Bitterballen are the Dutch answer to the perfect bar snack: a crisp, golden ball with a warm, almost liquid beef ragout inside. In any brown café in Amsterdam they sit next to a cold draught beer, and they are always the first thing to disappear from the table. Traditionally they are deep-fried, but you do not have to do that at home.
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The air fryer gives you the same crunchy crust without a pot of boiling oil on the hob. The secret does not lie in the cooking, but in the ragout: it needs to be thickened generously with a roux and chilled until completely firm before you even think about shaping the balls.
Estimated reading time: 4 minutes
Table of Contents
Table of Contents:
Why I love bitterballen in the air fryer
Deep-frying is the classic method, but it costs you a litre of oil, a smoky kitchen and a balancing act between oil that is too cold and oil that is too hot, which is hard to get right with a ball that is already cold inside. In the air fryer you control the temperature precisely, and the 200 °C that the recipe uses hits exactly the point where the breadcrumbs turn golden before the ragout has time to boil out through the coating.
The result is a snack that still has a proper crunch but does not sit heavily afterwards. You can make the ragout the day before, shape the balls while you tidy up, and have hot bitterballen on the table shortly after your guests have rung the doorbell.
The difference between a deep fryer and an air fryer
In a deep fryer the oil surrounds the whole ball at once, and the crust forms on all sides at the same time. The air fryer works with air, so it needs a little help: coat the balls in breadcrumbs twice, and give them a thin layer of oil with a brush or a spray bottle before they go into the basket. Without that fat the breadcrumbs stay dry and floury instead of turning golden.
My kitchen test: bitterballen
I have cooked them in my Cosori Dual Blaze at 200 °C, and 10 minutes is the number I land on every time. Any shorter and the coating is still pale underneath; any longer and the ragout starts to force its way out through a crack. The preparation itself takes about half an hour, but the long part is the chilling time: the ragout needs four hours in the fridge before it is firm enough to shape. Skip those 240 minutes and you end up with flat pancakes in the basket instead of balls – I have tried that exactly once.
The chilling time is not a suggestion. A ragout that is still soft in the middle never holds its shape in the hot air.
Tips and tricks from the author: Morten Jensen
Common mistakes and how to avoid them
The first mistake is a ragout that is too loose. The roux needs to be really thick – thicker than you think is reasonable while it is still hot – because it only gets firmer as it cools, and that is exactly the consistency that holds the ball together. The second mistake is a single coating: one round of egg and breadcrumbs leaves small gaps where the ragout can seep out, so take the balls through egg and breadcrumbs twice and press the breadcrumbs on lightly with the palm of your hand. The third is an overcrowded basket. Bitterballen need air all the way round, otherwise they steam each other and turn soft; it is better to cook two batches than to squeeze everything in at once.
How to serve bitterballen
They need to be eaten piping hot, straight from the basket, and they need something sharp or tangy alongside:
- Wholegrain mustard in a small bowl for dipping – the classic Dutch way
- A cold beer or a glass of dry white wine
- Pickled gherkins or quick-pickled red onion to cut through the richness
- A simple green salad with a sharp vinaigrette, if they are meant to be dinner
- Fresh herbs such as parsley or chives, scattered over just before serving
Storage and reheating
Fully breaded, uncooked balls can sit in the fridge for a day, or be frozen in a single layer on a tray and then transferred to a bag – they go straight from the freezer into the basket with a little extra time. Cooked bitterballen keep in the fridge for a couple of days and crisp up again in a few minutes at 200 °C. The microwave ruins the coating completely, so leave it alone.
Bitterballen are one of those snacks that look harder than they are. Once the ragout is chilling in the fridge, the rest is pure routine – and the air fryer handles the last part without a single drop of frying oil.
Frequently asked questions
Almost always because the ragout has not chilled for long enough. It needs four hours in the fridge, until it is completely firm, before you shape the balls. A roux that is too loose causes exactly the same problem.
Yes. Breaded, frozen balls go straight into the basket at 200 °C. Give them a little extra time on top of the 10 minutes, and check that they are hot all the way through before you serve.
A thin layer is enough. Brush or spray the balls lightly, so that all of the breadcrumbs are moistened. Without oil the coating stays dry and floury, but too much makes it heavy instead of crisp.
Recipe
Bitterballen in the Air Fryer
Cooking Guide
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Ingredients
Ragout
- 60 g butter
- 1 pcs onion (Finely chopped)
- 75 g plain flour
- 4 dl beef stock (Finely chopped, trimmed of fat)
- 300 g cooked beef (Freshly chopped)
- 2 tbsp parsley (Friskhakket)
- 1 tsp Dijon mustard
- 0.5 tsp grated nutmeg (Freshly ground)
- 1 tsp salt (For coating)
- 0.5 tsp black pepper (Beaten)
Coating
- 75 g plain flour (Til panering)
- 2 pcs eggs (For brushing)
- 150 g breadcrumbs
- 1 tbsp olive oil (Til pensling)
To serve
- 4 tbsp wholegrain mustard
How to make it
Ragout
- Melt 60 g butter in a pot over medium heat. Sauté 1 pcs onion for 3-4 minutes, until soft without taking on colour.
- Stir 75 g plain flour into the butter and let the roux bubble for 2 minutes, stirring constantly.
- Add 4 dl beef stock a little at a time while whisking, so no lumps form. Let the ragout simmer for 5 minutes, until it’s very thick and comes away from the sides of the pot.
- Mix 300 g cooked beef, 2 tbsp parsley, 1 tsp Dijon mustard, 0.5 tsp grated nutmeg, 1 tsp salt and 0.5 tsp black pepper into the ragout. Taste and adjust the seasoning.
- Spread the ragout out in a shallow dish in a layer 2-3 cm thick. Press cling film directly onto the surface and refrigerate for at least 4 hours, until completely firm. It mustn’t be even slightly soft before you shape the balls.
Coating
- Shape the cold ragout into about 20 balls the size of a walnut. Dampen your hands as you go, so the mixture doesn’t stick.
- Roll the balls in 75 g plain flour, dip them in 2 pcs eggs and coat them in 150 g breadcrumbs.
- Dip the balls in egg again and coat them in breadcrumbs a second time. The double coating keeps the soft ragout in place during baking.
Cooking in the air fryer
- Preheat the air fryer to 200 °C fan.
- Brush the balls lightly with 1 tbsp olive oil, so the breadcrumbs brown evenly without deep-frying.
- Place the bitterballen in a single layer in the basket and bake for 10 minutes at 200 °C. Shake the basket after 5 minutes, so they turn crispy all the way round.
Serving
- Let the balls rest for 2 minutes, so the ragout sets. Serve them hot with 4 tbsp wholegrain mustard for dipping.
Our notes for the recipe
The ragout needs to be completely cold and firm before you shape the balls. At least 4 hours in the fridge, ideally overnight. If the mixture is even slightly soft, the balls will spread out in the basket. Extra crispiness:
The double coating is the key: flour, egg, breadcrumbs, egg, breadcrumbs. Brush or spray the balls with oil so the breadcrumbs brown evenly and crisply without deep-frying. Variation:
Swap the beef for cooked veal or pulled chicken, and season the ragout with a touch of tarragon or lovage. To serve:
Serve with wholegrain mustard, pickled gherkins and a cold beer. Bitterballen belong on the Dutch snack platter alongside cheese and olives. Portion size:
If your air fryer is smaller, you can make the dish in two batches.
Your notes for the recipe
Nutrition per serving (Guideline)
Important about shelf life and nutrition
Nutrition per serving (guideline): Calculations are based on data from the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). Shelf life (guideline): Shelf life data is provided, as far as possible, by public institutions, including national food authorities. Our information is therefore only indicative, and it is your responsibility to obtain and calculate accurate information about shelf life and nutrition for all recipes on airfryerkogebogen.dk
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