German Meatballs with Sauerkraut

4.67 from 24 votes

German Meatballs with Sauerkraut

A hearty German meatball and sauerkraut stew made with tender meatballs, German wine sauerkraut, and sour cream. Perfect for cold autumn and winter days.

Prep Time20

Cook Time30

Total Time50

Course: Stews

Cuisine: German

Servings: -6 servings

Calories: 451kcal

Author: Adina

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

US - EU

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.

Nutrition