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Get ready for the BEST Swedish Meatballs Recipe – an authentic recipe from a Swedish grandmother – with a little twist! They’re better than IKEA, really easy to make and are swimming in the most amazing creamy gravy sauce- I’m just drooling thinking about the last time I made these.
Hi there! My name is Helena! I was born in Sweden and lived there for the first 20 years of my life before I moved to Australia in 2010. Ask any child aged from 5 years and over in Sweden what they like to eat and they will definitely say MEATBALLS! It’s safe to say that meatballs are tied to a lot of childhood memories of family dinners. Another thing Swede’s love is tradition.
Swedish Meatballs are on the table in every household at every special occasion and holiday, guaranteed, and I wanted to bring some of that joy and flavor to your table too, with this recipe.
Why this Recipe Works
This recipe is a fine-tuned, easier version of the authentic Swedish meatballs. You’ll need just about 20 minutes in the kitchen to prep and shape these, and you can store them for later too.
Plus, this comforting classic is such a treat for your taste buds, you’ll find yourself making it again and again.
What Goes into this Recipe
For the meatballs
- Meat: I used a mix of ground beef and pork here.
- Aromatics: Fresh garlic and onion, for that savory flavor.
- Egg: To give the meatballs structure and keep them moist and juicy.
- Milk + cream: For that authentic flavor and texture.
- Breadcrumbs: To help the meatballs hold their shape, make them extra juicy, keeping them moist while cooking.
- Seasonings: I used ground black pepper, white pepper, Grillkrydda (all purpose seasoning) and some salt.
- Butter + olive oil: To fry the meatballs.
- Parsley: For that pop of freshness.
For the gravy sauce
- Flour: All purpose flour, to thicken the gravy.
- Butter: For that rich, glossy shine.
- Broth: I used beef broth as the base for the sauce. You can use beef bouillon and water too.
- Soy sauce: Just a dash, for that umami deliciousness.
- Dijon mustard: For that depth of flavor.
- Heavy cream: For that fatty creaminess.
- Seasonings: Salt and pepper, just a pinch.
Note: please see recipe card at the bottom for list of full ingredients and measurements
How to Make Swedish Meatballs Recipe
- Prepare meatball mixture: In a mixing bowl, combine milk, cream, egg and garlic with the breadcrumbs and seasonings. Allow this to soak for about 10 minutes, then add the onion, meat and parsley and mix well to combine.
- Shape and fry meatballs: Roll the meat mixture into 16 large or 24 small balls. Heat 1 tbsp of butter and 2 tbsp of oil in a pan and fry the meatballs in batches, until they’re golden brown and crispy. Set them aside and cover them with foil.
- Make cream sauce: To the same pan, add the butter for the gravy along with the flour, and cook on low heat, whisking continuously until it is light brown in color. Gently pour in the broth while stirring the mixture and then add in the cream, soy sauce and Dijon mustard. Bring this to a simmer, taste and season with salt and pepper if needed. Take it off heat once it has thickened.
- Assemble and serve: Place the meatballs in the gravy and serve. If you’re planning on serving them the authentic Swedish way, you can skip making the gravy entirely.
I usually serve these meatballs plain- teamed up with either boiled potatoes, Mashed Potatoes or a simple pasta (Macaroni if I get to pick!). The absolute classic way to enjoy these is to pair them with some boiled potatoes, that creamy sauce and lingonberry jam! If you can’t find lingonberry jam, Cranberry Sauce is your next closest alternative.
You can also serve the meatballs and gravy over some egg noodles to make it a hearty and filling meal, and use up the leftover meatballs for a homemade sub sandwich or as a protein in a grain bowl.
Recipe FAQ’s
If you don’t want to use a skillet, you can cook the meatballs in the oven too. Simply arrange them on a baking sheet or dish, pop them in the oven preheated at 400 degrees and bake them for about 20-25 minutes.
Yes, absolutely. Simply use almond meal instead of the breadcrumbs and create a cornflour slurry to thicken the gravy instead of using all purpose flour.
Yes. You can make Swedish meatballs using only ground beef too. Choose 80% lean for the best texture.
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The Best Swedish Meatballs Recipe
Ingredients
Meatballs:
- 1/2 cup breadcrumbs
- 1/2 cup milk
- 35 ml cream
- 1 egg large
- 1 clove garlic minced
- 1/3 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon ground white pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon Grillkrydda or all spice or all purpose seasoning
- 1/2 onion finely chopped
- 1 pound ground beef mince
- 1/2 pound ground pork mince
- 2 tablespoons fresh parsley finely chopped
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 2 teaspoons olive oil
Gravy Sauce (OPTIONAL):
- 1/3 cup butter
- 1/4 cup plain flour all purpose flour
- 250 ml vegetable broth or stock
- 250 ml beef broth or stock
- 1 cup thickened or heavy cream
- 2 teaspoons soy sauce
- 1 teaspoon dijon mustard
- 1 pinch salt to season
- 1 pinch pepper to season
Instructions
- In a large bowl, mix the breadcrumbs together with the milk, cream (If using), egg, garlic, salt, peppers and spice. Allow the milk to soak into the breadcrumbs for at least 10 minutes.
- Once the milk has absorbed some, add in the onion, meat(s) and parsley. Mix well with your hands to combine.
- Roll meat into about 24 small balls, or 16 larger balls.
- Heat 1 tablespoons of butter and 2 teaspoons of oil in a pan on medium-high heat. Fry meatballs in batches of two so they don’t stew or simmer. Transfer to a warm plate and cover with foil.
- Add the 1/3 cup butter to the juices in the pan to melt. Whisk in the flour until it dissolves and turns brown in colour. Pour in the broth (or stock), cream, soy sauce and dijon. Bring to a to simmer and season with salt and pepper to taste. Mix the sauce through well to combine all of the flavours together.
- Continue to simmer until thickened.
To serve:
- Non Swedish way: Place meatballs into the gravy in the pan and serve
- Traditional Swedish way: Do not make the cream sauce at all. Serve meatballs over plain or stewed macaroni, plain or mashed potatoes, and lingenberry jam (optional)
Notes
1) I use a mixture of ground beef and pork (mince) in may recipe, but you can use all beef is you don’t have or like pork
2) To make the meatballs lower in carbs, use almond meal to replace the breadcrumbs. Also, use 1 tablespoon of cornstarch mixed with 2 tablespoons of water to replace the flour in the gravy sauce. Just add the cornstarch mixture at the end, while continuously stirring, over low heat until sauce has thickened.
3) I like to grate my garlic clove with the small part of a grater. You can use minced garlic if you prefer.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Thanks for the great recipe. That’s similar to how I’ve made Swedish meatballs, except that (1) I use onion instead of garlic, (2) I use sour cream and meat broth instead of fresh cream, (3) I add dill, which complements the sour cream, and (4) I use butter as the only cooking fat, instead of adding olive oil.
My mother used to make a similar recipe without the cream sauce, but her cookbook called them Norwegian meatballs.
I will try using garlic instead of onion. I like the sour cream/dill/butter, and I will keep them.
Perfect COVID Christmas comfort dish!
I did about 90% for the meat balls. I sautéed 1/2 of the onion until just a little browning around the edges I then added the rest to the hot pan to sweat. On top of the called for seasoning I added 1/4 tsp of nutmeg. I then created 1 oz (30g) balls (using a scale) where I put them under the broiler for 6-8 min a side to ensure they were cooked through. The recipe is truly delicious and is now going to be a regular in our house.
I think its a 5-star recipe, but it was a fail for me. Meatballs browned well on the outside but wound up raw inside. Not sure how long you are frying these for. I didn’t have enough stock, added a little water but wound up not with a creamy gravy as I tried to keep cooking the meatballs in the sauce. I’ll have to have someone show me how to make these properly.
Super yummie!
For me the sauce turned out a little salty, probably because of the broth. Next time just gonna use half a cube each and go slow on the soy sauce.
I added a little bit of chive and some more mustard to the meatballs too.
Thanks for the recipe 🙂
5 stars for the meatball. Do it the Swedish way and ditch the sauce. Westerners have always had an obsession with ‘condiments’. The meatball is far too good to be tarnished
Oh THANK YOU!!!!!!
I am going to make these tonight for my Bestie’s Birthday! She loves Swedish Meatballs! We are both of Scandinavian Heritage, so this is right up our alley!!! Thank You Thank You Thank You!!!
Just WOW! I had only had Swedish meatballs once, but suddenly had a huge craving for them. I used your recipe because your chicken parm is also my go-to, so I figured it must be good! I cannot overstate how incredible these are. I was so hesitant about soaking the breadcrumbs, and also about frying the meatballs (I ALWAYS bake things because frying makes me nervous), but these came out so good. The sauce was just amazing; it was creamy, flavorful, and just downright comforting. My roommates loved it as well, so we will definitely add this to our rotation. The ONLY changes I made were that I only used beef broth because we didn’t have vegetable broth, and I added a *tiny* bit of nutmeg to the sauce itself (we couldn’t find allspice). Paired with egg noodles and roasted green beans for what felt like a really special dinner. This made me so happy. Thanks so much 🙂
Great recipe, so tasty! But the time is way off, it took me around an hour and 10 minutes to make this from start to finish.
OH MY STARS! These Swedish meatballs are the bomb! I ate one just like the authentic Swedish way and then I made the sauce. BOTH ways were incredible! I ended up putting the meatballs in the sauce and serving over wide egg noodles. Definitely a new favorite!!!