Danish Frikadelle Burger with Basil Mayo

About This Recipe

Frikadeller, Denmark's beloved pan-fried meat patties, are typically served alongside boiled potatoes and gravy rather than in a bun — but their pork-and-veal mix, bound with soaked breadcrumbs and grated onion, translates naturally into a burger patty with a far juicier bite than an all-beef version. This recipe keeps the traditional frikadelle mixture intact and simply changes the serving format, sandwiching the patty between slices of dense Danish rye or a soft roll. The grated onion is squeezed of excess liquid before going into the meat so the patties hold their shape in the pan rather than steaming and falling apart. Basil isn't traditional in Danish cooking, but a simple basil mayonnaise gives the burger a fresh, herbal counterpoint to the rich pork, similar to how Danes finish many dishes with fresh dill or parsley. Pressed flat and fried in butter until deeply browned on both sides, these patties get their signature oval frikadelle shape and a crisp, caramelized crust.

Ingredients

Serves 4

• 400 gground pork
• 200 gground veal
• 0.5 cupbreadcrumbs(soaked in 4 tbsp milk)
• 1egg
• 1 smallonion(grated and squeezed dry)
• 1 tspfine sea salt
• 0.25 tspwhite pepper
• 3 tbspbutter(for frying)
• 0.5 cupmayonnaise
• 0.25 cupfresh basil(finely chopped)
• 1 tsplemon juice
• 4 slicesdense rye bread or burger buns
• 1tomato(sliced)
• 4 leaveslettuce

Instructions

1. 1

   Mix the frikadelle base

   In a bowl, combine pork, veal, soaked breadcrumbs, egg, grated onion, salt and pepper. Mix by hand until just combined and slightly sticky.

2. 2

   Rest the mixture

   Cover and refrigerate the mixture 15 minutes so it firms up and holds together better when shaped.

3. 3

   Make the basil mayo

   Stir the chopped basil and lemon juice into the mayonnaise and set aside.

4. 4

   Shape the patties

   Divide the meat into 4 portions and shape into oval-ish patties about 2cm thick, wetting your hands to prevent sticking.

5. 5

   Fry until browned

   Melt butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Fry the patties 6-7 minutes per side until deeply browned and cooked through to 71C internal.

6. 6

   Assemble

   Spread basil mayo on the bread, layer with lettuce, the hot patty and tomato slices, then top with the second slice.

Variations

• •

  All-pork version: use pork alone if veal isn't available, adding an extra tablespoon of breadcrumbs for binding.

• •

  Traditional plating: skip the bun entirely and serve the patties with boiled potatoes, brown gravy and pickled beets.

• •

  Spicy mayo: add a teaspoon of Dijon mustard to the basil mayo for extra bite.

Storage

Refrigerate cooked patties separately from the bread up to 3 days. Reheat gently in a skillet over low heat until warmed through; the basil mayo is best made fresh.

Frequently Asked Questions