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.
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.
- 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
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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 :-).
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! :)
AJ says
I grew up eating these, a great snack food. My mom just s from Berlin and we call them Buletten.
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!!
Pauline says
Thanks for the recipe. My Mom makes with egg instead of milk. I am going to try ur recipe.
Pauline
Gerry says
Could these be made in an air fryer?
Michele says
In our family, we don’t eat pork but I was wondering if it would be worth trying with ground chicken and beef. I know it wouldn’t be authentic but I’m thinking it would still be a tasty alternative to hamburgers. What do you think?
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Absolutely, Michele, happy cooking!
Francine says
I am from Indonesia. Frikadel with additional variations of names (lots of Indonesians could not pronounce the f-sound, even now some are confused about the f-sound; my name used to be Fanny, so many used to call me Penny, and I got confused what my name was. Even now some people think that words with the p-sound should be changed with f, which is funny. e.g. Resep (recipe), they thought it should be resef—etc. Anyway, so frikadel is sometimes called bregedel, or perkedel, or frikadel, but they are the same thing. In Indonesia instead of bread, frikadel is made with steamed, or boiled, or fried potatoes. For seasoning it is the very popular trinity: salt, pepper, and nutmeg. And shallots and garlic, and some scallions, Asian celery. Some do not use shallots, garlic. Just scallions, some do not use any of the 3 ingredients, just the salt, pepper, and nutmeg. I found one recipe in English, many are in Indonesian.
https://thedomesticman.com/2015/01/27/indonesian-meat-and-potato-fritters-perkedel/
and another one:
https://dailycookingquest.com/perkedel-kentang.html
These are very popular, are always used as part of the many side dishes for festive occasions for the yellow rice dish.
https://www.instructables.com/id/Artistic-Indonesian-Rice-Cone-Nasi-Tumpeng/
Peggy Fugate says
Loved this recipe. I didn’t have Hungarian paprika so used regular; used nutmeg as substitute for mace; and equal parts of cinnamon & nutmeg for cardamon. Definitely a keeper!
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Fantastic, Peggy, I’m so glad you enjoyed it, thank you!
Karl Dinzl says
Hello – I usually make the Austrian version we call Fleischlaberln. Will definitely try your recipe though. Question: under nutritional values you mention 483 calories. That’s good to know but must also know what [patty] weight this applies to and whether raw or cooked.
Cheers
Karl
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Hi Karl, this calls for 1 pound of meat and makes 4 servings. So that will be roughly 450 grams divided by 4 = 112 grams per serving/patty, give or take a few grams.
Debby Macom says
Wunderbar!! This was so good, my German husband (from Flensburg, Germany) said, you make these and we never have to go out for Hamburgers. Just like he remembered them. Delicious!! I served it with boiled potatoes and a caraway cream sauce. Sehr Gut!! Thank you.
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Wonderful, Debby, I’m so happy to hear that, thank you! Incidentally, I lived in Flensburg for a few months :)
Laura says
My Oma was from the Karlsruhe area, and her version had beef only, a raw grated onion, and nutmeg, parsley, and lots of fresh dill for seasoning (in addition to S&P). She also dipped the patties in dried breadcrumbs before frying them in lard. They were usually served with mashed potatoes that had crispy fried bread bits (fried in the frikadellen pan after they were done). I remember sneaking tastes of the raw meat mixture with my cousin. Thanks for the food memory.
Heidi says
Making these tonight but didn’t have all the spices. I grew up eating these in northern Germany and I remember my mom always soaking the bread but using raw grated onions, parsley, egg, salt and pepper…bigger than a meatball but smaller than a regular burger. We never ate them with bread but usually boiled potatoes and a vegetable and always mustard not ketchup 😁
Paris says
Here’s an alternative “recipe” for all Americans who grew up with meatloaf.
1. Mix the meatloaf ingredients “just like Mom or Grandma did it”.
2. Form into “fat patties”, smaller in diameter than normal hamburgers.
3. Fry in a medium heated pan.
Done!
I write this because just about every recipe I see for Frikadeller/Boulette is virtually identical to my Mother/Grandmother’s meatloaf. Like Frikadeller, recipes can vary slightly for meatloaf… but the basics always seem to be pretty much the same.
The point is, if you can make meatloaf, it’s not much of a reach to form Frikadeller balls instead of pressing the entire mix into a pan.