Alma Bax 
Königsberger Klopse (German Meatballs with Gravy)
In Germany, they refer to meatballs as “Königsberger Klopse”. In Italy, they call them “Budelli di carnevale”. The word “meatball” is a common term in the USA, most often used to refer to a tomato sauce meatball. The fact is, the meatball is the most unique dish in Germany. As a result, there are at least five different kinds of meatballs with different names. One of them is this one, and it is very close to the original recipe.
I’m going to tell you something you probably didn’t know about German meatballs. They are traditionally served with a gravy made of sour cream, mashed carrots, onions, celery and white wine. They are utterly delicious. You may already be thinking, “Why does this guy tell us this?” Well, I’m German and I lived in Germany for many years, where I learned to cook and eat the way they do. I am truly passionate about these little meatballs, which are often served with gravy and potatoes, and I hope that you will enjoy them as much as I do.
An Iconic German Dish Is Königsberger Klopse!
Are you looking for a tasty dish that includes meatballs and gravy? This recipe for Königsberger Klopse is for you!
This traditional German meal, often known as meatballs with gravy, is exactly what it says on the tin.
A creamy, thick caper sauce coats these beautifully flavored pork-beef meatballs. Königsberger Klopse, paired with potatoes, is a substantial supper meal with distinct tastes and textures that will leave you wanting more!
In all its splendor, the Königsberger Klopse!
Königsberger Klopse are not your typical German meatballs. While we like traditional meatballs (Frikadellen) from a Beer Garden, these meatballs are cooked in broth and topped with gravy.
The gravy simply adds a whole new level of flavor to the dish. You’ll enjoy Königsberger Klopse if you like capers.
The meal was created almost two centuries ago in Königsberg (the capital of East Prussia – present-day Russia), yet many Germans still like it.
Substitutions and Recipe Suggestions
This Konigsberger Klopse dish has a lot of stages, so be sure to read over the recipe instructions before getting started.
The majority of the stages aren’t tough, but it’s a good idea to understand how the process works!
The gravy is the finest portion of Königsberger Klopse.
Make sure the meatballs are made with a combination of beef and pork – it simply tastes better.
The meatball mixture is traditionally prepared on a stale crusty bread. We understand that having stale rolls or bread lying around isn’t very common these days, so feel free to substitute breadcrumbs. Simply make sure they aren’t seasoned.
If you’re not a lover of beef broth, you may replace it with vegetarian broth. The tastes will vary somewhat, but the meal will not be drastically altered.
It’s crucial that the gravy doesn’t come to a boil after you’ve added the egg yolk – just something to remember.
To suit your tastes, alter the quantity of capers as well as the amount of caper and lemon juice in the gravy. However, the sauce is meant to have a sour flavor, so don’t leave them out entirely.
Step-by-Step Instructions for Making Königsberger Klopse
If you wish to prepare these German meatballs in cream sauce, you can find precise measurements on the recipe card at the bottom of this article.
This section has a step-by-step process picture for people who like to follow recipe instructions visually.
Whether you have any doubts, you may refer to the pictures to verify if you’re following the recipe correctly!
Soak the stale bread in water.
Soak a stale crusty roll in water if you’re using it.
It will attempt to float to the surface, so you may need to place something on top of the bun to keep it submerged. Allow it to soak until it softens.
Cut the onions into small pieces.
Peel and finely chop the onion in the meanwhile.
You should slice them even smaller than we did in the picture above, so they don’t show up as much in the meatballs afterward.
In a mixing dish, combine the ingredients.
In a medium mixing bowl, combine the ground pork and ground beef. In a separate bowl, combine the chopped onion, egg, salt, and pepper.
Squeeze the excess water from the soaked bun, tear it into smaller pieces, and toss it in with the other ingredients in the dish. If you’re not using a stale bun, add the unseasoned breadcrumbs instead.
Toss everything together.
Using your clean hands, combine all of the ingredients until they are well combined.
Feel free to add a few (more) breadcrumbs if the consistency is too sticky.
To make the meatballs, combine all of the ingredients in a large mixing bowl.
In the palms of your hands, make 6-8 meatballs. You may even create a couple additional, smaller ones as an alternative.
On a dish, there are raw meatballs.
Place the meatballs on a dish and have the stock ready for them to cook in.
In a saucepan, combine beef broth, onion, and a bay leaf.
In a large saucepan, bring about 8 cups of beef stock to a boil. You may use slightly more or less depending on the precise size of your pot.
Peel an onion and chop it into quarters while the soup is heating up. Then add the onion pieces to the broth, along with a bay leaf. It will be more flavorful as a result of this.
In a large mixing bowl, combine the meatballs with the broth.
When the stock has reached a boil, reduce the heat to maintain a gentle simmer and add the meatballs.
Allow them to cook for around 20 minutes in a simmering (not violently boiling!) water.
If you make the meatballs smaller, they may be ready a little sooner.
Once the meatballs are done, remove them from the pan.
Remove the meatballs from the saucepan after they are cooked and floating, and put them aside on a dish.
For the time being, set the meatballs aside.
It’s time for the sauce now.
Using a sifter, strain the broth.
Remove 3 cups of soup from the kettle and strain through a sifter to remove any large chunks. Then set aside the sifting broth.
Melt the butter in a saucepan.
Melt the butter in a big pot.
Toss in the flour.
Sprinkle the flour in after the butter has melted and become hot.
Mix well.
There should be no lumps if you use a wooden spoon or a whisk.
Pour in the broth.
Slowly pour in the sifting broth, mixing continuously to prevent lumps from developing.
Toss in the whipped cream.
Add the whipping cream after you’ve added all of the broth and the mixture has reached a consistent consistency.
Combine the egg yolk and a little milk in a mixing bowl.
Separate an egg in the meanwhile. In a small dish, mix together the egg yolk and one tablespoon of milk with a fork until the color is consistent.
The egg white may be used in another recipe.
Toss the sauce with the whisked egg yolk.
Remove the gravy-cooking pan from the heat (the gravy should not boil any more!) and whisk continuously as you gently add in the egg yolk mixture.
Toss in the capers.
Now season with salt and salt and pepper to taste, as well as the capers, caper juice, and lemon juice. Mix thoroughly.
In a large mixing bowl, combine the meatballs with the sauce.
To reheat the meatballs, place them in the saucepan.
Our Königsberger Klopse came out fantastically!
Serve the Königsberger Klopse with chopped parsley and Salzkartoffeln (boiled potatoes that have been peeled and then cooked in saltwater until soft).
Storage Suggestions
Once the meatballs and gravy have cooled, put them in a covered container in the refrigerator.
Remove the meatballs you wish to reheat from the remainder of the gravy before reheating. Warming them in the microwave is simplest, but don’t do it with the sauce.
The sauce should not be heated to a boil again since it includes egg yolk, but it may be done briefly in the microwave. As a result, we suggest gently cooking the sauce in a small saucepan on the stove until it is warm.
Any leftovers should be consumed within 1-2 days.
FAQ
How do you say Königsberger Klopse in German?
It’s “Kou-nigs-ber-ger Clop-sah” if you’re attempting to pronounce Königsberger Klopse.
With Königsberger Klopse, what should you eat?
These German meatballs in caper sauce are best served with Salzkartoffeln, which are a type of potato. They are peeled before being cooked in salted water.
Recipes that are similar
You may try these delicious dishes for more excellent meat-based German recipes:
- German Meatloaf — A delicious meatloaf dish that includes hard-boiled eggs.
- Maultaschen – Maultaschen is a delicious German filled beef pasta dish served in a broth.
- German Schnitzel – A traditional breaded pork schnitzel dish.
Ingredients
Meatballs are a kind of meatball.
- ground beef, 1/2 pound
- 1/2 pound pork ground
- 3 tablespoons unseasoned breadcrumbs or 1 stale crusty roll
- 1 onion, yellow, medium-sized
- 1 egg, medium size
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- a half teaspoon of pepper
The Broth
- 8 quarts beef stock
- 1 yellow onion
- 1 leaf of bay
The Sauce
- flour (three tablespoons)
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
- a third of a cup of broth from the pot
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
- 1 yolk of an egg
- 1 teaspoon of milk
- capers, 3 tablespoons
- caper juice (1 teaspoon)
- a quarter-cup of lemon juice (more or less to taste)
- season with salt to taste
- pepper to taste
Instructions
- Soak a stale, hard crusty roll in water in a bowl if you’re using one. It’s possible that you’ll have to place something on top of it to keep it in the water. Allow it to soak until it softens.
- Peel and finely chop the onion in the meanwhile.
- In a medium mixing bowl, combine the ground pork and ground beef. In a separate bowl, combine the chopped onion, egg, salt, and pepper. Squeeze the excess water from the soaked bun, tear it into smaller pieces, and toss it in with the other ingredients in the dish. Alternatively, breadcrumbs that haven’t been seasoned may be added.
- Mix everything together with your clean hands until everything is thoroughly mixed. Add a few breadcrumbs if the mixture is too sticky.
- Make 6-8 meatballs (or more smaller ones if you like) and place them on a platter.
- Now it’s time to start making the broth. To do so, fill a big pot halfway with beef broth, put it on the burner, and begin to bring it to a boil.
- Meanwhile, quarter an onion by peeling it and cutting it into quarters. In the big saucepan, add the chopped onion and bay leaf to the stock.
- When the stock has reached a boil, reduce the heat to maintain a gentle simmer and add the meatballs. Allow them to cook for around 20 minutes in a simmering (not violently boiling!) water.
- Remove the meatballs from the saucepan and place them on a dish after they’ve finished cooking. Remove 3 cups of soup from the kettle and strain through a sifter to remove any large chunks. Then, for the time being, put the sifting broth aside.
- It’s time to start making the sauce. Melt the butter in a big pot. Sprinkle the flour in after the butter has melted and become hot. There should be no lumps if you use a wooden spoon or a whisk. Add the whipping cream after you’ve added all of the broth and the mixture has reached a consistent consistency.
- Separate an egg in the meanwhile. In a small dish, mix together the egg yolk and one tablespoon of milk with a fork until the color is consistent. The egg white may be used in another recipe.
- Remove the gravy-cooking pan from the heat (the gravy should not boil any more!) and whisk continuously as you gently add in the egg yolk mixture.
- Now season with salt and pepper to taste, as well as the capers, caper juice, and lemon juice. Combine thoroughly.
- To reheat the meatballs, place them in the saucepan. Serve with chopped parsley and Salzkartoffeln (boiled potatoes that have been peeled and then cooked in salted water until soft).
Notes
- If you choose not to use beef broth, you may use vegetarian broth.
- When preparing the sauce, it’s essential to just add a little amount of broth at a time, since this helps to prevent lumps.
Information about nutrition:
Serving Size: 4 1 Serving Size: 1 Serving Size: 1 Serving Size: 1 Serving Size: 1 Serving Size: 1 Serving Size 748 calories 47g total fat 23g Saturated Fat 1 gram of trans fat 20g of unsaturated fat 253 milligrams of cholesterol 3187mg sodium 33 g carbohydrate 2 g fiber 14 g sugar 46 g protein
An online nutrition calculator was used to determine this nutritional information. It should only be used as a guideline and not as a substitute for expert dietary guidance.
How did this recipe turn out for you?
You may save it to one of your Pinterest boards and come back to it at any time!
About 10 years ago, my German relatives came to visit me. It was my first time in Germany, and these were some of my first German conversations. I don’t remember the details, but we ate a lot of königsberger klopse (German meatballs with gravy, pronounced “choh-nings-tehr klopy-suh”). I love the smell of the gravy, the softness of the klopse, and all the flavors in between. I think it’s time to make these again.. Read more about german meatballs in tomato sauce and let us know what you think.
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