Leberknödel are usually composed of beef liver, though in the German Palatinate region pork is used as an alternative.

The meat is ground and mixed with bread, eggs, parsley and various spices, often nutmeg or marjoram.

Using 2 moistened tablespoons, the batter is formed into dumplings and boiled in beef broth or fried in lard.

Due to their looser consistency, the boiled dumplings are meant to be eaten fresh after preparation, although the fried variant is somewhat less perishable due to the crust formed by frying.

In the Palatinate, Leberknödel are often served with sauerkraut and mashed potatoes.