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Ham Sauerkraut Balls

Ham sauerkraut balls are deep-fried meatballs made with ground ham, sauerkraut, cream cheese, and breadcrumbs.

From the Recipes Wiki (Fandom) · 13 ingredients
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Why it works: Onion and garlic match in chemistry and in kitchens. They rank in the top 1% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 29,058 recipes. Both carry furaneol, which smells caramel, strawberry. The science ↓

Ham Sauerkraut Balls

Ingredients

Directions

Prepare the mixture

  1. Combine ham, sauerkraut, onion, and 2 tablespoons of bread crumbs in a large bowl.

  2. Combine cream cheese, parsley, mustard, garlic powder, and pepper in another bowl.

  3. Stir the cream cheese mixture into the sauerkraut mixture and chill for at least one hour or overnight.

  4. Shape the chilled mixture into balls and coat each with flour.

Coat and fry

  1. Beat eggs and milk in a small bowl.

  2. Dip each ham ball into the egg mixture, then roll in the remaining bread crumbs.

  3. Heat oil to 375°F in a deep fat fryer or electric skillet and fry the balls until golden brown, draining well.

Nutrition, whole recipe (rough)

1200Calories
58 gProtein
52 gFat
122 gCarbs

Counts 11 of 12 ingredients. The other 1 aren't in our nutrition table and add nothing above, so the real totals are higher.

What these numbers assume: 11 portions
IngredientPortion assumedkcal
Flour1 cup (125g) all-purpose455
Pork100g cooked242
Milk1 cup (244ml) whole149
Olive Oil1 tbsp (14g)119
Cream Cheese1 oz (28g)99
Egg1 large egg (50g)78
Onion1 medium (110g)44
Black Pepper1 tsp ground (2.3g)6
Garlic1 clove (3g)4
Mustard1 tsp (5g) yellow3
Parsley1 tbsp chopped fresh (3.8g)1
Sauerkrautnot in our table0

One typical portion per ingredient; the recipe's quantities are not counted. A rough guide only, not for medical or dietary planning.

Recipe from the Recipes Wiki (Fandom).

Steps grouped into stages for easier reading; the method is the source's own.

Explore the science

The flavor team

The pairs that carry this dish. Each one is judged two ways: how much their aromas overlap, and how often cooks already put them together.

  1. Onion + garlictop 1% of all pairs
    Smell alikestrong
    Cooked together29,058 recipes

    Shared aroma: furaneol (caramel, strawberry).

  2. Parsley + peppertop 2% of all pairs
    Smell alikestrong
    Cooked together34,122 recipes

    Shared aroma: 4'-methylacetophenone (bitter almond).

  3. Parsley + garlictop 4% of all pairs
    Smell alikestrong
    Cooked together9,308 recipes

    Shared aroma: beta-phellandrene (minty, terpene).

  4. Mustard + garlictop 6% of all pairs
    Smell alikestrong
    Cooked together4,053 recipes

    Shared aroma: linalool (floral, citrus).

  5. Onion + mustardtop 6% of all pairs
    Smell alikestrong
    Cooked together9,259 recipes

    Shared aroma: 2-isopropyl-3-methoxypyrazine (earthy, pea).

Ranks compare each pair with 20,000 random ingredient pairs on CompKitchen. How we score pairs

What each ingredient does

Ground fully cooked ham
Provides the main meaty body and flavor of the meatballs.
Cream cheese
Adds moisture and richness, keeping the filling tender and creamy.
Eggs
Bind the mixture and help the coating set during frying.
Dry bread crumbs
Absorb moisture and form a crisp, golden outer coating when fried.
Sauerkraut
Adds moisture and a tangy, acidic flavor that balances the rich ham.
All purpose flour
Dries the surface of the balls so the egg coating adheres.

The step that matters

Chilling the mixture. Chilling firms the cream cheese and moist sauerkraut mixture so the balls hold their shape. Skipping it can leave the balls soft and likely to fall apart in the hot oil.

Swap the parsley

How well each one fits the dish's main ingredients (ham, onion, bread, cream cheese, mustard, garlic, pepper):

  1. Capersfits better
  2. Thymefits about as well
  3. Celeryfits about as well
  4. Parsleythe original

Fit is the average pairing score against ham, onion, bread, cream cheese, mustard, garlic, pepper. Candidates are from the same food group and used in at least 100 recipes.

“What each ingredient does” and “The step that matters” were written by Claude from this recipe’s own method and reviewed in samples by CompKitchen.

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