Let’s talk Bitterballen! They are totally different than your usual meatball, when you bite into one you get a nice crispy exterior but a soft gooey interior. Totally different but so delicious. I was first introduced to these decadent little morsels last year on our trip to Quebec city. Hubs and I ordered them at a pub, not really knowing what they were but they looked like meatballs so I knew we couldn’t go wrong. They are totally different than your usual meatball, when you bite into one you get a nice crispy exterior but a soft gooey interior. Totally different but so delicious.
What Are Dutch Meatballs?
Bitterballen are actually Dutch meatballs, a very popular snack served at bars along with beer. Sometimes they are shaped as logs or sometimes as balls. If I were to describe what they taste like, the closet I can come up with is deep fried mushrooms, is your mouth watering yet? You start by first making a roux with butter and flour, beef broth/stock is then added to the roux, then the rest of the ingredients such as ground beef, onion, parsley, salt and pepper and nutmeg. The mixture is going to look like a pile of goo which is why you have to refrigerate this for several hours to give the gravy time to solidify. I left mine in the fridge overnight so by next day it was totally ready, but a few hours should suffice. Next you will fry them up and you end up will succulent little meatballs with the softest interior you can imagine. You won’t be able to stop at just 1, or 2, or even 3, which is why my recipe makes a lot, believe me you’ll devour them all!
What Is a Roux?
Roux is simply flour and fat cooked together, that’s it. It’s the base of so many beautiful sauces and provides a great base for developing beautiful flavor and structure. We want to gently cook our roux till it has browned nicely so that that raw flour taste is cooked off.
Ingredients
Bitterballen
Butter – Unsalted as we want to control the sodium content of our dish. Flour – All purpose works just fine as a base for our roux. Broth – We’re using low sodium beef broth. As we’re cooking with beef we want to carry that beef flavor all the way through. Beef – Ground beef, I used regular but feel free to use lean if you’d like to cut back on fat. Onion – 1 small onion, something that cooks down well like white or yellow. Nutmeg – This spice may seem like a strange addition, but it pairs beautifully with our savory flavors and rounds out our flavor profiles nicely. Seasoning – Salt and pepper.
Breading
Flour – All purpose again to form a nice crisp breading for our exterior. Eggs – We’re using 3 large eggs beaten for dipping. Crumbs – I used panko bread crumbs today, for information regarding these crumbs refer to my tips section. Oil – Vegetable oil for frying, I recommend something like canola.
How To Make Bitterballen
Meatballs
Breading
Fry
Some Tips
What Can I Serve Bitterballen With?
I mean it’s a crowd pleaser so if you’re making it for friends and family, pair it with some of your favorite finger foods! Here are some to get you inspired:
Potato Croquettes Honey Garlic Chicken Wings Skillet Pizza Dip Chimichurri Steak Quesadillas Parmesan Chicken Strips Or my favorite…beer!
Leftovers
Fridge
These meatballs can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for 3 – 4 days.
Freezer
This recipe also freezes quite well, just freeze them spread on a baking sheet before transferring to a freezer bag and it should keep for up to 3 months. Warm back up to temperature in the oven when ready to enjoy.
Craving More Meatballs? Try These Delicious Recipes:
Salisbury Steak Meatballs with Gravy and Mashed Potatoes Stout Meatballs with BBQ Sauce Meatballs with Mushroom Sauce Porcupine Meatballs Thai Meatball Lettuce Wraps Instant Pot Swedish Meatballs Firecracker Chicken Meatballs Swedish Meatballs
