Meatballs in bread sauce
4 servings
60 minutes
Meatballs in bread sauce are a comforting dish of Russian cuisine that combines simple yet rich flavors. The combination of beef, spices, and delicate bread sauce creates a rich flavor profile where the meat remains juicy and the sauce adds softness and deep aroma. The recipe's origins trace back to village traditions when housewives used available ingredients to turn them into a hearty and cozy meal. Dark beer in the sauce adds a subtle bitterness and highlights the rye base, while butter finishes the taste with creaminess. Meatballs pair perfectly with mashed potatoes or fresh bread, and their rich, warming nature makes them an excellent choice for family dinners or festive gatherings.

1
Peel the carrot, cut it into large cubes, fry and set aside. Peel the onion, chop it randomly and fry until golden brown, then cool.
- Carrot: 0.5 piece
- Onion: 2 heads
2
Pass the meat and fried onion through a meat grinder, add breadcrumbs, egg, milk, grated garlic, and spices.
- Beef: 500 g
- Onion: 2 heads
- Breadcrumbs: 0.5 glass
- Chicken egg: 1 piece
- Milk: 0.3 glass
- Garlic: 1 clove
- Nutmeg: 0.3 teaspoon
- Ground black pepper: to taste
- Salt: to taste
3
Mix the minced meat thoroughly and leave it in the cold for one hour.
4
Prepare the sauce: chop 1 onion as desired and sauté in a small saucepan, pour in beer and cook for 10 minutes, then add crustless bread and cook for another 15 minutes.
- Onion: 2 heads
- Dark beer: 300 ml
- Rye bread: 2 pieces
5
If the sauce is not homogeneous, blend it and gradually add the butter while stirring, then add the sautéed carrots.
- Butter: 50 g
- Carrot: 0.5 piece
6
Form meatballs from the minced meat, coat them in flour, fry, and heat in sauce.
- Beef: 500 g
- Wheat flour: to taste
- Vegetable oil: to taste









