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Frikadeller, or Danish Meatballs, are savory meatballs served in a rich, creamy sauce that is comfort food at its finest. Plus, they’re super easy to make!
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This Frikadeller meatball recipe is a favorite that my husband brought back from when he lived in Denmark. Danish meatballs are considered a national dish due to being so popular there. My husband always talks about how decadent the food was in Denmark and how he’s dying to go back just so he can eat the food again, and I can’t wait to go with him! These days, we pull out all of his treasured recipes around the holidays and we have a full Danish meal. These dishes are so delicious, you will be absolutely blown away.
Ingredients in Danish Frikadeller
Frikadeller, loosely translated, means “meatballs”. These are usually made with pork or a mixture of ground pork and beef with the most delicious sauce!
For the meatballs, in a large bowl, combine:
- 3/4 pound ground beef – you could also substitute ground veal which is what is traditionally used.
- 1 pound ground pork – ask your butcher for freshly ground pork or buy it frozen. For super savory meatballs, use all pork and omit the ground beef. You could sub for ground chicken or ground turkey but the flavor will not be the same.
- Onion – one large, yellow onion works great for this recipe. Grate it, or dice finely.
- Breadcrumbs – use any bread crumbs kind you like, Italian style, panko or regular.
- All Purpose Flour – about 4 tbsp.
- Eggs – two large eggs or three medium
- Salt – about half a tsp or more for taste
- Black Pepper – a quarter teaspoon
- Nutmeg – quarter teaspoon. You can substitute allspice if you have that on hand.
- Garlic – 2-3 cloves, diced
- Sage leaves
- Half & half or milk for consistency – about a quarter to half cup
- Butter
For the Gravy, in a separate bowl, combine:
- ¾ – 2 Tablespoons drippings from Frickadeller
- Butter if needed
- 3 Tablespoons flour
- 1 cup heavy cream – whole milk works too
- A tablespoon beef bouillon
- salt & pepper – to taste
Frikadeller Reviews
Frikadeller was one of the earliest posts on our website. Since then, many wonderful people have shared their memories, traditions, and their family recipes for Frikadeller. Here are just a few, but if you are interested in hearing more, please peruse the comments below. If you have a special way of making Frikadeller, or want to share a memory, please comment below. We would love to hear it!
“My mother made these all the time when I was a kid. I recently decided to cook again and do the food she made. I chose your recipe for the Danish Meatballs.
They turned out great! The first bite I took reminded me of childhood. My mom would serve these with rice or sometimes with egg noodles.”
-Kirk
“The Danish name is: frikadeller (plural). The traditional recipe is without the sage, garlic and maybe the nutmeg. When I make them, I use my moms way: put the meat in a bowl so that the meat fills the bottom of the bowl. Then cut out a fourth and lift on top of the rest of the meat. Fill the empty fourth with either 1. wheat flour or 2. oatmeal or a mix of the two. I prefer the oatmeal. Then add the rest of the recipe without the milk. Mix with a kitchen spoon and add slowly milk until it feels right. The mix should be quite wet but still be able to stick together. Cover the bowl and let it sit in the fridge for half an hour to settle. Form a ball with a spoon and your hand and fry in butter (or margarine) on medium heat for 3-5 min on each side until brown. Cut one to check if the middle is cooked. Serve with potatoes and gravy and something sour on the side. It is a very common daily dish in Denmark, my home turf. Bon apetit.
-Peter
“I love to see all the variations of this recipe! I too grew up enjoying frikadellar (great-great grandfather brought the recipe over from Denmark), but I know there have been some changes to it. We actually use a little worchestershire sauce and thyme in our recipe – I’m guessing some of the English in my family added that! But we also shape them to have three sides and serve with ketchup (originally homemade but now just store bought). My mom used to love making frikadellar sandwiches for leftover 🙂.”
-Laura
“Being half-Danish and having spent many years living between the states and the US, I must say that I agree with another commenter that the addition of spices for flavor is not traditional in our house, but I did make have a batch your way, half like Mor (Mom), (Mor Mor (Grandma), and even my Danish step-father’s family’s recipe), and all of my American friends at a party yesterday were very happy with your version, as well as my family’s–you won, hands down :).
-Kelly
A lot of posters felt the need to comment on the name. Here’s the true spelling and meaning for future readers, as some butchered the spelling: en frikadel = one meatball, frikadellen = the meatball, frikadeller = meatballs. Danes (and Danish Americans) eat frikadeller at least weekly, if not more frequently, as you can buy them pre-made/packaged at the grocery store, at the butcher’s, at the many open-faced sandwich (smorrebrod) shops along city streets that you can just buy and take with you, or eat there. There’s still nothing like a mother’s recipe.
I found yours when looking for a more “Swedish” version for an upcoming party and really enjoyed them. Thank you so much for sharing!
Frequently Asked Questions about Frikadeller
Serve these scrumptious, savory meatballs along with Brunede Kartofler (Caramelized/Browned Potatoes) and/or Rødkål (Red Cabbage). For leftovers, if you really want to do it like the Danes, slap a few of these bad boys onto some rye bread with some mayo for a delicious sandwich. Serve with potato salad.
Just use milk! Use just enough to give the meat mixture a slightly sticky consistency which will help the meatballs maintain their shape.
It’s faster to make a few larger meatballs, but I like to make several small meatballs because I love the delicious crisp crust that comes from the frying pan.
READ NEXT: Easy Ground Beef Recipes
More Danish Recipes
- Danish Red Cabbage – This Rødkål (Danish Red Cabbage) is a Danish recipe we love. It is a side dish similar to sauerkraut but a little sweeter.
- Brunede Kartofler – or Caramelized Browned Potatoes, are a great side dish to any meal! They are a small boiled potatoes with a sweet caramelized coating.
- Beef Goulash – a hearty family favorite, full of tender beef chunks in rich, dark gravy. Cozy comfort food never tasted so divine!
- Aebleskiver – a delicious Danish treat that my husband introduced to me when we got married. It’s like a doughnut hole and a pancake rolled into one perfect pastry.
- Risalamande – a Danish rice pudding that is served around Christmastime. This creamy, sweet pudding is a delicious dessert that everyone will love.
More Scrumptious Meatball Dishes
Meatball recipes are fun to make and delicious to eat. Try a few of our favorites:
- Easiest Instant Pot Meatballs
- Sweet and Spicy Slow Cooker Meatballs
- Crock Pot Sweet and Sour Meatballs
- Aunt Bessie’s Meatballs with Vegetables
How to Make Frikadeller
Frikadeller (Danish Meatballs)
Video
Equipment
- Skillet
Ingredients
Frikadeller:
- 3/4 pound ground beef (or ground veal is even more authentic)
- 1 pound ground pork
- 1 onion large, grated
- 1/2 cup breadcrumbs
- 4 tablespoons flour
- 2 eggs
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
- 2-3 cloves of garlic
- 1/2 teaspoon sage leaves
- half & half or milk for consistency (¼ to ½ cup)
- butter
Gravy:
- ¾ – 2 tablespoons drippings from Frickadeller
- butter if needed
- 3 tablespoons flour
- 1 cup heavy cream milk works too
- 1 tablespoon beef bouillon
- salt & pepper
Instructions
Frikadeller:
- Combine beef, pork and onion. Add breadcrumbs, flour, eggs, salt, pepper, nutmeg, garlic, and sage leaves. It works best if you mix it with your hands.
- Slowly add half & half for consistency. You want the mixture to be slightly sticky, you shouldn't be able to form them into a perfect ball. Coat large skillet well with butter. Drop clumps of mixture (a heaping tablespoon-size) onto the skillet.
- Fry on medium to medium-low heat until browned. Press the meat down a lightly with a fork so it flattens out a little. It should look like a small, but fat hamburger, Flip and brown on the other side, approximately 3-5 minutes. Add more butter with each batch.
- Serve with gravy and Rødkål (Danish Red Cabbage).
For the gravy:
- Remove meatballs from the skillet, and use the same skillet to make the gravy using the brown bits and drippings from the meatballs. Add the flour to the drippings to form a roux. Add butter if needed.
- Slowly add cream or milk until mixture reaches gravy consistency. Add beef bouillon, salt & pepper to taste.
Notes
- For extra savory meatballs, use entirely pork and leave out the ground beef.
- Don’t wash the frying pan – you can use the browned bits for delicious gravy.
- If you don’t have half-and-half, use whole milk or 2%.
Love this recipe, my wife made these for me as I grew up with these and red cabbage, sometimes we had them with brown butter small whole potatoes and sometimes mashed potatoes. This was a staple food in every Danish home. Thank you for reminding me of a wonderful memory. My family left Denmark 1949.
Hey there. So my daughter wants to make these as her dish for “Christmas in Denmark” presentation she has to do at school. Have you ever made these in the oven or an air fryer – as an alternative?
We haven’t tried it, but I think either method would work!
can you freeze the frikadeller?
We haven’t tried freezing it, so I am not sure how it would affect the taste or texture.
I’m 61 years old and I live in northern BC in Canada. My parents [and oldest brother] immigrated from Denmark in 1956.
I grew up eating Frikadeller, Bolleri Kary [boiled Meatballs in Curry] Carbonade [Crumb coated Fried Pork Burgers], Liver Postej/Paste, Klejner [cookies twisted inside out – deep fried] Pickled Herring, Pickled Red cabbage, cooked red cabbage. Rød Grød med Fløde [Red Berries in Cream] For Frikadeller to be described as small hamburger sized patties they are way bigger than I make them or you make tiny hamburgers. I do flatten them a bit but they are not flat – more like oval meatballs. I make them quite large because I’m lazy – takes time to form them. My Mom actually used a large tablespoon to help form hers. I mix the mixture by hand and at times wet my hands with a bit of water or margerine so the meat won’t stick as much. Sadly both my parent are gone now and the grandchildren grown and scattered so not like it was. I still make my own little “Smørrebrød” [open faced ryebread sandwiches] at Christmas. For example sliced tomato topped with sliced hard boiled egg slices then an anchovie fillet or two and then topped off again with a squirt of pickle mayo. [Remoulade] My favorite is tasty mackerel fillets in tomato sauce mixed with a bit of mayo. The pickled herring I love when smothered in the pickled white onion that come with them!
My surname is quite rare and my Mom’s is not that common either. WE are the ONE and ONLY family in Canada with the surname RANDRUP. My Mom’s surname is BANG [pronounced like “bunk” but drop the letter “k” so it’s virtually silent. And not ‘bang’ like in ‘gang’ and not ‘bung’ like in ‘sung’.] Hard to explain. Even on Google they get it wrong.
Glædelig jul og godt nytår til jer alle
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to you all
Peter Gartner Randrup
Hi Peter. My grandmother was Danish (she was a Christensen) but she passed when I was 2. My mom made these Frikadeller’s and they were formed using a large spoon as well and they were like an oval meatball. I’m thinking like the size of a small avocado. No gravy or sauce was served with them but I now enjoy them with a bit of sour cream. Cheers.
I’m a Christensen and my grandmother made these!
This is a good recipe, I am half danish so I know, I grew up eating these, both in Herning and Texas. Still do. My mom, mor, will now make them with turkey, for healthy version.
Thank you so much for your recipe.
It takes me back many years to my dear Danish friends, I used to watch Liz with her
two desert spoons shaping and cooking these wonderful meatballs.
I like to dip them in some Remoulade, personally.
Cooked this frikadeller recipe including the gravy. Loved it! Served with caramelized potatoes and skillet asparagus. Will definitely have these again! Oh, and I was surprised at how many meatballs this made. Thanks!
It looks like you are adding Beef Broth and not Beef Bouillon. I just want to make sure it is 1Tbsp of Bouillon.
Yes it is beef bouillon! You can substitute beef broth in a pinch though!
Noticed a few photos of Danish recipes. Brunede Kartofler – Yum! Usually had a Christmas. (us children called them “candied” potatoes) Aebleskiver – also yum. Took years and years to find an Aebleskiver pan in Canada, so we were older before we got to try them. By the way….I had been eating “pancakes ” for years before I found out that what my Mom (Rigmor = ‘ree-more’ not ‘rig-more) made us was crepes. To this day I only make crepes. Love em! Is a breakfast item not a desert item. Put on a bit of sugar, or syrup (don’t drown it!!) or some jam, then using a “tine”of your fork,roll up into a thin “log”. So tasty…and a very simple crepe recipe; only eggs, flour, milk, water and some melted butter. Imagine how long my Mom had to stand at the stove and make enough crepes for her and Dad and 5 hungry children.
I love this! What sweet sacrifices mothers make… but it’s always a pleasure to prepare good food for a hungry family.
My parents (and oldest brother) immigrated from Denmark to Briish Columbia, Canada in 1956. Mom made Frikadeller all the time and I absolutely love them! I like them fried until they are actually quite crispy – which some may see as overdone. We had gravy with virtually every meal so I don’t know if their was a specific one for Frikadeller. And people are so right – they are amazing the next day gobbled up cold. : ) After my oldest brother [Henrik] got married – the first thing he did when he stopped by for a visit , was to check the fridge for leftovers. Frikadeller [like a cold boiled potatoes] are also very good sliced and eaten on bread (open faced sandwich). The Frikadeller with mustard. I didn’t know that a “sandwich” was supposed to have “a lid” on it. [a 2nd slice of bread top] During dinner I sometimes like to dip the hot Frikadellers in a little bit of jam. Try it….so Yummmy!! (I also didn’t know for years that the crusty ‘end piece’ of a loaf of bread (the heal) wasn’t called a “scorp”) [Danish word]
Thank you so much for your comment! Isn’t it amazing how food can bring back childhood memories. I love Swedish meatballs dipped in jam, so I’m sure Frikadellers in a little bit of jam is also delicious. I loved reading this. Thank you again!
What a fun new recipe to try. I have all of the ingredients. Thank you.
The warm seasoning flavours in these meatballs is not to be missed!
This wonderful recipe plus the cooked red cabbage have helped out family rediscover food from my Danish ancestors. I remember my Grandfather talking about Danish meatballs but we never ate them. My relatives came from Denmark in the 1850s so perhaps the recipes were lost over the generations. I am looking forward to trying other Danish recipes!
Me being of Danish decent this Frikadeller reminds me off my moms. Awesome taste.
Erica: I followed this recipe just like you wrote it and they were delish. Now it will be one of my favs. Had the meatball sandwich tonight and it was to die for. Toast, mayo, meatball, provolone cheese, a smear of ketchup on other toast. Loved it.
This was outstanding with steamed cauliflower, sprinkled with rosemary.
It definitely reminded me of the frickadeller my German mom made for my Danish dad. Yummy!!!
How many meatballs does this recipe make and what size should I make them?
It makes 30-40 meatballs (give or take depending on the size). I make them about the size of a ping pong ball. Hope this helps!
My grandparents were Danish, my mom made these. We loved them. Never had gravy with them though. These are great cold, open refrigerator and grab a frikadeller, agree with Kelly n Peter about the spices, but the basic recipe is there so Make it your way, that’s what cooking is all about.
Thank you so much for the nice comment! We love them cold, too! They always get devoured in no time 😉 Thanks for the 5-stars!
Wow i haven’t had these in yrs, Sure do miss my grandmother who passed away in 2000. Miss the good ole days
Thank you for sharing this! I love that this recipe reminded you of your grandmother. Those are sweet, sweet memories.
Being half-Danish and having spent many years living between the states and the US, I must say that I agree with another commenter that the addition of spices for flavor is not traditional in our house, but I did make have a batch your way, half like Mor (Mom), (Mor Mor (Grandma), and even my Danish step-father’s family’s recipe), and all of my American friends at a party yesterday were very happy with your version, as well as my family’s–you won, hands down :).
A lot of posters felt the need to comment on the name. Here’s the true spelling and meaning for future readers, as some butchered the spelling: en frikadel = one meatball, frikadellen = the meatball, frikadeller = meatballs. Danes (and Danish Americans) eat frikadeller at least weekly, if not more frequently, as you can buy them pre-made/packaged at the grocery store, at the butcher’s, at the many open-faced sandwich (smorrebrod) shops along city streets that you can just buy and take with you, or eat there. There’s still nothing like a mother’s recipe.
I found yours when looking for a more “Swedish” version for an upcoming party and really enjoyed them. Thank you so much for sharing!
I did tweak the spices a bit, adding just a pinch of allspice, nutmeg, and a bit of honey (after reading Chef Marcus Sameulsson’s recipe for Swedish meatballs), omitting the others mentioned. I doubled the recipe for the party, so anything mentioned is based on 2 lbs veal and 2 lbs pork, and ended up with about 34 small and 12 medium frikadeller. I also followed a bit more traditional way to combine ingredients to apparently allow for better mixing and then melding of ingredients (per my Danish family and friends):
1. First, I combined Panko with equal parts half & half (4T & 4T) in a small mixing bowl, omitting flour in the ‘balls. Set that aside for about 5 minutes to allow to absorb the fluid.
2. Second, I combined equal parts ground lean pork to veal (this may sound inhumane, but it’s the traditional Danish combination since Frokken Jensen’s 1901 recipe that’s hidden at Christiansborg Slot (Castle) in Cophenhagen. Although hand stirring is considered the best method, I used my Standing Mixer at the lowest speed. Mixed just to blend well.
Tip: Most grocery stores that don’t have ground veal at the butcher/meat section likely have it in the frozen meats section. You can also get any major grocer to order veal and grind it for you the day it arrives, or possibly even just order ground veal and call you when it arrives). A butcher will also have it, as will online sales for delivery to your door. The taste is so worth it!
3. Third, I added an entire large white onion and shallot (what I had on hand, but yellow, sweet, any really, will also work, & I find is easier to mince by dicing first, then placing in a medium mixing bowl with a hand blender to get the minced, liquid-like state), egg, salt, pepper to taste, and mixed at low speed just until blended.
4. Fourth, I added the Panko, Half & Half mixture, and blended on slow again until mixed well.
5. Fifth, I separated the meat mixture in half, placed the traditional one in the fridge for an hour, then added the allspice, nutmeg, and honey to remaining meat mixture, blended at low speed again till mixed, and set this in the fridge for an hour, as well.
6. I made my gravy (sovs, pronounced like “sauce”–always found that funny) with a few tweaks, as well, but only because of the quantity made: melted 3T butter on medium heat, whisked in 1/4 cup whole wheat flour, browned about 4 minutes, then added 3 cups beef stock made with Better Than Bullion (my step-father, a chef, swears by this stuff, as do I, a home cook), as well as 1/2 cup Half & Half (would’ve used heavy cream, if on hand), 1 tsp sugar, 1 tsp Worchestershire sauce, and salt & pepper to taste. Turned the heat to medium-high, and allowed this to come to a simmer, whisking frequently, for about 10 more minutes. Since I didn’t have drippings while waiting for the meat mixtures to settle, I didn’t add them, but I wish I had had time to do so. I do believe that would have made it even better!
7. Following Marcus Samuelsson’s lead, I wet down a large chopping board to form an place my meatballs prior to starting to cook. I made the spiced version smaller, the size of golf balls, and the traditional version a bit larger, the size of my palm, and do round them as best I can, as they naturally “flatten” a bit while cooking..
8. Like you, I fry my frikadeller in butter only, as this just tastes the best to me, but I’ve seen many folks in the old country use half butter, half grapeseed oil (rasp oil= a national product of DK), though any vegetable based, olive oil, or even coconut oil could be used, just make sure it tastes good to you if you have ever tried making salad dressing with it, otherwise the flavor will be off). I also fry on medium to medium-low heat, turning often until all sides are slightly brown – I don’t flatten the ‘balls, but instead make sure that the two “main” flatter sides are darker brown, and I’ll even brown the edges of the more rounded sides. I like getting a nice brown crisp to my ‘balls, as this just tastes better and more traditional.
9. Last, but not least, we Danes don’t typically mix our frikadeller with gravy, as most just eat them plain, but I thoroughly enjoyed the gravy addition. I may even try making the gravy with some allspice and nutmeg to see how that works out next time.
10. Although I didn’t make rodkaal (red cabbage), nor brundede kartofler (carmelized baby potatoes), in my family, we enjoy these dishes with our frikadeller. I’m quite fond of mixing rodkaal with frikadeller for a light, sweet, and slightly crunchy “sauce” that tastes great together, in my mind.
Thanks again for sharing this! It was delicious and will be made again.
ERROR: between the states and Denmark.
WOW Kelly! Thank you so much for your incredible comment! I love all of your suggestions and will definitely try them next time! We love to have our Frikadeller on open-face sandwiches the day after we make them. SO GOOD. The nest way to use up the leftovers.
Thank you so much for the traditional take on these. Love getting tips from a true Dane!
Spent 10 years in DK with Danish husband and never once had a frikadeller made with beef – always made with Veal and Pork mixture, egg, flour, salt, pepper & cream/milk. That is a traditional frikadeller. enjoy!
Yes, ground veal is a bit harder to come by in the US so we have used beef instead. I am sure that veal makes it all that much better!
In my family w use beef entirely ever since I was a small child & I ‘m 85 now.
I was found to be allergic to pork, but I do love frikadeller! I too have tried with oatmeal, curry, soy sauce,, & even made them with lentils as many of o<r family members are now vegetarian.
I like to TRY different things, but still keep my grandmother's recipe as my
"original" recipe & try not to stray too far from it!!
Veal is beef.
MY DAD ALWAYS SAID TO THRICE GRIND THE HAMBURGER AND PORK, THE KIDS ALWAYS DID THE GRINDING AT THE SINK WITH THE GRINDER ATTACH A FAMILY AFFAIR. WONDERFUL BUT WE CALLED THEM FRICADELAS. THANKS LANVE
I had frikadeller when I was in Solvang, CA with my aunt over spring break and I was desperate to find a recipe. This is almost identical to what I had at the restaurant! This gravy was a little thicker, but still good. Thanks!
So glad you liked it!!! I have heard great things about Solvang.. would love to visit some day!
Thank you for this recipe my Mom made them once a week these are my favorites. She didn’t leave a recipe for them so happy to have found this one. Will share with my sisters. Thanks
You’re welcome! I hope you enjoy the recipe!
How many people will this serve? I am making this for 13 people Christmas Eve! Just wondering if doubling the recipe is enough. I am serving it with danish browned potatoes and red cabbage.
It serves 6… so you may want 2 1/2 if you have hungry people!
I love to see all the variations of this recipe! I too grew up enjoying frikadellar (great-great grandfather brought the recipe over from Denmark), but I know there have been some changes to it. We actually use a little worchestershire sauce and thyme in our recipe – I’m guessing some of the English in my family added that! But we also shape them to have three sides and serve with ketchup (originally homemade but now just store bought). My mom used to love making frikadellar sandwiches for leftover 🙂
We love making sandwiches with the leftovers, too! SO delicious! Thanks for sharing your family’s variation, I have added Worcestershire to the sauce before and I love it (gives it a little flavor boost)
My mother made these all the time when I was a kid. I recently decided to cook again and do the food she made. I chose your recipe for the Danish Meatballs.
They turned out great! The first bite I took reminded me of childhood. My mom would serve these with rice or sometimes with egg noodles.
Try adding currents to the mix…Grrrreat.
Thank you for posting this recipe. My mother passed away in 2013 and this was one of those recipes she never wrote down. My grandmother was born in Copenhagen and a lot of her recipes have been handed down to us grandchildren. I had forgotten about the ‘Frickadillas’ as we called them. We didn’t eat them with gravy – ours were served with sour cream. I will give them a shot – looking forward to the memories!
Growing up in Racine Wi. (One of the most Danish cities in the US) mom made these all the time. Looked through her recipes and could not find one. Thanks for posting. Yours looked the best. Will be makings it tonight. Looking forward to my childhood food memories. Now all I need is a little Kringle for desert!
Thank you for choosing our recipe! I hope you enjoyed it as much as we do!
This is almost identical to the Swedish Meatball recipe we cooked in my jr. high home ec class in 1953!! Our family has been making them ever since and love them! Since there are now just the 2 of us to cook for I make and freeze them to use at various meals. Handy when the family comes to visit.
Here is another thing to try. Take the frikadellar mixture (I leave out the nutmeg) and scoop it into 1″ meatballs into a pot heat with simmering 2-3 c. good chicken stock and poach the meatballs until cooked through. (7-8 min. Remove the balls and drain the stock into a measuring cup. You should have about 2 c. In the pot add 3-4 tab. butter, melt and stir in 1-2 tab. curry powder (depends on how spicy it is and how you like it). then add 3-4 tab. flour and make a roux. Stir in a grated apple *gala or other med sweet apple) and cook for a minute or two. then whisk in the stock. You can add a bit more curry if needed. Add meatballs and heat through then serve over rice. Danish Meatballs and Curry. I make a double batch of the meat mixture and make both frikadellar and meatballs and curry. I have my neighbors hooked on both. Also check out the cookbook ‘Take a Silver Dish’ , sometimes you can find it on Amazon or Ebay
First I put the onion in a food processor and add 2 eggs process till onion is liquid like then add the eggs. When this is done add 1 pound of ground pork, salt and pepper to taste and process again add flour by the tablespoon full till mixture is a thick like consistency add a bit of milk not much and process one more time. Fry in canola oil and a bit of butter on medium low heat.
The Danish name is: frikadeller (plural). The traditional receipe is without the sage, garlic and maybe the nutmeg. When I make them, I use my moms way: put the meat in a bowl so that the meat fills the bottom of the bowl. Then cut out a fourth and lift on top of the rest of the meat. Fill the empty fourth with either 1.wheat flour or 2. outmeal or a mix of the two. I prefer the outmeal. Then add the rest of the receipe without the milk. Mix with a kitchen spoon and add slowly milk until it feels right. The mix should be quite wet but still be able to stick together. Cover the bowl and let it sit in the fridge for half an hour to settle. Form a ball with a spoon and your hand and fry in butter (or margerine) on medium heat for 3-5 min on each side until brown. Cut one to check if the middle is cooked. Serve with potatoes and gravy and something sour on the side. It is a very common daily dish in Denmark, my home turf. Bon apetit.
Peter, thank you so much for sharing your family’s way of making frikadeller! This will be very helpful the next time I make these meatballs – and very helpful to our readers!
This is definetly a more traditional way of making them. Except for the oatmeal (I use regular flour) this is exactly the way my family has been making them for generations.
Hi
The recipe is not for the traditional frikadeller. But it looks and sounds good
Every home even in Europe will tweek recipes. This is how my mother, back to her grandmother made them. Except my mother always used allspice and not the sage. Living in Ausria, we purchased them in the interest of time . They call them Frikadillen. But instead of allspice they used nutmeg. Had a German friend who made them. She used nutmeg. As a side note. We made Hungaian Goluasch, and served it with spaetzle. Our Hungarian friend was surprised because in her family it was served as a soup. Later we served it to a young man from Hungry. They ate it as a sauce with spaezle. Some use nothing paperika and some add a little tomato sauce. Recipes are as authentic as how each house makes it.
Thank you Kathleen! It is interesting how different countries adapt recipes to their tastes.
I add ground cloves to mine, my grandma & my mom r Danish, from Denmark, my mom was born in Aalborg.
Yum, I love cloves. I will try this next time. You are lucky to have Danish heritage (not only because of the good food, but for many reasons)!
My mother was also born in Aalborg in 1935. She moved to California around 1953. We have frikadella often, and now my children ask for it all the time. Love how these family recipes get passed down. What year was your mom born? 🇩🇰
I’m Danish and the most common way to make them in Denmark is on pook and no garlic and other things. Just salt and pepper. egg. Flour and milk….
how many servings is this recipe?
about 4-6 servings
I followed the recipe as directed. The Frikadellers came out perfect but the gravy is a little two salty..I just added the beef bullion nothing else. Any suggestions how to make it less salty?
you can cut back on the bouillon or add more cream/milk…
Thank you for posting. This was my favorite thing for my grandmother to make every year for my special birthday meal. Brings back so many great memories of her.
🙂 Thanks for the comment! How did it compare to your Grandma’s?
Found it!
FOUND IT
Found it! … but probably a little let 🙁 sad haha
Found it!
FOUND IT
Found it!
found it!
Found it!
FOUND IT!
found it!!
Thanks! I always use my own photos, and will definitely give you the link back. Much appreciated!
My paternal grandmother used to make these for me when we would visit her in Detroit. When she made them back in the 50s, I always thought they were called “frickadillas”. Both of her parents were born in Denmark. Thank you for the recipe!
That is also how my Danish grandmother said it and she came here from Denmark as an indentured servant back in the late 1800’s.
They are called frikadillas, just spelled with an er. We never add egg, use soft white bread pieces instead of crumbs, and only salt and pepper…use cream in gravy, no broth. Fattening but oh, so delicious
Thank you for sharing your way of making Frikadellers. I agree with you… the “fattening” is worth it. 🙂
I’ve been looking for a frikadeller recipe to use on my international food blog, and this looks like the best out of the dozen or so I’ve seen online. Do you mind if I borrow it? I’d be happy to give you a link back (of course)! Thanks!
Sure! You may use it. If you put our recipe on your site we would prefer you to use your own picture and link back as well. If you use our picture, please make a direct link to us for people to find the recipe
We just made this for dinner tonight. It'll go more quickly next time, but I probably will save this recipe for weekends. Wow is it good!! We chose to go with all pork. The gravy is phenomenal. Definitely a keeper.
Really lovely and colorful its recipe . i loved this recipe and nice details shared in the post . easy make tips so i just try make this recipe in my home . thanks Romantic Dinner Bruges
I sent this recipe to my daughter. Her hubby lived in Denmark for 2 years and loves all things Danish. She's making these for him for Valentine's Day- he'll be a very happy camper! Thanks for posting this one!
i totally agree with this!! DENMARK ALL THE WAY !!!! i’m making some fun some for me and MY hubby for his birthday!! his names mark, thank you for relating mama peck !!!