German recipe

Frikadellen

Name: Frikadellen
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 25 min
Total time: 55 min
Yield: 4
Cuisine: German cuisine
Ingredients: 600 g mixed beef and pork mince; 70 g day-old bread roll, torn; 120 ml whole milk; 140 g onion, finely diced; 20 g unsalted butter; 1 large egg; 25 g medium German mustard; 15 g flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped; 3 g dried marjoram; 10 g fine salt; 3 g black pepper; 30 ml neutral oil or clarified butter

German pan-fried meat patties made tender with a milk-soaked bread roll and seasoned with onion, mustard, parsley and marjoram. They should have a dark savoury crust while remaining juicy and springy inside.

Germany-wide home cooking

Prep: 30 min
Cook: 25 min
Total: 55 min
Servings: 4

Golden-brown German Frikadellen meat patties with mustard and potato salad — **Real finished-dish photograph**Photograph by SilarSource page · Original file · CC BY-SA 4.0Cropped, resized, and compressed by Recipe Nest Vault.

Ingredients

600 g
mixed beef and pork mince
70 g
day-old bread roll, torn
120 ml
whole milk
140 g
onion, finely diced
20 g
unsalted butter
1
large egg
25 g
medium German mustard
15 g
flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped
3 g
dried marjoram
10 g
fine salt
3 g
black pepper
30 ml
neutral oil or clarified butter

Method

01
Soak the bread
Pour the milk over the torn bread and leave it for 10 minutes. Squeeze gently so the bread stays moist but no free milk drips out.
Cooking-step illustration, not a photograph
02
Soften the onion
Melt the butter in a small skillet over medium heat. Cook the onion for 6–8 minutes until translucent and lightly golden, then cool for 5 minutes.
Cooking-step illustration, not a photograph
03
Mix gently
Combine the mince, soaked bread, cooled onion, egg, mustard, parsley, marjoram, salt and pepper. Mix only until evenly combined; overworking makes the patties dense.
Cooking-step illustration, not a photograph
04
Shape the patties
Divide the mixture into 8 equal patties about 20 mm thick. Smooth cracked edges lightly without packing the centres too tightly.
Cooking-step illustration, not a photograph
05
Chill to firm
Refrigerate the shaped patties for 15 minutes. This short rest firms the softened bread and fat so the patties hold together when they hit the pan.
Cooking-step illustration, not a photograph
06
Pan-fry in batches
Heat the oil in a wide skillet over medium heat. Fry the patties in 2 batches for 5–6 minutes per side until dark golden and the centres reach 71°C. Add a little extra fat only if the pan becomes dry.
Cooking-step illustration, not a photograph
07
Rest and serve
Rest the cooked patties uncovered for 5 minutes, then serve hot with potato salad, mustard or bread, or cool completely for a traditional cold snack.
Cooking-step illustration, not a photograph

Practical notes

Tips

Chill shaped patties or drained grated vegetables briefly when the mixture feels loose; a firmer mixture is easier to brown cleanly.
Give each piece enough pan space to brown; crowding traps steam and softens the surface.

Common mistakes

Turning food before a browned crust forms makes it stick and tear; wait until it releases more easily from the pan.
Using too little fat for potato pancakes prevents even edge crisping; maintain a shallow, hot layer between batches.

Substitutions

Neutral oil can replace clarified butter for frying, though it gives less buttery aroma.
For meat patties, use a beef-and-pork mixture with similar fat content if the exact regional mince is unavailable.

Storage

Cool leftovers promptly and refrigerate within 2 hours at 0–4°C for up to 3 days. Reheat only the portion needed until piping hot throughout.

Cultural context

Frikadellen appear across Germany under several regional names, including Bulette and Fleischküchle. They are equally at home as a warm family meal or a cold snack in bread.

Sources and photo credit

This standardized method was independently rewritten after cross-checking the references below. Recipe Nest Vault does not claim that the credited photographer cooked from this exact version.

Recipe references

020230716 Frikadelle mit Gemüse und Kartoffeln — Photograph by Silar; CC BY-SA 4.0.

Step illustrations: Original illustrations created by Recipe Nest Vault with OpenAI image_gen.

Back to German recipes

Frikadellen

Ingredients

Method

Soak the bread

Soften the onion

Mix gently

Shape the patties

Chill to firm

Pan-fry in batches

Rest and serve

Sources and photo credit

Recipe references

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