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This Swedish meatball recipe is a top favorite recipe on the site for a reason! Juicy meatballs, rich creamy gravy, and SO MUCH FLAVOR! They’re easy to make and, in my opinion, way better than IKEA’s.
Reasons This Recipe is the BEST!
- Fan Favorite: With 400+ five-star reviews, these meatballs are actually the best.
- Creamy Sauce: The secret lies in the sauce. It’s rich, creamy, and full of flavor thanks to classic spices. You will be licking the spoon, I promise.
- Better than IKEA: Ever had IKEA Swedish Meatballs? These ones are so easy and WAY better!
A Reader’s Review
This is my absolute favorite Swedish meatball recipe. The flavor is mouthwatering. Thank you for sharing this with us!
-Renee
Ingredients in Swedish Meatballs
- Use lean ground beef: It helps keep the meatballs tender without making them greasy.
- Spices: Trust me, nutmeg and allspice are what make these Swedish meatballs special. Don’t skip them if you want that authentic flavor.
- No Panko Breadcrumbs? No Problem: If you’re out of breadcrumbs, make a panade by blending two pieces of bread into crumbs and mixing with 1/4 cup of milk to form a paste. Add an egg, mix it all up, and you’ll get the same great texture in your meatballs.
- Go for low-sodium beef broth: This keeps the creamy gravy from turning too salty and gives you more control over the final flavor.
How to Make Swedish Meatballs
These will come together quickly and cook in about 30 minutes total, so dinner is fast and easy! I have a few variations of this recipe you have to try! Swedish meatball casserole, soup, and slow cooker method!
- Combine: In a medium-sized bowl, combine ground beef, panko, parsley, allspice, nutmeg, onion, garlic powder, pepper, salt, and egg. Mix until combined.
- Roll Meatballs: Roll into 12 large meatballs or 20 small meatballs.
- Cook: In a large skillet over medium-high heat, add 1 tablespoon olive oil and 1 tablespoon butter. Add the meatballs and cook for 7-8 minutes, turning continuously until brown on each side and cooked through. Transfer to a plate and cover with foil.
- Make the sauce: Add 4 Tablespoons butter and flour to the skillet and whisk until it turns brown.
- Whisk: Slowly stir in beef broth and heavy cream, and whisk to combine.
- Add meatballs and simmer: Add Worcestershire sauce and Dijon mustard, and bring to a simmer until the sauce starts to thicken. Salt and pepper to taste. Add the meatballs back to the skillet and simmer for another 1-2 minutes. Serve over egg noodles or mashed potatoes.
All Things Swedish Meatballs
I know how much you love my Swedish meatballs! I’ve rounded up every version of a Swedish meatball recipe that I have on my site, from quick and easy to homemade favorites! You can find them all in one place!
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Swedish Meatballs
Tender, flavorful Swedish meatballs that simmer in a rich, creamy sauce are pure comfort food! They're easy to make and impossible to resist.
Ingredients
Meatballs
- 1 pound ground beef
- 1/4 cup panko bread crumbs
- 1 tablespoon parsley, chopped
- 1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
- 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- ¼ cup onion, finely chopped
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ⅛ teaspoon pepper
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 egg
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 tablespoon butter
Sauce
- 4 tablespoons butter
- 3 tablespoons flour
- 2 cups beef broth
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- In a medium-sized bowl, combine 1 pound ground beef, 1/4 cup panko bread crumbs, 1 tablespoon parsley, 1/4 teaspoon ground allspice, 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg, ¼ cup onion, ½ teaspoon garlic powder, ⅛ teaspoon pepper, ½ teaspoon salt, and 1 egg. Mix until combined.
- Roll into 12 large meatballs or 20 small meatballs. In a large skillet over medium-high heat, add 1 tablespoon olive oil and 1 tablespoon butter. Add the meatballs and cook for 7-8 minutes, turning continuously until brown on each side and cooked through. Transfer to a plate and cover with foil.
- Add 4 tablespoons butter and 3 tablespoons flour to the skillet and whisk until it turns brown. Slowly stir in 2 cups beef broth and 1 cup heavy cream. Add 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce and 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard and bring to a simmer until the sauce starts to thicken. Salt and pepper to taste.
- Add the meatballs back to the skillet and simmer for another 1-2 minutes. Serve over egg noodles or mashed potatoes.
Video
Notes
Can You Freeze Swedish Meatballs?
- Freezing Cooked Meatballs: Let them cool, then freeze them on a baking sheet until solid (2–4 hours). Transfer to a freezer bag or an airtight container. They’ll keep up to 3 months. Reheat in the microwave or warm them up in the sauce.
- Skip Freezing the Sauce: Creamy sauces don’t freeze well—they can separate. For best results, make the gravy fresh when you’re ready to serve.
Nutrition
Calories: 499kcalCarbohydrates: 10gProtein: 17gFat: 43gSaturated Fat: 22gCholesterol: 162mgSodium: 712mgPotassium: 327mgFiber: 1gSugar: 1gVitamin A: 987IUVitamin C: 2mgCalcium: 59mgIron: 2mg
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Tried this recipe?Mention @alyssa_therecipecritic or tag #therecipecritic!
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Thank you for sharing this recipe. I made the meatballs with mashed potatoes last night and my husband nearly ate them all! I was very happy with the result and simple preparation.
Stupid question maybe but do you drain the grease from the meatballs before making the gravy or use the grease?
I used pretty lean ground beef so I didn’t have a lot of grease left over.
Where’s the cardamom? That’s what makes them Swedish!
Cardamom? I’ve never, ever heard of that being used in Scandinavia. We tend to use it in baked goods, not in savory food. Nutmeg, however, can be used for a more authentic taste.
Very good, made a double batch to have leftovers. None left over.
Cook this last night! Was fantastic!! It will be added to the rotation for sure. Thanks Alyssa! Served with Pasta and was yum.
I’ve made this recipe twice in two weeks and my three picky kids love it! Thanks for the recipe!
Lovely:-) I baked my meatballs in the oven instead of frying (healthier option). It was delicious!!!!
How long did you bake them for? Actually can you describe your baking process?
for how long at what temp? you put them on a baking sheet or shallow pan?
I too bake my meatballs. I bake them at 325 and it really depends how big you make them, but I just kind of check at 20 minutes and you can pretty much tell.
Yum, yum, yum I think DH and I died and went to Swedish Meatball Heaven. Thank you so much for sharing this fabulous recipe. There was enough left over sauce to have it 2 nights later reheated and poured over meatloaf and mashed potatoes. Your comfort food is a big hit in out household in Melbourne, Australia.
I have just finished making this meal, still cooling but I can tell you it is very-very delicious. My husband is away at the moment so I am experimenting on our son and myself but this recipe will definately be added to my “to cook” list for when my husband arrives back home. Thanks a lot! 🙂
This is an excellent recipe. Delicious. I prefer my gravy a little thicker so next time will try reducing the beef broth to 1 and 1/2 cups. I use the sort of paste that comes in a jar, Organic Better Than Bouillon Beef Base, and stir it into hot water. Love that stuff. I also was afraid my meatballs would fall apart with all the constant flipping and stirring. Most held together pretty well. Really tasty, thanks, Alyssa.
We don’t like mustard. Can I just leave it out or substitute something else for it?
Yes. Or you can just leave it out all together.
I am going to try this recipe and going to leave out the mustard and add in all spice, which is commonly used in Swedish Meatballs.
It will be just fine without mustard. Dijon just adds a hint of tangy flavor to it.
Born and raised in Sweden and only spice I have ever used is salt and white pepper, and that’s it for meatballs.
You can definitely just add the spices you like. I customized it to our families taste.
And cavemen started out eating only berries. It is ok to evolve.. Don’t be afraid of flavor.
I don’t like mustard either, but I do cook with it. It lends depth more than anything. I also got a chuckle about adding Worcestershire sauce. My family uses it in most meat recipes. Our family recipe came from the Lea & Perrins Worcestershire cookbook! LOL
I cannot wait to try this recipe! The meatballs look amazing and I bet they taste even better!
this recipe looks fabulous.i am going to make and keep this one.
thank you ever so much for sharing it.
We tried these for dinner the other night with mashed potatoes. Needless to say it won’t be the only time. They were so yummy. The whole family loved them.
I made these – the recipe was perfect and dinner was delicious! Thank you for sharing!
These meatballs look amazing! I too love to make a broth-
based gravy to serve with meatballs. However, I use ground
chicken for the meatballs and chicken broth in the gravy as
my family does not eat red meat.;) I thought that your idea to serve
meatballs over egg noodles was ingenious, why didn’t I think of that?
Love your recipes, but is there any chance you could include imperial measurements as the difference in US and English can differ a lot.
Here’s a handy converter: http://www.traditionaloven.com/culinary-arts/volume/volume-multimenu.html