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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
This recipe is amazing, I followed the directions exactly as described but instead of garlic powder, i added fresh minced garlic to my meatball mixture and it came out sooooo yummy! i minced the parsley with the garlic and combined. So yummy! My boyfriend was literally obsessed! I will make this recipe again !
Yum! Sounds amazing! So glad you and your boyfriend loved it!
Absolute perfection!
So tasty! When my son had a dairy allergy, we made this recipe using coconut cream instead of cream and it was great! So great actually that we still do it.
Thank you for sharing 🙂
Super amazing recipe!! Thanks!!
This is part of my regular rotation now. I cheat and buy the meatballs, but the sauce recipe here is delicious. I sometimes add a little dill, dried parsley and/or garlic powder. It also works well with some ground nutmeg added.
I’m all about making life easier with store bought meatballs! Glad you like it!
My go to recipe now!
EXCELLENT!!! I didn’t have heavy cream so I used sour cream and added a small jar of mushrooms. The gravy was absolutely delicious and I followed the recipe to a T, but I doubled it. Definitely a keeper. Thanks so much for sharing your talent. OH, and I’m a SWEDE😊 Wydeen – Not many of us here in the states.
Can 5 percent plain yogurt be substituted for the heavy cream?
Hi Mary, yogurt should work, but it may need a splash or two of milk to thin it down if it’s too thick. Let me know how it turns out!
Can you use whole milk rather then heavy cream?
Yes, it won’t be as creamy and rich, but it will work.
Full disclosure: I only made the sauce b/c I was using frozen meatballs. It came together quickly and was FANTASTIC.
Because I wasn’t making the meatballs, I added the nutmeg and allspice to the sauce – b/c to me that’s what gives Swedish meatballs they’re delicious taste – and I added a lot more than the recipe called for.
I’ll definitely make this again, for dinner and for parties b/c it’s so quick to come together.
My husband and I love this recipe! We have made it a million times. I actually double the nutmeg and all spice for extra flavor. One of our go to recipes!
I’m so glad you guys love it! I can’t tell you how much I appreciate you taking the time to leave a comment and review!
Can these be frozen with the sauce or do you make the sauce the day you are going to serve them
Hi Lilliann, thank you for your question. You probably could, but cream sauces tend to separate once frozen so it might be best to make it fresh. Good luck!
Made this with ground turkey, it’s very good! Would recommend!
Love love love these meatballs, been making this recipe for many years and my kids love it although they have the recipe they always ask me to make it. It is a recipe that will continue in our family long after I’m gone. Thank you for sharing it.
Just a question. The recipe calls for ground beef. But your comments say you like ground beef abd ground pork. So which is it? Thank you.❤️
Hi Judy, for this recipe I used ground beef, but you can use ground pork if you prefer. Here is a link to the printable recipe. I hope this helps!
This is my absolute favorite Swedish meatball recipe. The flavor is mouthwatering. Thank you for sharing this with us.