A hearty German meatball and sauerkraut stew made with tender meatballs, German wine sauerkraut, and sour cream. Perfect for cold autumn and winter days.
German meatballs with sauerkraut is a hearty comfort food dish perfect for colder days. Tender meatballs simmer gently in German wine sauerkraut until everything becomes rich, savory, and full of flavor.
This dish has Saxon roots and is popular in Transylvania, where German communities lived for centuries. It combines two favorite comfort foods: homemade meatballs and sauerkraut cooked until soft and flavorful.
What makes this recipe different is the use of German wine sauerkraut. Compared to Romanian or Eastern European sour cabbage, German sauerkraut is milder, softer, and slightly sweet and sour. It works perfectly in stews like this one or for Slow Cooker Pork and Sauerkraut.
I usually buy fresh sauerkraut from the butcher, but canned German sauerkraut works very well, too. If you enjoy sauerkraut recipes, try this simple Cooked Sauerkraut as well.
Featured comment from Jean: Excellent! Quick, easy and delicious! Made spaetzle to go with this dish. Definitely going on my monthly "must make" dinners!
Ingredients: 12 + salt & pepper | Prep Time: 20 minutes | Cook Time: 30 minutes | Servings: 4-6 | Difficulty: Easy
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Recipe ingredients
Ground meat: I usually use a mixture of pork and beef for the best flavor and texture. Make these Königsberger Klopse next. Or check out these Meatball Recipes.
Sauerkraut: German wine sauerkraut is milder and softer than Eastern European sour cabbage. Fresh or canned sauerkraut both work well. I use one large can or 2 small cans of Mildessa or 1 ½ jars of Hengstenberg Sauerkraut most of the time.
Bread: Soaked white bread keeps the meatballs soft and tender.
Sour cream: Crème fraîche, smetana, or sour cream are all good choices.
See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.
How to make meatballs with sauerkraut?
Step #1: Soak the bread in cold water for a few minutes.
Step #2: Mix onions, garlic, ground meat together with the squeezed bread, parsley, paprika, egg, salt, and pepper.
Step #3: Mix well and shape small meatballs about the size of a walnut; I had 36.
Step #4: Place the sauerkraut in a large pot. Add tomato paste, bay leaves, sugar, and enough water to almost cover the sauerkraut.
Step #5: Bring to a boil, turn the heat to low, and carefully add the meatballs.
Step #6: Cover and simmer for about 20 minutes or until the meatballs are cooked through. Stir carefully from time to time; the meatballs are super tender.
Step #7: Stir in the crème fraîche or sour cream and adjust the taste with salt and pepper.
Step #8: Serve immediately or reheat the next day. Sprinkle with more parsley before serving.
Tips
Wet your hands lightly when shaping the meatballs.
Do not boil the stew too hard, or the meatballs may break apart.
Store and reheat
Store the sauerkraut meatballs in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3-4 days.
Reheat gently on the stovetop over low heat, stirring carefully from time to time. Add a small splash of water if the stew becomes too thick.
The dish tastes even better the next day once the flavors have had time to develop.
How to serve?
The German meatballs and sauerkraut can be served immediately, or they can be made in advance and then reheated. This is the kind of dish that tastes even better when reheated the next day; the rest will allow the flavors to develop even more.
You can serve the stew with white bread (like most Romanian people do) or salt potatoes (like most Saxons do). You can also serve some more crème fraiche, smetana, or sour cream on the side.
German Meatballs with Sauerkraut
Ingredients
Meatballs:
- 1 lb ground meat half pork - half beef
- 1 onion
- 2 garlic cloves
- 1 tablespoon parsley chopped
- 1-2 large slices white bread crust removed, about 2 oz/ 60 g
- 1 egg
- 1 tablespoon sweet paprika powder
- ¾ teaspoon fine sea salt to taste
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
Sauerkraut stew:
- 1 large can sauerkraut it contains 1.8 lbs/ 800 g, Notes 1, 2
- 3 bay leaves
- 3 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- ¾ cup sour cream smetana or creme fraiche
- fine sea salt and black pepper
Instructions
German meatballs:
- Soak the white bread for a couple of minutes in cold water.1-2 large slices white bread
- Make meatball mixture: Chop the onions very finely and grate the garlic. Mix the ground meat with the chopped onions and the garlic. Squeeze the soaked bread and add it to the mixture. Add the parsley, sweet paprika powder, the lightly beaten egg, salt, and pepper. Mix well.1 onion + 2 garlic cloves + 1 lb ground meat + 1 tablespoon parsley + soaked bread +1 egg + 1 tablespoon sweet paprika powder + ¾ teaspoon fine sea salt + ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
- Shape small meatballs about the size of a walnut, and set them aside.
Sauerkraut stew:
- Combine: Place the sauerkraut in a larger pot with the tomato paste, bay leaves, and sugar. Add enough water to almost cover the sauerkraut. I added a bit more than 1 cup, but it depends on the size of the pot. 1 large can sauerkraut + 3 bay leaves + 3 tablespoons tomato paste + 1 tablespoon sugar
- Add meatballs: Bring to a boil. Turn the heat down and add the meatballs.
- Simmer the sauerkraut stew: Cover the pot and simmer for about 20 minutes or until the meatballs are cooked through, stirring carefully from time to time so the meatballs don't break apart.Add a little more water if too much evaporates during cooking. I usually add another ¼-½ cup, but not all at once. By the end of the cooking time, much of the liquid should have cooked away.
- Add the sour cream, crème fraiche, or smetana. Stir carefully. Adjust the taste with salt and pepper, and sprinkle with parsley. Serve immediately or reheat the stew.¾ cup sour cream + fine sea salt and black pepper
Notes
- Use German sauerkraut for this dish; it tastes different than the American/Eastern European sauerkraut. I use Mildessa or Hengstenberg.
- Cans: If you can't find 1 large can of Mildessa, use 2 small cans. Hengstenberg jars contain a bit less sauerkraut than 1 large Mildessa can - 24 oz/ 680 g net weight; you can leave it like that or use 1 ½ jars.Â
Adolf Wolfgang von Württemberg says
It sounds delicious.
Bernadette says
Is the sauerkraut drained.
Adina says
Yes.
Jean says
Excellent! Quick, easy and delicious! Made spaetzle to go with this dish. Definitely going on my monthly "must make" dinners!
Adina says
Thank you for the feedback, Jean. Spätzle sounds like the perfect fit.
Dee says
This looks and sounds very much like a dish my Czechoslovakian stepfather made. I haven’t had it since I was a teenager. If I remember correctly he used American sauerkraut because that’s what was available. I happen to have a jar of sauerkraut in the refrigerator and a pound of ground beef I need to use so I think I’ll make this tomorrow. Thank you for the inspiration!
David Arnold says
This sounds a lot like something my grandma used to make and she called it Sarmers( not sure of the spelling)
Adina says
The word could come from sarmale, which are cabbage rolls filled with ground meat and traditionally made with sauerkraut as well. These meatballs are probably a simpler, quicker version of the rolls.
Sissi says
How well I understand you... Sauerkraut is so different in every country, isn't it? I miss so much Polish sauerkraut which is also much stronger and more sour than what I find in Switzerland. The German sauerkraut I buy in the German organic shop (I always bring a dozen jars in our car) is a bit closer to the Polish one (the Swiss one is hardly sour), though still more delicate... maybe in Germany the taste of sauerkraut depends on the region? There is no mention of wine on my German sauerkraut.
This dish looks fantastic and makes me year for well-seasoned cooked sauerkraut meal!
Cheyanne @ No Spoon Necessary says
I love sauerkraut and dumplings, but I've never had them together before like this. Looks AMAZING! Those meat dumplings are totally calling my name! Comfort food heaven! Cheers!
Jess Wright @ The Cookbook Obsession says
My Granddaddy has a fondness for German food. I think I will make this for him <3 Especially this sauerkraut - YUM 🙂
Chris Scheuer says
Yummy! I think I might come live at your house. No one in my family likes sauerkraut except me. I quite crazy about it but never had it with meatballs. Sounds delish!
Angie@Angie's Recipes says
Hearty, comforting and very tasty!