Finnish Meatballs (Lihapullat)

Serve these delicious Finnish Meatballs (Lihapullat) appetizers or as mains with some potatoes — and everyone will undoubtedly be asking for seconds!  The best part?  They are so easy to prepare! 

If you’ve only tried Finnish salmon soup (or Lohikeitto) so far, you need to add these Finnish meatballs to your regular dishes from Finland for weekly rotation. 🙂

Locally known as ‘lihapullat,’ you can serve them with your favorite sides for a complete dinner meal.

But if you want to enjoy them like the locals, serve these Finnish meatballs with mashed potatoes and lingonberry jam.

Soft, juicy meatballs, creamy potatoes, and the lingonberries’ sweetness and tartness — a guaranteed explosion of texture and flavors in every bite!

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Ingredients

• Onion – the idea is for the onion to disappear in the ground meat mixture, so you should chop it finely.

• Ground meat – you can use ground beef or a mix of beef and pork.  For reference, I always use half of each kind.

• Egg – one medium-sized egg (63 to 73 grams) to help bind all the ingredients together for this Finnish meatball recipe.

• Breadcrumbs – feel free to make breadcrumbs from scratch if you have some stale bread.

• Cream – double (or heavy cream) to keep the meatballs moist.

• Olive oil – for cooking the onion.

• Frying oil – I suggest using vegetable oil for frying these meatballs from Finland.

• Salt and pepper – just use your favorite brand for seasoning.

Preparation

Start making Finnish meatballs by heating the olive oil in a pan.

Once the oil is ready, add the chopped onion.

Cook until the onion softens, then set aside to cool.

Combine the homemade breadcrumbs, the cream, and the egg in a small bowl.

Mix until you form a paste-like texture.

Using a medium to a large mixing bowl, add the ground meat, breadcrumbs-egg paste, cooled onion, salt, and pepper.

Mix until everything has been combined evenly.

Use a teaspoon to scoop a portion of the meatball mix and form it into a ball.

Place the meatballs in a tray and repeat until there’s no more ground meat mixture left.

This Finnish meatball recipe typically makes thirty to thirty-two pieces.

Heat the frying oil in a medium-sized pan.

Once it’s ready, add the balls carefully into the hot oil.

Fry until the sides of the meatballs are golden in color.

Place the cooked meatballs on kitchen paper to absorb any excess oil.

Transfer your Finnish meatballs into serving plates.

Serve with your favorite sides — enjoy!

Helpful tips

• Make sure you combine the egg with the breadcrumbs and cream instead of adding it directly to the ground meat.

It helps soften the breadcrumbs and makes blending with the rest of the ingredients easier.

• If you don’t like them fried, you can also bake these Finnish meatballs.  Set your oven to 200°C (375°F), then cook until the sides turn darker.

Recipe variation

• Raw onion.  I’ve seen some people who add the onion directly into the ground meat. 

However, it changes the flavor of the cooked meatballs, so I always cook the onion first — feel free to decide on your preference.

• Sour cream.  Instead of heavy cream, sour cream is combined with breadcrumbs and egg.  

Light cream (also known as half and half) is also an excellent alternative.

They look absolutely delicious, right?  So, give this Finnish meatballs recipe a try this week, and let me know what you think!

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