Swedish meatballs are a wonderful mix of flavors with a creamy sauce that will literally have you licking your plate clean! Popular around the holidays, they're easy - and delicious - enough to make them for a weeknight meal.
What are Swedish Meatballs?
Many consider Swedish Meatballs (köttbullar) to be a national dish of Sweden but they are actually Turkish in origin. In the early 18th century King Charles XII brought this recipe home after returning from exile in Turkey. While Turkish meatballs, known as "kofte," are made from ground beef, lamb or a combination, Swedish meatballs are made with beef and sometimes contain pork.
Swedish meatballs are also unique in that they're flavored with a bit of allspice and nutmeg, making them vastly different than the more common Turkish and Italian meatball flavors. They're browned in a hot skillet, then removed to make a creamy sauce that's then used to simmer the meatballs until they're cooked through.
Swedish Meatball Ingredient Notes
- Ground beef: This recipe calls for two pounds of ground beef, but pork or a mixture of the two can also be used.
- Onions and garlic: No self-respecting meatball would ever be caught without these two ingredients, and that holds true here.
- Spices: Allspice and nutmeg, in meatballs? Yep, and it's absolutely delicious. Wait until you taste it with the creamy, rich sauce…heavenly!
- Fresh parsley: This goes into the meatballs themselves and adds a nice color in addition to a bit of flavor. Chop a little extra to garnish the pan just before serving!
- Panko breadcrumbs: These act as a binder to hold the meatballs together, so don't skip this important ingredient.
- Eggs: The same goes for the eggs. No one wants their meatballs to fall apart!
- Beef broth, heavy cream, butter, and flour make up the majority of the creamy sauce. A little more of the allspice and nutmeg is added here as well.
- Lemon juice: You might be surprised how a squeeze of lemon brightens the flavors!
(Scroll down to the bottom for the printable recipe card with exact measurements and recipe instructions.)
How to Make Swedish Meatballs
- Make the mix: Place the beef in a large mixing bowl, then add the minced onion, garlic, spices, fresh parsley, breadcrumbs, eggs, salt, and pepper.
- Roll: Shape into evenly sized, approximately 1-inch meatballs so they cook at the same rate. The number of meatballs will vary depending on their size.
- Fry until golden brown: Fry the meatballs, in batches if necessary, until they're golden brown on all sides.
How to Make Swedish Meatballs Sauce
- Make the sauce: Add the butter and, once it's melted, sprinkle with the flour, whisk, then slowly add the beef broth. Whisk in the allspice, nutmeg, salt, pepper, and lemon juice, then whisk in the cream
- Simmer: Return the browned meatballs to the sauce and simmer gently until fully cooked. Ground beef or pork meatballs should reach 160°F (71°C) in the center; if using ground chicken or turkey, cook to 165°F (74°C).
Tips & Variations
- Similar Size: The meatballs should be close to the same size, and not too large or they'll fall apart much easier. Aim for about 1-inch meatballs, which are about two-bite sized.
- Brown the Meatballs: Don't be in such a hurry that you skip browning them in batches. If your skillet is large enough, then go for it! Most of us won't have one that large, however, so plan on browning half the batch at a time.
- Same Pan: Use the same pan to make your gravy that you used to fry the meatballs. The browned bits on the bottom of the pan really help to flavor the dish.
- Meat Variations: You can use all pork or 50/50 ground beef and pork for this recipe. Ground turkey and chicken can be substituted and while the meatballs will be less fat, they won't be as rich and flavorful. The ever so popular Ikea meatballs are made with 1 part ground beef to ½ part pork.
- Secret Meatball Ingredient: Consider mixing in a ½ to 2 teaspoons of fennel seeds into the meatball mix. Fennel seeds have a unique, subtly sweet, and mildly citrusy flavor that complements the savory meatballs.
- Secret Sauce Ingredients: For an extra bit of umami flavor in the sauce experiment with adding 2 tablespoons of soy sauce or Worcestershire sauce or a combination of Worcestershire sauce and 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard.
- Premade Swedish Meatball Sauce: You won't find Swedish meatball sauce in a jar but McCormick's does make Swedish Meatball Seasoning & Sauce Mix. In my humble opinion, you'll save very little time with this option and it doesn't beat this homemade meatball recipe.
What to Serve with Swedish Meatballs
Swedish meatballs are traditionally served in a rich brown gravy along with pickled cucumbers, mashed potatoes along with a tart and slightly sweet lingonberry jam. Popular alternatives for serving Swedish Meatballs are over buttered egg noodles, rice, roasted potatoes, or a vegetable purée.
You can also serve these as cocktail meatballs on a platter with toothpicks or as hors d'oeuvres with forks. Having lingonberry jam available for dipping is a tasty addition as well.
Where to Buy Lingonberry Jam + Substitutes
Lingonberry jam isn't as widely available as other jams but many specialty markets and grocery stores do carry it. Ikea's Lingonberry Spread can be found at all their stores and World Market has their own brand of Lingonberry Fruit Spread. I like to search Instacart for any tough to find products near me and of course you can find Lingonberry preserves on Amazon and other online stores.
Cranberries and lingonberries are very similar so cranberry sauce or cranberry jam is an excellent substitute for lingonberry jam. Red currant jam or sour cherry jam will work too.
Make Ahead of Time
Make ahead: Shape the meatballs up to one day ahead and refrigerate them covered. You can also brown them ahead, refrigerate promptly, and finish cooking them in the gravy before serving. Keep refrigerated until ready to cook.
Freezing: For the best texture, freeze fully cooked meatballs separately from the cream gravy. Cool promptly, pack in an airtight freezer-safe container, and freeze for 2-3 months for best quality. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator and reheat thoroughly. Cream-based sauces can separate after freezing, so it's best to make the gravy fresh.
How to Reheat Meatballs
Storage: Refrigerate leftover meatballs and gravy in airtight containers within two hours of cooking. Use within 3-4 days.
Reheating: For the smoothest sauce, warm leftovers gently in a covered skillet with a splash of broth, stirring occasionally, until the meatballs reach 165°F (74°C). Avoid boiling the cream gravy.
- Microwave: Cover in a microwave-safe dish and heat in short intervals, stirring the sauce and checking that the meatballs reach 165°F (74°C).
- Oven: Cover and warm at 350°F until heated throughout to 165°F (74°C). Add a little broth if the sauce has thickened; the time depends on portion size.
Swedish Meatballs with Creamy Gravy
Tender homemade Swedish meatballs seasoned with allspice and nutmeg, browned in a skillet, and simmered in a rich, creamy beef gravy. Serve over mashed potatoes or egg noodles for a comforting family dinner.
Ingredients
FOR THE MEATBALLS
- 2 lb ground beef
- 1 medium onion, finely minced
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- ¾ cup panko breadcrumbs
- 2 large eggs, lightly beaten
- ½ teaspoon ground allspice
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg
- ¼ cup chopped fresh parsley
- 1½ teaspoons kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1 tablespoon olive oil, for browning
FOR THE CREAMY GRAVY
- ½ cup unsalted butter
- ½ cup all-purpose flour
- 4 cups beef broth or stock, preferably low-sodium
- ¼ teaspoon ground allspice
- ¼ teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt, or to taste
- ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice, optional
- 1 cup heavy cream
Instructions
- Mix the meatballs. In a large bowl, combine the ground beef, onion, garlic, panko, eggs, allspice, nutmeg, parsley, salt, and pepper. Mix gently with your hands or a fork just until combined. Avoid overmixing, which can make the meatballs dense.
- Shape the meatballs. Roll the mixture into approximately 1-inch meatballs, keeping them as uniform as possible so they cook evenly.
- Brown in batches. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the meatballs in a single layer, leaving space between them. Brown on all sides, turning carefully. Work in batches if necessary. The meatballs do not need to be completely cooked at this stage because they will finish cooking in the sauce. Transfer to a plate.
- Start the gravy. Reduce the heat to medium. Pour off excess fat, leaving approximately 1 tablespoon in the skillet along with the browned bits. Add the butter and let it melt. Sprinkle in the flour and whisk continuously for about 1 minute.
- Add the broth. Slowly pour in the beef broth while whisking constantly to prevent lumps. Continue stirring until the mixture is smooth and begins to thicken.
- Finish the sauce. Stir in the allspice, nutmeg, black pepper, and optional lemon juice. Reduce the heat to medium-low and gradually whisk in the heavy cream. Taste before adding the full amount of salt, especially if your broth is already seasoned.
- Simmer the meatballs. Return the browned meatballs and any accumulated juices to the skillet. Simmer gently for approximately 10 minutes, or until the meatballs are fully cooked and reach an internal temperature of 160°F (71°C) for ground beef or pork. Avoid a vigorous boil, which can cause the cream sauce to separate.
- Serve. Taste the gravy and adjust the seasoning. If it is too thick, stir in a little additional warm broth. Serve the meatballs and gravy over mashed potatoes, buttered egg noodles, or rice. Garnish with fresh parsley if desired.
Notes
For tender meatballs: Mix the ingredients just until combined. Overworking ground meat can make the finished meatballs dense.
For better browning: Leave space between the meatballs in the skillet. Browning in batches develops more flavor than crowding the pan.
Meat substitutions: A combination of ground beef and pork works well. Ground turkey or chicken can also be used, but poultry meatballs must reach an internal temperature of 165°F (74°C).
Gravy consistency: The sauce thickens as it simmers and may thicken further as it cools. Add warm broth a little at a time if needed. For thin gravy, simmer gently until reduced.
Seasoning: Allspice and nutmeg give Swedish meatballs their characteristic flavor. For extra savory depth, try a small splash of Worcestershire sauce or a little Dijon mustard. Start with a small amount and taste before adding more.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 8 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 655Total Fat: 46gSaturated Fat: 22gTrans Fat: 1gUnsaturated Fat: 19gCholesterol: 212mgSodium: 880mgCarbohydrates: 21gFiber: 1gSugar: 4gProtein: 39g
This data was provided and calculated by Nutritionix.
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