Everybody loves meatballs! Almost every major culture has a version of meatballs, and Frikadeller is the national meatball of Denmark. They are usually made with beef and pork. This recipe adds veal and some non-traditional spices.
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Aren't Meatballs Supposed to be Round?
Technically, a meatball should be round in order to properly be called a "ball". But Frikadeller are traditionally flattened, as are other types of Central European meatballs. And Frikadeller is a German word that translates to... "meatballs"!
My grandmother made a similar meatball when I was a kid. She would roll the balls and then flatten them so they looked like mini-hamburgers. I make these Danish meatballs the same way, for a number of reasons. It's a family tradition. They're easier to coat in the breadcrumbs—just flip them over, no rolling required. They're easier to flip during baking. And they fit better in a pita sandwich!
Ingredients You'll Need
For the Meatballs
- 1 pound ground beef
- ½ pound ground pork
- ½ pound ground veal
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 1 teaspoon ground allspice
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
- ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 2 eggs
- ⅓ cup finely chopped onion
- ½ cup heavy cream
- 1 cup dry bread crumbs
- ¼ cup butter
For the Sauce
- ¼ cup butter
- ¼ cup all-purpose flour
- 2 cups chicken broth
- 2 cups sour cream
- ¼ cup chopped fresh dill
Frequently Asked Questions
My store doesn't have ground veal, what else can I use?
Just use 1 pound of ground beef and one pound of ground pork.
I couldn't find ground veal in the meat section of my store either. Then one day while I was looking for something else I found it in the frozen meat section! I asked about it and they said that veal doesn't sell as quickly as other ground meats, so they keep it frozen so it doesn't spoil. So if you can't find it in your store, ask them... they may have hidden it somewhere!
Make These Delicious Danish Meatballs
Make the Meatballs
Put all the meatball ingredients in a large bowl and mix gently until the seasonings are incorporated into the meat. You don't want to overwork it. The best way to do this is to get your hands in there and just mush everything around. Let your inner kid out and play with your food!
Pour the breadcrumbs into a shallow dish. A quarter-size baking pan works well for this.
Form the mixture into 1 to 1-½ inch balls. I use a spring scoop for this.
The meat mixture is a bit moist and sticky. It helps to moisten your hands with a bit of water when forming the meatballs.
Flatten each meatball ball and cover it with breadcrumbs. Press it into the pan, flip, and press again! Put the coated meatballs on a large baking pan. (This recipe makes about 40 meatballs, so you'll need two pans.)
Melt 2 tablespoons of butter in a small saucepan. Baste a little butter over each meatball.
Bake the meatballs for 15 minutes. Remove them from the oven, baste with butter, and bake for 15 minutes.
Make the Sauce
After you put the meatballs in for the second bake, make the dill sauce.
Melt ¼ cup butter in a large saucepan over medium-low heat. Add the flour and whisk to combine.
Continue whisking and gradually add the chicken broth. Continue stirring until the sauce is thickened and bubbling.
Stir in the sour cream and dill. Remove from the heat.
Put the meatballs in a serving dish and cover with the sauce.
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📖 Recipe Card
Danish Meatballs (Frikadeller) with Creamy Dill Sauce
Special Equipment Needed
- 2 large baking pans
Ingredients
For the Meatballs
- 1 pound ground beef
- ½ pound ground pork
- ½ pound ground veal
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 1 teaspoon ground allspice
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
- ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 2 eggs
- ½ cup onion finely chopped
- ½ cup heavy cream
- 1 cup dry bread crumbs
- 2 tablespoons butter
For the Sauce
- ¼ cup butter (4 tablespoons)
- ¼ cup all-purpose flour
- 2 cups chicken broth
- 2 cups sour cream
- ¼ cup fresh dill chopped
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375F.
Make the Meatballs
- Mix the beef, pork, veal, salt, allspice, pepper, nutmeg, eggs, onion, and heavy cream. Shape the mixture into 1 inch balls. (See notes.)1 pound ground beef, ½ pound ground pork, ½ pound ground veal, 2 teaspoons salt, 1 teaspoon ground allspice, ½ teaspoon ground black pepper, ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg, 2 eggs, ½ cup onion, ½ cup heavy cream
- Roll the balls in the bread crumbs until all balls are well coated. Arrange in a single layer on a large, shallow baking sheet. This recipe makes a lot of meatballs, so you might need to use two sheets!1 cup dry bread crumbs
Cook the Meatballs
- Melt 2 tablespoons butter in a small saucepan and drizzle over the meatballs.2 tablespoons butter
- Bake the meatballs for 15 minutes minutes. Take them out of the oven, flip them over, and drizzle a bit more butter over them. Bake for 15 minutes.
Make the Sauce
- Melt ¼ cup butter in a large saucepan over medium-low heat. Stir in the flour.¼ cup butter, ¼ cup all-purpose flour
- Gradually stir in the chicken broth. Continue stirring until it's thickened and bubbly.2 cups chicken broth
- Bend in the sour cream and dill.2 cups sour cream, ¼ cup fresh dill
- Put the meatballs in a serving dish, cover with the sauce, and serve.
Nutrition Estimate
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