Gehaktballen are large Dutch meatballs which are seared and then slowly cooked in their own juices. They’re the epitome of comfort food and super easy to make!
If you love comfort food, then you’ll love Gehaktballen. These giant Dutch meatballs are almost like small meatloaves in their composition. They only require a handful of ingredients and a few seasonings.
They’re typically pan-fried to sear the outside and then finished with some water or broth and a lid to cover so they gently cook all the way through. This yields tender and juicy meatballs with a bit of natural jus to finish them off.
Gehaktballen can be served in many ways. One of the most popular is alongside stamppot, a Dutch mashed potato and vegetable dish. Most commonly, hutspot, a type of stamppot featuring potatoes, carrots and onions, is the preferred side dish. You could also serve it as a sandwich filling inside a roll and topped with ketchup or mustard.
Ingredient notes
- Ground Meat: Use either plain ground beef (preferably not too lean or else it can dry out) or a 1:1 ratio of ground beef and ground pork. You’ll need 1 pound of ground meat to make 4 giant gehaktballen.
- Breadcrumbs: Although you could use sliced white bread soaked in a little liquid to saturate it, I find dry breadcrumbs work great and they’re already shelf stable and something you likely have in your pantry.
- Onion: Onion adds flavor and moisture to the meat mixture. Make sure you finely chop it (you could even use a small food processor) for the best results.
How to make it
Add ground beef, ground pork, egg, mustard, bread crumbs, minced onion, and seasonings to a mixing bowl and combine until evenly mixed.
Divide the mixture into 4 pieces and shape into tight, compact balls. They will be quite large (each of mine weighed 158 grams).
Melt butter in a Dutch oven or heavy pan with a lid over medium heat. Add the meatballs and sear on all sides, a couple minutes per side, until browned all over.
Add water and then cover with a lid. Lower the heat to medium-low to low and simmer for about 20 to 25 minutes, flipping the meatballs over a few times periodically. A digital thermometer inserted into the center of one of the balls should read a minimum of 165°F.
Transfer the gehaktballen to a serving dish. Then strain the jus through a small sieve over the top of them. Serve 1 large meatball per person, topped with some jus. Serve with hutspot, stamppot, potatoes, or bread.
Please scroll to the bottom of the post for the full recipe (in a printable recipe card) including ingredient amounts and detailed instructions.
Expert tips
Make sure the meatballs are packed into smooth, compact balls so they hold their shape while searing. I like to use tongs to carefully flip them over and onto each of their sides for even cooking.
These gehaktballen are quite large, each over a quarter pound once portioned and before cooking. If you prefer them slightly smaller, you can portion them into six balls instead, roughly 105 grams each. The actual weight will vary depending on the size of your onion.
I highly recommend taking the extra minute to strain the jus through a small sieve before serving. There will be small bits of meat and onion that have escaped the balls, along with brown bits scraped up from the bottom of the pan. Straining the jus yields a lovely unblemished sauce to finish your gehaktballen.
Other recipes you may like
- Bitterballen (Dutch Fried Meatballs)
- Saucijzenbroodjes (Dutch Sausage Rolls)
- Frikadellen / Buletten (German Hamburgers)
- Köttbullar (Swedish Meatballs)
- Hawaiian Loco Moco (Hamburger Steak with Gravy)
Tried this recipe? Please leave a star ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ rating in the recipe card below and/or a review in the comments section further down the page. You can also follow me on social media on Facebook, Instagram, and Pinterest!
Gehaktballen (Dutch Meatballs)
Ingredients
Meatballs:
- 1 pound (450 grams) ground beef OR 8 ounces (225 grams) ground beef and 8 ounces (225 grams) ground pork
- 1 small onion minced
- 1 large egg beaten
- 3 tablespoons dry breadcrumbs
- 1 tablespoon yellow mustard
- 1 to 2 teaspoons kosher salt (1 teaspoon Morton’s or 2 teaspoons Diamond Crystal kosher salt)
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
- ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
Jus:
- 2 tablespoons butter
- ½ cup water
Instructions
- Add all of the meatball ingredients to a mixing bowl and combine until evenly mixed. Divide the mixture into 4 pieces and shape into tight, compact balls. They will be quite large (each of mine weighed 158 grams).
- Melt butter in a Dutch oven or heavy pan with a lid over medium heat. Add the meatballs and sear on all sides, a couple minutes per side, until browned all over.
- Add the water and then cover with a lid. Lower the heat to medium-low to low and simmer for about 20 to 25 minutes, flipping the meatballs over a few times periodically. A digital thermometer inserted into the center of one of the balls should read a minimum of 165°F.
- Transfer the gehaktballen to a serving dish. Then strain the jus through a small sieve over the top of them. Serve 1 large meatball per person, topped with some jus. Serve with hutspot, stamppot, potatoes, or bread.
Notes
- Use either plain ground beef (preferably not too lean or else it can dry out) or a 1:1 ratio of ground beef and ground pork. You’ll need 1 pound of ground meat to make 4 giant gehaktballen.
- Although you could use sliced white bread soaked in a little liquid to saturate it, I find dry breadcrumbs work great and they’re already shelf stable and something you likely have in your pantry.
- These gehaktballen are quite large. If you prefer them slightly smaller, you can portion them into six balls instead, roughly 105 grams each. The actual weight will vary depending on the size of your onion.
- I highly recommend taking the extra minute to strain the jus through a small sieve before serving. There will be small bits of meat and onion that have escaped the balls, along with brown bits scraped up from the bottom of the pan. Straining the jus yields a lovely unblemished sauce to finish your gehaktballen.
Nutrition
*All nutritional information is based on third-party calculations and should be considered estimates. Actual nutritional content will vary with brands used, measuring methods, portion sizes and more.*
Mary says
Yummm! I'd say it's better than meatloaf in my opinion.