These seasoned German meat patties (also known as Frikadeller in Denmark) are extremely popular for both mealtimes and picnics because they’re equally delicious either hot or cold! They’ve been a household staple for centuries and their popularity has spread across multiple European countries and beyond!
Frikadellen, as they’re called in Germany (aka Fleischküchle, Fleischpflanzerl and Buletten), or Frikadeller, as they’re called in Denmark, are seasoned meat patties that are equally good hot or cold and have been popular for both mealtimes and picnics for centuries. This authentic frikadeller recipe captures all the flavor of this popular European favorite!
Where did Frikadeller/Frikadellen Originate?
It’s origin is uncertain but it’s largely attributed to north Germany and Denmark though they have also become very popular throughout Scandinavia, Holland, Poland and other parts of the world. They can be traced back to at least the 18th century in Germany, though they’re almost certainly much older.
How Are the Frikadelle and the Hamburger Related?
While the the origin of the Frikadelle isn’t entirely clear, what we do know is that the Frikadellen of north Germany, of Hamburg specifically, were the inspiration for what became known as Hamburgers.
That’s right, German immigrants from Hamburg took their Frikadellen with them to the United States, eventually someone threw a Frikadelle in between two buns and voilà, the rest is history!
What Are the Key Ingredients in Frikadellen?
As with almost any “traditional” or “authentic” recipe, there is more than one version. Variations abound depending on the particular region and the particular family tradition. Nevertheless, Frikadellen and Frikadeller generally all have the same core ingredients in common: Ground meat, onions, bread, egg and seasonings. The regional differences vary in the specific seasonings.
In a collection of recipes compiled in 1790 by the mother of German author Theodor Fontanes, the over 200 year-old recipe for Frikadellen was largely the same then as it is today, incorporating ground meat (usually a combination of beef and pork), onions, bread, eggs, parsley and spices. The 1790 recipe calls for two very traditional spices, mace and cardamom. While nutmeg can be substituted, we recommend mace for that traditional old-fashioned German flavor. Likewise marjoram, not oregano, is the traditional herb of choice in Germany and Denmark.
Traditionally Frikadellen were fried in pork fat or beef fat but today they’re most commonly fried in clarified butter (Butterschmalz) or oil or a combination of both.
How Do You Serve Frikadeller?
In Germany Frikadellen are commonly served with potato salad (try our Swabian Potato Salad and Creamy Potato Salad) or a crusty roll slathered with mustard. Many also eat them with mashed potatoes, and vegetables. In Denmark they’re also commonly eaten on rugbord (Danish rye bread – click for recipe) with pickled red cabbage or slices of pickle. In both countries they’re a popular picnic food because they transport easily and are also good cold.
Another variation is to make smaller Frikadellen and skew them onto kabob skewers.
Tips for Achieving the Perfect Frikadellen
- Select ground meat with a good ratio of fat. Do not use extra lean or the Frikadellen will lose a lot of water during cooking and become dry.
- When you press down the balls of meat be sure the width is even throughout the patty for even cooking.
- Moistening your hands with a little water before forming the patties will prevent the meat mixture from sticking to your hands.
Frikadelle Variations
If you’d like to change up the flavors for something different you can try swapping out the spices in this recipe for any of the following: Curry, chili powder, sun-dried tomatoes, preserved lemon (for a little Moroccan influence, harissa, caraway seeds, fennel, basil, thyme, rosemary, etc.
Can Frikadellen Be Made In Advance?
Yes! You can make the meat mixture at least one full day in advance. In fact we recommend it because the flavor only gets better. Cover and refrigerate the meat mixture and then make and fry the patties when you’re ready to use them. Or you can also form the patties in advance and keep them covered and chilled until ready to use.
Do Frikadeller Freeze Well?
Yes they do! They freeze really and will keep for up to 3 months in the freezer. Wrap and store in ziplock freezer bags or airtight containers. Simply thaw and reheat in the microwave, pan or oven.
Let’s get started!
Break the bread up into small pieces, place them in a small bowl and pour water/milk over them and let them soak for 15 minutes while you’re preparing the other ingredients. Squeeze out any excess liquid.
Heat some oil or butter in a frying and saute the onions until soft and translucent, 5-7 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for another minute.
Place all of the ingredients (except for the olive oil and butter) in a large bowl along with the onion mixture and the soaked bread. Use your hands to thoroughly knead the mixture until well blended and the meat is smooth. The more you knead it, the better the results.
Form the meat mixture into balls according to desired size and slightly flatten them. Cover and chill the patties in the fridge for at least 30 minutes before frying them.
Heat the olive oil and butter in a frying pan. Once hot add the Frikadellen / Frikadeller and fry on both sides on higher heat until nicely browned, then lower the heat and continue to fry over medium heat until cooked through according to desired doneness.
Traditionally served with potato salad or a crusty bread roll slathered with mustard. See above in blog post for other serving ideas.
Enjoy!
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Authentic German Frikadellen / Danish Frikadeller
Ingredients
- 1/2 pound ground beef , 80% recommended for moist Frikadellen; no leaner than 92%
- 1/2 pound ground pork
- 1 medium yellow onion , very finely chopped
- 2 slices slightly stale white bread (about 2 oz or 50 g) (can also use fresh croutons and let them sit out a day)
- 1/4 cup warm water or milk
- 1 large egg
- 1 clove garlic , minced
- 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
- 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
- 3/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1 teaspoon prepared yellow mustard
- 1 teaspoon dried marjoram
- 1 teaspoon sweet Hungarian paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1/4 teaspoon ground mace
- 1/4 teaspoon ground coriander
- 1/8 teaspoon ground cardamom
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 tablespoon butter
Instructions
- Break the bread up into small pieces, place them in a small bowl and pour water/milk over them and let them soak for 15 minutes while you're preparing the other ingredients. Squeeze out any excess liquid.
- Heat some oil or butter in a frying and saute the onions until soft and translucent, 5-7 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for another minute.
- Place all of the ingredients (except for the olive oil and butter) in a large bowl along with the onion mixture and the soaked bread. Use your hands to thoroughly knead the mixture until well blended and the meat is smooth. The more you knead it, the better the results. Form the meat mixture into balls according to desired size and slightly flatten them. Cover and chill the patties in the fridge for at least 30 minutes.
- Heat the olive oil and butter in a frying pan. Once hot add the Frikadellen / Frikadeller and fry on both sides on higher heat until nicely browned, then lower the heat and continue to fry over medium heat until cooked through according to desired doneness. Traditionally served with potato salad or a crusty bread roll slathered with mustard. See blog post for other serving ideas.
Notes
Nutrition
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Pauline says
Thanks for the recipe. My Mom makes with egg instead of milk. I am going to try ur recipe.
Pauline
Scott says
Awesome, just made them tonight. Made an onion gravy with homemade mushroom soup and sour cream. The wife doesn’t like hamburger or meatballs. But loved the German version…hhahh. now I’m all set!
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Fantastic, Scott, well done!!
Marie says
My parents are Flemish and have made these but more simple and the side dish would be prunes and cherries Christmas tradition
AJ says
I grew up eating these, a great snack food. My mom just s from Berlin and we call them Buletten.
Bernie says
I have heard of these, (I am 88 years young) my Grandmother and my Mother made these when we lived on the farm in Ohio. Thanks Kimberly for sharing your recipe ( my Grandmothers and Mothers too) with the the world, they will love it!
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Thank you, Bernie! :)
OntarioPapa says
i grew up with them but had forgotten about them. But , without trying, I have made Patties very close like the recipe suggested probably I remember my mother making them :-).
Tanja Tuck says
What do you think about other types of bread instead of white, like rye, wheat or pumpernickel?
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Hi Tanja, sure, that’s not set in stone. White bread is what’s most commonly used but you can certainly use whole grain.
Ann says
My x-mother in law was from Denmark and used to make these. They were delicious. I never learned how to make them but remembered that they were made from ground beef and pork. I’m anxious to try and make it.
Anthony Ivers-Read says
Is the prepared yellow mustard the English Colmans type mustard of the American yellow mustard?
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Hi Anthony, in Germany you would use a German yellow mustard. If you don’t have access to that, use whichever yellow mustard you like.
Ute says
I´m german, live in Germany and this is similar to my moms recipe for our “Fleischküchle” , in Bayern (Bavaria) they say Fleischpflanzerl…. You have to eat them with potatoe salad. Great recipe.
Greetings from Stuttgart
Ute
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Greetings to Stuttgart, Ute! I welcome anything that gives me an excuse to eat potato salad :)
Carol says
I used to buy these homemade from a German deli and they were soooo good. I can’t wait to make them. It’s been years since I had them.
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
I hope you enjoy them, Carol, happy cooking! :)
Leslie says
These are brilliant – I first ran into these at our Danish neighbor’s home – so good! Thanks so much for posting this wonderful recipe!
Anna Kristín Guðmundsdóttir says
I used to make frikadeller when I was young, my husband’s family is Danish. But now I’m going to follow your recipe and use the spices I haven’t done before. I look forward making frikadellerne again. Thank you!
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
I hope you enjoy them, Anna, happy cooking! :)
Michelle Goth says
I’ve never heard of these but all of the seasonings sound wonderful!
A. Elke Oaks says
thats how I make mine, just the way I grew up in Germany
Jessy says
This sounds and looks so flavorful!
Erin says
Looks like a perfect weeknight dinner! Yum!
Catalina says
What a great idea for dinner or even for a lunch box! These look so tasty!
Vik says
Sounds splendid and delicious, gotta try this!
Sara Welch says
This was such a flavorful dish; easily a new family favorite recipe! Looking forward to enjoying this again later this week!
Chrissie Baker says
Hmmm it would be a great dinner for my family. I really can’t wait to try. And I like your delicious photos!
annie says
Yum! I love trying recipes from other parts of the world!
paige says
Wow! These look so good, and while they seem a little like meatloaf, after reading the recipe, I can see the difference and I’m intrigued! I will give these a try, and I think they’d be great made smaller for a buffet table during the holidays too!
Tanya Schroeder says
I’ve never heard of this, but boy am I dying to try it!
Alli says
I had to try these, I ran across them and was super curious as I’ve never heard of them, they were amazing. Will be making again soon!
Lauren Kelly says
I have never heard of this but I love all of these seasonings! I can’t wait to make this for my family! YUM!
Cheryl S says
Will be adding these to next week’s meal plan! They look delicious!