German Falscher Hase (Special Meatloaf) Recipe

German meatloaf
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  • 75 mins
  • Prep: 30 mins,
  • Cook: 45 mins
  • Yield: 1 pound (4 servings)
Ratings (22)

By Jennifer McGavin

Updated 11/30/17

Falscher hase came into prominence after World War II when meat was still scarce but German housewives wanted to put a special dish on the Sunday table.

Ingenious cooks, they mixed together chopped meats, wrapped them around hard-cooked eggs, shaped the mixture into a meatloaf reminiscent of a rabbit (a highly prized meat in Germany) and “roasted” it.

Bacon ​or speck spikes the flavor, as does parsley, mustard, Hungarian paprika, and sour cream.

What You'll Need

  • 1 pound ground beef round (or half ground round and half lean pork)
  • 1 medium onion (finely chopped)
  • 1/2 cup breadcrumbs (divided)
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
  • 1 teaspoon ground paprika
  • 1 teaspoon prepared mustard
  • 3 tablespoons parsley (chopped)
  • 3 hard-cooked eggs (peeled)
  • 4 strips bacon
  • 1 cup beef broth
  • 1/4 cup water (hot)
  • 1/4 cup water (cold)
  • 1 teaspoon cornstarch
  • 1/2 cup sour cream (low-fat is not recommended)
  • Optional: black pepper to taste

How to Make It

  1. In a large bowl, thoroughly mix together the meat, onion, 3 tablespoons of the breadcrumbs, the 2 raw eggs, salt, pepper, paprika, mustard, and parsley.
  2. Sprinkle the rest of the breadcrumbs on a cutting board and flatten the meat mixture into a rectangle about 1 inch thick.
  3. Arrange the whole, hard-cooked eggs in a row down the middle. Fold the sides of the meat patty over the eggs. Form the meat into a nice, free-form loaf shape. Coat liberally with breadcrumbs.
  1. Heat oven to 350 F.
  2. Chop 2 strips of bacon into small pieces and brown in a Dutch oven on the stove. Remove bacon pieces and set aside. Brown the meatloaf on all sides in the bacon grease.
  3. Lay the remaining strips of bacon over the meatloaf, pour 1/2 cup beef broth into the pan and place the Dutch oven in the heated oven. Bake, basting occasionally with the remaining 1/2 cup broth for about 45 minutes. Remove meatloaf to a serving platter, cover with aluminum foil and keep warm.
  4. Place Dutch oven back on stove top and add 1/4 cup of hot water. Scrape all browned bits from the bottom of the pan.
  5. Mix cornstarch with 1/4 cup cold water and add to pan. Bring just to a boil, reduce heat and stir in sour cream. Try not to boil after the sour cream has been added.
  6. Season with optional pepper and reserved bacon bits. Taste before adding more salt.
  7. Serve meatloaf with boiled, parsley potatoes and steamed green beans.
Nutritional Guidelines (per serving)
Calories 574
Total Fat 33 g
Saturated Fat 12 g
Unsaturated Fat 13 g
Cholesterol 502 mg
Sodium 584 mg
Carbohydrates 18 g
Dietary Fiber 2 g
Protein 49 g
(The nutrition information on our recipes is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate. Individual results may vary.)