Fill up with a hearty serving of Swedish meatballs. The savory meatballs combine ground beef and pork to make a flavorful meatball that is smothered in a super flavorful gravy.
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Pin RecipeForget going to IKEA to get a plate of tasty Swedish meatballs. This recipe will let you recreate the fan-favorite dish at home, and let me tell you, it’s even better homemade! The dish uses fresh ingredients to bring the traditional meal to life. Plus, you won’t have to navigate the ever-winding halls of IKEA to get your hands on this dish!
Swedish Meatballs to Make at Home
This Swedish meatball dish is great for all occasions. The hearty ingredients make it perfect for warming up on a cold night. This dish may look complicated to make because of all of the layered flavors and ingredients. However, it is actually the opposite. The dish takes under an hour to fully cook and can be on your plate in no time.
Now, these meatballs are not your typical meatballs. The quality and combination of the ingredients allow the meatballs to be full of flavor. Two proteins go into the meat, along with onions, breadcrumbs, egg yolks, and spices. The secret spice in the meat is in the nutmeg. It adds just enough spice to give the meatballs a slightly nutty and sweet flavor but doesn’t overpower them, so it is sweet like a dessert.
The flavor of the meatballs doesn’t stop there. They get their finishing touches from ending the cook in a luscious and thick gravy sauce. Now, this gravy isn’t your typical gravy. It is more like a sauce that is thickened with sour cream. You’ll be licking the bowl clean after all of the Swedish meatballs are gone — they’re that good.
Tools Needed:
Ingredients for Swedish Meatballs
See the recipe card below this post for ingredient quantities and full instructions.
For the Swedish Meatballs:
- Unsalted butter
- Onion
- Ground beef
- Ground pork
- Breadcrumbs
- Egg yolks – adds more fat to the meat to make it moist and full.
- Kosher salt
- Black pepper
- Nutmeg – adds a sweet and nutty flavor to the meat.
- Canola oil
For the Gravy:
- Unsalted butter
- All-purpose flour – Thickens the gravy.
- Beef stock
- Full-fat sour cream – Makes the sauce creamy
- Parsley – Chopped.
- Egg noodles – Cook and serve alongside the meatballs.
- Kosher salt & black pepper – Season to taste.
How to Make Swedish Meatballs
1. Cook the Onions
- Cook the Onions: In a saute pan, melt the butter and cook the onions in the pan over medium heat. Then, cook until the onions are soft, about 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and set to the side.
- Make the Meatballs: In a large mixing bowl, combine the ground beef, pork, breadcrumbs, yolks, salt, pepper, and nutmeg. Use your hands to mix all of the ingredients. Rolls the meat into 1 1/2 inch balls and set to the side. All together, the mixture should make about 20-25 meatballs.
- Cook the Meatballs: Heat a large saute pan with oil and gradually add in the meatballs. Cook the meatballs in batches. Each meatball will take about 6-7 minutes to fully cook. Set the meatballs on a baking sheet lined with a paper towel to remove any excess grease.
- Make the Gravy: Use the same saute pan to make the gravy. Add the butter to the pan and let it fully melt. Then, add in the and continue to whisk until thick, for about 2 minutes. Add in the beef stock and continue to whisk for about 7-8 minutes. Add the sour cream into the pan and mix to combine with the beef mixture. Once fully smooth, add the meatballs back into the pan and let them soak up the gravy. Simmer them all together for about 10-12 minutes.
- Garnish and Serve: Serve the meatballs over cooked egg noodles and garnish them with parsley.
How to Store Swedish Meatballs
If you have extra Swedish meatballs that you want to keep for leftovers, store them in an airtight container and place them in the fridge. They will last about 3-4 days in the container. Warm them up on the stove in a pan or the microwave.
The meatballs will also freeze very well and will last about 2-3 months in the freezer. If possible, store the gravy separate from the meatballs in the freezer. Separating them will allow them to freeze better.
FAQs
Unlike Italian meatballs, Swedish meatballs are cooked in a roux-based sauce that is typically made with beef or bone broth and thickened with sour cream. The dish is a traditional Swedish meal.
Swedish meatballs should be served alongside a portion of warm egg noodles. The gravy is the perfect accompaniment for the noodles and soaks up any of the extra sauce. The dish can also be served alongside mashed or boiled potatoes instead of noodles if desired.
Both pork and ground beef are used to make Swedish meatballs. The combination of the meat has a great balance of both lean and fat content, allowing for the meatballs to be tender and melt in your mouth.
More Meatball Dishes to Enjoy
Swedish Meatballs
Ingredients
Meatball
- 1 tbsp unsalted butter
- 1 medium onion minced
- 1 lb ground beef
- 1 lb ground pork
- 2/3 cup breadcrumbs
- 2 egg yolks
- 2 tsp kosher salt
- 1 tsp black pepper
- 1/2 tsp nutmeg
- 2 tbsp canola oil
Gravy
- 3 tbsp unsalted butter
- 3 tbsp all purpose flour
- 2 cups beef stock
- 1/4 cup full-fat sour cream
- 2 tbsp parsley chopped
- 1 lb egg noddles cooked
- Kosher salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- In a saute pan, heat the butter over medium heat until hot. Add the onions and cook until soft, about 5 minutes. Set aside to cool.
- In a large mixing bowl, add the ground beef and pork, breadcrumbs, yolks, salt, pepper, and nutmeg. Mix thoroughly with your (clean) hands until well mixed and combined. Roll into 1 ½” meatballs and set aside. You should end up with 20-25.
- In a large saute pan, heat the oil until hot. Add the meatballs, in batches, and cook on all sides until browned, about 6-7 minutes. Remove to a baking sheet lined with paper towels to drain. Repeat until finished.
- For the gravy, add the butter to a pan over medium heat until melted. Add the flour and whisk. Cook for 2 minutes. Add the beef stock and whisk constantly until thickened, about 7-8 minutes. Stir in the sour cream, season to taste, and add the meatballs. Reduce to a simmer and cook for 10-12 minutes or until the meatballs are fully cooked and gravy is thick.
- Serve over egg noodles. Garnish with chopped parsley.
What do you do with the sautéed onion??