These Delicious Königsberger Klopse Are a Classic German Dish of Tend

Useful tools and equipment

Here are a few tools and pieces of equipment that will help you in making this dish:

• 5 quart stainless steel pot: for me this is the perfect size pot for this recipe. Obviously, if you were to double the recipe you would need a bigger pot. This pot also works great for making the sauce and reheating the meatballs.
• Wire whisk: one of the “secrets” to making a creamy sauce is having a good wire whisk. This one is long enough not to fall into your pot if you lean it against its side.
• Stainless steel slotted spoon: you can certainly remove the meatballs from the bouillon any way you like but I find that a slotted spoon is the perfect equipment here. Once you own one, you will find many more uses for it in your cooking!
• Strainer: I like a stainless steel strainer as I am weary of using plastics and hot liquids. This one will perfectly do the trick!

How to make the Königsberger Klopse

How to make the meatballs

1. Cut the stale bread into small cubes. In a small bowl, combine about ½ cup of milk with the bread cubes to soak. Set aside.
2. Finely chop the onions and add them to a medium-sized bowl. Finely chop the parsley and add it to the same bowl. Crack the egg right into the bowl. When softened, take your hands to squeeze excess milk from the bread cubes and add them to the bowl. Add the ground meat to the bowl. With your hands, mix all the ingredients until well combined.
3. Depending on your preference, with your hands form 8-16 meatballs. Place them on a plate and set aside.
4. In a medium-sized pot, heat up about 1 quart of bouillon or stock.
5. When the bouillon is boiling, carefully add the meatballs, cover, and turn to a low simmer.
6. Simmer the meatballs for about 10 minutes or until done, turning them halfway through.
7. With a slotted spoon, remove the meatballs from the pot, place them on a plate and set them aside.
8. Strain the cooking liquid through a strainer and reserve for the sauce.

Making the creamy white sauce with capers

1. Over medium-low heat, in the same or another medium-sized pot, melt 2-3 tablespoons of butter.
2. Add about 2-3 tablespoons of flour. With a wire whisk, combine the butter and flour well.
3. While stirring constantly, gradually add the reserved broth. Gently simmer to thicken the sauce.
4. Turn off the heat. Add 1 tablespoon of lemon juice, ½ cup of sour cream, 1 teaspoon of sugar, and season with salt, and pepper.
5. Taste the sauce and adjust seasonings to your liking.

Gently transfer the meatballs to the pot with the sauce and reheat over low heat.

These Königsberger Klopse are best over boiled potatoes. But you can serve them over rice, pasta, dumplings, or your favorite sides.

Can you make the Königsberger Klopse ahead of time?

Yes!

You can easily keep these German meatballs in the refrigerator for 4-5 days. When reheating, make sure to use low heat and don’t boil them.

If you want to keep them longer, you can freeze the Königsberger Klopse as well. I recommend freezing the meatballs separate from the sauce. When ready, simply reheat them gently over low heat in the sauce. It is best not to boil them again.

You see that you can easily make them ahead of time and have dinner ready in 15-25 minutes.

Königsberger Klopse substitutions and variations

Here are a few ideas about how to find substitutions or variations:

• the meat: while veal or beef is the traditional ingredient, you could also use ground pork, chicken, or turkey.
• onions: I always use chopped raw onions for this recipe – and so has my mom. If you like the crunch of the onions, you can chop them a little more coarsely. However, if you don’t like them to stand out, you can chop them very finely. Some people prefer sauteeing their chopped onion before adding it to the meat. In that case, they will be much softer but it adds one more step to this recipe.
• sour cream: as I mentioned above, I prefer using sour cream. However, you can perfectly use regular heavy cream in this recipe. Just note that you might need a little less sugar then.
• capers: for me, these German meatballs wouldn’t be Königsberger Klopse without capers. If you are not a big fan of them, you can always use a little less or omit them entirely. You can also add them to the sauce but strain them out right before serving. That way you get the distinct taste of the capers in the sauce without actually eating them.
• bread: if you can’t find a German breakfast roll or French baguette, you can also use breadcrumbs. If using them, you will also soak them in a bit of milk. You want them moist but not soggy.
• milk: soaking the bread in milk is certainly the preferred liquid to use. In a pinch, you could use water. However, you can perfectly substitute plant-based milk for the cow’s milk.
• parsley: the parsley here is mostly for little specks of color. So you can omit it if you don’t have it. I love using fresh chopped parsley but you could use dried parsley as well. Alternatively, you could use chopped chives.

Other German recipes you might like

Authentic Schnitzel

Classic German Rouladen

Authentic German Potato Salad

European Whole-Grain Bread

Authentic German Pretzels

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5-quart stainless steel pot: https://amzn.to/3H49ZxB

Wire whisk: https://amzn.to/3KDs5bX

Stainless steel slotted spoon: https://amzn.to/3KEo5rM

Strainer: https://amzn.to/3FYqDxa

Let me know if you have any questions or comments!

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