Königsberger Klopse are traditional German meatballs cooked in broth and served in a creamy white caper sauce. A classic German comfort food recipe served with boiled potatoes.
Königsberger Klopse are one of the best-known traditional German meatball dishes. The meatballs are gently cooked in broth and served in a creamy white sauce with capers, usually with boiled potatoes and vegetables.
Unlike regular meatballs, Königsberger Klopse are simmered instead of fried, which makes them especially soft and tender. The creamy caper sauce is slightly tangy from lemon juice and capers and goes perfectly with potatoes.
If you enjoy traditional German recipes, you could also try German Beef Rouladen, Jägerschnitzel with Mushrooms, White Asparagus with Hollandaise Sauce, or German Lentil Soup.
Ingredients: 16 + salt & pepper | Prep Time: 30 minutes | Cook Time: 35 minutes | Servings: 4 | Difficulty: Easy
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What are Königsberger Klopse?
According to a German study, Königsberger Klopse are among the best-known traditional dishes in Germany.
The dish was originally made in Königsberg, the historic capital of East Prussia. Over time, the recipe spread throughout Germany and became a popular family meal.
Traditional recipes were often made with veal, but nowadays, most home cooks use a mixture of beef and pork.
Recipe ingredients
Meatballs: Ground beef and pork, onion, white bread or bread roll, egg, anchovy paste, capers, and beef broth.
- Check out these German Savoy Cabbage Rolls stuffed with ground meat, too. For more meatballs, have a look at this collection of Meatball Recipes.
White caper sauce: Broth, white wine, crème fraîche or sour cream, lemon juice, capers, egg yolks, and lemon juice.
- Anchovy paste is a traditional ingredient in Königsberger Klopse. The meatballs will not taste fishy; the anchovies simply add depth and saltiness.
- Capers are essential for this dish and flavor both the meatballs and the sauce.
See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.
How to make Königsberger Klopse?
Step 1: Make the meatball mixture. Mix the ground meat, soaked and squeezed bread, cooked onion, egg, anchovy paste, and chopped capers.
Step #2: Form medium-sized meatballs with wet hands.
Step #3: Bring the broth to a gentle simmer
Step #4: Cook the meatballs until done. Do not boil them strongly, or they might fall apart. Remove the meatballs and sieve the broth, reserving 2 cups of it for the sauce.
Tip: Use the remaining stock to make a soup or something else the next day.
Step #5: Make the roux. Melt the butter and whisk in the flour.
Step #6: Slowly whisk in the sieved broth.
Step #7: Prepare the white sauce with broth, wine, cream, capers, and lemon juice. Whisk the egg yolks with a few tablespoons of sauce before slowly stirring them into the pot.
Step #8: Return the meatballs to the sauce and heat gently without boiling.
Tips
Do not fry the meatballs. Simmering them in broth keeps them soft and tender.
After adding the egg yolks, the sauce should not boil anymore, or the yolks may scramble.
If the sauce becomes too thick, add a splash of broth.
The dish tastes even better after the flavors have had time to develop for a few hours.
How to serve German meatballs?
Königsberger Klopse are traditionally served with boiled potatoes and cooked beets. However, I almost always make Buttered Peas or a mixture of peas and carrots to serve with them; my kids just like peas better.
The creamy caper sauce is especially good spooned over the potatoes.
Storage
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
Reheat gently on low heat and avoid boiling the sauce after reheating.
Königsberger Klopse (German Meatballs in Caper Sauce)
Ingredients
German meatballs:
- 1 medium onion about 150 g/ 3.5 oz
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
- 9 oz ground beef
- 9 oz ground pork
- 4 oz white bread without crust
- 1 large egg
- 1 small bunch parsley
- 1 tablespoon capers from a jar
- 1 teaspoon anchovy paste Note 1
- fine sea salt and white pepper
- 4 ¼ cup beef broth
Caper sauce:
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon capers from a jar
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice freshly squeezed
- ½ cup crème Fraiche Note 2
- 1 cup dry white wine
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 2 egg yolks
- fine sea salt and white pepper
Instructions
Königsberger Klopse:
- Cook onions: Chop the onion very finely. Heat the butter in a nonstick pan and cook the onions until translucent. Set aside and let cool until you prepare the rest of the ingredients for the meatballs.1 medium onion + 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
- Heat broth: While you prepare the meatballs, start heating the broth in a relatively wide pot.4 ¼ cup beef broth
- Soak the white bread in a little water. Squeeze the bread well to remove the excess water and place it in a bowl.4 oz white bread without crust
- Meatball mixture: Add the ground meat, onions, egg, chopped parsley, finely chopped capers, anchovy paste, and generously salt and pepper. 9 oz ground beef + 9 oz ground pork + onions + 1 large egg + 1 small bunch parsley + 1 tablespoon capers + 1 teaspoon anchovy paste + fine sea salt and white pepper
- Shape the meatballs: Mix well with your wet hand until the mixture is very smooth. To make sure that the meatballs have enough salt, place a very small one in the simmering broth and taste it. Add more anchovy paste, salt, and pepper, if necessary.
- Cook the meatballs: Form the meatballs with wet hands (about 20) and cook them for about 10 minutes in the simmering broth. Remove from the broth with a slotted spoon and keep warm.
- Measure broth: Sieve the broth through a fine-mesh sieve and measure out 2 cups/ ½ liter, which you will need for the sauce. Use the remaining stock to make a soup or something else the next day.
Caper white sauce:
- Make the roux: Melt the butter in a heavy-bottomed pan. Sprinkle the flour in the pan and cook shortly while whisking. Slowly add the sieved broth while whisking constantly. 2 tablespoons unsalted butter + 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour + broth
- Simmer sauce: Bring to a boil and add the finely chopped capers, lemon juice, crème Fraiche, white wine, and sugar. Add salt and white pepper to taste. Let simmer on very low heat for about 10 minutes, stirring often. Remove from the heat.1 tablespoon capers + 1 tablespoon lemon juice + ½ cup crème Fraiche + 1 cup dry white wine + 1 teaspoon sugar + fine sea salt and white pepper
- Thicken the sauce: Stir the egg yolks with 1 tablespoon of water, add 2 tablespoons of the sauce, and stir well. Pour the mixture into the sauce in the pan while whisking continuously.2 egg yolks
- Simmer meatballs: Add the meatballs to the sauce and let simmer on very low heat for 10 minutes without letting the sauce come to a bubble anymore.
- Serve immediately with boiled potatoes and vegetables. We had peas, but traditionally you would serve cooked beetroots.
Notes
- Anchovi paste: It is optional, but traditional and recommended. The meatballs will not taste fishy; the anchovy paste only adds a slight saltiness and depth of flavor.
- You can substitute the creme fraiche with sour cream.
Paul:-) says
Loved it!
Meatballs had a bit too much bread in them but the flavour of both the meatballs (I used a tin of anchovies in olive oil, drained and chopped instead of anchovy paste) and cooked as instructed. I served some of the meatballs with the sauce* along with Garden Peas and Oven Chips. Everyone congratulated me for cooking such a wonderful meal. Thankyou Adina.
*sauce. I didn’t thicken with eggs this evening as there are leftovers which will be reheated tomorrow. I shall use the eggs then
Wolski Judith says
Can you freeze
Adina says
Hi. You can freeze the meatballs, but the sauce won't be so great once thawed.
alicia says
could you replace the dry white wine?
Adina says
Hi Alicia. Yes, use stock instead.
Jutta Holden says
Oh my gosh, can't wait to make this!
Has been way to long since I have had them!
Thanks so much for recipe!
Jutta
Adina says
Welcome, Jutta! 🙂
Chris Scheuer says
I feel like I've been living under a rock as I've never heard of these meatballs but I'm very happy to get acquainted!
Marvellina @ What To Cook Today says
It's not easy to find veal here too. I sub with beef most of the time. These meatballs look really good though