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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
Vegetarian version! (Note: I did not make the sauce, but will try next time!) I simply substituted 12 oz. Impossible ground “meat” and followed the recipe as-is otherwise. I’ve been trying to make veg Swedish “meat”balls for years and this recipe and the arrival of Impossible finally made it happen: thank you!
Must be something in the initials (I’m also AF and also vegetarian). I did the very same and made the sauce as well. I substituted vegetable Better than Bouillon but at 3x concentration to be more “beefy.”
I used 12 oz. Impossible meat as well and made the meatballs smaller (36 meatballs) to get the right inside vs. outside texture.
After 25 years of trying to make veg Swedish meatballs and failing miserably, this recipe plus Impossible meat has made me so happy!
Great recipe, suggest not using egg as a bonding agent, kneading the ground beef works better (a trick I learned form a chef at a meat seminar), the protein strings that form during the kneading tend to make for stronger bonds than the protein in the egg’s white.
Tried tonight. Was so so good. I would recommend.
Swedish Meatballs – I altered the recipe slightly. Prepared meatballs with eggs, cream, and bread crumbs (more Italian style).
Of course I threw in the kitchen sink of herbs, herb de provence, basil, tarragon, parsley and nutmeg, had no allspice, used fresh garlic and onion.
My daughter lived in Denmark for a year and loved the Danish frikadeller. Rather than saute, I roasted in 350 Fahrenheit oven 12 minutes and then turn for another 12 minutes, drained most of the residual beef fat add the butter to create a roux, used low sodium beef stock, worster, and dijon. Let this thicken and simmer about 7 minutes add heavy cream just prior to serving.
We are mashed potato family so served with creamy, garlic mashed potatoes and served elderberry preserves on the side. So we now have renamed “Sweden-Franc Meatballs”.
Was a great add to my meal planner which has been getting a little boring. Thanks Joanne
Delicious!! I’ve made this recipe three times this season and everyone loves it! Thank you.
I tried the recipe last week and I will be making it for the third time tomorrow. It’s excellent! I ended up putting a little less cream in the sauce (about half a cup) and I used salted butter since that’s all I had on hand. Excellent recipe though, highly recommend!
After searching for this recipe… I tried this one! Exactly as thr recipe said… didn’t add or omit anything. Flippin’ Fantastic!
Read all the reviews & will have to say that it drives me crazy when people post all these changes or give bad reviews because they don’t use the recipe as stated.
This one is surely a keeper! Thank you ?
Thank you Gail! Great information ?
Thanks Gail! That’s exactly how I feel! At least try the original recipe before shredding it apart.
Great recipe! I made this tonight and thoroughly enjoyed our dinner! I think they are the best meatballs I have ever eaten!! They are very good with it without the cream sauce!!
Thank you for sharing!!
Sorry, we didn’t like these. The flavor in the meatballs was very mild, nothing like the Swedish Meatballs of my youth. Perhaps increasing the nutmeg and allspice might help. The gravy was heavy and flavorless, requiring too much salt.
This is an awesome, delicious recipe. Made this today and hubby and I said it was a keeper.
One tip for easy prep After mixing ground beef/ground pork, divide mixture into quarters. Make 5 meatballs from each quarter to make 20 meatballs.
I tried this recipe for my husband. He doesn’t like it with sour cream or cream cheese so I tried it. We both enjoyed it,he actually wants more flavor so next time I’ll add more allspice. Super easy to make and I actually enjoyed making it,not a chore or too many steps. Thanks for sharing this recipe!!
To anyone making with frozen meatballs, don’t. Make you’re own and follow the recipe. But, if you do use frozen meatballs, add the nutmeg and allspice to the butter of your gravy and sate fr a few moments on low before adding the cream, since frozen meatballs aren’t going to have those spices in them, and you’ll want the nutmeg flavor. Swedish meatballs aren’t Swedish meatballs without delicious nutmeg, so don’t forget it.
I really loved the cream, I feel like it needed a bit more salt to taste but other than that it was great! The meatballs were alright too. I’ve never tried Swedish meatballs before. It kind of reminds me of Kofta, it has a very similar taste (I used ground beef). The Meat balls weren’t my favourite but I’ll definitely be remaking this cream sauce again for pasta dishes!
Easy and delicious!!
Made just the sauce tonight to go with frozen Italian meatballs and it was sooo delicious. I didnt have Dijon mustard so I added a tsp of dry mustard and it added just enough tang. I made the sauce, added the frozen meatballs, and cooked on medium until they were hot, about 20 minutes. Will definitely make this again and ill try the meatball recipe as well.
While I am not a meat eater, I cook it for my hubby. He eats because his body requires it to live, not a foodie like me. He smashed this. A couple of adjustments based on what was in the fridge (IE:Coconut milk instead of heavy cream) . Served over homemade mashed potatoes. Ya’ll…he smashed it!
Absolutely fantastic! Followed the recipe exactly and had no complaints. 🙂 Husband LOVES it, picky kid likes it, and even my elderly mother-in-law who claimed to not like Swedish meatballs enjoyed the recipe!
These were very good! Great flavor and easy to make! Served with mashed potatoes and a salad.
When I removed the meatballs from the pan, there was so much grease but no instruction on whether or not to drain the grease, that I only added 1 TBSP butter and the flour. Similarly, when it was time to add the broth and cream I did 2 cups broth but only .5 cups cream. That was all I had, but I also felt a whole cup of cream would be too much. Even with those adjustments the sauce was so rich that next time I would probably drain the extra grease, and add another half cup of broth instead of more cream. But I will be making these again!