Best 6 Grandmas Sauerkraut Balls Recipes

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Sauerkraut balls are a traditional German dish that is typically served as an appetizer or side dish. They are made with a mixture of ground pork, sauerkraut, onions, and spices, which is then formed into balls and fried until golden brown. Sauerkraut balls are often served with a dipping sauce, such as mustard or sour cream. This article introduces two variations of this classic dish: Grandma's Sauerkraut Balls and Air Fryer Sauerkraut Balls. Both recipes include step-by-step instructions, ingredient lists, and helpful tips to ensure perfect results. Additionally, the article provides a brief history of sauerkraut balls and suggests modern interpretations of this timeless recipe. Whether you're a seasoned cook or a beginner looking to explore German cuisine, this article has everything you need to make delicious and authentic sauerkraut balls.

Here are our top 6 tried and tested recipes!

GERMAN SAUERKRAUT BALLS



German Sauerkraut Balls image

Sauerkraut balls! Add some Bavarian flair to your party with these crispy little nuggets, famous in beer halls across Germany.

Provided by GypsyPlate

Categories     Appetizer Recipes

Time 35m

Number Of Ingredients 9

3 medium potatoes
1 cup sauerkraut
1 egg
1.25 cup breadcrumbs, divided
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1/4 tsp paprika
2 tbsp chopped parsley
Oil for frying

Steps:

  • Add potatoes to pot and cover with cold water and place on stove over high heat. Bring to boil, reduce heat to medium and simmer until easily pierced with a knife, about 15-20 minutes, depending on size. Drain, then immerse in cold water. Once cool enough to handle, remove skins.
  • Squeeze as much liquid from the sauerkraut as you can, then add into a large bowl along with potatoes, egg, 1/4 cup bread crumbs, parsley and spices. Mash them with a fork until potatoes are mostly mashed and everything is thoroughly mixed.
  • Spread the remaining 1 cup of breadcrumbs on a plate. Form the potato sauerkraut mixture into golf ball sized spheres, about 1/8 of a cup of mixture per ball. Roll them in the breadcrumbs until fully coated.
  • Place balls on parchment paper lined tray and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.
  • Preheat 3/4 inch of cooking oil in a skillet over medium high heat, about 350°F. Add ball to hot oil and cook until golden brown, about 2-3 minutes per side.
  • Remove and drain on paper towel lined plate. Serve hot with your favorite dipping sauce.

Nutrition Facts : Calories 313 calories, Carbohydrate 54 grams carbohydrates, Cholesterol 47 milligrams cholesterol, Fat 7 grams fat, Fiber 6 grams fiber, Protein 10 grams protein, SaturatedFat 1 grams saturated fat, ServingSize 1, Sodium 882 grams sodium, Sugar 5 grams sugar, TransFat 0 grams trans fat, UnsaturatedFat 5 grams unsaturated fat

MARY BETH'S SAUERKRAUT BALLS



Mary Beth's Sauerkraut Balls image

Provided by Emeril Lagasse

Categories     appetizer

Time 1h50m

Yield about 4 dozen

Number Of Ingredients 12

1 pound Idaho potatoes, peeled, diced and cooked until tender
2 cups sauerkraut
1 cup small diced Bavarian ham
2 egg yolks
3/4 cup whole grain mustard
2 tablespoons chopped green onions
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 egg, beaten with 2 tablespoons milk
3 cups fine dried bread crumbs
Oil, for frying
1 1/2 cups sour cream
1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh parsley leaves

Steps:

  • Using a food ricer, rice the potatoes into a large mixing bowl. Add the sauerkraut, ham, egg yolks, 1/4 cup of mustard and chopped green onions. Mix well. Season with salt and pepper. Form the mixture into small balls, about a tablespoon each. Place on a parchment lined baking sheet. Place in the freezer and freeze for 30 minutes.
  • Preheat the fryer. Season the flour, egg wash, and bread crumbs, with salt and pepper. Roll each sauerkraut ball in the flour, coating completely. Dip each in the egg wash, letting the excess drip off. Finally roll each in the bread crumbs. Fry the sauerkraut balls in batches until golden brown, about 2 to 3 minutes. Remove from the fryer and drain on paper towels. Season with salt.
  • In small mixing bowl, combine the remaining 1/2 cup of the mustard and sour cream. Season with salt and pepper. Mix well. Serve the sauerkraut balls on a large platter with the mustard dipping sauce. Garnish with parsley.

GRANDMA'S MEATBALLS WITH SAUERKRAUT



Grandma's Meatballs with Sauerkraut image

This is another one of my grandma's Hungarian recipes- I love sauerkraut. And many of her recipes have sauerkraut and rice and pork or beef - all similar but still different in taste. Again this has been tweaked for today's cooking. I hope you enjoy this recipe. This is great served with sourdough or pumpernikel bread. Photo...

Provided by Pat Duran

Categories     Meat Appetizers

Time 1h20m

Number Of Ingredients 13

MEATBALLS:
1 lb lean ground beef
1 large egg
1/2 c raw rice
1 tsp salt, pepper, and garlic or to taste
SAUCE:
2 Tbsp vegetable oil (i used butter)
2 Tbsp flour
1 Tbsp hungarian paprika or to taste
32 oz jar sauerkraut, rinsed and drained
1/2 c diced onion
2 tsp granulated sugar
1/2 c chopped raw, cranberries

Steps:

  • 1. Meatballs: Mix together all ingredients and make into small walnut sized balls;pressing tightly together. Drop into boiling salted water. Cook in the water for about 15 minutes. Remove and set aside.Reserve water.
  • 2. Sauce: In a small saucepan mix flour and butter and paprika and cook over medium heat until thickened. Stirring constantly. Add a few meatballs at a time to this sauce, mixing well after each addition. Add about 1 or 2 cups of the reserved water, Stir well.
  • 3. Combine sauerkraut, cranberries, onion and sugar. Add to meatball mixture. Cook over medium heat for about one hour, stirring occasionally.

PORCUPINE MEATBALLS IN SAUERKRAUT



Porcupine Meatballs in Sauerkraut image

Provided by Damaris Phillips

Categories     main-dish

Time 1h

Yield 4 servings

Number Of Ingredients 12

1 teaspoon plus 1 tablespoon unrefined coconut oil
1 small yellow onion, chopped (about 1/2 cup)
1 pound ground beef (85/15)
1 clove garlic, minced
1 large egg
1/4 cup uncooked instant rice
2 tablespoons breadcrumbs
Kosher salt and coarsely ground black pepper
Kosher salt and coarsely ground black pepper
One 15-ounce can tomato sauce
1 cup drained sauerkraut
1 tablespoon dried Italian seasoning

Steps:

  • Heat 1 teaspoon coconut oil in a Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the onions and saute until tender, 2 to 3 minutes. Remove from the heat.
  • In a large bowl, combine the beef, onions, garlic, egg, rice, breadcrumbs, 1 teaspoon salt and 1 teaspoon pepper and stir until well combined. Scoop the meatballs using a 2-tablespoon or 1-ounce scoop and put on a plate or baking sheet until ready to sear. You should have about 20 meatballs.
  • Heat 1 tablespoon coconut oil in the Dutch oven over medium heat and working in batches, brown the meatballs, about 2 minutes on each side. Remove from the pot and drain the fat.
  • Return the Dutch oven to medium heat, add the tomato sauce and scrape up the browned bits from the bottom of the pot. Stir in the sauerkraut, Italian seasoning and salt and pepper, to taste. Put the meatballs into the sauce in one layer. Turn the heat to medium low, cover and simmer until meatballs are no longer pink on the inside and the rice is tender, 20 to 25 minutes.

SAUERKRAUT BALLS



Sauerkraut Balls image

These tangy, salty, and creamy ham and sauerkraut balls covered in seasoned breadcrumbs and golden fried make a great appetizer or snack.

Provided by Renee Paj

Categories     Appetizer, snack

Time 4h30m

Number Of Ingredients 21

2 TBSP unsalted butter
1/2 cup finely chopped onion
1 cup finely chopped ham (use a food processor for best results)
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
2 TBSP all purpose flour
14 ounce can of sauerkraut, well drained, reserve juice
1/4 cup reserved sauerkraut juice
2 TBSP dried parsley flakes
dash Worcestershire sauce
1/2 cup all purpose flour
1 large egg + 2 TBSP water
1/2 cup to 1 cup seasoned dry bread crumbs
Cooking spray or oil for pan frying
1/2 cup mayonnaise
2 TBSP ketchup
1/2 tsp. onion powder
2 - 4 tsp. prepared horseradish
1/2 tsp. hot sauce (Franks works well here)
dash of Worcestershire sauce
dash paprika
pinch of salt

Steps:

  • In large skillet, melt butter. Add onion and cook over med heat until onions are browned (about 6 to 8 minutes).
  • Stir in ham and garlic powder.
  • Add in 2 TBSP flour and stir and cook for about 1 minute.
  • Add drained sauerkraut, sauerkraut juice, dried parsley, and Worcestershire sauce. Stir and cook until mixture becomes a thick paste.
  • Remove sauerkraut/ham mixture to bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and chill. Mixture needs to be completely cooled before proceeding to next step. (About 2 to 4 hours or overnight).
  • While mixture is chilling, make Russian Dressing dipping sauce following directions below.
  • Once sauerkraut/ham mixture is completely cold, form into 1" balls. This is easy to do with a small cookie scoop. Mixture should be putty like and hold it's shape while cold. Continue with remaining sauerkraut/ham mixture and pop in refrigerator for about 10 minutes, while you set up breading station.
  • Set up a breading station. Put flour in a shallow bowl (or I like to use paper plates for easy clean up). Whisk egg with water in a shallow bowl, Put seasoned breadcrumbs in shallow bowl or paper plate.
  • Bread the sauerkraut balls by rolling in flour, next egg, and then breadcrumbs. Set each breaded sauerkraut ball on sheet pan or plate.
  • Remove sauerkraut balls from refrigerator. You can use three methods to fry the sauerkraut balls. Choose which one is best for you.
  • SKILLET FRYING: Heat about 1" of oil in a large skillet. Fry sauerkraut balls, turning to brown all sides, until golden brown.
  • AIR FRYER: (This is the method I used) Spray sauerkraut balls with cooking spray. Heat air fryer to 400 degrees F. Place sauerkraut balls in basket allowing for space and not over crowding. (depending on the size of your air fryer basket, you may need to work in batches.) Air fry for approximately 5 minutes, shaking the basket once during cooking time.
  • OVEN METHOD: Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Spray baking sheet with cooking spray and spray sauerkraut balls liberally with cooking spray. Bake in oven for approximately 10 - 20 minutes, turning the balls once during bake time.
  • Serve sauerkraut balls warm with Russian Dressing dipping sauce on the side.
  • Combine all ingredients in a small bowl. Cover and refrigerate to combine flavors for at least 2 hours.

Nutrition Facts : Calories 682.09, Fat 49.05, SaturatedFat 9.28, Carbohydrate 49.55, Fiber 3.82, Sugar 11.21, Protein 10.36, Sodium 1126.89, Cholesterol 63.53

GERMAN MEATBALLS WITH SAUERKRAUT



German Meatballs with Sauerkraut image

The original version of this recipe came from A Taste of Country cookbook. Prep time includes setting time for meatballs to chill.

Provided by Toby Jermain

Categories     Meat

Time 2h15m

Yield 6 serving(s)

Number Of Ingredients 16

1 1/4 lbs lean ground beef
1/2 lb ground pork
1/2 cup finely chopped onion
3/4 cup fine dry breadcrumb
3 tablespoons finely chopped parsley
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1/4 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper (more to taste)
1 teaspoon garlic granules
2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
1 egg, beaten
1/2 cup milk
2 -3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 (32 ounce) jar sauerkraut, undrained,not canned if avoidable
water or white wine, as needed
additional chopped parsley (to garnish) (optional)
hot buttered boiled potato, as accompaniment

Steps:

  • In a mixing bowl, combine ground beef and pork, onion, breadcrumbs, parsley, salt, pepper, garlic, Worcestershire, egg, and milk.
  • Shape into 1½" to 2" meatballs, and chill until set.
  • Heat the oil in a large skillet, and brown the meatballs on all sides.
  • Remove meatballs, and drain fat from pan, leaving browned bits in bottom.
  • Add sauerkraut and juice to skillet, and top with meatballs.
  • Cover and simmer for 15-20 minutes or until meatballs are done.
  • Add water or wine if necessary to keep sauerkraut moist.
  • Sprinkle with parsley for garnish.
  • Serve with buttered boiled potatoes.

Nutrition Facts : Calories 436.6, Fat 24.4, SaturatedFat 8.3, Cholesterol 135.1, Sodium 1863.3, Carbohydrate 19.8, Fiber 4.9, Sugar 4.6, Protein 33.9

Tips:

  • Use fresh sauerkraut for the best flavor and texture.
  • Squeeze the sauerkraut well to remove excess moisture before using.
  • If you don't have any sauerkraut on hand, you can use finely shredded cabbage instead.
  • Be sure to cook the rice until it is tender but still has a slight bite to it.
  • Use a variety of spices and herbs to flavor the sauerkraut balls, such as caraway seeds, dill, garlic, and onion.
  • Serve the sauerkraut balls with your favorite dipping sauce, such as sour cream, ketchup, or mustard.

Conclusion:

Grandma's Sauerkraut Balls are a delicious and easy-to-make appetizer or side dish. They are perfect for potlucks, parties, or everyday meals. With their unique flavor and texture, these sauerkraut balls are sure to be a hit with everyone who tries them. So next time you are looking for a new and exciting dish to try, give Grandma's Sauerkraut Balls a try. You won't be disappointed!

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