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    Home » Dinners » Swedish Meatballs

    Swedish Meatballs

    Published: Oct 1, 2018 · Modified: Oct 5, 2019 by Kate · This post may contain affiliate links.

    Jump to Recipe Print Recipe

    Swedish meatballs made easy! This homemade Swedish meatball recipe is a simple way to make both the meatballs and the sauce.
    Swedish Meatballs with gravy in a copper skillet

    The first time that I had Swedish meatballs was at IKEA. And they were delicious.

    The combination of the tender meatballs, warm spices, and creamy sauce was pretty fantastic.

    Luckily, Swedish meatballs are pretty easy to make at home. 

    meat and onion mixture for Swedish meatballssauce for Swedish meatballs in a copper skillet

    How to make Swedish meatballs

    Making Swedish meatballs is really a two-part process.

    First, you make the meatballs, and then you make the sauce. The entire recipe can be cooked in one skillet, which is nice because then you have fewer dishes to clean up.

    What's in Swedish meatballs

    These meatballs vary from Italian meatballs in a few ways.

    First, they have different seasoning. These meatballs have nutmeg and allspice in them rather than Italian seasoning (oregano, basil, etc.).

    Second, they use a mixture of beef and pork. Some Italian meatball recipes also call for using more than one meat, but it isn't uncommon for Italian meatballs to use only beef.

    Third, the sauce is different. These meatballs are in a creamy gravy rather than a tomato-based gravy (or sauce).

    What to serve with Swedish meatballs

    I serve these meatballs over egg noodles. I also serve whole berry cranberry sauce alongside because the more traditional lingonberry jam isn't available in stores nearby.

    Swedish meatballs in sauce topped with fresh parsleyMore meatball recipes!

    • Baked Meatball Recipe
    • Cheeseburger Meatballs with Fry Sauce

    If you’ve tried this Swedish meatball recipe, don’t forget to rate the recipe and leave me a comment below. I love to hear from people who've made my recipes! You can SUBSCRIBE to receive my latest recipe newsletters or FOLLOW ME on FACEBOOK, INSTAGRAM and 

    Swedish Meatballs

    Swedish meatball and gravy recipe
    5 from 1 vote
    Print Rate
    Course: Main Course
    Cuisine: Swedish
    Prep Time: 10 minutes
    Cook Time: 40 minutes
    Total Time: 50 minutes
    Servings: 6 servings
    Calories: 509kcal
    Author: Kate @ I Heart Eating

    Ingredients

    Meatballs

    • 2 slices fresh white bread*
    • ¼ cup milk
    • 2 tablespoons butter divided
    • ½ cup finely chopped yellow or white onion
    • 1 teaspoon kosher salt
    • 1 pound ground chuck
    • ½ pound ground pork
    • 1 large egg yolk
    • ½ teaspoon black pepper
    • ½ teaspoon ground allspice
    • ¼ teaspoon grated nutmeg

    Sauce

    • 2 tablespoons butter
    • ¼ cup all-purpose flour
    • 1 ½ cups beef broth
    • ½ cup heavy cream
    • ¼ cup sour cream
    • 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
    • Salt and pepper to taste
    • Parsley optional

    Instructions

    • Tear the bread into pieces and place in a small mixing bowl along with the milk. Set aside.
    • In a 12-inch saute pan over medium heat, melt 1 tablespoon of the butter.
    • Add the onion and a pinch of salt, and cook until onions are soft, about 4-5 minutes. 
    • In a large bowl, combine the bread/milk mixture, ground beef, pork, egg yolks, 1 teaspoon of kosher salt, black pepper, allspice, nutmeg, and onions. 
    • Using a 1.5 tablespoon cookie scoop, portion out meatballs. 
    • Heat the remaining tablespoon butter in the now-empty saute pan over medium-low heat.
    • Working in batches,  add the meatballs and saute until golden brown on all sides, about 7-10 minutes.**
    • Remove the meatballs to a platter and tent with aluminum foil. 
    • Once all of the meatballs are cooked, decrease the heat to low, and melt 2 tablespoons butter. 
    • Add the flour to the pan, and cook until lightly browned, whisking regularly, about 1 minute.  
    • Gradually add the beef stock and cream, and whisk until sauce begins to thicken. 
    • Stir in sour cream and dijon mustard and cook until sauce begins to simmer. 
    • Season to taste with salt and pepper. 
    • Add the meatballs back to the skillet, and simmer for 1-2 minutes. 
    • Serve over egg noodles topped with fresh parsley, if desired. 

    Notes

    *If you use the ends of the loaf, you will need ⅓ cup milk instead. 
    **You don't want to overcrowd the pan because the meatballs will steam instead of brown. 
    ***Nutrition values are estimates. 

    Nutrition

    Serving: 1serving | Calories: 509kcal | Carbohydrates: 11g | Protein: 23g | Fat: 41g | Saturated Fat: 19g | Cholesterol: 165mg | Sodium: 708mg | Potassium: 505mg | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 650IU | Vitamin C: 1.2mg | Calcium: 83mg | Iron: 2.4mg
    Tried this recipe? Rate it below. Mention @i_heart_eating on Instagram & tag #ihearteating!

     

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    About Kate

    Kate got her first cookbook when she was five years old, and she hasn't stopped cooking since then! Her delicious recipes have been featured on Food Network, MSN, Better Homes & Gardens, Buzzfeed, The Huffington Post, and more. When she's not cooking or baking, she can be found on her mini farm with her husband and her five kids.

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Andrea

      November 27, 2018 at 9:22 pm

      This recipe is confusing. You literally cook the onion and never incorporate the onion in the recipe.

      Reply
      • Kate

        November 27, 2018 at 9:31 pm

        Hi! I'm not sure what's confusing. You mix the onions in with the other ingredients in step 4.

        Reply
    2. Amy

      October 04, 2018 at 1:55 pm

      5 stars
      Just the recipe I was looking for! The meatballs were delicious. I may double the sauce next time because we like a lot of sauce for the noodles. Thanks!

      Reply
      • Kate

        October 04, 2018 at 2:08 pm

        Thanks! I'm glad you liked the recipe! Thank you for commenting. =)

        Reply
    3. Kristine | Kristine's Kitchen

      October 03, 2018 at 11:13 pm

      This homemade version looks so much better than what you'd find in any store. The creamy sauce looks amazing!

      Reply
      • Kate

        October 04, 2018 at 8:59 am

        Thank you so much! =)

        Reply

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    I’m Kate Dean- mom to five young kids, recipe developer, and photographer. Here at I Heart Eating®, I share my family’s favorite tried-and-true recipes.

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