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Danish · Scandinavian

Frikadeller

Non-vegetarian

Flattened Danish pork meatballs, light and juicy from milk and egg, pan-fried in butter until deeply golden. Eaten hot with potatoes and gravy or cold on rye bread.

Frikadeller is a Danish main course from Denmark, ready in about 55 minutes and made with ground pork, onion and egg. It serves 4 and is rated easy to cook.

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Prep
15 min
Cook
20 min
Rest
20 min
Total
55 min
Serves
4
Level
Easy
Calories
487

Ingredients

4 servings (about 12 frikadeller)

Equipment

Method

  1. Step 1

    Mix the pork with the onion (opens in a new tab), egg (opens in a new tab), flour, salt, pepper (opens in a new tab) and allspice (opens in a new tab). Beat in the milk (opens in a new tab) a little at a time until the mixture is soft and sticky.

    • 8 min

  2. Step 2

    Chill the mixture for 20 minutes so it is easier to shape.

    • Step 3

      Heat the butter (opens in a new tab) and oil in a frying pan. Shape oval patties with a tablespoon dipped in the hot fat, flattening slightly in the pan.

    • Step 4

      Fry, turning a few times, until deep golden and cooked through.

      • 14 min
      • medium heat

      Food safety: Pork mince should reach 71 °C in the centre.

    • Step 5

      Serve hot with boiled potatoes (opens in a new tab), brown gravy and braised red cabbage (opens in a new tab), or cold with rye bread and pickles.

      • 1 min
      A finished dish being plated
      How it looks · Photo: Willians Huerta on Pexels

    About this dish

    Origin
    Denmark · Commonly attributedFrikadeller are made across northern Europe and Germany; this pork-and-onion style is quintessentially Danish.Also popular in Norway, GermanyMore food from Denmark
    Dish
    Dinner · Lunch · Main courses
    Cooking method
    Pan-fried
    Taste
    savoury, buttery, mild
    Diet
    No nut ingredients · Keto-style · Low-carb · High-protein
    All labelsNon-vegetarian · No nut ingredients · No added sugar · Alcohol-free · Beef-free · Keto-style · Low-carb · High-protein · Calorie-conscious
    Worked out from the ingredients. How labels work
    Good for
    Everyday · Child-friendly · Portable / lunchbox · Freezer-friendly
    Cook more with
    Ground pork · Onion · Egg · All-purpose flour · Milk · Butter
    Techniques
    Pan-frying · Braising · Pickling

    Allergens

    • Contains: Milkfrom milk, butter
    • Contains: Eggsfrom egg
    • Contains: Wheatfrom all-purpose flour
    • Contains: Glutenfrom all-purpose flour

    Based on typical versions of these ingredients and not verified allergen-free. Brands differ and cross-contact happens, so always check labels. For severe allergies, follow your clinician’s advice.

    Nutrition

    487 kcal per serving

    Calculated

    1 serving ≈ 223 g · recipe makes 4

    Where the energy comes from

    • Protein 21%
    • Carbohydrate 8%
    • Fat 72%
    Nutrition per serving and per 100 g
    NutrientPer servingPer 100 g*
    Energy487 kcal219 kcal
    Protein24.9 g11.2 g
    Carbohydrate9.2 g4.1 g
    Net carbohydrate8.5 g3.8 g
    Sugars——
    Added sugars0 g0 g
    Fibre0.7 g0.3 g
    Fat38.5 g17.3 g
    Saturated fat15.1 g6.8 g
    Trans fat——
    Cholesterol156 mg70 mg
    Sodium882 mg396 mg
    Salt equivalent2.2 g1 g
    Vitamins & minerals per serving
    Potassium
    479 mg
    Calcium
    79 mg
    Iron
    1.7 mg
    Magnesium
    34 mg
    Vitamin A (RAE)
    92 µg
    Vitamin C
    3 mg
    Vitamin D
    —
    Vitamin B12
    1.2 µg
    Folate (DFE)
    37 µg

    How these numbers were made

    • Calculated from USDA FoodData Central (SR Legacy) per-100 g values and the listed quantities.
    • *Per 100 g of combined raw ingredients; the cooked dish may weigh more or less.
    • Optional ingredients are not included: allspice, potato, red cabbage.
    • “—” means the value isn’t known for enough of the ingredients; it is never zero by default.
    • Values are estimates for guidance, not for medical dosing. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. FoodData Central, 2019. fdc.nal.usda.gov.

    Good to know

    Tips

    • Dipping the spoon in the hot pan fat stops the mixture sticking and gives neat shapes.

    Common mistakes

    • Frying over high heat burns the outside before the centre is cooked.

    Serve with

    • Cold frikadeller on buttered rye bread with pickled cucumber make classic Danish smørrebrød.

    Storage

    • Refrigerate up to 3 days; freeze cooked for up to 3 months.

    Reheating

    • Warm in a low oven or pan, or eat cold.

    Original editorial recipe · FriendsPantry editorial · Not yet independently reviewed · Added · Updated

    Recipe DNA

    How this dish is built

    Grouped by each ingredient’s role in the dish. Each band’s width is its share of the dish by weight. Choose a component to see what it does.

    What the dish is built around

    Main ingredient

    Used in steps 1, 3, 5

    Reviews & corrections

    Reviews come from signed-in cooks and appear after a moderator checks them. We never show made-up ratings.

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