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
German Meatloaf (Falscher Hase)
Ingredients
- 1 teaspoon oil
- 1 medium-sized onion, finely chopped
- 1/2 pound ground pork
- 1/2 pound ground beef
- 3 tablespoons breadcrumbs
- 4 medium-sized eggs
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon pepper
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1 tablespoon dijon mustard
Instructions
- Boil three of the eggs in a small pot for around 10 minutes. Then remove them from the pot, run them under cold water, and set them aside.
- In the meantime, heat the oil in a frying pan and sauté the chopped onion until it gets translucent. Remove it from the heat and set aside.
- In a medium-sized bowl, combine the ground pork, ground beef, breadcrumbs, sautéed onion, salt, pepper, paprika, and mustard. Also, add the one egg that is still raw.
- Mix everything in the bowl with your clean hands until well combined.
- Preheat the oven to 390 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Prepare your small loaf pan (approx. 8.5 inches long). We like cutting a small piece of parchment paper to fit the pan and placing it in before adding the meat. That will make it really easy to lift out the meatloaf later.
- Place slightly less than half of the meat mixture into the bottom of the loaf pan and spread it out until it is evenly distributed.
- Now peel the three eggs that you boiled earlier. Place the whole eggs on top of the meat in the loaf pan. Orient the eggs so that they are end to end lengthwise in the pan. Be sure to keep the eggs away from the edges so that you can place meat around them in the next step.
- Add the rest of the meat around and on top of the eggs and press everything down slightly. You can make the top slightly rounded off with a curve for a nicer look.
- Bake the meatloaf in the middle rack of your oven for around 40-45 minutes.
- Remove the meatloaf from the oven and let it sit for a couple of minutes before removing it from the loaf pan. You can capture the fat drippings/liquid and use it to make a gravy (just be aware that it would be quite fatty). Serve this meatloaf with boiled or mashed potatoes and mixed vegetables.
Notes
- We flavor our meatloaf quite well and we really enjoy the taste like that. However, you can always cut down on the salt, pepper, paprika, and/or mustard when you create your mince blend.
Nutrition
This nutritional information has been estimated by an online nutrition calculator. It should only be seen as a rough calculation and not a replacement for professional dietary advice.
But that is just regular meatloaf and not Falscher Hase
Falscher Hase is a type of meatloaf that is known for its hard-boiled egg in the middle. This recipe is exactly that so I’m not sure why you’re saying that it isn’t. /Lisa
I thought my mother was the only person to ever put hard boiled eggs in her meatloaf. Who knew?
I use all ground beef as I am not a fan of pork. I also use quick oats and ketchup, worchestershie sauce, onions and pepper. I also put 2 to 3 raw eggs in the mixture for added moisture. I add ketchup on top of the meatloaf. The hard boiled eggs only go in half of the meatloaf as I’m not a fan of hard boiled eggs.