A Polish kotlet mielony-style pork and beef patty, bound with soaked bread and marjoram, fried in butter and served on a bun.
Kotlet mielony, Poland's everyday fried meat patty, is a home-cooking staple built on ground meat bound with bread soaked in milk rather than raw breadcrumbs, which keeps the patty notably moist. This burger uses that exact binding technique, along with the marjoram and grated onion that flavor countless Polish ground meat dishes, then fries the patty in butter for a rich, savory crust. The technique that defines kotlet mielony is soaking stale bread — traditionally kaiser rolls or rye — in milk until soft, squeezing out the excess, then working it into the meat along with egg and grated onion. This bread panade is what keeps the finished patty tender even after a hard sear, unlike drier fillers like plain breadcrumbs. While burgers themselves aren't Polish in origin, kotlet mielony is essentially the same concept — a fried, breaded-in ground meat patty — served with bread on the side rather than sandwiched inside a bun. This version simply closes that gap, keeping the flavor entirely rooted in Polish home cooking.
Serves 4
Tear the bread into pieces and soak in milk for 5 minutes until soft, then squeeze out most of the excess milk.
Combine the soaked bread with ground pork, ground beef, grated onion, egg, marjoram, salt and pepper. Mix gently and shape into 4 patties.
Soaking the bread in milk rather than using dry breadcrumbs is what keeps kotlet mielony noticeably juicier than a typical burger patty.
Melt butter in a heavy skillet over medium heat. Cook patties 6 to 7 minutes per side until deeply golden and cooked through.
Let the patties rest for 2 minutes off the heat so the juices redistribute before assembling.
Toast the buns in the same buttery pan. Build the burger with the patty and a generous scattering of fresh dill.
Grate the onion rather than dicing it — it disappears into the mixture and adds moisture without altering the texture much.
Don't skip soaking the bread in milk; it's the single ingredient that makes this taste authentically like kotlet mielony rather than a generic burger.
Fry in butter, not oil, for the rich, slightly nutty flavor that's traditional in Polish home cooking.
Classic plate version: skip the bun and serve the patty with boiled potatoes and a simple cucumber salad, the traditional way kotlet mielony is served.
Beef-only version: use all ground beef if you prefer a single-meat patty, though the pork adds moisture and is traditional.
Cheese-topped: add a slice of cheese in the last minute of frying for a richer sandwich.
Refrigerate cooked patties for up to 3 days. Reheat in a covered skillet over low heat with a splash of water to keep them from drying out.
Kotlet mielony is a staple of everyday Polish home cooking, a simple fried ground meat patty bound with milk-soaked bread, commonly served with potatoes and a cucumber or cabbage salad rather than in a bun.
Yes, all pork or all beef both work, though a mix of the two is more traditional and gives a slightly richer flavor and juicier texture.
This usually means too little bread panade was used, or the meat was too lean. Make sure the bread is properly soaked and squeeze out only the excess, not all, of the milk.
Dried oregano is the closest common substitute, though marjoram has a milder, sweeter flavor that's distinctly used across Polish cooking, especially with meat and legumes.
Per serving (300g / 10.6 oz) · 4 servings total
Ask our AI cooking assistant anything about this recipe — substitutions, techniques, scaling.
Chat with AI Chef →Join the conversation
Sign in to leave a comment and save your favourite recipes
Have feedback or need help?
We read every email and reply within 1–2 business days.
© 2026 MyCookingCalendar. All rights reserved.
