Swedish Meatballs is a recipe inspired by Ikea, consisting of a mixture of ground beef and pork with warm spices and seasoning browned on all sides and then cooked in a rich and creamy beef broth sauce.
Serve these juicy Swedish meatballs with savory sauce over mashed potato, noodles, or rice for a comforting family dinner.
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❤️ Why I love this recipe
- This Swedish meatballs recipe contains ground beef and pork, adding extra juicy flavor and tender texture.
- This recipe is a budget-friendly homemade version of the Ikea recipe, saving you from spending more money eating out.
- The nutmeg and allspice seasoning in this Swedish meatballs recipe gives these meatballs that traditional Swedish meatball flavor!
These Swedish meatballs are smothered in a rich and creamy beef broth sauce - they're perfect for a cozy weeknight dinner and indulgent enough served for special occasions.
🛒 Ingredients
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Note: The full list of this Meatball and sauce recipe ingredients with their amounts and options are in the recipe card below.
Meatballs
- meat -- mix of ½ ground beef and ½ pork
- flat leaf parsley -- finely chopped
- ground allspice -- the unique spice that flavors these meatballs
- ground nutmeg -- this spice combines with the allspice for the flavor
- onion --finely chopped
- kosher salt and ground black pepper -- flavor and seasoning
- garlic -- finely minced for added flavor and taste
- panko breadcrumbs -- as bulk and binder
- eggs -- binder for the meatballs
- olive oil -- used to brown the meatballs
Cream Gravy
- butter -- adds a rich flavor and aids in cooks the flour for the sauce
- flour -- thickens the sauce
- beef broth -- the base for the cream gravy
- kosher salt and ground black pepper
- lemon juice -- touch of acid for flavoring
- ground allspice and ground nutmeg -- are what gives the Swedish meatball dish the unique taste.
- heavy cream -- creates the creamy velvety sauce
🗒 Instructions
Note: This is an overview of the instructions. The full instructions are in the recipe card below.
- In a large bowl, add the beef, pork, parsley, allspice, nutmeg, grated onion, salt, pepper, garlic, panko, and eggs.
- Mix until combined.
- Use a tablespoon or cookie scoop to measure individual balls (1.5-inches) which should give you roughly 35 balls.
- Heat the oil in a large pan over medium-high and add only half of the meatballs.
- Cook and brown the meatballs. Set aside. Pour any excess grease from the pan into a heat proof container.
- Reduce the heat of the pan to medium and add the butter.
- Sprinkle in the flour when the butter starts to bubble. Cook for 1 minute.
- Add the beef broth, a little at a time. Whisk until the broth is incorporated.
- Add salt, pepper, lemon juice, allspice and nutmeg.
- Whisk and then add the cream slowly to the mixture.
- Whisk and let the gravy heat to a simmer.
- Once the gravy starts to simmer, add the meatballs to the pan. Continue to simmer the gravy until it thickens and the meatballs cook through (8-10 minutes).
🔪 Equipment
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You’ll need the following items to make this recipe successfully.
- Large mixing bowl -- for combining the meatball ingredients
- Cookie scoop -- for forming the meatballs
- Dry measuring cups -- measuring the dry ingredients
- Measuring spoons -- for accuracy in measuring the spices
- Sharp knife -- chopping and mincing the ingredients
- Cutting board -- a sturdy board for using the knife
- Liquid measuring up -- measuring the liquid ingredients
- Large Pan -- for cooking the meatballs and cream sauce
🤔 FAQs
These are the question about making the Swedish Meatball and Sauce recipe.
Swedish meatballs cook in a rich and creamy beef sauce thickened by a roux. Traditionally Italian meatballs cook in tangy tomato-rich sauce.
Swedish meatball sauce consists of a buttery roux combined with beef broth, heavy cream, lemon juice, and seasoning.
The meatballs are a mixture of ground beef and pork which adds to the overall savory flavor and tender texture.
The seasoning includes nutmeg and allspice, which adds complexity to the flavor and warmth. Lastly, the sauce is ultra smooth and creamy with rich beef flavor - it’s totally mouthwatering!
Ikea meatballs are Swedish by the fact that Ikea is a Swedish company. Although, this recipe may have originated in Turkey in the 18th century and brought to Sweden by King Charles XII.
👩🏻🍳 Tips
- Don’t boil the cream, as it can separate when making the gravy.
- Adding the shaped raw meatballs to a tray lined with parchment paper to reduce mess and cleanup later on. You can also do this after browning the meatballs while making the gravy.
- The meatballs should reach an internal temperature of 165F.
- Brown the meatballs in batches so that they don’t steam.
- Avoid making the meatballs too big, you risk the chance of undercooking them.
- The breadcrumbs and eggs help to bind the meatball mixture, but it’s also a good idea to roll them tightly in your hands to prevent them from falling apart.
📚 Variations
- Make this dish gluten-free by using gluten-free breadcrumbs and cornstarch to make the gluten instead of flour.
- Reduce the recipe time by using frozen store-bought meatballs instead of making the meatballs from scratch. Remember that the nutmeg and allspice seasonings give these meatballs that traditional Swedish meatball flavor.
- Swedish meatballs are traditionally made with ground beef and pork, but you can experiment with different ratios or use turkey or chicken for a lighter version.
🥫 Storage
Store these Swedish meatballs with sauce in an airtight container in the fridge for 2-3 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months.
Reheat these meatballs with the sauce in a casserole dish, covered, in the oven at 350F for 10-15 minutes.
📗 Related Recipes
- Meatballs In Creamy Mushroom Sauce - A rich and creamy mushroom sauce paired with juicy meatballs and served over pasta.
- Spicy Baked Venison Meatballs - These venison meatballs are tender and juicy, providing a great alternative to the usual beef or pork meatball recipe. Enjoy them as a party appetizer or main meal.
- Italian Meatball Soup - A comforting Italian soup consisting of delicious vegetables, tender meatballs, pasta, and a rich beef and tomato broth.
🍽 Serve with
Serve these Swedish meatballs warm over mashed potatoes and a side of steamed vegetables and lingonberry jam (just like Ikea serves it!).
Egg noodles or rice are also great options for serving with these meatballs.
Serve these meatballs as a party appetizer with toothpicks and watch them disappear.
📞 Chiacchierata (chat)
The secret to making the best Swedish meatballs comes down to a few simple steps I’ve discovered over the years. First, I always brown the meatballs to get a delicious crispy exterior and then cook them all the way through in the sauce.
Seasoning the meatball mixture is a must when making homemade meatballs, especially these Swedish meatballs, which get their traditional flavor from the use of nutmeg and allspice.
Lastly, brown the butter in a pan when making the roux. Take your time when making the gravy - it will always produce better flavor and consistency!
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📝 Recipe Card
This Swedish meatballs and Sauce recipe is a delicious homemade version of Ikea’s Swedish meatballs consisting of a beef and pork mixture with warm nutmeg and allspice seasoning. Brown these meatballs in a large pan and then further cook them in a creamy beef broth sauce.
If you love this recipe please give it 5 stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.
📖 Recipe
Authentic Swedish Meatballs and Sauce Recipe
Equipment Needed
Ingredients
Meatballs:
- 1 lb ground beef
- 1 lb ground pork
- ¼ cup flat leaf parsley minced
- ½ teaspoon ground allspice
- ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- ¾ cup yellow onion grated (about 1 medium onion)
- 2 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon pepper freshly ground
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- ¾ cup panko*
- 2 eggs
- 2 tablespoon olive oil
Cream gravy:
- ½ cup butter
- ½ cup all-purpose flour
- 4 cups beef broth
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon pepper
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- ¼ teaspoon ground allspice
- ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1 cup heavy cream
- Chopped parsley or chives for sprinkling on top of finished meatballs in the gravy
Instructions
Meatballs
- In a large bowl, mix the beef, pork, parsley, allspice, nutmeg, grated onion, salt, pepper, garlic, panko and eggs until combined.
- Using a tablespoon or cookie scoop, measure out the meat mixture into roughly 35 (1.5 inch) balls.
- In a large pan, heat 2 tablespoon of olive oil over medium-high heat. Add ½ of the meatballs and cook until browned on all sides. This takes about 5 minutes. Set aside.
- When all of the meatballs are browned, pour off any excess grease in the pan, into a heatproof vessel.
Cream gravy:
- Lower the heat to medium and add the butter to the pan. When the butter begins to bubble, sprinkle in the flour and cook for 1 minute. Add the beef broth to the pan a little at a time.
- Whisk the gravy until the broth is all incorporated. Add salt, pepper, lemon juice, allspice and nutmeg. Whisk a few more times. Slowly add the cream.
- Once the gravy begins to simmer, add the meatballs back into the pan.
- Simmer until the gravy has thicken up a bit and the meatballs are cooked all the way through, about 8-10 minutes.
- Serve warm over mashed potatoes or egg noodles, alongside steamed veggies and lingonberry jam.
