Michigan 
Bitterballen are small, fried meatballs usually served as appetizers or snacks. Usually made of beef, and sometimes veal, they are very lightly seasoned and coated in bread crumbs. Bitterballen are a Dutch snack and are essentially the same as kroketten, or croquettes, with the one exception being that kroketten are shaped like sausages.
Recipe Servings: 4
Prep Time
10 minutes
+ 10 minutes resting
+ 10 minutes resting
Cook Time
30 minutes
Total Time
50 minutes
Vegetarian
Vegan
Gluten Free
Dairy Free
Kosher
Halal
Ingredients
- 4 Tbsp butter
- 3 Tbsp all-purpose flour
- 1⅔ cup beef broth
- Salt, to taste
- Ground black pepper, to taste
- Nutmeg, to taste
- Curry powder, to taste
- 10.5 oz minced beef, pre-cooked
- 1 egg
- Breadcrumbs, as needed for coating
- 1 qt vegetable oil
- Mustard, as needed for serving
Directions
- Melt butter. Add flour and sauté for a few minutes.
- Gradually add beef stock, stirring to avoid lumps.
- Simmer gently, stirring, until sauce is quite thick.
- Season to taste with salt, pepper, nutmeg, and curry powder. Remove from heat.
- Add minced beef and mix thoroughly. Set aside to cool.
- When mixture is cool enough to handle, roll into 1¼-inch balls.
- Crack egg into small bowl and lightly beat. Cover plate with breadcrumbs.
- Dip each ball into beaten egg, and then roll it in breadcrumbs.
- When all bitterballen are coated, heat oil in a pan suitable for deep frying. Fry bitterballen in batches until crisp on the outside and cooked through.
- Serve hot, with mustard on the side for dipping.
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