Clean Eating Danish Meatballs Recipe (2024)

Author: Tiffany McCauley

Share on FacebookShare on PinterestShare on X (Twitter)Share on Reddit <use href="#<svg width="1em" height="1em" viewBox="0 0 32 32" class="scriptlesssocialsharing__icon flipboard" fill="currentcolor" aria-hidden="true" focusable="false" role="img"><title>flipboard</title><path d="M24.997 13.001h-5.998v5.998h-5.998v5.998h-5.998v-17.995h17.995zM1.004 1.004v29.991h29.991v-29.991z"></path></svg>" xlink:href="#flipboard"> Share on Flip it

Jump to Recipe Print Recipe

These Danish meatballs are some of the best meatballs I’ve ever had!

Brace yourself. This recipe is amazing!

I recently asked my Facebook fans to send me some recipes that they wanted to have “cleaned up”.

I received one recipe in particular that I just had to try immediately.

Danish Meatballs.

Clean Eating Danish Meatballs Recipe (1)

I have no idea what the original recipe tastes like because I never made it. I simply took the recipe this reader sent me and started making substitutions. Apparently, the original recipe came from a cookbook called “Eat Drink & Be Chinaberry”. I’m not sure what the title is referring to, but I’m so grateful for the recipe. My son loved it, as did the rest of my family, and it was something wonderfully different for dinner.

Prep time: It took me about an hour to prepare the whole thing.

You simply MUST try these!

Recipes Used

  • Bread Crumbs
  • Chicken Stock

Danish Meatballs Recipe

Clean Eating Danish Meatballs Recipe (3)

Danish Meatballs Recipe

These delicious meatballs are probably the best way I’ve ever served meatballs. Moist, delicious and just different enough to be completely memorable.

No ratings yet

Print Pin Rate Add to Collection

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: American, Danish

Prep Time: 30 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 30 minutes minutes

Total Time: 1 hour hour

Servings: 40 meatballs

Calories: 35kcal

Equipment

  • Cookie Sheets

  • Parchment paper

Ingredients

  • MEATBALL INGREDIENTS:
  • 1 ¼ lb. ground turkey
  • ¼ tsp. ground black pepper
  • 1 tbsp. dried onion
  • ¼ cup Greek yogurt
  • ½ cup bread crumbs (either whole wheat Panko or see recipe link above for homemade)
  • tsp. ground nutmeg
  • 1 large egg
  • SAUCE INGREDIENTS:
  • 1 tbsp. olive oil
  • ¼ cup whole wheat pastry flour (affiliate link)
  • 2 cups chicken broth (or stock)
  • 1 tsp. salt (omit if you use prepared stock or broth)
  • 2 tsp. dried dill weed
  • 1 tsp. garlic powder
  • 1 cup Greek yogurt

US CustomaryMetric

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

  • If you want to have a grain with this dish, put on a pot of brown rice or some whole wheat noodles while you make this recipe.

  • Line two cookie sheets with parchment paper.

  • Place all the meatball ingredients in a mixing bowl and mix with your hands until well blended.

  • Roll the meat blend into small (about 1 inch in diameter) balls and place on your cookie sheets. You can place them somewhat close together. They don’t spread during baking. Just be sure there is some room between them so the heat can circulate well around them. On a standard cookie sheet, I got about 20.

  • Bake for 20-30 minutes, or until they reach at least 170 degrees F. I baked mine a little longer just to get a nice golden “glow” to them.

  • Remove from oven and allow to cool slightly. (Enough so you don’t burn yourself!)

  • Once the meatballs are in the oven, move on to making the sauce. Both should finish about the same time.

  • While the meatballs are in the oven, place your olive oil and flour in a medium-sized pot.

  • Warm this mixture over medium-high heat. It will be “paste-like” at first. But then it’ll get a little “crumbly”.

  • Once you have crumbs, slowly add your chicken stock/broth stirring vigorously with a whisk. The idea is to get the crumbs to dissolve into the broth. Once dissolved, add your salt (optional), dill and garlic. Allow the mixture to simmer slightly until it has thickened a bit.

  • Once the sauce has thickened, remove the pot from the stove. Whisk in your yogurt, and the sauce is done!

  • Combine the sauce and meatballs and you’ve got a fantastic meal!

Notes

Please note that the nutrition data below is a ballpark figure. Exact data is not possible.

Nutrition

Serving: 1meatball | Calories: 35kcal | Carbohydrates: 2g | Protein: 4g | Cholesterol: 12mg | Sodium: 112mg | Potassium: 82mg | Vitamin A: 25IU | Vitamin C: 1.2mg | Calcium: 17mg | Iron: 0.4mg

Share on FacebookShare on PinterestShare on X (Twitter)Share on Reddit <use href="#<svg width="1em" height="1em" viewBox="0 0 32 32" class="scriptlesssocialsharing__icon flipboard" fill="currentcolor" aria-hidden="true" focusable="false" role="img"><title>flipboard</title><path d="M24.997 13.001h-5.998v5.998h-5.998v5.998h-5.998v-17.995h17.995zM1.004 1.004v29.991h29.991v-29.991z"></path></svg>" xlink:href="#flipboard"> Share on Flip it

Author: Tiffany McCauley

Title: Journalist

Expertise: Food, cooking, travel

Bio:

Tiffany McCauley is a nationally syndicated journalist and an award-winning cookbook author. She is also a food blogger. She has been featured on MSN, Huffington Post, Country Living Magazine, HealthLine, Redbook, and many more. She has helped thousands of people learn to cook simple, clean, and healthy foods in their own home kitchens. She lives in Maine and loves Elvis, sunflowers, and a good seafood chowder, as well as travel writing.

Similar Posts

German Cabbage Soup Recipe

Sweet Potato Breakfast Scramble With Seitan

Cavatappi Pasta Recipe

Springtime Breakfast Casserole Recipe

Chili Mac Recipe

Dutch Oven Chili Recipe

Leave a Reply

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

  1. Just saw this on pinterest and had to comment – I’m Danish (living in Copenhagen). Have no idea why these should be Danish meatballs – I guess they’re a bit like Frikadeller, but the sauce is unknown to me.
    Sounds nice though.. 🙂

    Reply

    1. Louise – That’s the same as our American Dutch Babies. There’s nothing Dutch about them. 😉

      Reply

  2. These came out just like your pictures, which I am very happy about! My husband and I are enjoying them very much. I just had to strain some of the flour lumps out before adding the seasonings and then added some parmesan (not very Danish of me, I know haha). Thanks for the great recipe!

    Reply

    1. Noelle – My pleasure! Enjoy! 😀

      Reply

  3. Can this receipe be prepared ahead of time and then warmed up in crockpot

    Reply

    1. Gerri – Sure!

      Reply

Clean Eating Danish Meatballs Recipe (2024)

FAQs

What is the difference between Swedish Meatballs and Danish meatballs? ›

The Danish meatball is a little rugged in texture and can be served in multiple ways – with a lightly spiced curry sauce, for example, or a rich gravy. A Swedish meatball, in comparison to the crispy, pan-fried Danish version, is often a little smaller, with a very smooth, even texture and a rounder shape.

What is the secret to tender meatballs? ›

Egg and breadcrumbs are common mix-ins to add moisture and tenderness. Another binder option that people swear by is a panade, which is fresh or dry breadcrumbs that have been soaked in milk. “The soaked breadcrumbs help keep the proteins in the meat from shrinking,” as food writer Tara Holland explained in the Kitchn.

What not to do when making meatballs? ›

5 Mistakes to Avoid When Making Meatballs
  1. Not seasoning the meat.
  2. Not adding any moisture to the meat.
  3. Over-mixing the meat.
  4. Not shaping the meatballs correctly.
  5. Not forming evenly-sized meatballs.
May 1, 2019

How do Swedes eat Swedish meatballs? ›

Traditional Swedish way: Do not make the cream sauce at all. Serve meatballs over plain or stewed macaroni, plain or mashed potatoes, and lingenberry jam (optional)

Why are Ikea Swedish meatballs so good? ›

If you're wondering what's so special about Swedish Meatballs, or what they taste like, close your eyes and imagine this: incredibly soft meatballs, made extra juicy by using a combination of both pork and beef and soaked bread instead of breadcrumbs, lightly spiced with just a touch of nutmeg and all spice that gives ...

Is it better to use milk or water in meatballs? ›

Milk: We will mix a bit of milk with the breadcrumbs to form a panade, which will help to keep our meatballs nice and moist. Ground beef and pork: I like to use a 50/50 mix of the two to make meatballs, but you can also make all-beef or all-pork meatballs if you prefer.

Is it better to bake meatballs at 350 or 400? ›

For 1-2 inches of beef, pork, or turkey meatballs without any pre-cooking, use these guidelines for your wall oven:
  • 350°F wall oven:
  • 8–14 minutes for 1-inch meatballs.
  • 14–18 minutes for 2-inch meatballs.
  • 400°F wall oven:
  • 6–10 minutes for 1-inch meatballs.
  • 10–14 minutes for 2-inch meatballs.
  • 425°F wall oven:
Aug 16, 2023

Why do you put baking soda in meatballs? ›

This process allows the baking soda to neutralize acid on the surface of the meat, resulting in less toughness and a cooked meat that is juicy on the inside while remaining crispy on the outside. Note: Some cuts of meat may take longer to soak in the baking soda to fully tenderize.

Do Swedish meatballs have horse meat? ›

LONDON — The furniture giant Ikea joined a growing list of brands that have been touched by Europe's food scandal on Monday and withdrew its signature Swedish meatballs from its markets and cafeterias across most of Europe after one batch was found to contain traces of horse meat.

What are Dutch meatballs made of? ›

ingredients
  • 1 cup lean ground beef.
  • 1 egg.
  • 2 slices white bread, crusts removed.
  • 1 small onion, minced.
  • 1 12 teaspoons salt.
  • 12 teaspoon curry powder.
  • 12 teaspoon mace, ground.
  • 12 teaspoon pepper, ground.

What are Finnish meatballs made of? ›

Mix the ground beef, bread crumbs, onion, egg, cream, salt, and allspice in a bowl with your hands until evenly mixed. Roll the mixture into golf ball-sized balls. In a large skillet over medium heat, melt the butter.

What makes meatballs unhealthy? ›

But these simple-looking protein portions can be surprisingly unhealthy if you're not making the meatballs yourself. From excessive saturated fat and sodium levels to curious ingredients you'd rather not be eating, some store-bought meatballs can be full of things that make them far from nutritious.

Why do you put cornstarch in meatballs? ›

Cornstarch is used as a low-fat alternative to tapioca starch in meatball dough, resulting in a healthier version of the snack. The addition of corn silk, a byproduct of sweet corn production, to meatballs increases their crude fiber and ash contents, as well as their redness, yellowness, juiciness, and shrinkage.

What makes meatballs rubbery? ›

If the meatballs are packed together too tightly, they will cook up rubbery, chewy, and tough. If the meatballs are different sizes, they will cook unevenly. The smaller meatballs may end up dry and overcooked, while the larger ones may end up undercooked.

What makes Swedish meatballs different? ›

Italian Meatballs vs Swedish Meatballs: Swedish Meatballs are typically smaller in size than Italian meatballs and they are usually made with a 50-50 ratio of ground pork and ground beef.

What's the difference between Swedish and Norwegian meatballs? ›

Norwegian recipes are made with all beef, while some Swedish recipes also use pork. Norwegian meatballs tend to be larger and flatter than their Swedish cousins.

Are Swedish meatballs pink inside? ›

Melt 1 tablespoon butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Pinch off about 1 1/2 tablespoon meat mixture per meatball; form into balls. Place meatballs into the skillet and cook, turning often, until browned, about 5 minutes. Insides of meatballs will still be pink.

What's the difference between Swedish and Finnish meatballs? ›

"Finnish meatballs are meatier and bigger than Swedish meatballs. They are also served with lingonberry jam and boiled/mashed potatoes, and a gravy, but they are juicier and yummier.

Top Articles
Latest Posts
Article information

Author: Merrill Bechtelar CPA

Last Updated:

Views: 6439

Rating: 5 / 5 (70 voted)

Reviews: 93% of readers found this page helpful

Author information

Name: Merrill Bechtelar CPA

Birthday: 1996-05-19

Address: Apt. 114 873 White Lodge, Libbyfurt, CA 93006

Phone: +5983010455207

Job: Legacy Representative

Hobby: Blacksmithing, Urban exploration, Sudoku, Slacklining, Creative writing, Community, Letterboxing

Introduction: My name is Merrill Bechtelar CPA, I am a clean, agreeable, glorious, magnificent, witty, enchanting, comfortable person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.