Frikadeller

About This Recipe

Frikadeller are Denmark's beloved everyday meatballs — slightly flat, hand-shaped pork and veal patties that are pan-fried in butter until golden brown and served with boiled potatoes, red cabbage and a rich brown gravy. Unlike Italian meatballs, frikadeller are shaped into ovals by hand (using a wet spoon) and are more loosely textured due to the addition of onion and milk-soaked breadcrumbs. They are the quintessential Danish comfort food — present at every family dinner, packed into lunch boxes, and the first recipe most Danish grandmothers teach.

Ingredients

Serves 4

• 400 gground pork
• 200 gground veal or beef
• 1 mediumonion(finely grated)
• 2 tbspplain flour
• 2eggs
• 120 mlwhole milk
• 1 tspsalt
• 0.5 tspwhite pepper
• 0.25 tspground allspice
• 3 tbspbutter(for frying)
• 2 tbspvegetable oil(for frying)

Instructions

1. 1

   Mix meat

   Combine pork, veal, grated onion, flour, eggs, milk, salt, white pepper and allspice. Mix well with a wooden spoon or your hands until the mixture comes together. It should be slightly sticky.

2. 2

   Rest

   Refrigerate the mixture for 30 minutes — this helps the frikadeller hold their shape.

3. 3

   Shape

   Wet a large spoon. Scoop about 60g of mixture per frikadel and shape into an oval patty, slightly flattened — the traditional shape, not round.

4. 4

   Fry

   Melt butter and oil together in a wide pan over medium heat. Fry frikadeller in batches for 4–5 minutes per side until golden brown and cooked through.

5. 5

   Serve

   Serve with boiled or mashed potatoes, braised red cabbage, and Danish brown gravy (brun sovs).

Variations

• •

  Add a pinch of nutmeg to the mixture — some families consider this essential.

• •

  Cold frikadeller are excellent sliced in an open-faced sandwich (smørrebrød) with remoulade.

• •

  Vegetarian: swap the protein for roasted king oyster mushrooms, smoked tofu or cooked chickpeas — adjust seasoning slightly upward to compensate.

• •

  Spicier: add a finely chopped fresh chile or a teaspoon of crushed Aleppo/Urfa pepper to the aromatics for warm, layered heat instead of a single sharp hit.

Storage

Refrigerate for 4 days. Excellent cold. Reheat in a pan with a little butter.

Frequently Asked Questions