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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!
More Yummy Meatball Recipes
Sounds yummy can’t wait to make them thanks carolann
Made these meat balls very good
The family loved it! We had them with rice and sweet peas. Thank you!
That is great to hear! I am so glad that everyone loved it! Thank you for sharing and following along with me!
150/10! One of our favourite meals ever!
That is awesome to hear!! I am so glad that you love it!
I made this tonight for my family and they loved it. I omitted the egg in the meatballs and I substituted the cream with coconut milk as I have an egg and dairy allergy. It was absolutely awesome. Thank you.
Just made this tonight (first time making meatballs from scratch and first time making Swedish meatballs!) and we loved it! Kinda reminded me of beef stroganoff flavors. The meatballs were seasoned perfectly to me but we did add at least an extra tsp or two of Dijon to amp up the flavor of the sauce (major mustard lovers around here). Thanks for a great tasting and easy recipe!
Same here… first time making meatballs from scratch and first attempt at swedish meatballs. I made ahead the meatballs and sauce tonight for our supper tomorrow night, as I am taking some night classes and won’t have time to make it once I get home from work before I have to leave for class. This way, all I have to do is come home and cook some egg noodles while warming this up and put it all together. We’re opposite about the mustard though. Around here mustard lasts forever because none of us really care much for it. My husband especially dislikes dijon mustard, but I was hoping to slip some by him to add that special oomph the sauce needs. But, he could still taste it, even though I halved the amount. Our son and daughter like regular mustard on cheeseburgers and such, but neither have tried dijon mustard. Hoping they’ll like it once we eat it tomorrow night. I liked the sauce and can’t wait to try it all tomorrow over some yummy egg noodles. I’ll have to come back tomorrow night to rate it once we’ve had a chance to try everything together.
BIG hit in my house. I baked the meatballs while I made the sauce and plopped them in when they were done.
Thank you for this amazing idea. I tried your recipe and the food was delicious!
What got my attention was the brilliant photo of your dish on the Pinterest.
Hi I love Swedish Meatballs and giving it a go. I upped the Allspice,Garlic Powder, Parsley and Nutmeg by 1/2 and glad I did. Also using a 85/15 burger. So far without hesitation started batch 2 and 3 sooo YUM and fragrant.
Sauce Is awesome! I also added all the meatballs to the sauce and cooked for 40 minutes simering with an extra 2 T of flour and 1 C sour cream (being that I am now working with a triple recipe).
Thank you for sharing!
Jacqueline!!
So glad that you loved it. Thanks for the comment and for following along with me!
We just found out that my middle daughter is allergic to dairy…via me making mac n cheese .Would coconut milk & coconut oil be a good substitute for the cream & butter in the dish?
Kamilla!!
Oh no!! That could make things challenging. I don’t think we realize how much dairy we use until we have to look to take it out or substitute it! I would think that it should be fine but I have not tried this alternate yet. It may change the taste a little. Please let me know if you try it. I would like to know how it goes!!
Delicious! Great recipe….
Arline!!
Thanks so much for the comment! I love it that you love the recipe!
sounds good except, isnt the panko supposed to be soaked in milk? Someone swedish told me you also need mace. And that they are also dipped in “bramble berry_ which is blackberry jam/sauce or a mixture of raspberry and blackberry. I’ve also known people to dip them in grape jelly. ….I”d just be happy pouring ranch all over the finished product (egg noodles with butter mixed in and swedish meatball and melted cheese and RANCH. Thank you for the recipe.
Had these tonight, and they reminded me of growing up when my mother would make them! Husband approved, they were awesome!!! Loved the sauce! Thankyou!
This recipe was awesome! So creamy and flavorful. I doubled the sauce because we like to have extra over the noodles. My husband and son both loved it. In fact my son wants the recipe for the sauce so he can make it to use on other things. Definitely something I will make again! Thank you for sharing it!
How is the recipe different if i use ground turkey vs beef. Also, hubby is allergic to eggs, how can I substitute to hold them together???? I have used ground flax turned into a slimy egg like substance in baked goods, would this work for meatballs???,
Ground Turkey sounds great! You can use bread crumbs and milk will help bind them together. Hope that helps! Thank for following along with me! XOOX
This was awesome and so easy. I think the key was to make the sauce in the same pan as the one you cook the meatballs in. The burnt bits left in the pan made the sauce sooooo tasty.