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German Hamburger Recipe for Authentic Buletten (Frikadellen)

This German hamburger recipe makes authentic buletten, juicy old-fashioned German meat patties that are easy to make and full of homestyle flavor.

Ingredients:

• 1 stale Kaiser roll (see Hints below)
• 1 cup (240 milliliters) water or milk, warm
• 5 tablespoons (70 grams) butter or (75 milliliters) oil, divided
• 1 small onion, finely diced
• 4 tablespoons (16 grams) chopped fresh parsley
• 1⅓ pound (605 grams) ground beef (or a mix of beef and pork)
• 2 eggs
• 1 teaspoons (6 grams) salt
• ½ teaspoons (1 grams) freshly ground black pepper
• 1 tablespoons (15 milliliters) mustard
• ½ cup (75 grams) dry breadcrumbs, plus more if needed

Instructions:

1. Slice the stale Kaiser roll and place it in a small bowl. Pour the warm water over the sliced roll. Set aside. (See Hints below)
2. Heat 1 tablespoon (14 grams) of the butter in a large frying pan and sauté the onions for several minutes over medium-high heat until they’re translucent. Stir in the parsley and set aside. 
3. In a large bowl, mix together the ground meat, eggs, salt, pepper, and mustard.
4. Squeeze the liquid from the sliced roll and crumble it into the meat mixture.
5. Add the onion/parsley mixture and combine everything together gently with your hands. Add extra breadcrumbs if the mixture is too moist and won’t hold together.
6. Form 6 1-inch thick patties. Put the breadcrumbs onto a plate. Roll each patty into the breadcrumbs so that all the sides are covered.
7. In a large skillet, melt the remaining butter and brown the patties on each side for about 2 minutes. Reduce the heat, cover, and continue frying for about 8 minutes, turning them occasionally. Remove the lid at the end to evaporate the liquid. The internal temperature should be 160°F (70°C).
8. Serve.

Notes/Hints:

• Use a fresh Kaiser roll and pulse it in a blender until you have crumbs. Use these, without soaking them.
• Add ¼ cup (60 milliliters) ketchup or BBQ sauce and/or ½ cup (56.5 grams) cubed cheese to the meat mixture
• Add ½ cup cubed cheese (cheddar) to the meat mixture
• Try different seasonings to find your favorite. I like using "Montreal Steak Spice." (I know .... it's not German!)
• Personally, I prefer using lean ground beef. If you wish, you can use a regular grind and/or a mixture of beef, pork, or veal.
  
• You can easily double and triple the recipe.
• These can also be grilled on a BBQ for about 6 minutes per side or until done.
• Instead of a stale Kaiser roll, use some stale bread or ¼ cup (38 grams) dry breadcrumbs.

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Unless otherwise noted recipe, images and content © Just like Oma | www.quick-german-recipes.com

Updated on March 28, 2026