These Polish meatballs (pulpety) are tender, flavorful, and simmered in broth until perfectly juicy. In this post, I’m sharing not just one, but three traditional sauce options to serve them with – creamy dill sauce, hearty mushroom sauce, and tangy tomato sauce. Whether you’re cooking a cozy family dinner or looking for authentic Polish comfort food, this versatile recipe has you covered!
Polish meatballs
Polish meatballs, known as pulpety or klopsiki, are a beloved comfort food in Poland and a staple of home-cooked meals. Unlike their pan-fried (and then baked) counterparts (kotlety mielone), pulpety are gently simmered in broth, which makes them exceptionally tender and juicy. What sets them apart is their delicate texture, achieved by soaking bread or breadcrumbs in milk before mixing with ground meat, and their mild seasoning, which allows the flavor of the sauce to shine.
Speaking of sauces, pulpety are incredibly versatile and can be served with a variety of flavorful options. The most popular are creamy dill sauce, rich mushroom sauce, and a simple yet delicious tomato sauce. While the preparation may take a bit of time, each recipe yields a generous batch of meatballs along with plenty of sauce.
Ingredients
Here’s what you need for the meatballs:
Here’s what you need for mushroom sauce:
Here’s what you need for the dill sauce:
Here’s what you need for tomato sauce:
How to make the meatballs step-by-step
STEP 1: Prepare the panade – two ways:
- If using breadcrumbs (photo 1): In a small bowl, combine the breadcrumbs and milk. Let sit for 20 minutes while you prepare the remaining ingredients and any side dishes (this is a good time to peel potatoes, for example). This is my preference, as I always have dried breadcrumbs at home but rarely stale bread rolls.
- If using dry bread or bread rolls (photo 2): Soak the bread for about 20 minutes, or until completely soft, turning it once (you don’t have to remove the rind). Then, squeeze out the excess milk with your hands – the bread should be damp but not dripping. Mash it with a fork until mostly broken up, but it doesn’t need to be completely smooth. Remove any firm clumps that haven’t softened.
Prepare the onions: There are two common methods, depending on your preference:
- You can add raw grated onion directly to the meat mixture (my preferred method), or
- Sauté the onion in 1 tablespoon of butter for 5–10 minutes, until soft and lightly golden.
If using raw onion, grate it on the large holes of a box grater.
(½ cup (70g) fine breadcrumbs, or 1 stale kaiser roll (small round bread roll) or bread (weight also about 2 ½ ounces or 70g), ½ cup + 2 tablespoons (150g) milk, 2 medium onions)
STEP 3+4: Prepare the meat mixture for the meatballs:
Add all ingredients to a large mixing bowl: ground meat, raw grated or sautéed onion, finely chopped garlic, panade, eggs, herbs, salt, and pepper. Mix well until everything is thoroughly combined.
(1 pound (450g) ground beef, 1 pound (450g) ground pork, 2 large eggs, 4 cloves garlic, 1 teaspoon marjoram, 1 teaspoon Italian herbs, 1 tablespoon fresh parsley, or 1 teaspoon dried, ½ teaspoon ground black pepper, Salt, to taste (I added 4 teaspoons table salt, but add it to your taste))
STEP 5+6: Shape the meatballs:
Scoop the mixture using a 3-tablespoon ice cream scoop, then shape into balls with your hands. Roll each meatball in flour to coat all sides. Set aside on a plate.
(1/3 (40g) cup flour)
STEP 7: Cook the meatballs:
Heat clarified butter (or oil) in a large frying pan. Add half of the meatballs and brown them on two or three sides, but don’t cook them through. Two spoons work well for turning the meatballs. Once browned, transfer to a plate and repeat with the second batch.
STEP 8: Simmer the meatballs in broth:
Add hot broth to the pan and bring it to a boil. Add the meatballs and simmer them over low heat for about 7 minutes, or until their internal temperature reaches 160°F (71°C). The broth should come up most of the way around the meatballs, but doesn’t need to fully cover them. Once cooked through, transfer the meatballs to a plate.
(4 cups (960g) chicken broth)
The meatballs are ready—now choose one of the sauce recipes to serve them with. The base for the sauce will be the broth in which the meatballs were simmered.
Sauce for the meatballs
If you used a very large frying pan to cook the meatballs, you can also use it to make the sauce. However, if your pan is medium-sized, it may be too small to fit both the meatballs and the sauce (this recipe makes a lot), so it’s better to use a pot instead. See photos below for a reference.
Sour Cream Mushroom Sauce (my favorite!) – sos grzybowy
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STEP 1: Simmer the broth for about 7 minutes over medium-high heat to reduce it.
STEP 2: Meanwhile, slice the mushrooms, dice the onion, and finely chop the garlic.
(1 pound (450g) cremini mushrooms, 1 medium onion, 4 cloves garlic)
Strain the broth into another bowl or pot. (Straining is optional but results in a cleaner sauce. I ended up with about 2¾ cups of broth after reducing.)
STEP 3: Wipe the pan with a paper towel (You can also cook the mushrooms in a separate pan, but I prefer it to make the sauce in the same pan). Add clarified butter or oil and heat over high heat. Add the mushrooms in an even layer. Don’t stir for the first 2–3 minutes to allow them to brown. Then stir, add the onion, and cook for a few more minutes until both the mushrooms and onions are soft. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute.
STEP 4: Pour the broth back into the pan and bring it to a boil.
STEP 5: In a medium bowl, whisk together the sour cream and flour. Gradually add about ¾ cup of the hot broth from the pan, whisking constantly. Then add the mixture back into the pan. Stir until combined, bring to a boil, and cook for 1 minute (longer if the sauce is still too thin).
(1 cup (240ml) sour cream, 3 tablespoons flour)
STEP 6: Season with Worcestershire sauce, mustard, salt, and pepper to taste.
Stir in the chopped parsley and remove from the heat. Add the meatballs to the sauce (reheat briefly if they’ve cooled down). Serve and enjoy!
(½ tablespoon Dijon mustard, 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce)
Dill sauce – sos koperkowy
Simmer the sauce over medium-high heat for 7 minutes to reduce it.
In a small bowl, stir the flour with the heavy cream until smooth. Whisk in about 1/3 cup of the hot broth, then add the mixture to the pan.
Add the mustard and lemon juice. Cook a little longer if the sauce is too thin.
Season with salt and pepper to taste, then stir in the chopped dill.
When the sauce is ready, add the meatballs to the sauce (reheat briefly if they’ve cooled down). Serve and enjoy!
(1 cup (240ml) heavy cream, ¼ cup (30g) flour, 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard, 1 tablespoon lemon juice, Small bunch of dill)
Tomato sauce – sos pomidorowy
STEP 1: Strain the broth into another pot or bowl. Wipe the pan with a paper towel.
Dice the onion and finely chop the garlic.
Heat the butter in the pan, then add the onion and cook for 5–8 minutes, until soft. Add the garlic and oregano, and cook for 30 seconds.
Stir in the flour and cook for 1 minute.
(1 medium/large onion, 4 cloves garlic, 1 teaspoon oregano, 2 tablespoons flour)
STEP 2: Add the broth back to the pan along with the tomato passata and sugar.
(1 bottle (24.5 oz/700g) tomato passata (tomato puree), 1 teaspoon sugar)
STEP 3: Bring to a boil, then simmer for about 25 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the sauce thickens. I like to blend the sauce with a hand blender until almost smooth, but this step is optional.
Season with salt and pepper to taste.
STEP 4: When the sauce is ready, add the meatballs to the sauce (reheat briefly if they’ve cooled down). Serve and enjoy!
Storage
The meatballs and all types of sauces reheat beautifully. Store them in the fridge for up to 4 days.
Serving suggestions
Some side dishes to serve with your meatballs:
- Sour cream mashed potatoes
- Kopytka (Polish potato dumplings similar to gnocchi)
- Kluski Śląskie – Silesian Dumplings – similar to kopytka dumplings, but they have a different shape and are made with potato starch instead of all-purpose flour.
- Steamed Cauliflower
- Make-Ahead Mashed Potatoes
- Garlic Butter Noodles (Buttered Noodles)
- Green beans almondine
- Polish Potato Pancakes (placki ziemniaczane)
Did you make this recipe? RATE THE RECIPE or tell me in the COMMENTS how you liked it! You can also add a photo of your dish. It would make me very happy and will help other readers. Thank you!!
Polish Meatballs – with 3 different sauces (dill/mushroom/tomato)
Ingredients
for the meatballs (pulpety):
- ½ cup (70g) fine breadcrumbs, or 1 stale kaiser roll (small round bread roll) or bread (weight also about 2 ½ ounces or 70g)
- ½ cup + 2 tablespoons (150g) milk
- 1 pound (450g) ground beef
- 1 pound (450g) ground pork
- 2 large eggs
- 2 medium onions
- 4 cloves garlic
- 1 teaspoon marjoram
- 1 teaspoon Italian herbs
- 1 tablespoon fresh parsley or 1 teaspoon dried
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
- Salt to taste (I added 4 teaspoons table salt, but add it to your taste)
- 1/3 cup (40g) flour for coating the meatballs
- 3 tablespoons clarified butter or vegetable oil
For the mushroom sauce (“sos grzybowy” the best one, my favorite):
- 4 cups (960g) chicken broth
- 1 tablespoon clarified butter or vegetable oil
- 1 pound (450g) cremini mushrooms
- 1 medium onion
- 4 cloves garlic
- 1 cup (240ml) sour cream
- 3 tablespoons flour
- ½ tablespoon Dijon mustard
- 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
- Salt and pepper to taste
- Chopped parsley to serve
For the dill sauce (sos koperkowy):
- 4 cups (960g) chicken broth
- 1 cup (240ml) heavy cream
- ¼ cup (30g) flour
- 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- Small bunch of dill
- Salt and pepper to taste
For the tomato sauce (sos pomidorowy):
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 1 medium/large onion
- 4 cloves garlic
- 1 teaspoon oregano
- 2 tablespoons flour
- 4 cups (960g) chicken broth
- 1 bottle (24.5 oz/700g) tomato passata (tomato puree)
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- Salt and pepper to taste
Would you like to save this?
We'll email this post to you, so you can come back to it later!
Instructions
Prepare the meatballs:
- Prepare the panade – two ways:
- If using breadcrumbs: In a small bowl, combine the breadcrumbs and milk. Let sit for 20 minutes while you prepare the remaining ingredients and any side dishes (this is a good time to peel potatoes, for example). This is my preference, as I always have dried breadcrumbs at home but rarely stale bread rolls.
- If using dry bread or bread rolls: Soak the bread for about 20 minutes, or until completely soft, turning it once (you don't have to remove the rind). Then squeeze out the excess milk with your hands – the bread should be damp but not dripping. Mash it with a fork until mostly broken up, but it doesn’t need to be completely smooth. Remove any firm clumps that haven’t softened.
Prepare the onions: There are two common methods, depending on your preference:
- – You can add raw grated onion directly to the meat mixture (my preferred method), or– Sauté the onion in 1 tablespoon of butter for 5–10 minutes, until soft and lightly golden.
- If using raw onion, grate it on the large holes of a box grater.
Prepare the meat mixture for the meatballs:
- Add all ingredients to a large mixing bowl: ground meat, raw grated or sautéed onion, finely chopped garlic, panade, eggs, herbs, salt, and pepper. Mix well until everything is thoroughly combined.
Shape the meatballs:
- Scoop the mixture using a 3-tablespoon ice cream scoop, then shape into balls with your hands. Roll each meatball in flour to coat all sides. Set aside on a plate.
Cook the meatballs:
- Heat clarified butter (or oil) in a large frying pan. Add half of the meatballs and brown them on two or three sides, but don’t cook them through. Two spoons work well for turning the meatballs. Once browned, transfer to a plate and repeat with the second batch.
Simmer the meatballs in broth:
- Add hot broth to the pan and bring it to a boil. Add the meatballs and simmer them over low heat for about 7 minutes, or until their internal temperature reaches 160°F (71°C). The broth should come up most of the way around the meatballs, but doesn’t need to fully cover them. Once cooked through, transfer the meatballs to a plate.
- The meatballs are ready—now choose one of the sauce recipes to serve them with. The base for the sauce will be the broth in which the meatballs were simmered.
Make the sauce:
- If you used a very large frying pan to cook the meatballs, you can also use it to make the sauce. However, if your pan is medium-sized, it may be too small to fit both the meatballs and the sauce (this recipe makes a lot), so it’s better to use a pot instead. You can refer to the photos in the body of the post for reference.
Sour cream mushroom sauce:
- Simmer the broth for about 7 minutes over medium-high heat to reduce it.
- Meanwhile, slice the mushrooms, dice the onion, and finely chop the garlic.
- Strain the broth into another bowl or pot. (Straining is optional but results in a cleaner sauce. I ended up with about 2¾ cups of broth after reducing.)
- Wipe the pan with a paper towel (You can also cook the mushrooms in a separate pan, but I prefer it to make the sauce in the same pan). Add clarified butter or oil and heat over high heat. Add the mushrooms in an even layer. Don’t stir for the first 2–3 minutes to allow them to brown. Then stir, add the onion, and cook for a few more minutes until both the mushrooms and onions are soft. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute.
- Pour the broth back into the pan and bring it to a boil.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the sour cream and flour. Gradually add about ¾ cup of the hot broth from the pan, whisking constantly. Then add the mixture back into the pan. Stir until combined, bring to a boil, and cook for 1 minute (longer if the sauce is still too thin).
- Season with Worcestershire sauce, mustard, salt, and pepper to taste.
- Stir in the chopped parsley and remove from heat. Add the meatballs to the sauce (reheat briefly if they’ve cooled down). Serve and enjoy!
Dill sauce:
- Simmer the sauce over medium-high heat for 7 minutes to reduce it.
- In a small bowl, stir the flour with the heavy cream until smooth. Whisk in about 1/3 cup of the hot broth, then add the mixture to the pan.
- Add the mustard and lemon juice. Cook a little longer if the sauce is too thin.
- Season with salt and pepper to taste, then stir in the chopped dill.
- When the sauce is ready, add the meatballs to the sauce (reheat briefly if they’ve cooled down). Serve and enjoy!
Tomato sauce:
- Strain the broth into another pot or bowl. Wipe the pan with a paper towel.
- Dice the onion and finely chop the garlic.
- Heat the butter in the pan, then add the onion and cook for 5–8 minutes, until soft. Add the garlic and oregano, and cook for 30 seconds.
- Stir in the flour and cook for 1 minute.
- Add the broth back to the pan along with the tomato passata and sugar.
- Bring to a boil, then simmer for about 25 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the sauce thickens. I like to blend the sauce with a hand blender until almost smooth, but this step is optional.
- Season with salt and pepper to taste.
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