These are the BEST Frikadellen I've had! They’re German hamburgers, which are also called Buletten or even Danish Frikadelle, and are German-style meat patties that are pan-fried and often served hot or cold on a crusty bun as street food in Germany. Frikadellen are how the American hamburger came to be. While they look a little like hamburgers, they're not like the American hamburger at all.
What are Frikadellen
Frikadellen are German hamburgers (and also go by Buletten where I grew up), yet they're not hamburgers at all. The American hamburger typically uses only ground beef and not much else, whereas the Frikadellen flavor is much more complex and includes spices, bread and herbs.
Ingredients
Frikadellen are made from a mix of the following:
- ground beef and pork
- bread
- sautéed onions
- herbs and spices
- and some egg to hold it all together
They are then pan-fried in some oil to get them nice and crispy on the outside. I love dipping mine with mustard (or ketchup)!
Everybody loves them and in Germany, they are one of the most popular street foods next to Döner Kebab and Currywurst.
German vs American hamburger
Frikadellen are often served without a bun or roll unless you pick them up at a German food truck. There you will get one 'auf die Hand' (in the hand) in a cut-open, crusty roll.
If you do like sides with your Frikadellen, I highly recommend German fried potatoes (Bratkartoffeln) or mashed potatoes as a side.
In America, burgers always come on a soft bun, unless you believe in lettuce wrap burgers. Americans love their soft buns for Bratwurst, too, which is also not typically served on a Brötchen (crusty roll) in Germany unless you're on the go.
Can you eat them cold?
Frikadellen or Buletten are enjoyed either warm or cold, which is another major difference from the American hamburger. An American hamburger served cold will always be sent back to the kitchen. German Frikadellen can be eaten on their own with some mustard and/or ketchup, and a side of potato salad or on a Brötchen, a crusty bun.
Some Germans also like a rustic mushroom sauce to go with their German hamburger (like this Jägersoße I serve with my Schnitzel). I prefer mine warm, but cold has its moments as well!
I often make a bunch of (cold) Frikadellen as mini versions for parties. I love serving them on skewers with a pickle slice and some mustard and they're always very popular. Don't forget to make some authentic German homemade pretzels for your party, too.
Who invented hamburgers?
I have always wondered. Did hamburgers originate in the German city of Hamburg? Hamburgers and not made of ham after all, so I think it's a legit question! I did a bit of research on this topic, and it looks that there are many theories about where the hamburger came from.
One states that the hamburger could have been invented in the German city of Hamburg and that the name originated from Hamburger steak, which was later shortened to hamburger.
Others mention the burger was invented in the American city of Hamburg in the state of New York.
Either way, I will keep eating them (the German and American versions) and just enjoy them without asking too many questions.
Video
Need a little more help? Watch this short video showing you how Frikadellen are made. On a side note, my pregnancy brain forgot to sautee the onions before adding them into the Frikadellen dough, but they still turned out great.
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Frikadellen (German Hamburgers)
Ingredients
- 500 grams mixed ground meat half pork and half beef
- 1 yellow onion
- 1 hard roll you can use whatever leftover bread you have!
- 1 egg
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
- 1 teaspoon German mustard or any other mustard of your choice
- 1 teaspoon dried marjoram
- 1 teaspoon paprika powder I used half sweet paprika and half half-sharp paprika
- 1 teaspoon chili powder I used ancho chili powder
- 3 Tablespoons fresh parsley chopped
- 3 garlic cloves minced
- oil for frying sunflower seed or avocado oil
Instructions
- Soak the roll in water for about 10 minutes, then squeeze out all the water. Peel and fine dice the onion, sauté until translucent and lightly browned, then put into a bowl.1 yellow onion, 1 hard roll
- Add ground meat, spices, chopped parsley, garlic, and egg to the bowl and knead until combined (best to use your hands, but you can also use a fork).500 grams mixed ground meat, 1 egg, 1 teaspoon sea salt, 1 teaspoon German mustard, 1 teaspoon dried marjoram, 1 teaspoon paprika powder, 1 teaspoon chili powder, 3 Tablespoons fresh parsley, 3 garlic cloves
- Add the drained roll to the meat mixture and knead until combined.1 hard roll
- Shape your Frikadellen patties and lay them onto a floured surface, so they won’t stick. Heat some oil in a pan or on a griddle over medium-high, then add in enough Frikadellen to cover the pan (see note about Test Frikadelle).oil for frying
- Fry for a few minutes without turning until thoroughly browned, turn and repeat, then reduce heat to medium low and continue frying for 10 more minutes or until cooked through. Transfer Frikadellen to a plate lined with paper towel to rest for a few minutes before serving (see note about Leftovers).
Video
Notes
- Test Frikadelle: To ensure your seasoning is on point, make a small test Frikadelle and fry it to see if you need to add more seasoning.
- Leftovers: Frikadellen are great for leftovers! You can either heat them up or enjoy them cold as I do. I love these reusable silicone bags for storing your leftovers.
Tim
Great recipe. Even better when you fry the frikadellen in clarified or concentrated butter.
dirndlkitchen
Oh yum!!! Will need to try this next time.
Tony
I was an exchange student in Rheinland-Pfälz area near Mannheim and the mother of the home I stayed two summers with made Frikadellen and I fell in love with them!
I've been looking for a good recipe.
One question - when you soak the hard roll in water and then say add to the mixture, do you tear up the roll before adding? I was confused, because adding it in whole doesn't sound right to me, although I haven't tried it yet
dirndlkitchen
Hi Tony! The roll will fall apart after it's been soaked, so it combines well with the meat and other ingredients for the Frikadellen. If you want to be extra sure, you could tear or dice it up before kneading in with the meat. I hope this helps and please let me know if you have any other questions!
Cynthia
My mother taught me to use milk to soak the roll?
dirndlkitchen
Soaking the roll in milk for Frikadellen will work! You could even soak it in wine or beer for added taste!
Paul
I’m German and that’s just the way my mom used to make them. We would have them with a mushroom gravy.
dirndlkitchen
Oh!! I wonder if the mushroom gravy is similar to my mushroom gravy I make for my Jägerschnitzel? Thank you for the great review! Sophie
Geraldine Murfin-Shaw
Thanks Sophie, this is great! I will be making these tomorrow.
dirndlkitchen
Thanks so much!!
Aloisius
One small trick if you'd like to make the Frikadellen crispy or crunchy, arrowroot powder is great for that. Just dredge them lightly in a bowl with a 2 Tbsp of arrowroot and chuck 'em in the frypan. Puts a whole new dimension on them.
dirndlkitchen
Ohhhh!! Love that tip! thanks for sharing!
Andrea
My grandma used to make these, and they are a much sought after taste of my childhood. She served hers with a pepper and onion tomato based sauce and mashed potato’s. How I wish I had her recipes. I’ll hafta give yours a try!
Sophie Sadler
Andrea, I hope that you love my authentic Frikadellen recipe, and I hope that I can help you feel connected to your grandmother's cooking. Thank you for the kind comment!
Jim Doerr
When I was a boy growing up in NJ just across the river from NYC in the ‘50s/60’s my mother would make a meal of pan fried hamburger meat with bread cubes, spices and beaten egg in brown (often mushroom) gravy for our Doerr/Seiler household. She called them “frigadellos”. It seems surprisingly similar to Frikadellen in both recipe and name of course with some sort of American twist. It’s interesting to me to recognize the possible ties to the German recipe. Good memories of a tasty meal.
Sophie Sadler
Jim, wow! I am so happy that you were able to reconnect with your roots and childhood through my Frikadellen recipe. Thank you so much for your kind and thoughtful review.