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These Swedish Meatballs are a top favorite recipe on the site for a reason—juicy meatballs, rich creamy gravy, and have SO MUCH FLAVOR. They’re easy to make and way better than IKEA’s (yes, really!).
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!
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 creay gravy from turning too salty and gives you more control over the final flavor.
Skip the Pork- Here’s Why
Some people like to use a mix of beef and pork for Swedish meatballs, and while the pork can add a little extra tenderness, I’ve found that it’s not enough of a difference to justify the extra cost of buying 2 kinds of meat. The rich, creamy sauce and yummy flavors in the meat make these meatballs turn out perfectly tender and delicious with just ground beef!
How to Make Swedish Meatballs
These will come together quickly and cook in about 30 minutes total, so dinner is fast and easy!
- 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 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.
Variations to Try
Since Swedish Meatballs are one of YOUR favorite recipes on the site, I thought you might want to see other ways I have cooked them up!
- Casserole: My Swedish Meatball Casserole is a simple way to serve everything in one dish, and it’s great for feeding a crowd.
- Soup: Want the same great flavor in a different form? Swedish Meatball Soup is an easy twist that’s perfect for cooler days.
- Slow Cooker: Short on time? My Slow Cooker Swedish Meatballs Recipe is a great hands-off option, and you can even use frozen meatballs!
Can You Freeze Swedish Meatballs?
Yes! This recipe is perfect for doubling and freezing for later. Here’s how to do it without losing flavor or texture:
- 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.
More Yummy Meatball Recipes
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The Best Swedish Meatballs
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 reduce to a simmer for another 1-2 minutes. Serve over egg noodles or mashed potatoes.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Yes this is the best Swedish meatball recipe. Thank you.
Any suggestions on how to prepare this in an instant pot?
My boyfriend and 3 year old LOVE this recipe. We also do ours over noodles but may try rice next time. I didn’t have heavy whipping cream and I was too lazy to go to the store so I added 1/4 cup more broth for Some more liquid and added about 1/2 cup of sour cream (at the very end). It cane out perfect thanks so much for this recipe. It’s a keeper!
This was so delicious!!! I enjoyed serving this to my family!!! Thank you!!!
Delicious, Delicious, Delicious I fixed this recipe for our Church function
And everyone loved it. I would love to try more of your receipts.
The meatballs were so easy and turned out great! And the sauce was so simple. Overall, a very easy and delicious recipe! Thank you!
We love these, thanks for sharing. And where are all these rude people coming from commenting that these are ‘Swedish’ and dont use the name swedish?! Seriously what is wrong with people?! If you dont have something nice or useful to say, say nothing at all. Can you imagine how much better and quiter the world would be if everyone would shut their trap more and be kinder. You dont ‘just have to say it’ you really don’t. If you dont like something just go away quietly.
What can I replace the heavy cream with for the Swedish meatballs? Will sour cream work?
That sounds great!
Does this freeze well? I just made it and the party we were going to tonight was postponed a week due to weather. I actually haven’t even put the meatballs into the sauce yet, but I’m worried that the sauce wouldn’t be the best to freeze.
Let me first say that I usually never feel the need to leave a comment or review on a recipe, but I love this dish so much that I felt that I needed too! Not only is this recipe easy, it is hands down the best Swedish Meatballs that I have ever had (yes, even better than IKEA’s). On days when I’m feeling especially lazy, I just brown the beef with some onions, cook up some egg noodles, and use the sauce to make a super easy stroganoff type dish! Thanks again for sharing this amazing recipe!
This was so yummy! My kids and I loved it! I was surprised because all of the other swedish meatball recipes I had tried used sour cream. This one does not, but we will definitely be using it again!
This is excellent! By far the best Swedish Meatball recipe I’ve ever tried, didn’t change a thing! My husband (who is hard to impress) loved it. Will be adding to my 5 star recipe collection. Thank you!
What did I do wrong? It tastes great but it won’t thicken for me?
I want to cook Swedish meatballs, I will be freezing should I make sauce now or wait till the day I will be using.
Recipe was great but wish I would of added some mushrooms.
Tried this recipe tonight- the best Swedish meatballs I’ve ever made! I substituted chicken broth for beef (that’s all I had on hand), used half heavy and half light cream- sooooo yummy, will make again for sure!
Thank you for this wonderful recipe! I made a double batch tonight and they were awesome. I used to love Ikea’s version and now I can’t eat them because they contain gluten, so I needed to find a recipe I could modify to make gluten free to satisfy my craving! I substituted corn starch for the flour and used gluten-free panko and the turned out amazing! I couldn’t believe how close everything tasted to the Ikea version that I was craving. Thanks so much for helping me finally taste this amazing dish again!
MMM!! I LOVE Ikea’s version! You are making me hungry now;)! I love that you made it your own! Thanks so much for sharing! XOXO