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These easy Swedish meatballs are made of ground beef and breadcrumbs that result in tender, juicy, melt-in-your-mouth meatballs! They’re served with Swedish meatball sauce, a rich and creamy gravy made with beef stock and cream!
These Swedish meatballs are so soft and melt-in-your-mouth tender! They’re made with breadcrumbs and milk for juicy, moist meatballs that are covered in a rich, savory Swedish meatball sauce.
Many are familiar with Ikea Swedish meatballs but these taste so much better! They’re also larger in size, about 2 inches in diameter, which make them fun to eat and provide generous portions.
For a complete meal, serve with boiled potatoes, mashed potatoes, egg noodles, pasta, rice, and lingonberry jam.
Ingredients
Ground beef – I used 85% lean ground beef. You can also use a combination of ground pork and ground beef.
Breadcrumbs and milk – Breadcrumbs and milk make these meatballs soft, tender, and moist. Use any kind of milk and plain breadcrumbs.
Herbs and spices – Parlsey, allspice, nutmeg.
Swedish meatball sauce – Beef broth, heavy cream, butter, flour.
How to Make Swedish Meatballs
- Mix the milk and breadcrumbs in a large bowl then add the remaining meatball ingredients. Mix until just combined.
- Roll into 2 inch diameter meatballs. Wet your hands and use a cookie scoop for easy shaping.
- Bake in a 400 degree oven or pan fry until fully cooked and browned.
Swedish Meatball Sauce
- Melt butter in a large pan and add the flour. Stir until a roux forms.
- Slowly add the beef stock while whisking to avoid lumps in the gravy.
- Add the meatballs to the sauce and simmer.
- Serve over boiled or mashed potatoes, egg noodles, pasta, or rice. Add lingonberry jam on the side. Enjoy!
Make Ahead and Freeze
Freezing: Place cooked meatballs in an airtight, freezer safe container and freeze for up to 2 months in the freezer. Separate them before fully frozen so they don’t stick together. I recommend making the gravy fresh right before serving.
Reheating meatballs: Place frozen meatballs in the fridge overnight to thaw. Reheat in the microwave or a preheated 350 degree F oven until fully heated through. Simmer in gravy right before serving.
Variations
- Turkey or chicken meatballs – Great for a healthy twist on Swedish meatballs. Internal temperature should reach 165°F.
- Frozen meatballs – For fast and convenient Swedish meatballs, substitute with frozen meatballs. I recommend buying beef meatballs and making the gravy from scratch.
- Sour cream – Use sour cream in the gravy instead of heavy cream for a tangy, creamy flavor.
Serve with:
Easy Swedish Meatballs with Sauce
Equipment
Ingredients
Meatball Mixture
- 1⅓ lb ground beef, see Note 1
- 1 egg
- ⅔ cup plain breadcrumbs
- ⅞ cup milk
- ½ cup onion, finely minced
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 Tablespoons parlsey, chopped
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
- ½ teaspoon pepper
- ¼ teaspoon allspice and nutmeg
Swedish Meatball Sauce
- 2¼ cups beef broth
- ¼ cup heavy cream
- 3 Tablespoons butter
- 3 Tablespoons flour
- salt to taste
Instructions
Make Meatballs
- Mix and shape: Add the milk and breadcrumbs in a large mixing bowl and stir until the milk is absorbed. Then add the remaining meatball ingredients and mix well until combined. Roll into 2 inch diameter meatballs, about 3 tablespoons worth for large meatballs. Wet hands with water or oil to prevent sticking.1⅓ lb ground beef, 1 egg, ⅔ cup plain breadcrumbs, ⅞ cup milk, ½ cup onion, 3 cloves garlic, 2 Tablespoons parlsey, 1 teaspoon sea salt, ½ teaspoon pepper, ¼ teaspoon allspice and nutmeg
- Pan Fry: Pan fry over medium heat until fully cooked and golden brown, about 10 to 12 minutes. Be sure to brown all sides. Bake: Bake in a preheated 400°F oven until fully cooked, about 18 to 20 minutes depending on size. See Note 2.
Make Swedish Meatballs Sauce
- Add butter and flour to a large pan and stir continuously until a roux is formed, about 2 minutes. Slowly pour in half the beef stock while stirring vigorously with a whisk to prevent lumps. Once smooth, add the rest of the beef broth.2¼ cups beef broth, 3 Tablespoons butter, 3 Tablespoons flour
- Once gravy boils and thickens, add the heavy cream and season with salt to taste. Add meatballs and simmer for 1 to 2 minutes. Serve over potatoes, noodles, or rice. Enjoy!¼ cup heavy cream
Notes
- Ground beef – I used 85% lean ground beef. You can also use a combination of beef or pork.
- Cooking meatballs: Internal temperature for beef meatballs should be 160°F. If you mixed in ground pork, chicken, or turkey, internal temperature should be 165°F.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Like this? Leave a comment below!
Yes you can pre-cook meatballs and freeze for up to 2 months. Place them in an airtight container and separate them before fully frozen to prevent sticking.
Yes you can make them ahead of time and store pre-cooked meatballs in the freezer for up to two months or in the fridge for 3 days.
To reheat the meatballs, place in the fridge overnight to thaw and reheat in the microwave or a pre-heated 350 degree F oven until fully heated through. Make the gravy from scratch and simmer meatballs in gravy before serving.
Delicious! Kids loved it, it’s a keeper. Question – pan fry brown, THEN bake, or is it alternatives, Fry or Bake? I browned then baked.
These are so delicious and flavourful. My family loves them. Thanks for this easy and quick recipe!
Delish! And I wish more people would list the ingredients below each instruction step! Eliminated the need to scroll up and down!! Thank you, this is a new family favorite!
Hi Jamie!
I love your recipe for Swedish meatballs. The last time I made a batch, I double the recipe and store the rest in the freezer. Was I relieved to find them today, and we have just enjoyed the meal prior to me writing this..
My families are big sauce fans, so I doubled the recipe. We served with mashed potato, and I didn’t have any lingonberry jam, so served some homemade plum jam on the side.
We went to a potluck and I made your meatballs. Everyone raved about them!
These meatballs might be one of my favourite things to make for dinner. Thank you so much for sharing this recipe, it is always so good 🙂
I love how easy and tasty this dish is. It’s great with any starch. Tonight we had it with mashed potatoes but sometimes we make it with noodles or even garlic bread. It’s always a winner whenever I make these. Thank you!
This was my first time making Swedish meatballs, and they were an absolute success. Delicious and tender, and the sauce was so good. I followed the recipe exactly, and thought the flavors were perfect. I am already looking forward to leftovers for lunch tomorrow!
These Swedish meatballs are so good! I love that I always have all the ingredients on hand when I want to make a batch.
My family loves these swedish meatballs! So yummy and easy to make!
These Swedish meatballs are the real deal and the sauce is absolutely amazing.
Swedish style meatballs are one of my favourite ways to eat meatballs, the other way is with spaghetti. I’m thrilled that I had these ingredients on hand yesterday because it made for an excellent dinner. So tasty!
I grew up on Swedish meatballs over butter noodles. These were so comforting and nostalgic! We loved them!
We are huge fans of Swedish meatballs! So simple and quick to make. Great to freeze too! I think this will be the plan for dinner tonight!
We love these Swedish meatballs! Had them over egg noodles. Super delicious.
Thanks for all the details in making these soft and juicy meatballs. Love your recipe. The gravy is outstanding and so flavorful.
Wow! Had no idea Swedish meatballs were this easy to make. Now I can have them whenever I like.
One of the best Swedish meatball recipes that I’ve tasted to date. Definitely saving the recipe to keep handy!
I served mine with some brown gravy and it was amazing! I can’t thank you enough!
Delicious! Much better than the Ikea ones, which I do like but homemade is so much better and so easy too. Tip: we made extra meatballs for the freezer and will do the sauce whenever I use them up next.