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Meat, European

Liège style meatballs with fries

Liège style meatballs are big beef and pork meatballs simmered in a sweet and sour sauce made with Liège syrup, served with fries and a green salad. This easy recipe for 4 people takes 60 minutes and costs €3.30 per person. The key is a glossy sauce, not too sweet or too tart, and meatballs that aren't packed too tightly so they stay soft.

Tonight we're in Belgium with Liège style meatballs, big meatballs in a sweet and sour syrup sauce, with fries.

Liège style meatballs with fries
Total time
1 h
Difficulty
Easy
Cost per person
€3.30
Calories per person
890 kcalcalculated by Kiloach, your weight coach
Season
Winter, Spring, Fall
The kids
They generally like it

A Liège style meatball is the Belgian meatball at its most generous, one big ball of meat per person instead of several small ones. It simmers in a sauce that blends the sweetness of Liège syrup with the tang of cider vinegar, built on the fond left by softened onions. The result is a glossy, almost syrupy sauce coating tender, juicy meat.

This is a solid pick for a weeknight winter dinner, hearty without being complicated, and kids usually love the sweet and sour sauce with the fries. Mon Chou built this version to be easy to pull off with ingredients you can actually find, even without real Liège syrup, which thick apple butter can stand in for. It's also a fun dish to introduce on a Sunday if you haven't tried Belgian cooking before.

The ingredients

4 people

Butcher

  • Ground beef and pork 700 g

Bakery

  • Sandwich bread 2 slices

Dairy

  • Milk 10 cl
  • Egg 1
  • Butter 50 g

Fruits and vegetables

  • Parsley 4 sprigs
  • Onions 3
  • Potatoes 1 kg
  • Green salad 1

Pantry

  • Breadcrumbsoften in the pantry 3 tbsp
  • Liège syrup or thick apple butter 4 tbsp
  • Cider vinegaroften in the pantry 2 tbsp
  • Beef brothoften in the pantry 25 cl
  • Oiloften in the pantry 3 tbsp
  • Saltoften in the pantry 1 pinch
  • Pepperoften in the pantry 1 pinch

Allergens Gluten, Eggs, Celery

The step by step recipe

  1. Soak the bread in milk, squeeze it out, and mix it into the meat with the egg, parsley, salt, and pepper.

    Mix with your fingertips so you don't pack the meat down.

  2. Shape four big meatballs, roll them in breadcrumbs, and brown them in the butter. 10 min

    Brown them on all sides to seal in the juices.

  3. Remove them, then soften the sliced onions in the same pan. 10 min

    The onions pick up all the browned bits from the meat.

  4. Add the syrup, vinegar, and broth, put the meatballs back in, and let it simmer covered. 25 min

    The sauce should look glossy and slightly syrupy.

  5. Bake the fries in the oven at 220°C and serve them with the meatballs and a green salad.

    Flip the fries halfway through baking.

Our tips to get it right

  • Squeeze the bread out well after soaking it in milk, otherwise the mixture will be too wet and the meatballs won't hold together while cooking.
  • Brown the meatballs over medium heat rather than high heat, so the outside colors without burning the breadcrumbs before the inside is cooked through.
  • Taste the sauce before putting the meatballs back in to simmer, and adjust the vinegar or syrup to your liking, since Liège syrup varies in sweetness from brand to brand.

The variations

  • You can swap the ground beef and pork for ground veal for meatballs with a milder flavor.
  • For a vegetarian version, use lentil or plant based meatballs and shorten the simmering time a bit so they don't fall apart.
  • For a quicker weeknight version for kids, make smaller meatballs that cook and simmer faster, and serve with frozen oven fries.

What to serve it with

  • Homemade or oven baked fries
  • Green salad with a sharp vinaigrette
  • A Belgian blonde ale

Storage

The meatballs keep for 2 to 3 days in the fridge in a sealed container, and the sauce often tastes even better the next day. They freeze well in their sauce for up to 2 months. Reheat gently in a skillet or saucepan with a splash of water to loosen the sauce.

Questions about this dish

Can you make the meatballs ahead of time?

Yes, you can shape and brown the meatballs the day before, then finish cooking them in the sauce the next day. The sauce itself tastes better after resting overnight in the fridge.

What if you can't find Liège syrup?

Thick apple butter works really well and gives a similar result. You can also try a small amount of honey mixed with balsamic vinegar.

Can you freeze Liège style meatballs?

Yes, they freeze very well in their sauce, for up to 2 months in an airtight container. Thaw in the fridge overnight, then reheat gently in a saucepan.

Why soak the bread in milk for the meatball mixture?

The milk soaked bread holds moisture inside the meatballs as they cook, which keeps them from drying out. That's what gives Liège style meatballs their signature soft texture.

How long does it take to make Liège style meatballs, big beef and pork meatballs in a sweet and sour syrup sauce, served with fries?

Count 1 h in total, prep and cooking included. The recipe is rated “easy”.

How many calories are in Liège style meatballs, big beef and pork meatballs in a sweet and sour syrup sauce, served with fries?

About 890 kcal per serving, for a recipe meant for 4 people. Calories are calculated by Kiloach, your weight coach, the app that partners with Mon Chou.

How much does Liège style meatballs, big beef and pork meatballs in a sweet and sour syrup sauce, served with fries cost?

About €3.30 per serving, or €13.20 for 4 people, based on average supermarket prices.

What allergens does this recipe contain?

This recipe contains gluten, eggs, celery. Always check the labels of the products you buy.

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