Frikadeller (Danish Meatballs) is an easy-to-make delicious recipe perfect for a busy weeknight dinner or an appetizer. Serve with brown gravy, cranberry sauce, or lingonberry preserves.
To make your life easier, we bake these instead of pan-frying. No bread crumbs are used making this a healthy recipe - low carb, keto, sugar-free, and gluten-free!
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Recipe Video
You'll Love This Frikadeller Recipe
"Growing up my grandparents made a traditional Danish dinner every Christmas Eve. Alongside our roasted goose, my grandmother would serve up a large platter piled high with Danish Meatballs (Frikadeller). From those fond memories, these meatballs became total comfort food - and way too delicious to have only once a year! " -Kori
Comfort Food (Hyyge)
There is nothing like a plate of meatballs for comfort food. Okay, maybe with some gravy too. Maybe that's why the Danes love them so much - maybe we should call them hygge meatballs instead. 🙂
Easy Baked Recipe
You'll love that there are only a few simple ingredients and steps, plus they are baked instead of pan-fried. It is much quicker and you can get all the meatballs cooked at the same time.
Gluten free, Low Carb, and Keto
"Frikadeller have only 0.7 grams of net carbs!" 🙂
With only 0.7 grams of net carbs, 28.1 grams of healthy fat, and 21.1 grams of protein, the Fridadeller fit nicely into a low carb, gluten free, and keto diet. Another bonus - they are sugar free.
You can find the full nutritional analysis at the bottom of the recipe card, but here are the most important numbers if you are following a low carb and ketogenic diet:
28.1 g fat 0.7 g net carbs 21.1 g protein
How To Serve
Here are some delicious ways to serve your Danish meatballs:
- Red Cabbage. My family always served a spiced red cabbage that was much like sauerkraut sweetened with some apples and sugar. Even though they seemed to love it I never quite took to it. Instead, I came up with my own recipe: Roasted red cabbage recipe with goat cheese and toasted walnuts 🙂 It's low carb AND really good!
- Browned Potatoes (Brunede Kartofler). This is not low carb, sorry. Use canned drained whole baby potatoes, butter, and brown sugar. Brown the potatoes in a skillet with butter and then sprinkle with brown sugar (about 2 - 3 tbsp for every can of potatoes). Toss until sugar is dissolved and coats the potatoes - delicious!!!
- Side of cranberry sauce or lingonberry preserves. Here is our recipe which is more citrusy and goes perfect with these meatballs: Fresh Cranberry Sauce Recipe (Sugar Free Cranberry Sauce)
- Serve the meatballs with brown gravy. Recipe below.
- Make a easy creamy gravy with a simple can of cream of mushroom soup, a little sour cream or cream cheese melted in and some pan juices. This is very similar to Swedish meatballs.
- Make a sandwich (Smørrebrød) which is a Danish open-faced sandwich. My grandfather used to take a slice of rye bread, spread some mayonnaise on it, then top with the frikadeller.
Variations
Here are some different ways you can make substitutions or customize your Frikadella recipe:
- Play around with different herbs and seasoning. 2 tablespoons of chopped fresh parsley is nice!
- You can substitute ground turkey, veal, or chicken for the 1.5 lbs ground beef. I would still use pork sausage due to it amazing flavor it adds to the meatballs.
- You can pan fry or bake the meatballs whichever is easiest for you!
Ingredients and Tools
Ingredients
- Ground beef (80/20)
- Ground pork
- Onion, grated
- Mayonnaise
- Eggs
- Salt
- Pepper
- Ground cloves
Tools
Instructions
Here are the step-by-step instructions for making this Fridadeller recipe.
- In a large bowl add ground beef, pork, onion, mayonnaise, eggs, salt, pepper, and cloves.
- Mix until well blended.
- Shape the meat into 2" round meatballs then "smush" down with the back end of your spoon until the Frikadellar are a nice oval shape and about 1/2 " thick.
- Place about 16 meatballs on each a baking sheet that has been lined with foil. Each recipe should make approximately 32 meatballs.
- Bake in a 350 degree oven for 20 minutes or until done. (Note: you can also pan fry the meatballs in an oil of your choice, over medium-high heat for about 5 minutes per side or until done.)
Cooking Tips
- You can substitute cream for mayonnaise if you prefer.
- Many meatball recipes call for bread as a binder, but these hold together just fine and are the perfect texture. If you choose to add a few breadcrumbs, you will need to use cream to soften the meat mixture.
- If you want to bake these meatballs but want to save the dripping to make gravy, line your baking sheet with foil, and once the meatballs are cooked remove from the pan and scrape the drippings into your pan to make gravy.
- Frying these meatballs results in a nice crisp outside and tender on the inside. The downside is the time it takes to fry the meatballs. I have just found it easier to bake on a sheet all at once and they still come out great!
Common Questions
What are frikadeller?
Frikadeller are Danish meatballs that are traditionally made of beef, pork, or veal, or a combination. They are often served with a brown gravy, a creamy dill sauce, or a remoulade.
How long will the meatballs keep?
Meatballs will keep approximately 3 to 4 days if store in an airthight container in your refrigerator.
Can you freeze meatballs?
Yes, you can freeze meatballs. I do this often. In fact, I often do a double batch of these meatballs then store half in the freezer for later!
Can I make this ahead of time?
Yes, you can make these meatballs in advance. You can pre-form them and store them in your refrigerator to bake later. Alternatively, you can bake them ahead of time and reheat them.
How long to bake meatballs at 350?
Meatballs baked at 350 degrees F will take approximately 20 minutes.
📋 Printable Recipe
Frikadeller Recipe (Danish Meatballs)
Frikadeller (Danish Meatballs) are a delicious yet easy to make recipe perfect for a busy weeknight. To make your life easier, we bake these instead of pan-frying. This recipe is low carb, keto, sugar free, and gluten free too!
Ingredients
- 1.5 lbs ground beef (80/20)
- 1/2 lb ground pork
- 1/3 cup onion, grated
- 2 tbsp mayonnaise
- 2 eggs
- 1-1/2 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp pepper
- 1/2 tsp cloves
Instructions
- In a large bowl add ground beef, pork, onion, mayonnaise, eggs, salt, pepper, and cloves.
- Mix until well blended.
- Shape the meat into 2" round meatballs then "smush" down with the back end of your spoon until the Frikadellar are a nice oval shape and about 1/2 " thick.
- Place about 16 meatballs on a baking sheet that has been lined with foil. Each recipe should make approximately 32 meatballs.
- Bake in a 350 degree oven for 20 minutes or until done. (Note: you can also pan fry the meatballs in an oil of your choice, over medium-high heat for about 5 minutes per side or until done.)
Notes
- Don't miss our helpful hints, substitution ideas, cooking tips, and delicious recipes that can be found in our post. Check it out!
- Serve with a side of gravy, cranberry sauce, or lingonberry preserves.
- You can substitute cream for the mayonnaise.
- If you want to bake these meatballs but want to save the drippings to make gravy, line your baking sheet with foil, and once the meatballs are cooked remove from the pan and scrape the drippings into your pan to make gravy.
- Frying these meatballs results in a nice crisp outside and tender on the inside. The downside is the time it takes to fry the meatballs. I have just found it easier to bake on a sheet all at once and they still come out great!
Nutrition Information:
Serving Size: 4 meatballsAmount Per Serving: Calories: 346Total Fat: 28.1gCholesterol: 129.3mgSodium: 559.1mgCarbohydrates: 0.9gNet Carbohydrates: 0.7gFiber: 0.2gProtein: 21.1g
Related Recipes
Growing up with a Danish grandfather and having traveled to Denmark I have been lucky enough to eat some of the most amazing food. All the recipes below have been inspired by my Danish roots. Enjoy!
- How to Roast A Goose (Christmas Goose Recipe). This was literally on our holiday table every year - along with Frikadeller.
- Dill Pickle Slaw. In Denmark, they use little tiny pickles called cornichons.
- Roasted Red Cabbage.
- Almond Butter Cake. This was inspired by delicious Danish pastries. If you drizzle with raspberry sauce it tastes just like a raspberry danish - yum.
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These Danish meatballs (frikadeller) are so easy to make in the oven and they're full of flavor with ground beef, pork, and seasoning! These baked meatballs are perfect for a busy weeknight, but special enough even for the holidays. This meatball recipe is low carb, keto, sugar free, and gluten free too! Keto meatballs are the best! #meatballs #danishrecipe #groundbeef #pork #lowcarb #keto #glutenfree #dinnerrecipe #bakedmeatballs #meatballrecipe #ketogenic #lchf #frikadeller
Kesha says
Eggs are not on the ingredients list, you should add them for the people who are not watching the video.
Kori says
Thanks! Good catch - they have been added.