How to Make Königsberger Klopse | German Meatballs

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Moist, tender, and so delicious, Königsberger Klopse is a hearty meal of tender German meatballs in a creamy sauce with capers. My kitchen-tested recipe and helpful tips will help you make this incredibly delicious, classic German dish.

Königsberger Klopse

Visit any authentic German restaurant, and you’ll find Königsberger Klopse on the menu. Actually, it is so easy to make that many Germans serve this at home. As a kid growing up in Germany, this used to be my favorite dish. I would request it whenever my mom asked what I would like!

In Germany, the dish is often made with ground veal, but I use grass-fed ground beef from a local farm. With onions and soaked bread, the German meatballs become very tender and light. 

Did you know that Germans love slathering their main protein in plenty of sauce? This dish is just one example of that. Just like currywurst sauce is a must for sausages, Königsberger Klopse should be swimming in white sauce … 

Ingredients and substitutions

One of the reasons that this recipe is so popular is that there are no special ingredients. 

• Ground meat: This is the main ingredient. Veal, beef, pork, or a combination of meats can be used. Since it is such a central ingredient, I recommend using the best quality you can afford.
• Onions: There are quite a lot of onions in this recipe, and for good reason. They add to the flavor but also make the meatballs a bit lighter.
• Stale bread or bun: This is another key ingredient that makes these German meatballs a bit fluffier. Typically, Germans use day-old rolls. Since they can be hard to come by here in the US, I often use a piece of French baguette or artisan bread. 
• Milk: To soften the bread, soak it in a bit of milk. If you need a dairy-free option, you can substitute with nut milk or water.
• Egg: The egg is critical for binding the ingredients together, and it also adds moisture.
• Chopped parsley: It is difficult to taste the flavor of the parsley, but it gives the meatballs nice green specks of color
• Broth: The Königsberger Klopse are simmered in a broth or bouillon. After cooking, this broth becomes the base for the sauce.
• Butter and flour: We will use these ingredients to thicken the sauce. Essentially, this is a roux or “Mehlschwitze”, as we call it in German. 
• Lemon juice: This ingredient gives the sauce its bright flavor. Any citrus juice will do the job.
• Sour cream: While many people use sweet cream, half and half, or whipping cream, I prefer using sour cream. I find that it gives the sauce a better, more complex flavor while also being a bit healthier (since it is fermented). Should you need a substitute, plain Greek yogurt is a good choice.
• Granulated white sugar: While I am not a fan of unnecessarily making dishes sweeter than they need to be, the sugar in this recipe rounds out the flavor of the sauce. You can certainly adjust the amount to your liking!
• Capers: The salty capers truly make these meatballs Königsberger Klopse. If you don’t care for them, the dish will still be delicious without them.

Helpful tools for making this recipe

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

• 5-quart stainless steel pot: For me, this is the perfect size pot for this recipe. Obviously, if you want to double the recipe, you will need a larger pot.
• Wire whisk: One of the “secrets” to making a creamy sauce is having a good wire whisk. This one is long enough that it will not fall into your pot if you lean it against the 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 tool for the job. Once you own one, you will find many other uses for it in your cooking! 
• Strainer: I use a stainless steel fine mesh strainer, as I am leery of using plastics with hot liquids.

How to make Königsberger Klopse

Don’t be intimidated by the number of steps in this recipe. There are several, but the dish comes together quickly, and it’s actually very simple to make.

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 large 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 soaked bread roll and add it 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 balls from the meatball mixture. Place them on a plate and set aside. 
4. In a large pot and over medium heat, bring about 1 quart of bouillon or stock to a soft boil. 
5. When the bouillon is boiling, carefully add the meatballs, cover, and turn to a very 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.

Make the white sauce 

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 hot 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, capers, and season with salt and pepper. 
5. Taste the sauce and adjust the seasonings to your liking. 

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

Serving suggestions

One of the most traditional ways to serve this dish is with boiled salted potatoes (Salzkartoffeln) or over Kartoffelklösse (German potato dumplings). However, they are also delicious over noodles, egg pasta (Spätzle), and even rice. All of these side dishes will soak up the rich caper sauce. 

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