• Home
  • RECIPE INDEX
  • EASY RECIPES
    • Easy Dinner
    • One-pot
    • Instant Pot
  • BY CUISINE
    • Asian Fusion
    • Chinese
    • Peranakan/Nyonya
    • CAMBODIA
    • LAOS
    • INDONESIAN
    • Indonesian Chinese
    • MALAYSIA
    • MYANMAR
    • SINGAPORE
    • Singapore Hawker Food
    • THAILAND
    • VIETNAM
  • BY COURSE
    • Breakfast
    • Dim Sum
    • Main Course
    • Soups/Stews
    • Salad
    • Sides
    • Condiments
    • Snacks
    • Desserts
  • INGREDIENTS
    • Rice & Grains
    • Noodles
    • Eggs
    • Tofu & Tempeh
    • Poultry
    • Red Meats
    • Pork
    • Seafood
  • SOURDOUGH
    • Sourdough Bread Recipes
    • Recipes Using Sourdough Discard
  • BREAD & BUNS
    • Steamed Buns
    • Bread with Yeast
    • No-Knead Bread
    • Quick Bread
  • CAKES/COOKIES/PASTRIES
    • Cakes
    • Chiffon Cakes
    • Sponge Cakes
    • Pastries
    • Cookies
    • Kue/Kueh
    • No-Bake Dessert
  • DIETARY
    • Gluten-free
    • Vegan
    • VEGETARIAN
    • CONFINEMENT
  • celebrate
    • Chinese New Year
    • Easter
    • Hari Raya
    • Dragon Boat Festival
    • Mooncake Festival
    • Thanksgiving
    • Winter Solstice
    • Christmas Cooking
    • Christmas Baking
What To Cook Today
  • ABOUT ME
    • CONTACT
  • Pantry
  • Shop
  • subscribe
  • Home
  • RECIPE INDEX
  • EASY RECIPES
    • Easy Dinner
    • One-pot
    • Instant Pot
  • BY CUISINE
    • Asian Fusion
    • Chinese
    • Peranakan/Nyonya
    • CAMBODIA
    • LAOS
    • INDONESIAN
    • Indonesian Chinese
    • MALAYSIA
    • MYANMAR
    • SINGAPORE
    • Singapore Hawker Food
    • THAILAND
    • VIETNAM
  • BY COURSE
    • Breakfast
    • Dim Sum
    • Main Course
    • Soups/Stews
    • Salad
    • Sides
    • Condiments
    • Snacks
    • Desserts
  • INGREDIENTS
    • Rice & Grains
    • Noodles
    • Eggs
    • Tofu & Tempeh
    • Poultry
    • Red Meats
    • Pork
    • Seafood
  • SOURDOUGH
    • Sourdough Bread Recipes
    • Recipes Using Sourdough Discard
  • BREAD & BUNS
    • Steamed Buns
    • Bread with Yeast
    • No-Knead Bread
    • Quick Bread
  • CAKES/COOKIES/PASTRIES
    • Cakes
    • Chiffon Cakes
    • Sponge Cakes
    • Pastries
    • Cookies
    • Kue/Kueh
    • No-Bake Dessert
  • DIETARY
    • Gluten-free
    • Vegan
    • VEGETARIAN
    • CONFINEMENT
  • celebrate
    • Chinese New Year
    • Easter
    • Hari Raya
    • Dragon Boat Festival
    • Mooncake Festival
    • Thanksgiving
    • Winter Solstice
    • Christmas Cooking
    • Christmas Baking
What To Cook Today
What To Cook Today
  • Home
  • ABOUT ME
    • CONTACT
  • SHOP
  • SUBSCRIBE
  • RECIPE INDEX
  • easy recipes
    • Easy Dinner
    • One-pot
    • Instant Pot
  • by course
    • Breakfast
    • Dim Sum
    • Main Course
    • Soups/Stews
    • Salad
    • Sides
    • Condiments
    • Snacks
    • Desserts
  • ingredients
    • Rice & Grains
    • Noodles
    • Eggs
    • Tofu & Tempeh
    • Poultry
    • Red Meats
    • Pork
    • Seafood
  • sourdough
    • Sourdough Bread Recipes
    • Recipes Using Sourdough Discard
  • bread & buns
    • Steamed Buns
    • Bread with Yeast
    • No-Knead Bread
    • Quick Bread
  • cakes/cookies/pastries
    • Cakes
    • Pastries
    • Chiffon Cakes
    • Sponge Cakes
    • Cookies
    • No-Bake Dessert
    • Kue/Kueh
  • dietary
    • Gluten-free
    • Vegan
    • VEGETARIAN
    • CONFINEMENT
  • celebrate
    • Chinese New Year
    • Easter
    • Hari Raya
    • Dragon Boat Festival
    • Mooncake Festival
    • Thanksgiving
    • Winter Solstice
    • Christmas Baking
    • Christmas Cooking

FINNISH MEATBALLS / LIHAPYORYKAT

written by Marvellina Updated: March 10, 2018
5K
PIN RECIPE COMMENTS VIEW RECIPE
This post may contain affiliate links. Please read our disclosure policy.

FINNISH MEATBALLS / LIHAPYORYKATFinland itself has always been special to me for the longest time. I’ve never been there myself if you wonder why. Finland is special because I have a special friend there 🙂 A friend that I got to know before I knew how to use a desktop computer and connect to the internet (the word “internet” was an alien at that time too!). A friend that I got to know when I was still in middle school in Indonesia through snail mail 🙂

I remember a friend of mine at school was asking whether I was interested in making friend with people from other countries through writing, or they called it pen pal at that time (my kids will probably grow up never knowing this term “pen pal” lol!). I was really interested and I thought it’s good for practicing my written English at that time too. I couldn’t remember exactly now, how we got it all started, but there was a program that’s going on for this pen pal thing and the next thing I know, I had started to write to this special friend of mine from Finland. I was so excited to receive the first letter from her. It was a BIG DEAL to me!

We continued writing to each other throughout college off and on. We kinda out of touch for certain period of time and then got back into writing again and then we were out of touch again for at least 10 years I believe, until I found her back through facebook about one year ago. I’ve never met her in person, however, I feel connected to her and writing to her always reminds me of all the fond memories of being a teenager 🙂

Okay, sorry, hope you guys are not dozing off at the other side reading this. I just have to share this story because it’s just something dear to me. Trust me, will get on the cooking part very soon! After re-connecting to her again, it hit me that I had not tried Finnish cuisine all this time. Doh!! So, I consulted her and asking for recommendations on what I should try for Finnish cuisine. She did give me wonderful recommendations. Finnish meatballs or lihapyorykat was the first dish I tried. Meatballs never fail to comfort majority of people (including me), doesn’t matter where you are from. Of course every family has its own version of meatballs and the combination of ingredients you can put into meatballs are endless too. This Finnish meatballs are absolutely soft and scrumptious. This recipe is adopted from The Best Of Finnish Cooking by Taimi Previdi.

Thank you Anne, for your recommendations and friendship 🙂

FINNISH MEATBALLS / LIHAPYORYKAT

FINNISH MEATBALLS / LIHAPYORYKAT

FINNISH MEATBALLS / LIHAPYORYKAT

Servings 4 servings
5 from 1 review
REVIEW & RATE PRINT

Ingredients

  • 1 lb lean ground beef
  • 2 slices white bread , crumbled
  • ½ cup milk or club soda
  • 1 medium onion (peeled and chopped)
  • 2 Tbsp butter
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1 tsp ground allspice powder
  • 1 large egg
  • 1 Tbsp all-purpose flour
  • 1 cup beef broth or water
  • 1 Tbsp heavy cream

Instructions
 

  • In a bowl, soak the crumbled bread in the milk. Saute the chopped onion in 1 Tbsp of butter until soft and lightly browned. Add to the bowl with the meat, salt, allspice and eggs. Beat well with a wooden spoon or with an electric mixer. Chill for 15 minutes
  • With hands dipped in cold water form small balls and brown them in the rest of the butter in a skillet, turning them often. Remove from the skillet and set aside. Keep the drippings on the skillet

Preparing the sauce:

  • In the same skillet you use to cook the meatballs, stir in flour and cook in the drippings briefly. Add the broth or water, and the heavy cream, and cook until the sauce thickens. Add the meatballs to the sauce, cover and let simmer for 15 minutes. Add salt to taste

Serving:

  • Serve with lingonberries (if you have some) and boiled potatoes
Did you make this recipe?Let me know how you like this recipe and consider rating it! Tag me @whattocooktoday I'd love to see your photos/videos on Instagram

FINNISH MEATBALLS / LIHAPYORYKAT

previous post
SEAFOOD FRICASSEE
next post
KARELIAN HOT POT / KARJALANPAISTI

6 comments

Samantha Jussila February 8, 2024 - 7:53 am

Well fancy that! I too had a pen pal from Zimbabwe I’m from the UK and you are correct children today will have no idea what that is.. my partner, from years back, is Finnish and I lived in Finland for a while – it’s completely beautiful and very green. I’m following your recipe because I wanted traditional Finnish and couldn’t remember all the ingredients – bravo you! X

Reply
Marvellina February 8, 2024 - 9:37 pm

Hi Samantha, I’m hoping one day I’ll make it to Finland. I’ve heard many great things about it! 🙂 I hope the meatballs turned out well for you!

Reply
Icewineanne December 10, 2020 - 6:37 pm

Great recipe! Very similar to my mom’s recipe.
I always buy imported lingonberries & add them to the sauce. Thanks for posting this 🐥

Reply
Marvellina December 10, 2020 - 7:40 pm

Hello, I’m glad you approve 🙂 I love lingonberries too. Great idea to add it to this! I will try that next time 🙂

Reply
40 thieves January 23, 2019 - 8:47 am

I was born in Finland and can attest to this recipe. I make it often. I do not go with the cream buiness or with an egg. It costs too much. What I do is add leftover gravy and it is damned good.

No lingonberries in Canada, but cranberries are a good substitute.

Reply
Marvellina January 23, 2019 - 8:43 pm

Hello, that’s a great substitution for egg and cream! will keep that in mind!

Reply
5 from 1 vote

Leave a Comment Cancel Reply

Please feel free to ask questions here or leave your comments and ratings if you have tried the recipe! Your Email address will not be published!




Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment.

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Hello! I'm Marvellina!

I’m passionate about food—especially bold, comforting Asian flavors—and I love sharing approachable recipes and creative bakes with an Asian twist. So glad you’re here! LEARN MORE...

Our Favorites

  • How To Make Soft and Fluffy Pandan Chiffon Cake (Complete Guide)

  • How to Make Basic Asian Rice Porridge (Congee)

  • Zha Jiang Mian (炸酱面) (Chinese Fried Sauce Noodles)

  • Easy Hokkien Bak Chang (Zongzi-Sticky Rice Dumplings)

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • Youtube

©2025 - What To Cook Today. All Rights Reserved.
Privacy & Disclosure Policy


Back To Top
  • Home
  • ABOUT ME
    • CONTACT
  • SHOP
  • SUBSCRIBE
  • RECIPE INDEX
  • easy recipes
    • Easy Dinner
    • One-pot
    • Instant Pot
  • by course
    • Breakfast
    • Dim Sum
    • Main Course
    • Soups/Stews
    • Salad
    • Sides
    • Condiments
    • Snacks
    • Desserts
  • ingredients
    • Rice & Grains
    • Noodles
    • Eggs
    • Tofu & Tempeh
    • Poultry
    • Red Meats
    • Pork
    • Seafood
  • sourdough
    • Sourdough Bread Recipes
    • Recipes Using Sourdough Discard
  • bread & buns
    • Steamed Buns
    • Bread with Yeast
    • No-Knead Bread
    • Quick Bread
  • cakes/cookies/pastries
    • Cakes
    • Pastries
    • Chiffon Cakes
    • Sponge Cakes
    • Cookies
    • No-Bake Dessert
    • Kue/Kueh
  • dietary
    • Gluten-free
    • Vegan
    • VEGETARIAN
    • CONFINEMENT
  • celebrate
    • Chinese New Year
    • Easter
    • Hari Raya
    • Dragon Boat Festival
    • Mooncake Festival
    • Thanksgiving
    • Winter Solstice
    • Christmas Baking
    • Christmas Cooking

Let me know how you like the recipe and consider rating it!

Your vote:




A rating is required
A name is required
An email is required

Recipe Ratings without Comment

Something went wrong. Please try again.