I highly recommend homemade chicken stock – none on hand? Check out the alternative method outlined below)

For the chicken soup recipe to accompany these matzo balls, check out my matzo ball soup recipe.

You will also need: 6 quart stock pot with tight-fitting lid, medium and small mixing bowls, plate. If you’re not using baking powder, you’ll also need two medium mixing bowls, a small mixing bowl, and an electric hand mixer for whipping egg whites. If making ahead and freezing, you’ll need a small baking sheet, plastic wrap, and a large freezer-safe bag or two.

This recipe makes roughly 24 matzo balls. This is when making them according to the size listed in the recipe. If you make them even slightly larger, you may end up with less matzo balls.

Nutrition calculated for one single matzo ball. Generally you would serve two 1-inch balls in one standard bowl of soup. Nutrition assumes that one quart of standard chicken broth is absorbed during cooking. This is a very rough estimate by me; if you’re looking for a more accurate nutritional assessment, please consult a nutritionist. Low sodium broth may be used to lower the salt content.

If you don’t have chicken stock or broth on hand and don’t want to make a batch, you can make do with a simple water stock made with 5 quarts of water, 1/4 tsp saffron threads (choose an expensive brand, the cheap ones have no flavor), and kosher salt. Crush the saffron in a mortar/pestle, then add the powder to the pot of water – swirl a little water into the mortar to make sure you get all the saffron into the pot. Add kosher salt (start with around 2 tsp). Bring pot of water to a simmer, taste, and add more salt to taste – it should be pleasantly salty. Remember, this liquid will be soaked up by the matzo balls, so you want it to have some flavor. Feel free to add aromatic herbs to the water in a cheesecloth bundle (thyme, bay leaf, and oregano are nice). A garlic clove can enhance the flavor as well. Use this liquid to simmer your matzo balls. It won’t be as flavorful as chicken stock, but it will give your matzo balls a lot more “oomph” than simple salted water – plus they’ll take on a nice yellow hue.

A word about baking powder: If making this recipe for Passover, for the easiest preparation and nicest “floater texture,” you can use a kosher for Passover baking powder(like this one). Some choose not to use baking powder because it doesn’t jibe with the “spirit” of the Passover holiday, since it is an artificial, non-grain-based form of leavening. Others have no problem using baking powder, as long as it has a kosher for Passover hechsher. The choice to use baking powder is a matter of tradition and preference. If your tradition doesn’t allow it, please use the instructions for making Floater Matzo Balls Without Baking Powder outlined below.

If you’re not using baking powder, I recommend using avocado or safflower oil instead of schmaltz. They are lighter oils and will render a fluffier result, though it won’t be quite as flavorful. Both preparations here will give you a soft, pillowy-textured matzo ball that floats as it cooks – the baking powder ones are slightly more cloud-like and smooth. Use whatever works for your family!

To Make Floater Matzo Balls With Baking Powder:

• In a medium mixing bowl, use a fork to stir together the matzo meal, baking powder, salt, garlic powder, onion powder, and white pepper.

  

• In another small mixing bowl, use another fork to mix together the eggs and schmaltz (or oil), stirring briskly to make sure they are well blended.

  

• Pour egg mixture into the dry ingredients, and add the minced dill or parsley. Mix all ingredients together with a fork until just combined. Do not over-mix.

  Put the bowl of matzo ball mixture into the refrigerator and let it rest for 30 minutes.

  

• Bring your 5 quarts of chicken stock (or saffron water stock outlined in Notes section) to a boil over medium heat.

  While your broth or water is warming, form the chilled matzo ball mixture into 1-inch balls (roughly walnut-sized). Don't overwork the mixture when you roll the balls.

  

• When your broth or water boils, reduce heat to a simmer and drop the matzo balls gently into the liquid.

  

• Cover the pot with a lid and let the balls cook for 30-50 minutes until fluffy and soft. Keep the pot covered– no peeking until at least 30 minutes have gone by! If you've followed instructions carefully, the balls should be floating on the surface of the water like billowy clouds of deliciousness. If they still seem dense or tight, they haven't cooked long enough. The should look soft and airy.

  

• Test for doneness by slicing a test matzo ball in half. It should look the same all the way through the center – tender, with no dark spot in the middle. If the middle is darker than the edges, it will need to simmer a little longer – it's not quite cooked yet. Don't be afraid to cook longer if it seems dense in the center, as it really won't be light and fluffy unless it is fully saturated with broth and cooked all the way to the center.

  

To Make Floater Matzo Balls Without Baking Powder:

• If you're not using baking powder, you may want to use avocado or safflower oil instead of schmaltz. Both of these oils will yield a fluffy result, though they are not as flavorful as schmaltz. Schmaltz tends to make the matzo balls a little heavier, but it's really flavorful.

  Separate the egg whites from the yolks, putting the whites in one of the medium mixing bowls and the yolks in the small mixing bowl. Use a fork to stir together the egg yolks and oil (or schmaltz), stirring briskly to make sure they are well blended. Gently stir in 1/4 cup of bubbly unflavored seltzer.

  

• In the second medium mixing bowl, use a fork to mix together the matzo meal, salt, garlic powder, onion powder, and white pepper.

  

• Pour egg yolk mixture into the dry ingredients, and add the minced dill or parsley. Mix with a fork until just combined. Do not over-mix.

  

• Whip the egg whites with an electric mixer to stiff peaks.

  

• Fold the whipped egg whites into the batter. Do not over-mix; you want the egg whites well integrated, but over-mixing will deflate them.

  Put the bowl of matzo ball mixture into the refrigerator and let it rest for 30 minutes.

  

• Bring your 5 quarts of chicken stock (or saffron water stock outlined in Notes section) to a boil over medium heat.

  While your broth or water is warming, form the chilled matzo ball mixture into 1-inch balls (roughly walnut-sized). Don't overwork the mixture when you roll the balls.

  

• When your broth or water boils, reduce heat to a simmer and drop the matzo balls gently into the liquid.

  

• Cover the pot with a lid and let the balls cook for 30-50 minutes until fluffy and soft. Keep the pot covered– no peeking until at least 30 minutes have gone by! If you've followed instructions carefully, the balls should be floating on the surface of the water like billowy clouds of deliciousness. If they seem dense, they need to cook longer. Note that after you open the lid the first time, the matzo balls may sink to the bottom of the pot. That doesn't mean you've failed to make floaters – it just happens when the lid comes off.

  

• Test for doneness by slicing a test matzo ball in half. It should look the same all the way through the center – tender, with no dark spot in the middle. If the middle is darker than the edges, it will need to simmer a little longer – it's not quite cooked yet. If you formed your balls any larger than the recommended size, you may need 10-15 minutes (or longer) than the suggested cooking time. Go by texture and doneness. It won't be light and fluffy unless it is fully saturated with broth and cooked all the way to the center.

  

• Serve two or three matzo balls per bowl with hot chicken soup ladled over them. If you don’t plan on serving the whole pot of soup at one sitting, make sure you remove the matzo balls from the broth and let them come to room temperature before storing them in a separate sealed container in the refrigerator. If left to sit in the broth, they'll become mushy.

  

How to Freeze Matzo Balls

• Once your matzo balls are fully cooked, line a baking sheet with wax paper or plastic wrap. Use a slotted spoon to remove the matzo balls from their cooking liquid and place them gently on the lined sheet. Let cool to room temperature.

  

• Place the matzo balls in the freezer and let them freeze until they are firm to the touch, around 2 hours or so. Once they are firm, you can place the matzo balls into a freezer bag (I use reusable silicone freezer bags).

  

• Label them with a label maker, if you want, so it will be easier to remember what you have on hand in future. They can be thawed and reheated directly in hot soup (or a pot of soup stock) just before serving.

  

• Additional Notes: You can cook matzo balls directly in your soup broth (which will give them excellent flavor), but it will soak up a lot of the yummy stock, leaving you with very little broth for serving.

  

Nutrition Facts

Floater Matzo Balls

Amount Per Serving

Calories 69Calories from Fat 27

% Daily Value*

Fat 3g5%

Saturated Fat 1g6%

Trans Fat 0.003g

Polyunsaturated Fat 1g

Monounsaturated Fat 1g

Cholesterol 34mg11%

Sodium 93mg4%

Potassium 77mg2%

Carbohydrates 6g2%

Fiber 0.2g1%

Sugar 1g1%

Protein 3g6%

Vitamin A 47IU1%

Vitamin C 0.1mg0%

Calcium 14mg1%

Iron 0.4mg2%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.