Frikadeller

5 from 10 votes

This recipe for Frikadeller is my new favorite for a fall appetizer or main meal. These Danish meatballs come smothered in a creamy gravy that will make you fall in love.

Course Appetizer, Main Course

Cuisine Danish

Prep Time 15

Cook Time 25

Total Time 40

Servings

Calories 187kcal

Author Alexandria Drzazgowski

Equipment

Ingredients

Frikadeller Ingredients

1 lb ground pork not sausage
1 medium yellow onion very finely minced (you can use a nut chopper, food processor, or a cheese grater, or chop by hand)
3 tbsp all purpose flour
2 tsp salt
1 ½ - 2 tsp black pepper
½ cup milk
2 tbsp butter
1 tbsp olive oil

Potatoes Ingredients

2 lb Yukon Gold Potatoes peeled and cut in half (or quarters, depending on size)
Water to cover the potatoes by at least an inch
1 tbsp salt

Brown Gravy Ingredients

¼ cup margarine
5 tbsp flour
1 ¼ cup beef broth
1 cup potato water
1 tbsp juice from frikadeller pan

Instructions

Frikadeller Instructions

Mix 1 lb ground pork, a minced yellow onion, 3 tbsp flour, 2 tsp salt and 1 ½ tsp black pepper together. You can mix using a spoon or your hand.
Add the ½ cup milk and mix again until fully combined.
Place 2 tbsp of the mixture in the palm of your hand. Use a large spoon to scoop and drop the mixture until it forms into an oblong ball. The resulting frikadeller should be about the size of your palm.
Put the 2 tbsp butter and 1 tbsp olive oil into a cold pan. Turn the heat on low, just until the butter melts.
Add the meatballs into the pan and fry on a low to medium heat until they brown on the outside, making sure to rotate the meatballs until they are browned on all sides and cooked through (approximately 6-8 minutes per side) - makes 14 to 18 meatballs
You will need to cook your frikadeller in batches. Make sure to add butter to the pan between each batch of meatballs.
The frikadeller are done when they reach an internal temperature of 160 degrees Fahrenheit. Remove them from the pan and set aside.

Traditional Boiled Potatoes Instructions

Put the full 2 lb potatoes in the pot, then fill it with enough water to cover the potatoes
Salt the water generously.
Put the pot on the stove, cover it, and bring it to a boil. Once boiling, reduce the heat down to a simmer. Simmer for 10-15 minutes or until the potatoes are tender.
Rest the potatoes in the water off of the heat for 5 more minutes.
Then drain the potatoes, taking care to reserve 1 cup of the water for the gravy.

Brown Gravy Instructions

In a medium pot, add ¼ cup margarine until it melts. Then add the 5 tbsp flour and whisk to combine.
Add the 1 ¼ cup beef broth, 1 cup potato water, and 1 tbsp frikadeller drippings into the pot and cook over medium heat, whisking thoroughly the whole time, until the gravy thickens (about 6-10 minutes). Salt to taste.
Set aside.

Assembly Instructions

To assemble, lay the boiled potatoes out on your plate, then lay the frikadeller on top. Drizzle the gravy over the entire plate. Enjoy!

Notes

This recipe comes from the Pedersen Family from Denmark with the help of Megan from Cherish Tours, a women-only group travel company. Thank you Pedersen Family and Megan!

Ground Pork: Do not use sausage. If you are not a fan of pork you could use ground beef or another ground meat instead or try mixing the two types of meat.
Yellow Onion: You want this very, very finely minced. You could even use a food processor to shred it up. Mincing your onions fine enough is the difference between delicious overall flavor and strange texture. This step is very important! I continued mincing my onions for about 5 minutes before I got them as small as I wanted them.
Milk: I used 2% milk but feel free to use what you have on hand. A dairy-free milk would work fine as well.
Olive Oil + Butter: The combination makes for a delicious cooking method for the meatballs. If you don’t have one or the other, though, you can just use purely olive oil or butter.
Yukon Gold Potatoes: You can also use fingerling potatoes if you have those and want them
If you find that the centers of your meatballs are taking a while to cook, you can always finish them off in the microwave 😉 You will always get better results from cooking the meatballs in their entirety on the stove in your frying pan, but I always keep this tip in the back of my mind for when I’m in a hurry. Simply put your meatballs on a microwave-safe dish and heat for about 1-2 minutes.
Feel free to play around with pork or beef in this frikadeller recipe or you could also use ground chicken for a healthier version. Whatever meat you use, be sure and choose one that has a good portion of fat. The fat helps hold the meatballs together and ensures they do not dry out.
It’s a great idea to mix up the meat mixture a day early and save it in the refrigerator until ready to cook. This gives the flavors in your meatball mixture a chance to deepen.

This recipe was updated as of 11/21/23 to more accurately reflect authentic Danish frikadeller. Below you will find the originally posted recipe in its entirety.

Meatball Ingredients:

½ lb ground pork

½ lb ground beef

¼ cup breadcrumbs

⅓ cup yellow onion grated

½ tsp Nutmeg

2 tbsp milk

1 egg

2 tbsp seltzer water

Salt and pepper

2 tbsp butter for pan-frying

Gravy Ingredients:

1 tbsp butter

2 tbsp flour

1 cup heavy whipping cream

1 Beef bouillon cube

5 sage leaves or more to taste

Instructions

In a large bowl, combine all meatball ingredients except for the seltzer water and butter and mix together with a wooden spoon or your hands.
Form a well in the center of the meat mixture and pour the seltzer water into it. Combine again.
Use your hands to form the meat into about 18 meatballs.
Add 2 tbsp of butter into a cast iron skillet or thick-bottomed pan. Add the meatballs to the pan and turn to medium-high heat, using tongs to flip occasionally until they are cooked through. Cover with a lid between turns to keep the heat in.
When the meatballs are cooked through, use tongs to remove them from the pan and set aside on a plate.
Melt 1 tbsp of butter in the pan and then add the flour, mixing with a wooden spoon to form a paste.
Add the heavy cream to the pan and the beef bouillon cube, stirring over medium heat to dissolve the cube. Add sage leaves to the pan. Continue stirring until the gravy thickens.
Put the meatballs back into the pan with the gravy, cover, and cook for another 2-3 minutes. Serve and enjoy!

Nutrition