German Meatloaf | Hackbraten
This German meatloaf goes by a funny name back home: Falscher Hase, or “fake rabbit.” I found it in one of my 1904 cookbooks, where it was the thrifty alternative to a roast rabbit that many families couldn’t afford. More than a century later, it’s still on regular rotation in our house, and my sons always love it. Every time I make it, I love how easy and uncomplicated it is.
Most Germans simply call it Hackbraten. It takes a handful of pantry staples and about 30 minutes of hands-on work, and the oven does the rest. You end up with a juicy, golden loaf with hard-boiled eggs tucked inside. It looks special enough for company but is easy enough for a weeknight.
This post contains affiliate links, which means I make a small commission at no extra cost to you. You can read my full disclosure.
What makes this German Meatloaf special
Good To Know: Germans only call this meatloaf Falscher Hase if it contains boiled eggs; otherwise they simply call it Hackbraten.
German Meatloaf Ingredients
- Ground meat: traditionally, the recipe calls for half beef and half pork but use what you have
- Eggs: we need some eggs to bind the meatloaf together and some for the inside
- Onions: give this Hackbraten flavor and some lightness
- Garlic: also for flavor
- Stale bread roll: the part that differentiates a German meatloaf from the American version
- Milk: we soak the stale bread roll in the milk
- Carrots: why not tuck some more veggies inside this Falscher Hase?
- Parsley: I love adding some fresh, chopped parsley for a pop of color and some vitamins
- Spices: salt and pepper but mustard, paprika, or nutmeg are optional
- Oil: I grease my loaf pan to make it easier to remove the meatloaf
Tools you’ll need
These are the tools I use in my own kitchen to make this recipe quick and mess-free.
👉 Anja’s Tips For Your Best Falscher Hase
- I like to pierce my eggs before boiling so that the shell doesn’t crack
- You can also soak ¼ cup of breadcrumbs in 2 TBSP of milk if you don’t have a bread roll
- Feel free to add some mustard, paprika, or nutmeg to your meatloaf
- You can also form it into the shape of a fake rabbit in a roasting pan to make it a true falscher Hase.
- I recommend using a thermometer to check the internal temperature for doneness
- Let your German meatloaf cool down a bit before cutting (it won’t fall apart as easily)
- Drizzle the pan juices over your Falscher Hase, or turn them into gravy
Be sure to check out the full recipe below
How to Make German Meatloaf
★ This is a summary of the steps involved. For the complete instructions, please scroll down to the recipe card at the bottom of the post.
- Soak the bread roll in milk for 15 minutes.
- Combine the ground meat, 2 eggs, diced onion, grated carrot, chopped garlic, chopped parsley, squeezed-out bread roll, and spices.
- Mix everything thoroughly with your hands or a spoon.
- Press half of the meat mixture into a greased loaf pan and lay 3 boiled eggs lengthwise on it.
- Press the remaining meat mixture on top, covering the eggs.
- Bake the meatloaf in the oven at 180˚F for 50 minutes or until the internal temperature reaches 160˚F.
How to Serve Falscher Hase
We always love serving it with boiled or mashed potatoes and vegetables such as peas and carrots on the side. It is particularly delicious with a good helping of Bratensoße (gravy).
Many people also enjoy it cold the next day on a crusty bread roll with some mustard.
How Long Does Meatloaf Last?
If you make your meatloaf in a loaf pan, you can simply cover it with some plastic wrap (or beeswax wrap) to keep it moist, and store it in the refrigerator for about 3 days.
German Meatloaf | Falscher Hase
Ingredients
- 1 ½ pounds ground meat ideally half beef, half pork
- 5 large eggs 2 for the meatloaf and 3 hard-boiled
- 1 whole bread roll stale
- ⅓ cup milk
- 1 medium onion
- 1 clove garlic
- 1 large carrot
- 3 TBSP parsley fresh, chopped
- 1 TBSP oil
- 1 ½ tsp salt
- pepper black, fresh ground
Instructions
- In a small bowl, soak the bread roll in the milk.
- Boil 3 eggs for 10 minutes. Peel them while they are still warm.
- Preheat the oven to 350˚F (180˚C).
- Chop the onion and garlic clove. Peel and grate the carrot.
- In a medium bowl, combine the ground meat with 2 eggs, onion, garlic, grated carrots, parsley, and spices. Squeeze excess milk out of the bread roll and add it to the bowl. Mix everything with your hands or a spoon.
- Lightly grease the loaf pan. Press half of the meat mixture into the loaf pan. Lay the 3 hard-boiled eggs over the meat mixture. Press the remaining meat mixture over the eggs.
- Bake the meatloaf in the preheated oven for 50 minutes or until the internal temperature measures 160˚F (72˚C).
- Let the meatloaf cool down slightly before cutting.
Notes
- if you don’t have a stale bread roll, you can also soak ¼ cup of bread crumbs in 2 TBSP of milk
- you can add other ingredients such as chopped chives or spices such as mustard, nutmeg, and paprika powder
- serve the meatloaf with boiled or mashed potatoes, your favorite vegetables, and gravy
- tightly covered, it will stay moist in the refrigerator for 3 days; you can reheat it or serve it cold with mustard on a bread roll
Nutrition
Other German Ground Meat Recipes You Might Like
If you love this German meatloaf, try my traditional German hamburgers (Frikadellen) next. They use almost the same meat mixture, but they’re shaped into patties and pan-fried until crispy, so dinner is ready even faster. For a cozy weekend meal, my German cabbage rolls (Kohlrouladen) wrap a seasoned ground meat filling in tender cabbage leaves and braise it in a rich sauce.
Let me know if you have any questions or comments!
