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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
First I make this. It was easy and quick. Taste was excellent. I give 5 ***
First I make this. It was easy and quick. Taste was excellent.
Loved the spices in the meatballs and the sauce was super tasty but couldn’t get it to thicken. Any suggestions as to what I did wrong? Maybe I should have tried (Oct. 23, 2021) Joanne’s trick, lol.
This recipe is excellent and very easy! I like to eat them with buttered bow-tie pasta.
Excellent! We lost my Mom’s recipe and this was it!!! We all loved it…husband made sandwich on kaiser roll 2 days later!
I made this recipe vegan using Becel plant-based sticks, Beyond ground beef, and Silk half & half cream. I added sautéed mushrooms to the sauce and served it with broccoli over mashed potatoes. It was delicious. The recipe came out even better than expected, I’m definitely making it again.
For our family absolutely perfect as is! This recipe has been one of those magic dishes that has built relationships! My son and I made it together. Then he made it for his friends. Then his girlfriend requested the recipe. Can’t thank you enough, Alyssa! you blog in general is at the core of my meal planning every week! I wake up Saturday mornings — look at your blog. And order my groceries for pickup 🙂
Can this recipe be made in the slow cooker?
Yes, that is a great idea!
Absolutely do not use nutmeg and allspice. Makes the recipe disgusting. The sauce recipe is fantastic
You may not like the spices (my family adds 1/8 -1/4 tsp ground ginger to the mix) but they are an absolute must in truly authentic Swedish (and Norwegian) meatballs; guess they’re just not your thing. That said, my Norwegian mother and Swedish father would give this recipe 5 stars! 🙂
Hahahaha! You obs-V don’t realize the recipe you’re making.
I actually added MORE allspice and nutmeg! Delicious!
Delicious Swedish meatballs! So glad I found this blog, thank you for the great recipe! My whole family enjoyed!
Delicious!
While the meatballs simmered in the sauce, I added in some shredded cabbage. Perfect easy weeknight dinner.
Great! I opted for the notes to use a mixture of ground beef and pork and I swapped half of the cream for tempered sour cream and it all worked out great!
Loved this recipe! I had a random craving for Swedish meatballs and this definitely hit the spot. Went really well with egg noodles. They were just as good leftover, too.
I was skeptical of the spices in this but gave it a try…… OMG, I friggin love it!!!! Even ate a couple meatballs while the sauce was cooking.
This is seriously yummy!!!!!!
Very good and super easy! My ‘Italian meatball only’ husband went back for seconds! Used half and half because it’s what we had, and I added a dash of cayenne pepper for a kick. Such a flavor easy weeknight dinner. Will be saving to make again
This was very good! I used half grd turkey and half grd chicken for the meatballs and I used beef broth in the gravy. It was a winner!! So easy to make also!!! Thank you for sharing!!