Danish Pan-Fried Meatballs (Frikadeller) Kids Adore

If you ask Danish adults what they ate as children, frikadeller will come up almost every time. These are not the round meatballs of Italian-American cooking. They are slightly flattened, oval patties, usually made with ground pork or a mix of pork and veal, and fried in butter until deeply browned on both sides.

They are a mainstay of Danish home cooking, served hot for dinner with boiled potatoes and brown gravy, or cold the next day on rye bread with pickled beets or cucumber salad. That second life as a lunchbox filling is one of the reasons Danish parents make them in large batches.

The secret is in the mixing

Danish cooks stir the meat with salt first, before adding anything else. This makes the mixture slightly sticky, which helps it hold together and gives the finished frikadeller a springy texture. Then come grated onion, egg, milk and a binder, traditionally flour or breadcrumbs, though rolled oats are also common.

The mixture should be soft enough to shape with a spoon. Rest it in the fridge for 15 minutes so the binder can absorb the milk. Many cooks shape each one by scooping with a tablespoon and smoothing it against the palm of a wet hand, which gives the distinctive oval shape.

Frying in batches takes time, and some families now use the air fryer instead. The Danish site madopskrifter-til-airfryer.dk shows how that version works, which is worth a look if you would rather not stand over a skillet on a busy night.

The recipe

• Prep 25 min
• Cook 25 min
• Makes about 20 frikadeller

IngredientsTap to check off

• 1 1/4 lb ground pork (or half pork, half veal)
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 small onion, finely grated
• 1 large egg
• 1/2 cup whole milk
• 1/3 cup all-purpose flour or 1/2 cup rolled oats
• 1/2 tsp black pepper
• Pinch of ground allspice (optional)
• 2 tbsp butter and 1 tbsp oil, for frying

MethodTap a step when it is done

1. 1Step 1: Stir the pork and salt together in a bowl for 1 minute until slightly sticky.
2. 2Step 2: Add the onion, egg, milk, flour or oats, pepper and allspice. Mix to a soft dough and chill for 15 minutes.
3. 3Step 3: Heat butter and oil in a large skillet over medium heat.
4. 4Step 4: Scoop the mixture with a wet tablespoon, shape it into ovals against your palm and place in the pan without crowding.
5. 5Step 5: Fry for 5 to 6 minutes per side until well browned and cooked through to 160°F (71°C). Keep warm while you fry the rest.

Print recipe

What to serve with frikadeller

The classic dinner is boiled new potatoes, a simple gravy made from the pan drippings, and pickled red cabbage. For kids, many families swap the gravy for ketchup and add a cucumber salad, which in Denmark is called agurkesalat: thinly sliced cucumber in a sweet-sour dressing of vinegar, sugar and water. It is crisp, a little sweet and surprisingly popular with children who claim not to like vegetables.

In summer, frikadeller go well with potato salad. In winter, try them with buttered peas and carrots.

Little hands, big help

Shaping frikadeller is messy and fun. Give each child a small bowl of water to dip their hands in, and let them make their own. They will not be perfectly even, and that is fine. Just keep raw meat away from everything else on the counter and wash hands well afterward.

Leftovers

Cold frikadeller keep for three days in the fridge. Slice them for sandwiches or pack them whole with some cucumber and a slice of bread. They also freeze well once cooked; reheat them in the oven or the air fryer so the crust stays crisp.