Frikadeller (Danish Meatballs)
Frikadeller, or Danish Meatballs, are savory meatballs served with a rich, creamy gravy sauce that is comfort food at its finest.
Servings: 8
Calories: 465kcal
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 (1/4 to 1/2 cup)
- butter
Gravy:
- 3/4 - 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.
Video
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%.
Nutrition
Calories: 465kcal | Carbohydrates: 18g | Protein: 22g | Fat: 33g | Saturated Fat: 15g | Cholesterol: 152mg | Sodium: 348mg | Potassium: 364mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 495IU | Vitamin C: 1.8mg | Calcium: 73mg | Iron: 2.6mg