Crunchy deep fried crust, soft pillowy mashed potatoes, and tangy sauerkraut, all rolled together into scrumptious sauerkraut balls!
I really should mow the lawn, but I’m pretty sure it would just grow back. Fool me once… right? So instead, I’ll do something a bit more productive with my time, like deep fry some sauerkraut balls. Oh, what are sauerkraut balls, you ask? They are nothing short of heaven on earth for sauerkraut lovers!
Crunchy deep fried crust, soft pillowy mashed potatoes, tangy sauerkraut, all rolled together in one scrumptious little ball, literally. These things are fairly quick and easy to prepare and great for anyone who is a novice at frying foods. I enjoy serving these with Thousand Island dressing, but mustard or ketchup would probably work as well. Heck, my Big Mac Sauce would be amazing with these deep friend morsels!
I love making homemade sauerkraut, not only do I think it tastes better than the store-bought variety, but I love the health benefits from eating it raw. If you haven’t tried it yet, check out my instructions for making your own homemade sauerkraut. It is a fun project, and the most difficult step is just waiting!
Ever since I started making my own sauerkraut I have been on the lookout for new sauerkraut recipes to incorporate it into, and this one is a keeper. If you want to make a large batch of these sauerkraut balls, just put them in a warm oven as you work on additional batches. No special equipment is needed, as you can deep fry in a heavy bottomed skillet on the stove. However, I do highly recommend you purchase a good thermometer to keep track of the oil. There are deep frying thermometers you can buy if you fry a lot, but I just use a normal kitchen meat thermometer as a multitasker.
Deep Fried Sauerkraut Ball
Ingredients
- 4 medium potatoes (peeled and diced)
- 14 1/2 ounce can sauerkraut (drained and squeezed dry)
- 1 egg
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper to taste
- 1/4 teaspoon caraway seed
- 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/3 cup breadcrumbs
For Batter
- 3 additional eggs
- 1/2 cup additional flour
- 1 cup additional breadcrumbs
For Dipping
- Thousand Island Dressing
Instructions
- Boil the potatoes in lightly salted water until soft and then remove them from the water and mash them in a bowl.
- Let potatoes cool slightly.
- Add sauerkraut, seasonings, egg, flour, and breadcrumbs and combine.
- Form into bite-sized balls.
- Add oil to skillet a couple inches deep and heat to 350 degrees.
- Coat each ball in flour, then egg, and finally breadcrumbs, shaking off the excess after each dredge.
- Fry for about 4 minutes or until golden brown, working in batches if needed.
- Remove from fryer and let excess oil drain on paper towels before serving.
- Serve with Thousand Island dressing for dipping.
Notes
If you enjoyed reading about this deep fried sauerkraut balls recipe then you should probably like me on Facebook and follow me on Pinterest too. That’s what I would do at least, because if you don’t get to know me but you still use my recipe it is kind of like taking candy from a stranger, and your mom taught you not to do that. Don’t disobey your mom, subscribe to Fox Valley Foodie today.
Brian Jones says
June 1, 2015 at 2:38 amI really have to try these, the Hungarians have a glorious ‘pickled’ cabbage dish called csalamádé which would be perfect for this, thank you 🙂
Fox Valley Foodie says
June 1, 2015 at 8:46 pmSounds intriguing. I had to google csalamádé and it looks like something I would really enjoy. I may have to put that on my to-do list!
Nancy | Plus Ate Six says
June 1, 2015 at 5:34 amYou had me at sauerkraut. And then deep fried just sealed the deal 🙂 So I followed you on Pinterest.
Fox Valley Foodie says
June 1, 2015 at 8:45 pmThanks for the follow, favor returned!
Christine says
June 1, 2015 at 6:53 amThese sound so yummy and unique (to me at least. I’m giving you full credit.) I want to make my own sauerkraut! Off to read that post.
Fox Valley Foodie says
June 1, 2015 at 8:30 pmI really do highly recommend making your own sauerkraut. As a foodie, I find it to be a very rewarding experience to get a deeper appreciate for old school food preparation methods!
Lorelai @ Life With Lorelai says
June 1, 2015 at 8:36 amYUM’d! This looks delicious. Please come share your blog posts over at the Home Matters Linky Party! We’d love to have you for a visit. The Door is OPEN. http://lifewithlorelai.com/2015/05/28/home-matters-linky-party-39/ 🙂
~Lorelai
Life With Lorelai
Fox Valley Foodie says
June 1, 2015 at 8:31 pmThanks! I absolutely will!
Oana @AdoreFoods says
June 1, 2015 at 3:20 pmI cannot wait to try these amazingly looking sauerkraut balls! Pinned to make them later
Angela McKinney says
June 1, 2015 at 7:28 pmI really like sauerkraut and these sound yummy! Glad you shared at #HomeMattersParty
Andrea H. says
October 15, 2017 at 3:07 pmJust made these for my husbands birthday meal. He isn’t a fan of sauerkraut but wanted to try these and he LOVED them.
Very tasty. We did discuss maybe making again but adding corned beef and swiss to make into a Reuban ball.
No matter what- will be making again and already passing on to others.
Fox Valley Foodie says
October 16, 2017 at 9:17 amThey would taste AWESOME as fried Reuben balls!
Jenn says
October 28, 2018 at 5:46 pmI made these tonight, – the caraway seed, that’s just because I didn’t have any, but these are so yummy I kept hearing sauerkraut balls today, online then on TV I had the stuff in the fridge already so why not give it a try! Thank You and will be making them again!
Nancy says
January 23, 2019 at 4:03 pmCan you prep this recipe in advance or serve room temp? Trying to see if it’s viable to make for a party.
Fox Valley Foodie says
January 25, 2019 at 8:21 amYou would want to fry them shortly before serving. Room temperature deep fried food is never very appetizing. As far as advanced prep, I would also recommend breading them shortly before frying so the breading doesn’t get soggy. It may be possible to make them in advance and then freeze them until you are ready to fry them, but I haven’t tested the time/temp for that.