Swedish Meatballs Recipe [Video]

Catalina Castravet
By Catalina Castravet
Updated:
Published:
5 from 1 reviews

Beef Pork Recipes

Cook time Cook time: 30 minutes

Last updated on June 18th, 2021 at 09:01 pm

Swedish Meatballs are juicy, tender, and tasty! Kids and adults will surely love them with rice, mashed potatoes, or noodles! Make them using this easy recipe!

Going to IKEA has meant eating this dish off their menu! If you want more meaty entrees like this, feel free to browse my recipes for Beef Tips and Gravy, Bacon Wrapped Pork Loin, and Bacon Cheeseburger Meatloaf!

Swedish Meatballs Recipe

Swedish Meatballs made from scratch are so good that I prefer to keep them all for myself! I can even eat them without the delicious gravy. But of course, with the gravy, the entree is complete and perfectly seasoned.

They are a lot like their Italian counterpart but there are a lot of notable differences, too. They are both loved by my family! But we have done Italian a lot of times already and this recipe is a welcome, delicious change.

This dish has become a hit in Sweden. But did you know that it came from Turkey? It was King Charles XII, who once lived in Turkey, brought it home to the Swedes.

It turned out to become IKEA’s best-selling meal worldwide in their restaurant. It might even be the most popular Swedish food in the world, not just in IKEA. Serve it with boiled potatoes and lingonberry jam for an authentic Swedish experience!

What is so special about Swedish Meatballs?

Instead of the usual tomato-based sauce of its Italian cousin, this dish has the meatballs drowning in creamy gravy. Even without the gravy, the mounds of beef and pork combined are already juicy and tasty.

Yes, you read that right! They are made with two different kinds of meat. But what makes them Swedish is the addition of nutmeg and allspice.

How to make Swedish Meatballs:

Watch the recipe video attached above for a quick and easy to follow tutorial. The general steps are as follows:

  • Cook the onions: In a large skillet, heat half of the olive oil and sauté the onions in it.
  • Combine: In a large bowl, combine the rest of the ingredients except for the remaining olive oil and gravy ingredients. Add in the onions that you cooked earlier.
  • Roll: Scoop out the mixture to roll into balls of about 1 1/4 to 1 1/2 inches. This recipe makes about two dozen.
  • Cook: In the same skillet, add more olive oil and then, cook the balls. When evenly browned already, set aside and drain the fat.

How do you make IKEA meatball Sauce?

This recipe is a copycat of the IKEA version. To make the sauce, just follow these steps.

  • In the same skillet, make a roux by melting the butter and whisking in the flour.
  • When the flour has browned already, add slowly the beef broth and heavy cream.
  • Then, add in the rest of the ingredients listed in the recipe card below.

After that, you can combine everything and garnish with parsley before serving.

How to Store:

  • Refrigerate: They can last for 3 to 4 days in the refrigerator, stored in airtight containers. The beef gravy, on the other hand, can last for one to two days.
  • Freeze: Both the meatballs and the sauce may last for 3 months in the freezer. I suggest that you store them separately though. Flash-freeze them for about an hour or two on a tray. When they are already frozen, you can put them all in one freezer bag. The gravy, on the other hand, can be directly put in the freezer bag. Thaw them both before reheating.

Recipe Tips:

  • It pays to have a meat-baller when doing this recipe. It is less messy, and the balls are more uniform in size.
  • If you do not have lingonberry jam, you can try accompanying this with cranberry sauce.
  • When shaping the mixture with your hands, it can get sticky. What you can do is to chill for about half an hour before rolling with slightly wet palms.

Swedish Meatballs are juicy, tender, and tasty! Kids and adults will surely love them with rice, mashed potatoes, or noodles! #meatballs #swedishmeatballs #beefrecipes #ikeameatballs #sweetandsavorymeals

Creamy Swedish Meatballs

Swedish Meatballs are juicy, tender, and tasty! Kids and adults will surely love them with rice, mashed potatoes, or noodles!
5 from 1 vote
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Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour
Servings: 4 servings
Calories: 945kcal
Author: Catalina Castravet

Ingredients

MEATBALLS:

  • 4 tablespoons olive oil (divided)
  • 1 sweet onion (finely diced)
  • 1 pound ground beef
  • 1 pound ground pork
  • 1/2 cup Panko bread crumbs
  • 2 large egg yolks
  • 1 tablespoon parsley (finely chopped)
  • 1/8 teaspoon red pepper flakes
  • 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt (or to taste)
  • 1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper (or to taste)

GRAVY:

  • 1/4 cup unsalted butter
  • 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
  • 3 cups beef broth
  • 1 cup heavy cream
  • 3/4 cup sour cream
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt (or to taste)
  • 1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper (or to taste)
  • 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley leaves

Instructions

MEATBALLS:

  • Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat.
  • Once the oil is simmering, add onion, and cook, stirring frequently, until translucent, about 2-3 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside.
  • In a large bowl, combine ground beef, ground pork, Panko bread crumbs, egg yolks, allspice, nutmeg, parsley, red pepper flakes, garlic powder, and cooked onion. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Stir until well until combined.
  • Roll the mixture into 1 1/4-to-1 1/2-inch meatballs, forming about 24 meatballs and arrange them on a cutting board or large, flat plate.
  • Place the skillet over medium-high heat again and add the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil. Once simmering, add meatballs, in batches, and cook until browned on all sides, about 4-5 minutes. Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate.

GRAVY:

  • Add the butter to the same skillet and melt it.
  • Whisk in flour until lightly browned, about 1 minute. Gradually whisk in beef broth, after that heavy cream, whisking constantly and cook until slightly thickened, about 1-2 minutes.
  • Stir in sour cream, season with salt and pepper, to taste.
  • Add the meatballs back to the skillet and cook, stirring occasionally, until heated through, about 8-10 minutes.
  • Serve immediately, garnished with parsley.

Video

Nutrition

Calories: 945kcal | Carbohydrates: 26g | Protein: 48g | Fat: 82g | Saturated Fat: 32g | Cholesterol: 312mg | Sodium: 1328mg | Potassium: 1060mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 8g | Vitamin A: 1016IU | Vitamin C: 9mg | Calcium: 238mg | Iron: 5mg
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Comments

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Marysa

This looks like such a great recipe - that sauce sounds awesome! I should make a big batch of these to have on hand.

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Lisa Martin

I love a good meatball recipe! This one looks amazing. Will be making these for sure!

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Lynndee

Oh, my! That looks so creamy indeed. And I bet it is delicious. Going to make those meatballs soon. Thank you for the recipe.

Reply

cait

ive never tried this before but it looks really good- were big fans of meatballs

Reply

Tasheena

I haven’t made Swedish meatballs in so long. This would be perfect to make for my next gathering.

Reply

Ice Cream n Sticky Fingers

I haven't ever made swedish meatballs but they sound delicious. Pour it over a bed of stroganoff pasta noodles. Yum Yum.

Reply

Terri Steffes

I need comfort food like this right now. I don't seem to ever get full these days. I am sure it is stress.

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