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A Norwegian classic
Because we’re Danish, Skandibaking naturally features a lot more Danish recipes than Swedish or Norwegian. That’s just because it’s what we’re familiar with and what we know about, so those recipes come more easily to us. We do also share a lot of Scandinavian-inspired recipes, though, that are not traditional but are our own twist on Scandinavian flavors, sometimes with an American or British twist. And then we also love sharing Norwegian and Swedish recipes, but they require more research and learning, and we know they might not be perfectly traditional since we aren’t Norwegian and Swedish.
All that to say that we’re particularly trying to increase the number of Norwegian recipes on Skandibaking, because there are a lot of interesting dishes out there to explore! And you’ll find some great ones that we’ve already shared: fyrstekake, Norwegian fastelavnsboller, lefse, and heart waffles. Today’s recipe is more of a classic one, and I’m sure many Norwegians already have their own family recipes for it. But if you’re interested in trying out our version, then here’s our recipe for Norwegian meatballs, or kjøttkaker.
What makes these meatballs Norwegian?
Now, you may be wondering what the difference is between Swedish, Danish, and Norwegian meatballs. And that’s a great question – it’s exactly what we were asking ourselves while developing this recipe! To be completely honest, I think meatball recipes vary from family to family, region to region, and country to country. So it’s pretty impossible to pin down an exact definition that everyone will agree with, as I could tell from reading through a few Reddit threads and Facebook comments on the subject.
But to give you somewhat of an idea, here’s the difference between our three meatball recipes. Our Danish meatballs, or frikadeller, are made with pork, veal, and beef, and use oats as a binder, along with an egg and some milk. The seasonings are onion, garlic powder, and thyme (and salt and pepper, obviously). They’re shaped using two spoons, so they’re oblong and not perfectly round. Here’s the recipe if you’re interested in checking it out!
Swedish meatballs are perhaps the most well-known, as they’re a beloved IKEA lunch item. Known as köttbullar in Swedish, they’re significantly smaller than Danish and Norwegian meatballs, and they’re typically round instead of oblong. They’re made with a mixture of pork and beef, and use breadcrumbs as a binder, as well as an egg and milk. The seasonings are nutmeg and allspice, so they taste pretty different to Danish meatballs in particular. They’re also served with mashed potatoes, a creamy gravy, and lingonberry jam. You can find our recipe here.
Introducing…Norwegian meatballs!
And that brings us to Norwegian meatballs, or kjøttkaker. At least if you compare our recipes, these are almost like a cross between Danish and Swedish meatballs. They’re shaped similarly to frikadeller, but seasoned with warming spices – nutmeg and ginger – similarly to Swedish meatballs. Notably, though, they don’t contain an egg or oats/breadcrumbs, but instead potato starch. This gives them a super tender and more homogeneous texture when compared to the other meatballs.
But, like we’ve noted above, every family has their own preference, so please let us know in the comments how you and your family make meatballs!
The traditional sides
After a bit of research, it seems that Norwegian meatballs are traditionally served with brun saus (a brown gravy), and then a combination of any of the following: boiled potatoes, stewed or braised cabbage, stewed peas, boiled vegetables like carrots or peas, and then typically lingonberry jam or pickled cucumbers. Cabbage is such an underrated side, so we chose to make that. Then, we just added some peas, which add great color and are really easy to prepare. But obviously, you can make whatever you prefer to enjoy alongside your kjøttkaker!
Ingredients and substitutions
This recipe makes 20 decently sized meatballs. If you’re only feeding a couple of people and don’t want leftovers, feel free to cut the recipe in half. I personally always welcome leftovers, so I would just make the full version and enjoy them for dinner two days in a row!
For these Norwegian meatballs, you’ll need a mix of ground pork and beef for the best texture and taste. Sometimes, you can buy these combined as “meatloaf mix”. But if you can’t, just buy a pack of each and combine them. If you only want to buy one or the other, we’d recommend pork, mainly because it’s fattier and therefore has more flavor and a better texture.
For the rest of the mixture, you’ll need a finely grated or chopped onion, potato starch, ground nutmeg, ground ginger, and milk or water to bind everything together. Then, you’ll need salt and pepper, of course. Instead of potato starch, you can use cornstarch or even all-purpose flour, but potato starch is what is traditionally used.
How to make Norwegian meatballs
The process of making these meatballs is exactly what you expect. Mix everything together until you have a homogeneous mixture! This is easiest to do by hand, and we like to add the milk or water gradually just to make sure we don’t end up with too wet a mixture. And always taste for seasoning! Just take a small piece of the mixture and either microwave or pan-fry it until cooked through. Taste and add more seasoning if you think it needs it. Then, we shape ours with a spoon for that oblong shape. But you can also make them round if you prefer. Definitely pan-fry these in butter for the best texture – it gives them an amazing crust. Hope you try out this recipe and enjoy!
Kjøttkaker (Norwegian Meatballs)
Tender and juicy meatballs, lightly spiced with ginger and nutmeg. A delicious and hearty dinner option!
Ingredients
- 900 grams mix of ground pork and beef (you can definitely stick to just one type of ground meat – we would suggest pork if so!)
- 225 grams onion, grated or finely chopped
- 4 tbsp potato starch (can substitute with cornstarch)
- 1 tsp ground nutmeg
- 1.5 tsp ground ginger
- 200 ml milk or water to bind
- Salt and pepper to taste
- Butter or vegetable oil for cooking
Instructions
- Chop or grate your onion finely.
- Add chopped or grated onion, potato starch, nutmeg, and ginger to a large mixing bowl and mix to get the spices and starch evenly distributed.
- Add ground meat to the bowl.
- Add milk to the mixture and start to mix it together; once somewhat mixed together, add in salt and pepper.
- Continue mixing until the mixture is homogeneous. You may need to add more milk if it seems dry. If you add too much milk, try to let it sit for about 15 minutes and come back to it; you can also add more starch to soak up excess liquid! The meat mix should be able to hold a shape easily and not fall apart.
- Preheat a pan over medium – high heat.
- Add butter or vegetable oil (or cooking oil of your choice) to the pan, and start spooning in the meatball mix to create meatballs. We use a spoon to dollop the mixture onto the pan and create more of an oval shape. If you prefer the meatballs to be round, you can roll them in your hands before putting them in the pan.
- Cook on one side for 3-4 minutes, then flip each meatball. They should have a nice browned crust. You may need to move the meatballs around on the pan if the heat isn't totally even.
- Let cook on the second side another 3-4 minutes, then lower the heat to medium – low. Continue to cook and monitor for doneness – probably at least another 5 minutes. The meatballs are done when they feel firm to the touch, or you can use a thermometer to check the internal temperature. It should reach 160F (71C).
- Remove cooked meatballs from the pan, add more oil to the pan if necessary, and repeat the cooking process for a second batch of meatballs. You can also have two pans cooking at once, we just tend to cook ours in batches.
- Enjoy! If you're serving meatballs for dinner, you can make a quick brown gravy by combining beef stock with a bit of the potato starch to thicken it slightly. We like to serve our meatballs with a quick gravy, peas, stewed cabbage, and often also a potato side. Any leftovers keep great in the fridge and reheat well!
