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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.
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More Yummy Meatball Recipes
As I am sure these are delicious meatballs, I feel the “Swedish” should be deleted from the name. I think just because they are small people consider them Swedish. Raised in a Swedish home with family from Sweden, this is nothing like the meatballs they would make and serve! Can we get a rename please??? Oregano? Nope, allspice. Just sayin!
This looks like a very tasty recipe, and I will try it for sure. I bet it will win over the hearts of my Norwegian kids. I will add, however, these bare rather little resemblance to Swedish meatballs. You will never, for one, find oregano in Swedish meatballs. That is purely Italian/Mediterreanean. I’m sure it is delicious, though, and I might try it, myself. A more Scandinavian twist would be to use nutmeg. Calling these Swedish is comparative to Mexican and Tex-mex. Perhaps even further.
Where are you seeing oregano in this recipe?
It’s odd that there’s no allspice or nutmeg, that’s pretty much what gIves Swedish Meatballs their distinctive flavor compared to another gravy. I’ve seen it in the meatball mixture and gravy ingredients, and sometimes both, but never missing. I hate to be critical but this recipe needs to be renamed. It’s like calling a recipe Italian Meatballs but having no basil, oregano or garlic.
All spice and nutmeg ARE listed in the ingredients.
Made this delicious recipe tonight. It’s a keeper. Quick and easy. Cooked it in the oven. I added fresh mushrooms and served it on garlic mashed potatoes.
These are NOT SWEDISH MEATBALLS! It looks like a wonderful and tasty dinner, but NOT SWEDISH MEATBALLS.
Swedish Meatballs are seasoned with ALLSPICE.
A better name for this dish would be ‘Super Tasty Creamy Meatballs”.
Made this dish for dinner tonight and served with egg noodles. It was delicious!
These are not Swedish meatballs. Real Swedish meatballs have nutmeg and sour cream in the mix.
This recipe looks really delicious! I have a couple questions cause I’m going to make it tonight. Can I use nutmeg in the recipe? Also do you have any non-dairy substitutes for heavy cream? And can I add garlic because there’s only garlic powder in the recipe or should I substitute the garlic powder for two cloves of garlic?
I made these non dairy by using coconut milk (about a half a cup in 3 pounds of meat) and another 2 cups mixed with 2 cups of beef broth and they were amazing.
sounds really good and will try, but have been making Swedish Meatballs for at least 40 years and they always call for nutmeg and have never used oregano in them
I agree with others who have said that in order to be Swedish meatballs they have to contain either nutmeg, cinnamon, or cardamom. Your recipe is good but it’s a basic meatball recipe. Instead of heavy cream I use a can of cream of mushroom soup along with some beef broth. I refer to them simply as meatballs in gravy. Yes, they are yummy!
This recipe looks delicious, but Swedish meatballs (at least in my experience) are made with a combination of beef, pork and veal; NO garlic nor oregano, but nutmeg is used. I’ll make the meatball recipe, but won’t call it “Swedish”.
Looks so good. I’m going to try to make this this week. Thanks for the recipe!
The recipe looks and sounds delicious, but they are not Swedish meatballs. From my very Swedish grandparents’ recipes, a mix of ground pork and beef make for a very tender meatball. And no mustard, garlic, or oregano….use allspice, perhaps even a hint of nutmeg. And serve with lingonberry jam on the side. So thank you for the recipe; it just needs to be renamed! 🙂
Can I use something in place of the heavy cream?
Can u use milk instead of heavy cream? It’s something I don’t keep in my fridge. Lol
In my experience milk might separate while cooking. Cream is better for this kind of dish and gives a richer consistency. I think I read somewhere you could use evaporated milk -but the thought of milk in a can kind of grosses me out! Just plan ahead and get a carton of cream 🙂 You won’t be sorry 🙂
This is a great recipe! It’s also very flexible, I add mushrooms to mine It also freezes well.
These might be tasty, but please don’t call them Swedish meatballs, there is absolutely nothing Swedish about them, they bear no resemblance to any kind of Swedish meatballs, the spices and the ingredients are all wrong. Please get your facts/ingredients right before you call something by the wrong ethnicity.
You mean nationality? Swedish is a nationality, not ethnicity. Please use the right term. Thanks.
Yours can be called “Anette Meatballs”. So can all of you others, call them your choice. There you are !
Make Meatballs Great Again !!