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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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These look so yummy. I want to make for my party this weekend and in would like to make the meatballs ahead of time but do the sauce the day of and then keep warm in crock pot will that work?
I at going to use a mix of ground chuck & pork would I use 1/2 lb of each or more beef than pork. I also want to double my recipe to, so I will double sauce also.
I made them last night, even ran to the store for the All Spice and Nutmeg. I really didn’t like the strong taste of either, neither did the kids. seems to have too much All Spice and Nutmeg! I would cut back on them. And I thought the gravy was too thin also.
Delicious easy recipe. My husband loved it served over egg noodles. Thank you for sharing your recipe.
Absolutely perfect with the creamy sauce! My mother always a coffee based sayce, but this recipe is better. Thank you for sharing, it has quickly become a family favorite!
I can’t wait to try this, but has anyone tried to do this in a crockpot? I was planning on cooking the meatballs first in the oven and then add to the crockpot with the ingredients for the gravy…just wondering if anyone has tried it.
So this was amazing. The food science behind just adding 2 ingredients is phenomenal. Thank you, the Husband loves Swedish Meatballs and now the whole family does too! Awesome. ?
The stars won’t light up…you get 5 stars!
This was so delicious! Having it again this week. The kids all loved it. Thanks for sharing!
Dear Alyssa,
I made these tonight and I really did not care for the allspice and nutmeg in it. It just didn’t coincide with my taste at all. I think the best Swedish Meatballs so far, for me, is the basic old-fashioned recipe.
So excited to try these! Not sure if people are having difficulty reading this recipe but I see people complaining about the use of oregano and not using nutmeg or allspice. Maybe we see different recipes but there is NO oregano listed and there IS nutmeg and allspice listed. Hate to see unnecessary criticism. Thanks for the recipe!
This sounded much better than it was. The spice wasn’t even noticeable. I should have increased Allspice and Nutmeg. After the balls were cooked I left the grease thinking it would add more flavor to the gravy. Not so much, gravy was way too thin.
Terrific. Made exactly as the recipe…Will make again and again.
Could I replace the cream with whole milk and the beed broth with wine?
You definitely can.
Amazing! I HATE Swedish Meatballs, but these are fabulous. For us, there was a little too much salt in the meat mix, but that is an easy fix. This will definitely stay in my recipe rotation. Thank you!
Made these tonight. Used meatloaf mix and half-half instead. They were pretty good. Made a double batch and will freeze the other batch. I want to star this but that’s not working. 3 stars
I made this recipe for clients of mine (I work as a personal chef). They absolutely loved it! I personally thought it was WAY too much cream and lacked flavor. Though I salted it, I ended up squeezing lemon juice into the sauce and adding much more dijon. When I cook a new dish, I typically scour the internet and get a general recipe and tips from people from all over. This time I did not do that and just went with this one. I would be curious what a recipe from a Swede would be like. Next time….
My wife just made this recipe for dinner. It was just fantastic. She doubled the recipe and it came out great. Looking forward to the leftovers. Thanks so much for sharing. This recipe is a keeper.