German Meatballs in Creamy Caper Sauce - Königsberger Klopse

These delicious German meatballs are cooked in a broth spiced with onions, white wine, apple cider vinegar, bay leaves, allspice, and cloves which is then mixed with the roux, capers, lemon juice, and nutmeg to make the creamy sauce.

It's the comfort dish par excellence!

This classic German dish requires more time and patience than regular meatballs, but it is totally worth the extra effort. If you like Swedish meatballs, you will like these German meatballs as well.

Up until we moved to Germany, many moons ago, I've only known meatballs in tomato sauce. For six years we called Germany our home and Königsberger Klopse was often on our menu. It's time to put it back into the rotation.

You can find these meatballs in caper sauce in restaurants, especially in touristy corners of Germany, so if you ever find yourself there, order them.

And if traveling is not in your cards, you're in luck. I've treasured this recipe, given to me by my (late) ex-mother-in-law whom I loved dearly (how many of you can say that about your MIL?) and I'm gladly sharing it with you.

What is Königsberger Klopse?

Also known as Soßklopse, Königsberger Klopse is a Prussian specialty of piquant meatballs in a white wine sauce with capers. It is named after the city of Königsberg. Klopse translates as "meatball" and is a tasty and satisfying comfort meal to sit down to.

The traditional recipe for German meatballs use ground veal, but less expensive beef or pork (or a combination of both) is often used instead.

As Swedish meatballs, although the main dish, many people love to serve these German meatballs as an appetizer for dinner parties and family gatherings. I mean, what’s not to love?

They’re small, which automatically makes them better, and the sauce the meatballs lay in is irresistible.

In fact, it is a sin to not serve these meatballs with something that acts as a sponge to soak up all of its goodness. You’ll love to serve this with Spaetzle, mashed potatoes, or any carb of your choice. It’s creamy, and a little tangy from the lemon and vinegar, plus it has wine (your favorite)!

Although I highly doubt that you will have leftovers, you can create a German twist on the meatball sub. Are you drooling yet?

How do I make German meatballs?

Always read the recipe in its entirety before proceeding. This will prevent accidental mistakes which create angry cooks and hangry families. Ask me how I know.

The meatballs are carefully simmered in broth or saltwater with white wine and spices, which is then mixed with the roux, cream, and capers. A refined version uses only egg yolk as a thickener. 

The key ingredients for Königsberger Klopse are anchovies and capers. Don't skip either if you want to achieve the traditional flavor.

1. Make the Meatballs – Mix fried onions, ground meat, eggs, breadcrumbs, mustard, anchovy, salt, and pepper in a bowl until smooth. Form 10-12 meatballs.
2. Cook the Meatballs – Cook the broth, onions, white wine, vinegar, bay leaves, cloves, allspice, black peppercorns, and salt. Add meatballs, and simmer for 15 minutes. Spoon out with a slotted spoon.
3. Make the Sauce – Make the roux with the milk and reserved liquid from meatballs. Cook for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in heavy cream and capers, and cook for 5 more minutes.
4. Serve and Enjoy! – Pour sauce over meatballs and enjoy!

CAN I MAKE IT GLUTEN-FREE?

• To make this recipe gluten-free, simply replace breadcrumbs with almond meal, crushed gluten-free crackers, or use a slice of gluten-free bread soaked in two tablespoons of milk and then torn into pieces (let sit for 5 minutes before combining with the other ingredients).
• To thicken the sauce, use half the amount of gluten-free flour like cassava (good for light-colored sauces) or rice flour. GF flour will produce much thicker sauce than an equal amount of AP flour.
• In addition, you can add one egg yolk, whisked with a tablespoon of milk, at the same time you add the capers and simmer, gently stirring, until the sauce thickens.

Recipe Notes and Tips:

• Use 1 tablespoon of anchovy paste instead of fillets. This will mix better!
• For the authentic recipe, use a bread roll soaked in two tablespoons of milk and then torn into pieces instead of breadcrumbs (see above for gluten-free version).
• Traditionally, German meatballs are served over boiled small potatoes and sprinkled with parsley, however, you can serve them over your favorite carbs such as mashed potatoes, Spaetzle, or rice.
• Buy a great loaf of bread to use as a sponge to soak up any leftover sauce! In the unlikely event that you have leftover meatballs, you can use this bread to create a meatball sub.

Everyone needs to explore comfort foods from different cuisines. If you haven't yet, this creamy meatball dish from Germany is the perfect recipe to start.

Product recommendation:

Mixing Bowls

I prefer glass mixing bowls, but they tend to be heavy. The plastic bowls are probably the easiest to use, however, they tend to retain the aroma and get scratches from the beaters, whisk, or fork. So, after some trial and error, I now only use plain, stainless steel mixing bowls with lids. The color coated bowls aren't practical to wash in a dishwasher - the color will peel off.

Dutch Oven

A durable pan with a lid that goes from stovetop to oven is a must-have for any home cook. Self-basting condensation ridges on lid uniformly collect and direct vapors onto food, which produces moist and savory dishes. I use it almost daily!

Slotted Spoon

A kitchen essential, slotted spoon is a large spoon with slots or holes for draining liquid from food. I have several slotted spoons in different sizes. I use a small one to dig into jars with pickled vegetables. It makes life so much easier.

Cast Iron Skillet

Another essential cooking tool, cast iron skillet distributes heat uniformly throughout the base and sidewalls for even cooking. Best to have several sizes (two used in this recipe) as once you use it, you'll fall in love with it!

More meatball recipes to try:

• GRANDMA'S SWEDISH MEATBALLS
• CUFTE - BOSNIAN STYLE MEATBALLS
• MEATBALLS STROGANOFF
• GREEK LAMB MEATBALL PITA SANDWICH
• MINI SPAGHETTI AND MEATBALL APPETIZER

German Meatballs in Creamy Caper Sauce - Königsberger Klopse

By Jas

This is my treasured recipe for the classic German meatball dish, aka Königsberger Klopse; meatballs are first cooked in spiced broth, and then finished in a creamy caper sauce.

4.6 from 8 votes

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Prep Time 30 minutes mins

Cook Time 30 minutes mins

Total Time 1 hour hr

Course Main Course

Cuisine German

Yields 6 servings

Calories 522 kcal

EQUIPMENT

• Mixing bowl
• Dutch oven or a saucepan
• Slotted spoon
• Cast iron or a non-stick skillet

Ingredients

1x2x3x

US Customary - Metric

For the meatballs

• ▢ 1 medium onion, finely diced
• ▢ 2 tablespoons butter or vegetable oil
• ▢ 1 pound mixed ground beef and pork
• ▢ 2 eggs
• ▢ 1 cup breadcrumbs
• ▢ 1 teaspoon mustard
• ▢ 3 anchovy fillets, mashed
• ▢ Salt and white pepper to taste

For the broth

• ▢ 4 cups beef or chicken broth (or salted water)
• ▢ 1 small onion, peeled and halved
• ▢ ¼ cup dry white wine
• ▢ 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
• ▢ 2 Bay leaves
• ▢ 3 whole cloves
• ▢ 1 teaspoon allspice
• ▢ 1 teaspoon black peppercorns

For the sauce:

• ▢ 3 tablespoons butter
• ▢ 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• ▢ 1 cup milk
• ▢ ½ cup heavy cream
• ▢ 2 tablespoon Capers and 1 tablespoon liquid from the glass
• ▢ 2 teaspoons lemon juice
• ▢ 1 pinch nutmeg
• ▢ 1 pinch sugar

Cook ModePrevent your screen from going dark

Instructions

• In a small skillet, fry the onions in butter until glassy.
  
• In a bowl, mix onions with ground meat, eggs, breadcrumbs, mustard, anchovy fillets, salt, and pepper into a smooth dough. Using your wet hands, form about 10-12 meatballs.
• In a Dutch oven or large saucepan, add the broth, onions, white wine, cider vinegar, bay leaves, cloves, allspice, black peppercorns, and salt. Bring to a boil.
• Add the meatballs, lower the heat to medium-low and simmer for 15 minutes.
• With a  slotted spoon, transfer the cooked meatballs to a serving plate or bowl and keep warm. Reserve 2 cups of the liquid.
• Meanwhile, in a large cast-iron or non-stick skillet, melt the butter over medium heat. Stir in the flour. With a wooden spoon or a whisk, continue to stir flour over low heat until flour is golden in color. Do not burn it!
• Slowly pour in the milk and reserved, strained liquid, whisking constantly. Cook over medium heat for 5 minutes while stirring occasionally.
• Stir in the heavy cream, capers with liquid, and cook on low for 5 more minutes. Season the sauce with nutmeg, lemon juice, salt, and sugar.
• Pour the sauce over meatballs and serve with boiled potatoes. Enjoy!

Notes

• Use 1 tablespoon of anchovy paste instead of fillets. This will mix better!
• For the authentic recipe, use a bread roll soaked in two tablespoons of milk and torn into pieces instead of breadcrumbs (see above for gluten-free version).
• Traditionally, German meatballs are served over boiled small potatoes and sprinkled with parsley, however, you can serve them over your favorite carbs such as mashed potatoes, Spaetzle, or rice.
• Buy a great loaf of bread to use as a sponge to soak up any leftover sauce! In the unlikely event that you have leftover meatballs, you can use this bread to create a meatball sub.
• Please keep in mind that nutritional information is a rough estimate and can vary significantly based on products used.

Nutrition

Calories: 522kcal (26%) | Carbohydrates: 24g (8%) | Protein: 21g (42%) | Fat: 37g (57%) | Saturated Fat: 17g (85%) | Cholesterol: 141mg (47%) | Sodium: 1004mg (42%) | Potassium: 532mg (15%) | Fiber: 2g (8%) | Sugar: 5g (6%) | Vitamin A: 687IU (14%) | Vitamin C: 14mg (17%) | Calcium: 142mg (14%) | Iron: 3mg (17%)

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