What’s the Secret to the Fluffiest Matzo Balls? Here’s What 8 Jewish Chefs Say

The highlight of a Passover seder is undoubtedly matzo ball soup, which consists of round, boiled dumplings made of matzo meal served in a seasoned chicken broth. While some people might prefer matzo balls that are dense (otherwise known as “sinkers”), we’ve found that light, fluffy matzo balls (“floaters”) are generally more popular.

“[Floaters] don’t overshadow the chicken broth, so you’re able to taste the other flavors and textures of the soup,” says Gail Simmons, cookbook author and Top Chef judge. “Matzo balls shouldn’t weigh you down or be so dense and hard to cut through that you need anything other than the lightest touch of your spoon.”

To ensure that your matzo balls don’t firm up during the cooking process, here are six easy tips to incorporate into your recipe. 

Swap still for sparkling

Nearly every chef we reached out to suggest adding sparkling water to your matzo ball mix. “Seltzer, instead of still water, adds some air bubbles [to the matzo balls],” says 2022 F&W Best New Chef Caroline Schiff. Sparkling water aerates matzo balls, in the same way it does a tempura batter, helping them to become light and springy once cooked. 

Use schmaltz

A neutral fat like vegetable oil won’t have a negative impact on your matzo balls, but most chefs suggest using schmaltz (chicken fat) instead. “Schmaltz makes for the smoothest texture and most chicken-y, flavorful ball,” says Simmons. 2016 F&W Best New Chef David Barzelay, owner of Lazy Bear in San Francisco, makes his own schmaltz by rendering chicken skins with onion. “It yields incredibly delicious schmaltz, as well as the ultimate cook’s treat: gribenes [crispy chicken skin],” he says.

Whip your egg whites

When it’s time to add eggs to her matzo ball mix, Schiff separates the yolks from the whites, and whips the whites until they form medium peaks. “Then I gently fold them through the mix as the very last ingredient,” she says. The whipped egg whites act as a binder for the matzo balls while adding an extra layer of cloud-like fluff.

Don’t overmix

“Be careful to mix the [matzo ball] batter until just combined, and not to overwork it,” cautions Simmons. Just like cake batter or bread dough, the longer you mix matzo batter, the more likely you’ll end up with something tough and dense. 

Let it rest

“It’s important to let the matzo mix sit for at least half an hour to fully hydrate before proceeding with forming the balls,” says Barzelay. This gives the matzo meal proper time to hydrate and absorb the fat and liquid, which ultimately makes it more flavorful and easier to roll into balls. Skipping this step will likely make your matzo balls fall apart in the water and disintegrate into mush. 

Just use the mix

While excellent, fluffy matzo balls can certainly be made from scratch, many chefs still swear by the Manischewitz matzo ball mix. “I’m not going to make a matzo ball better than they have made it,” says Todd Ginsberg, chef of The General Muir in Atlanta. “If you follow the directions exactly as they intended — that they’ve had food scientists test over and over again — it’s idiot-proof.” Steve Cook, co-founder of the Philadelphia-based restaurant group CookNSolo agrees. “Just buy the box mix. It always works.”