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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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I made this last night for dinner and it was delicious. However for left overs not so good. The sauce takes on a different consistency and the butter oh my. When I make this again I will modify two things. The amount of butter and the amount of heavy cream.
Very good. Hard to feed a freshman athlete. He actually loved it. Will make it again. Thanks for the recipe, I’ll look for more recipes from you.
Great recipe. My Swedish in-laws approved!
This was so so good! My boyfriend is a picky eater and he said this was one of his new favorites. I didn’t have nutmeg on hand so I left that out, but it still turned out super yummy! I browned the meat balls on the skillet first and finished them in the oven. Served it with home made mashed potatoes which I totally recommended! Can’t wait to cook this again.
This is one of my favorites!!! I also added sautéed mushrooms. Very easy to make
I cook from the internet constantly and have never left a review. This was absolutely FANTASTIC. 10/10. Alyssa, you’re a beast.
I just made this again tonight. This time I used dried onions(too lazy to cut up some fresh ones) I added a bit of milk and set the mixture in the fridge for 4 hours to let the flavors come together(have not done this in the past). The meatballs turn out great! When I do this recipe I do a double batch of the gravy(we all like a lot of gravy and the original way was not enough for us). I just double everything for the gravy. I did use a 4 to 4 ratio of flour to butter. I love making this dish. It’s easy and delicious.
This was excellent. Very easy to make and can’t wait for leftovers! Thanks for the recipe, I will have to check out more.
I have made this recipe several times now and my family loves it! I mix 1lb pork with 1lb hamburger and also double the spices for the meatballs. I follow the recipe exactly for the gravy and it is enough even though I have double the meatballs. In Sweden they serve this dinner with lingonberry sauce so as a substitute I used St. Dalfour Wild Blueberry Deluxe Spread and it was so delicious! After frying the meatballs I followed the suggestion of baking them as well and they turned out so flavourful! This recipe is very easy to make and I highly recommend it!
This will be for my family Christmas dinner and they look wonderful! If I double the recipe using 1 lb. of beef and 1 lb. of pork, should I also double the allspice and nutmeg? Some recipes I have looked at do increase from 1/4 to 1/2 tsp with this quantity of meat and some do not. I don’t want them to be too spicy. Thank you!
Yes, I would. The more flavor is best!
I made this for our Christmas dinner 2019. Our family loved this recipe! I also had a recipe from my mother-in-law who got it from her Aunt that came over from Norway & I enjoy Alyssa’s recipe much more. The gravy is so good! This is our new Christmas dinner tradition. Thank you Alyssa!
Very good…my grandson made them. Recipe was easy to follow, and they turned out great!
These were awesome! I only had ground beef, so I wanted a recipe just using that. Glad I found this one! My darling hubs is raving about this recipe and just finished his second serving. Thanks for posting, I now have you on my favorites.
I made this tonight for my family and we all loved it. The only thing I did different was to use 1/2 beef and 1/2 pork. Thanks for the recipe.
I would like to share what I add to the Swedish meatball recipe..it came from my friends grandmother from Sweden…add a small peeled cored apple, small peeled cooked potato and small to medium onion all chopped up tiny to the hamb/sausage mixture recipe of your choice. It’s a wonderful flavor..nothing like the typical meatball…..ummmm : )
Can you bake the meatballs instead of frying?
Yes, place in the oven at 350 degrees for 20 to 25 minutes or until cooked through.