This post may contain affiliate links. Please read our disclosure policy.
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.
Watch Them Made
Love Meatballs? Try these recipes!
You might also like
Get a free eBook!
Subscribe to Cafe Delites FOR FREE and receive recipes straight into your inbox!
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.
Hello! I just made these and they are delicious. I was a bit surprised by the consistency. It seemed like way too much milk for the breadcrumbs and left my mixture very soft. The meatballs held together, but barely. Did I do something wrong? 1/3 cup crumbs to 1/2 c milk and 35 ml cream.
What are the ingredients of the sauce?
Hello Tef!
The ingredients for the sauce are located just below the ingredients for the meatballs. Thanks for following along with me!
I prepared these Swedish Meatballs for last night’s dinner. I had ground beef (1 1/3 lbs.) and was looking for something besides Italian or Mexican or burgers or meatloaf. This was delicious. I had to improvise a bit based on what I had on hand since I didn’t buy specifically for this recipe. My mixture made about 35 tablespoon-size meatballs. I fried some and baked some – just to test. I didn’t have any Grilldrykka or all spice or even all purpose seasoning so I omitted it. (I found a great recipe online for all-purpose seasoning, but frankly, I was too lazy to mix it up for only 1/4 tsp. Now I have a batch mixed in my pantry!) I used all chicken broth because I had some leftover from a previous recipe and heavy cream. The sauce was silky and creamy and rich – I actually had to thin with a bit more broth. After returning the meatballs to the sauce, I put it in a warm oven to hold temporarily until dinner time. Served over macaroni and alongside steamed peas/carrots and garlic bread. Next time, I might add a bit of finely chopped mushrooms to the cream sauce and bake all the meatballs just to avoid the grease overspray of frying. This cream sauce would also be great served with pan-fried pork chops or chicken-fried steak or just fried chicken. I look forward to experimenting! And BTW: my to y.o. son LOVED it! Thanks for a great recipe.
My family absolutely loved this. My husband said this was the best recipe ever. Thank you for sharing!
I used turkey and they turned out amazing
Caitlin!
Great substitution idea! Thanks for following along! xo
Delish I recommend this recipe to people who want to have a nice family meal
I made them with turkey mince and served them with mash and cauliflower.Best meal I have ever had
How long should I cook the meatballs once I add them to the gravy sauce?
Just until they are warm and cooked through. Enjoy! XO
Can you make a bigger batch and freeze some for later? And would you freeze before or after cooking the meatballs?
YES! That is a great idea! I hope you enjoy it! XO
I made a vegan version for a friend, just throwing in store bought veggie mince and swapping the cream for soy cream/butter for an alternative. Fantastic. The recipe was delicious as was the sauce.
WOW! That sounds great! Thank you for sharing!
Made these for the family and for once I had a unanimous thumbs up!! Thank you for another fantastic recipe.
This recipes is VERY close to my own Swedish grandmother’s. Swedes never use garlic in traditional recipes tho’. And I’ve always used just milk in the meatball mixture and never make the gravy. The KEY to a lovely browned meatball is you MUST use a well seasoned iron frying pan! I always serve with macaroni in a simple white cream sauce..
Always one of my favorite cool weather dinners!