A Twist on a Classic
If you are a lover of Danish food like we are, then you may be familiar with frikadeller, or Danish meatballs. These are their very own unique dish and quite different from Swedish meatballs. Swedish meatballs, or köttbullar (or Ikea meatballs, as some people may know them), are smaller. They also contain different spices and are traditionally served with mashed potatoes, gravy, and lingonberry jam. You can find our recipe for köttbullar at this link. Danish meatballs are larger, crispy on the outside, and usually served with boiled potatoes and pickled beets on the side. Traditionally, they are made with a mixture of pork, veal, and beef, which gives them an amazing savory flavor and texture. The addition of oats, milk, and flour means the meatballs stay together when frying and remain nice and juicy inside. You can find our recipe for traditional frikadeller at this link. Today’s recipe is a fun twist on the classic!
Lamb Meatballs
If you like lamb, then you will love this twist on the classic frikadeller. We replaced the pork, veal, and beef mixture with ground lamb and a few extra spices and herbs, and voila! Pan-frying these means they get a delicious crust with lots of flavor, while the inside is soft and juicy. The great texture comes from the use of breadcrumbs, egg, and milk in the meatball mixture. As I mentioned above, they don’t fall apart in the pan – very important! These meatballs are so phenomenal on their own, but we also like to eat them in pita bread with tzatziki, cucumber, tomato, red onion, lettuce, etc. Or, you can serve them alongside any form of potatoes and a veggie for a simple but hearty dinner. Any way you serve them, we can promise they will taste absolutely amazing!
Frikadeller – Tips and Tricks!
At this point, we are very seasoned cooks when it comes to frikadeller. So, we wanted to take this opportunity to share some tips and tricks with you that you can also find in the recipe down below. First of all, before you start frying all of the meatballs, cook a small teaspoonful of filling first. You can do this either in the microwave or on the pan, but it will help you check for seasoning. There is nothing worse than spending ages cooking a huge batch of frikadeller, only for them to turn out bland. Next, if you are looking for a healthier way to cook frikadeller, we can also recommend baking them for 20-25 minutes at around 400 degrees F (204 C). They won’t have as crisp of a crust or texture, but they will still delicious! Finally, if you notice a lot of burnt bits on the pan in between batches, take a second to clean out your pan a bit. Otherwise, these can make the next batch of frikadeller taste really bitter. We hope these tips help you and we hope you try out the recipe!
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Lammefrikadeller (Lamb Meatballs)
Ingredients
- 680 grams ground lamb
- 1 small onion
- 40 grams breadcrumbs *we use panko breadcrumbs, but you can use whatever you have on hand!
- 2-3 tbsp chopped fresh parsley
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 1/2 tsp ground cumin
- 1 tsp ground oregano
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 large egg
- 118 ml milk *you many not need all of the liquid, so start by adding a bit at a time!
Instructions
- Start by finely chopping the small onion. You can also use half of a medium/large onion!
- Prep the parsley by washing and chopping it finely.
- Add all meatball ingredients together (ground lamb, diced onion, breadcrumbs, fresh parsley, salt and pepper, cumin, oregano, garlic powder, and an egg) in a large mixing bowl EXCEPT for the milk.
- Mix together until well combined, adding the milk a little bit at a time until you have a mixture that holds together, but is not too wet to keep its shape. You may not need all the liquid! We recommend frying a small piece before you form the meatballs to check for seasoning! You can also cook a piece of the mixture in the microwave to check for the seasoning; add more salt and/or pepper if needed!
- Form meatballs about 1-1.5 inches (2.5-3.5cm) in diameter.
- Heat up a skillet or pan on medium heat. Add oil or butter and place your meatballs in the pan. You will likely have to fry these off in two or even three batches depending on the size of your pan!
- Flip your meatballs once they have gotten a golden brown crust. Make sure to lower the heat if they start to brown too quickly. Cook until the meatballs are no longer pink in the center, or you can use a thermometer to check that the internal temperature has reached 160F (~71C). Continue with your second and/or third batch. (Note: if there's anything burnt to the bottom of the pan, we do recommend cleaning out your pan between batches to avoid any burnt/bitter taste on the meatballs)
- Serve the meatballs however you would like – we like to eat these in lettuce wraps with tzatziki and sliced cucumber! Enjoy!
