This Swedish Meatballs recipe is the ultimate comfort food dish! Juicy, flavorful meatballs topped with a rich, creamy sauce, served over a bed of your favorite starchy side will feed the whole family with plenty of leftovers. Perfect for a cozy night when you’re looking for an easy, yet hearty meal.

Looking for side dish suggestions? Try serving this Swedish Meatballs recipe with our favorite homemade Mashed Potatoes, Dinner Rolls and Creamed Peas!

Swedish Meatballs Recipe

No need to go all the way to Ikea for those famous meatballs. Make them right at home without the worry of getting lost in a furniture store! This Swedish meatball recipe is a bit of a process but it is ultimately simple in execution. I can’t tell which is more delicious, the juicy meatballs or the creamy gravy over top.

You can serve this dish over rice, noodles, potatoes, or even with toothpicks as an appetizer. With fall fast approaching, you’ll certainly want this recipe in your repertoire! 

Why You’ll Love Swedish Meatballs

If you love fast, easy, comfort food, these Swedish Meatballs are going to become a regular on your menu. Here’s why we love this delicious recipe:

• It’s easy! This recipe may seem like an undertaking with the from scratch meatballs and sauce but it really is a simple process. And the results are absolutely worth it!
• The unique flavors. Swedish meatballs utilize allspice and nutmeg to give them that classic flavor. Typically used in baking those spices may seem odd in a savory dish but they are a must. Add in the cream sauce with the mustard and soy sauce, these may seem like odd ingredients but I’m telling you, it all comes together!

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Swedish Meatball Recipe Ingredients

Swedish Meatballs are a classic comfort dish your family will love! Savory meatballs are made from scratch and topped with a creamy Swedish meatball sauce just can’t be beat! As always, you can find the full printable recipe with complete instructions in the recipe card at the end of this post. Let’s take a look at what you’ll need…

For the Swedish Meatballs:

• lean ground beef – I like to use 85/15 when it comes to fat content. 90/10 is also a great option.
• ground pork – You can use a spicier variety if you’d like a little extra flavor.
• onion – Yellow or white but it should be grated not diced. I find grating makes the texture of the meatballs much nicer and even adds additional moisture.
• garlic cloves – Use more or less to your liking. I like to mince these super fine so there is not large chunks of garlic in the meatballs.
• Panko breadcrumbs – Plain or seasoned depending on your preference.
• egg – One large.
• whole milk – You can substitute almond milk or any non dairy alternative.
• seasonings – Kosher salt, freshly ground black pepper, allspice, and nutmeg.
• extra virgin olive oil – Or any other cooking oil. Vegetable, canola, sunflower oil all work well. 

For the Swedish Meatball Sauce:

• butter – use unsalted butter so we can control the level of salt in the sauce.
• all-purpose flour – To help thicken the sauce.
• beef broth – Or beef stock, low sodium for either.
• heavy cream – This adds a wonderful creaminess and texture to the sauce.
• soy sauce – Also low sodium.
• Dijon mustard – For that classic tangy flavor.
• salt and pepper – To taste.
• optional – Freshly chopped parsley as a garnish. 

How To Make Swedish Meatballs

For the Swedish Meatballs:

Once all the meatballs have been formed, place them in the fridge for 20 to 30 minutes to chill. This will help the meatballs maintain their shape while they’re cooking.

For the Swedish Meatball Sauce:

Storage Information

Refrigerator: Store leftover meatballs and sauce in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. Reheat both the meatballs and sauce in the microwave or on the stove until warmed through.

Freezer: You can freeze the meatballs in this Swedish meatball recipe but I don’t recommend freezing the sauce as the dairy components will separate. If fully cooked, let the meatballs freeze for about 3 hours on a baking sheet, then transfer them to an airtight freezer safe container. They will stay fresh for up to 3 months. When ready to eat, simply thaw then heat in the oven or a skillet until warmed through.  

Swedish Meatballs FAQs

When you really look at the process, Swedish meatballs and Italian meatballs are made in the same way. The big differences are the spices involved and how the meatballs are served. Swedish meatballs specifically use allspice and nutmeg for their flavor. Of course there’s also the tangy cream sauce Swedish meatballs are served with as opposed to plain or with a red sauce.

You can serve this dish in a myriad of ways. The most common is over egg noodles, mashed potatoes or white rice. However if you want to go the traditional Swedish route, serve your meatballs over mashed potatoes and lingonberry sauce for a decadent dinner. 

Trish’s Tips and Tricks

• Add a dash of Worcestershire sauce for added unique flavor. 
• Ground turkey or ground chicken can also be used.
• You can half the heavy cream and add sour cream to add more tang to the sauce. 
• Be sure not to overmix the meatball mixture as it can become tough when cooking. 

Feel free to use your favorite frozen meatballs in this recipe to reduce prep time!

More Classic Comfort Food Recipes

How To Make Swedish Meatballs

Swedish Meatballs

This Swedish Meatballs recipe is the ultimate comfort food dish! Juicy, flavorful meatballs topped with a rich, creamy sauce, served over a bed of your favorite starchy side will feed the whole family with plenty of leftovers. Perfect for a cozy night when you’re looking for an easy, yet hearty meal.

Ingredients

For the Meatballs

• ¾ pound lean ground beef I used 85/15
• ¾ pound ground pork
• 1 small onion grated
• 2 garlic cloves minced
• ½ cup panko breadcrumbs
• 1 egg large
• ¼ cup whole milk
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• ½ teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
• ¼ teaspoon allspice
• ¼ teaspoon nutmeg
• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil or other cooking oil such as vegetable oil

For the Sauce

• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
• ¼ cup all purpose flour
• 1 ½ cups beef broth or beef stock, low sodium
• ¾ cup heavy cream
• 1 ½ teasoons soy sauce low sodium
• 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
• salt and pepper to taste

Garnish

• chopped fresh parsley optional

Instructions

For the Meatballs

• Combine ground beef and ground pork in a large bowl and gently combine using your fingers.

  ¾ pound lean ground beef, ¾ pound ground pork

• Gently mix in grated onion, minced garlic, panko breadcrumbs, egg, milk and seasonings (salt, pepper, allspice, nutmeg) until combined.

  1 small onion, 2 garlic cloves, ½ cup panko breadcrumbs, 1 egg, ¼ cup whole milk, 1 teaspoon kosher salt, ½ teaspoon fresh ground black pepper, ¼ teaspoon allspice, ¼ teaspoon nutmeg

• Use a cookie scoop to scoop out mixture and form into 1 to 1 ½ inch meatballs. Place meatballs in the fridge for 20 to 30 minutes.

• Heat extra virgin olive oil in a large skillet over medium high heat. Cook the meatballs in batches (avoid over crowding the skillet), turning frequently to brown all sides, about 5 to 6 minutes per batch. Transfer cooked meatballs to a plate and cover while you make the sauce.

  2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

For the Sauce

• Add the butter to the skillet and whisk until melted. Whisk in the flour and stir continuously for about 1 minute. It should be bubbling.

  4 tablespoons unsalted butter, ¼ cup all purpose flour

• Slowly whisk in the beef both, a little at a time to avoid clumps. Finally, whisk in the heavy cream, soy sauce and Dijon mustard. Bring sauce to a simmer over medium heat and season with salt and pepper to taste.

  1 ½ cups beef broth, ¾ cup heavy cream, 1 ½ teasoons soy sauce, 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard, salt and pepper

• Add the meatballs back to the skillet along with any juices that accumulated on the plate. Simmer for another 3 to 5 minutes or until meatballs are cooked through.

• Serve over egg noodles or rice with fresh parsley.

  chopped fresh parsley

Notes

Nutrition

Calories: 506kcal | Carbohydrates: 11g | Protein: 26g | Fat: 39g | Saturated Fat: 19g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 15g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 158mg | Sodium: 764mg | Potassium: 499mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 733IU | Vitamin C: 2mg | Calcium: 73mg | Iron: 3mg

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