German Meatloaf (Falscher Hase)

Here’s A Savory German Meatloaf Recipe With A Surprise Inside!

Ever had meatloaf with a hard-boiled egg inside? If you want a truly classic German meatloaf recipe, you’re in the right place!

Our German meatloaf – also known as Falscher Hase (literally “False Hare”) – is a perfectly spiced meat blend baked in a loaf pan.

The dish’s signature feature is – of course – the hard-boiled eggs inside! The meatloaf pairs well with potatoes or mixed vegetables – and you can even use the drippings to make a gravy.

This is a traditional German meatloaf recipe that Lisa grew up eating. The best part about this meatloaf recipe – besides the egg – is that it’s actually really easy to make.

This German-style meatloaf actually has another name to it – Hackbraten. However, this term refers to meatloaf in general and not necessary the version with eggs inside.

Another important point to make is that this German meatloaf recipe is not the same as Leberkäse.

Yes, Leberkäse is a type of meat dish that has a similar shape and is made in a loaf pan.

However, the ingredients, preparation, and overall texture/consistency are very different from the meatloaf we made in this post.

We’ll make Leberkäse in the future so you can see the difference – it’s also good (if you like meat) and quite Bavarian!

To be fair, this German meatloaf recipe is similar to our recipe for German meatballs.

Of course, the form is different… and the meatballs don’t have hard-boiled eggs inside.

How to Make German Meatloaf – Step by Step

If you want to make this delicious German meatloaf, you can check out the meatloaf recipe card below for exact measurements.

And if you want to see the recipe process photos to follow along, you can see them here!

First of, boil three of the eggs in a small pot with water for around 10 minutes. Once they are done, run them under cold water and set them aside.

In the meantime, chop the onion into fine pieces.

Heat the oil in a frying pan and sauté the onion pieces for a few minutes on medium heat until they get translucent.

Remove the pan from the heat and set it aside.

Add the minced pork and minced beef as well as bredcrumbs, sautéed onion, one raw egg, salt, pepper, paprika and mustard to a medium sized mixing bowl.

We like our meatloaf to have a lot of flavor which is why we add quite a bit of salt, pepper, paprika, and mustard.

You can definitely change this up to suit your personal preferences.

Use your clean hands to mix everything until well combined.

At this time also preheat your oven to 390 degrees Fahrenheit.

Optional: You can line the small loaf pan with a little bit of parchment paper. That will make it easy to lift out the loaf later.

Place slightly less than half of the meat mixture into the bottom of the loaf pan and spread it out evenly.

Then add the three peeled, hard-boiled eggs. Place them on top of the meat and orient them so they are end to end lengthwise in the pan.

Make sure the eggs are in the middle of the pan so you have enough space to place meat around them.

Finally, place the rest of the meat around and on top of the eggs. Press everything down slightly.

You can make the top slightly rounded off for a nicer looks. That also makes it easier to hide the eggs.

Bake the meatloaf in the middle rack of your oven for around 40-45 minutes.

Once fully baked and browned on top, remove the meatloaf from the oven and let it sit for a couple of minutes in the loaf pan. Then remove it.

You can capture the drippings and use them to make a gravy. Just be aware that it would be quite fatty.

This meatloaf tastes great with boiled or mashed potatoes and mixed vegetables.

Storage Tips

And if you don’t eat all of the meatloaf in one meal, you can store the leftovers in a container with a lid in the fridge for around two days. Enjoy!

Related Recipes

For more authentic German recipes, try out these and see which ones you like:

• Brötchen – Classic German bread rolls warm from the oven and enjoyed at any time!
• German Onion Pie – A simple Zwiebelkuchen recipe for a delicious creamy onion pie
• Toast Hawaii – A German classic of ham, cheese, and pineapple on a piece of toast