Alboronía with pumpkin, eggplant and fresh cilantro served Spanish Pumpkin and Eggplant Stew (Alboronía) Slice of Fainá chickpea flatbread with tomato sauce Chickpea Flatbread with Tomato Sauce (Fainá) Elote with Sour Cream - fresh corn served with sour cream, cheese, and spicy paprika Classic Sour Cream Elote Zucchini fritters with tahini sauce Zucchini Fritters with Lemony Tahini Dip Chestnut Zongzi served on a plate Sweet Chestnut Sticky Rice Dumplings (Zongzi) Kohlrabi calzone Roasted Kohlrabi & Mozzarella Calzone Sausage burger with cheese and vegetables Hungarian Style Pork & Sausage Burger Fig stuffed naan bread served Fig-Stuffed Naan Bread Gingerbread Waffles with orange zest Gingerbread Spiced Waffles White pizza with creamy cheese topping Extra Creamy White Pizza with Ricotta and Mascarpone Orange cider served in a glass Warm Spiced Orange Cider Beet and Leek Wrap with Peanut Butter Beet and Leek Whole Wheat Wraps with Peanut Butter Chicken Arroz Caldo served with hard-boiled eggs, scallions, and fried garlic Chicken Arroz Caldo with Hard-Boiled Eggs Greek baked giant beans served with whole wheat toast Rustic Greek Baked Beans with Whole Wheat Toast Fish pie with cauliflower mash, golden brown creamy topping and fish filling Low-Carb Fish Pie with Cauliflower Mash Vegan Kakiage, crispy vegetable fritters Vegan Kakiage (Tempura Vegetable Fritters) Peach Doughnut served with powdered sugar Peach-Filled Brioche Doughnuts Freshly baked pancake bun Fluffy Soufflé Pancake Buns Piadina served with rosemary roasted potatoes and goat cheese Rustic Potato and Rosemary Piadina with Goat Cheese Golden brown gorgonzola-walnut empanadas Gorgonzola and Walnut Empanadas Alboronía with pumpkin, eggplant and fresh cilantro served Spanish Pumpkin and Eggplant Stew (Alboronía) Slice of Fainá chickpea flatbread with tomato sauce Chickpea Flatbread with Tomato Sauce (Fainá) Elote with Sour Cream - fresh corn served with sour cream, cheese, and spicy paprika Classic Sour Cream Elote Zucchini fritters with tahini sauce Zucchini Fritters with Lemony Tahini Dip Chestnut Zongzi served on a plate Sweet Chestnut Sticky Rice Dumplings (Zongzi) Kohlrabi calzone Roasted Kohlrabi & Mozzarella Calzone Sausage burger with cheese and vegetables Hungarian Style Pork & Sausage Burger Fig stuffed naan bread served Fig-Stuffed Naan Bread Gingerbread Waffles with orange zest Gingerbread Spiced Waffles White pizza with creamy cheese topping Extra Creamy White Pizza with Ricotta and Mascarpone Orange cider served in a glass Warm Spiced Orange Cider Beet and Leek Wrap with Peanut Butter Beet and Leek Whole Wheat Wraps with Peanut Butter Chicken Arroz Caldo served with hard-boiled eggs, scallions, and fried garlic Chicken Arroz Caldo with Hard-Boiled Eggs Greek baked giant beans served with whole wheat toast Rustic Greek Baked Beans with Whole Wheat Toast Fish pie with cauliflower mash, golden brown creamy topping and fish filling Low-Carb Fish Pie with Cauliflower Mash Vegan Kakiage, crispy vegetable fritters Vegan Kakiage (Tempura Vegetable Fritters) Peach Doughnut served with powdered sugar Peach-Filled Brioche Doughnuts Freshly baked pancake bun Fluffy Soufflé Pancake Buns Piadina served with rosemary roasted potatoes and goat cheese Rustic Potato and Rosemary Piadina with Goat Cheese Golden brown gorgonzola-walnut empanadas Gorgonzola and Walnut Empanadas
Kjøttkaker with celery root, meatballs served with vegetables
Spiced meatballs with celery and potatoes

Norwegian Meatballs in Brown Gravy (Kjøttkaker)

Author: Flavelo
Recipes Main Courses
Kjøttkaker (pronounced 'shot-kaker') are Norway's beloved meatballs, a cornerstone of every grandmother's repertoire. Unlike small Swedish meatballs, these are larger, rustic patties simmered in a savory brown gravy rather than cream sauce. This recipe enriches the dish with celery root and potatoes that cook right in the sauce, absorbing the meaty flavors. A true Scandinavian classic for long, dark winters.
🕒 Prep Time 20 mins
🍳 Cook Time 35 mins
⌛ Total Time 55 mins
🍽️ Servings 4 servings
🔥 Calories 650 kcal
🌍 Cuisine Norwegian

Ingredients

Equipment Needed

  • Large mixing bowl
  • High-sided skillet or Dutch oven
  • Peeler, knife

Allergen Information

⚠️ Egg
⚠️ Milk

Instructions

1 ✓

Place the ground beef in a bowl. Add the egg, finely grated onion (important: grated, not chopped!), crushed garlic, salt, pepper, and caraway. Knead thoroughly until the mixture becomes uniform and sticky.

Tip: Grating the onion prevents large chunks from causing the meatballs to crumble during frying.
2 ✓

With wet hands, form the mixture into palm-sized patties (approx. 8 pieces).

Tip: Meat doesn't stick to wet hands, ensuring a smoother surface.
3 ✓

Heat the fat in a skillet and fry the patties for 2-3 minutes per side until they form a nice brown crust. Remove to a plate.

Tip: They don't need to be cooked through, just seared for flavor.
4 ✓

Peel the celery root and potatoes and cut into 3/4-inch cubes. Toss them into the same skillet used for the meat and sauté in the remaining fat for 5 minutes.

Tip: This allows the vegetables to pick up the delicious fond (browned bits) from the meat.
5 ✓

Return the meatballs to the pan with the vegetables. Pour in the water (or broth) to halfway cover. Cover and simmer on low heat for 20 minutes until vegetables are tender.

Tip: Poaching finishes cooking the meat while creating a flavorful broth.
6 ✓

Finally, remove the lid. Temper the sour cream with a little hot broth, then stir it back into the dish. Simmer briefly to create a creamy gravy.

Tip: Tempering prevents the sour cream from curdling in the hot sauce.

Recipe FAQ

What makes the meatballs soft?
Binders (like eggs and starch from potatoes) and not overcooking them by frying, but rather poaching them gently in the sauce.
I don't have celery root, what can I substitute?
Parsnips or kohlrabi work beautifully, offering a similar earthy profile.
Why do they fall apart?
You may not have kneaded the meat enough. You must mix the meat with salt until it becomes sticky (protein extraction), which holds it together.

Ingredients

  • 1 lb Ground beef
  • 1 small Celery root (Celeriac)
  • 1 whole Yellow onion
  • 2 cloves Garlic
  • 1 large Egg
  • 2 whole Potatoes
  • 1/2 cup Sour cream
  • 1 tsp Salt
  • 1/2 tsp Ground black pepper
  • 1/2 tsp Ground caraway (optional)
  • 2 tbsp Butter or oil for frying
  • 1 1/4 cups Water or beef broth