Swedish Meatballs are serving up comfort food goodness Scandi-style, with tender baked meatballs smothered in creamy, savory gravy. Serve them over mashed potatoes or egg noodles, with a side of lingonberry jam if you really want to go all out.
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Why You’ll Love This Easy Swedish Meatballs Recipe
- A Hearty Dinner That Feels Like a Hug. The Swedes? They know a few things about hearty, satisfying dinners that keep you warm and cozy on a chilly day. Swedish meatballs are filling and comforting like Crock Pot Chicken and Dumplings, with the added bonus of creamy gravy.
- Easy to Make. Maybe not quite as easy as the cafeteria line at IKEA, but still pretty darn easy. Form the meatballs, bake them until they’re browned and crisp, then whip up the gravy. Swedish meatballs have Sunday dinner vibes in a weeknight dinner package.
- Family-Friendly. This is a dinner that everyone can agree on! If your kids love Turkey Meatballs, they’ll love these baked Swedish meatballs too. The gravy, of course, is absolutely irresistible, as gravies tend to be. You will want to sop up every last bit from your plate.
How to Make Swedish Meatballs
The Ingredients
- Yellow Onion. Dice this quite small; so small that it practically disappears into the meat mixture (another win for kid-friendly).
- Garlic. Mince this finely or use a garlic press.
- Seasonings. Allspice, ginger, and nutmeg set Swedish meatballs apart from Italian meatballs, adding some cozy warmth.
- Meat. I use a combination of lean ground beef and ground turkey, but you can swap the turkey for ground pork, which is more traditional.
- Panko Breadcrumbs and Egg. These help bind the meat mixture.
- Milk. The key to tender meatballs.
- Parsley. You’ll need some for the meatball mixture and some for garnish.
Gravy:
- Low-Sodium Beef Broth. This gives the gravy a richer flavor than chicken broth.
- Worcestershire Sauce. Hello, umami!
- Dijon Mustard. One of my favorite flavor enhancers; this punches up the taste of the gravy (and no, it doesn’t make it taste like mustard).
- Sour Cream or Full-Fat Plain Greek Yogurt. Yogurt is the healthier choice, but it does add a bit more tanginess to the gravy. Choose whichever option you like best.
- Unsalted Butter. This adds some extra richness.
- All-Purpose Flour. To thicken the Swedish meatball sauce.
The Directions
- Cook the Aromatics. Sauté the onion in the oil until it softens, then add the garlic and spices.
- Add the Next Few Ingredients. Transfer the onion to a bowl, then stir in the panko, egg, milk, and parsley.
- Mix in the Meat. Work it in with your hands.
- Form and Chill the Meatballs. Divide the mixture into 12 meatballs and chill them for at least 15 minutes.
- Bake. Cook the Swedish meatballs in a 425 degree F oven for 20 minutes, then broil for 2 to 3 minutes.
- Start the Gravy. Mix the broth, Worcestershire sauce, and mustard in a measuring cup. Melt the butter in the skillet, then cook the flour until lightly browned. Slowly whisk in the broth mixture.
- Simmer. Bring the gravy to a simmer and cook until it thickens a bit.
- Temper the Sour Cream. Stir 1/4 of the gravy into the sour cream. This keeps it from curdling!
- Finish the Gravy. Stir the sour cream mixture into the skillet with the gravy. Remove from heat.
- Serve. Transfer the Swedish meatballs to the gravy, garnish with parsley, and ENJOY!
What to Serve with Swedish Meatballs
- Mashed Potatoes. If you don’t serve your Swedish meatballs with mashed potatoes, what are you even doing with your life? This is my Best Mashed Potatoes Recipe, or make these Crockpot Mashed Potatoes to free up stove space.
- Noodles. Not a mashed potato fan? Egg noodles are another popular pairing.
- Lingonberries. Pick some up from IKEA for true authenticity, or go with the best American substitute: cranberry sauce. (Try my Cranberry Orange Sauce.)
- Bread. Roasted Garlic Potato Rolls would be perfection as a side for Swedish meatballs.
Recipe Tips and Tricks
- Let the Sour Cream or Yogurt Come to Room Temperature. This will prevent it from curdling when you mix it into the gravy. Take it out of the fridge and place it in a bowl just before you start working on the meatballs.
- Don’t Over-Mix the Meat. Overworking the meat mixture can result in tough meatballs, so be gentle when mixing everything together. Mix, don’t squeeze.
- Stream in the Liquid Slowly. The secret to good gravy is adding the liquid slowly and stirring constantly, which helps prevent lumps from forming. I like to stream in a small amount of liquid, whisk it in, stream in a little bit more, whisk that in, and then steadily stream in the rest while whisking.
Swedish Meatballs
Prep: 15 minutes
Cook: 25 minutes
Total: 40 minutes
Servings: 4 servings
These tender baked Swedish meatballs are a cozy comfort food dinner, with a creamy gravy you'll want to eat with a spoon. So easy too!
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Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
- ¾ cup small-diced yellow onion
- 2 garlic cloves minced
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground allspice
- ¼ teaspoon ground ginger
- ⅛ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- ¾ pound 90% lean ground beef
- ½ pound ground turkey use ground pork for a more traditional Swedish meatball
- ½ cup panko breadcrumbs
- 1 large egg
- ⅓ cup milk any kind you like
- ½ cup chopped fresh parsley plus more for garnish
Gravy
- 1 ½ cups low-sodium beef broth
- 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- ½ cup sour cream or full-fat plain Greek yogurt at room temperature
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
Instructions
- In a large skillet, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring, until softened, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic, salt, allspice, ginger, and nutmeg and cook for 1 minute, until fragrant.
- Transfer the onion mixture to a large bowl. Reserve the skillet for the gravy (no need to rinse).
- Add the panko, egg, milk, and parsley to the bowl with the onions, and stir to combine. Add the beef and turkey and with your hands, mix until just combined; do not over-mix, or the meat will become tough.
- Shape the mixture into 12 1½-inch meatballs and place on a baking sheet or large plate. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 15 minutes or up to overnight.
- Place a rack in the top third of your oven and preheat to 425°F. If necessary, arrange the meatballs on a baking sheet. Bake on the top rack for 20 minutes, until nicely browned and cooked through. Switch the oven to broil and broil for 2-3 minutes, until golden brown on top. Watch carefully as they broil to avoid burning.
- While the meatballs cook, make the gravy: Combine the broth, Worcestershire sauce, and mustard in a liquid measuring cup. Place the sour cream in a small bowl.
- Melt the butter in the reserved skillet over medium heat. Add the flour and cook, stirring constantly, until light brown, about 2 minutes. Slowly add the broth mixture, whisking constantly to prevent lumps from forming, until fully combined. Bring to a simmer, stirring, until thickened.
- Transfer about ¼ of the gravy mixture to the bowl with the sour cream and stir to combine (this tempers the sour cream so it doesn’t separate in the hot gravy). Add the sour cream mixture to the rest of the gravy in the skillet and stir to combine. Turn off the heat.
- Once the meatballs are cooked, transfer them to the skillet with the gravy and stir to combine. Garnish with fresh parsley and serve.
Notes
- TO STORE: Leftover Swedish meatballs can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
- TO REHEAT: Heat the meatballs and gravy together in a skillet over medium heat until warmed through, or use the microwave.
- TO FREEZE: You can freeze Swedish meatballs and gravy in a freezer-safe container or bag for up to 3 months. Thaw in the refrigerator before reheating according to the instructions above.
Nutrition
Serving: 3(of 12)Calories: 475kcalCarbohydrates: 16gProtein: 34gFat: 30gSaturated Fat: 12gPolyunsaturated Fat: 3gMonounsaturated Fat: 11gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 177mgPotassium: 789mgFiber: 1gSugar: 4gVitamin A: 1137IUVitamin C: 13mgCalcium: 123mgIron: 4mg
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Meatballs! They’re fun to eat, easy to make, and you can serve them up so many different ways. Try these next.
We absolutely loved it!
I made the recipe exactly as directed. It was ABSOLUTELY DELICIOUS!!! It is going to be added to our regular rotation. The meatballs were mouthwatering with lots of flavor and the quantity and texture of the sauce was perfect! Erin, you are my go-to girl for great family recipes. Thank you for feeding us so well!
So happy to hear! Thank you Arra!
My daughter helped cook these and we served them with the egg noodles. They were perfect! These bring me back to childhood. Except unlike my grandma’s recipe, this one has measurements! Thank you so much for sharing this wonderful recipe!
Makes me so happy to hear, thank you Mara!
Absolutely delicious. So hearty, savory, and satisfying. I served the meatballs and gravy with mashed skin-on yellow potatoes and a mixed green salad. They warm up beautifully the next day too. Thank you!
Glad to hear you enjoyed the recipe, Kassandra! Thank you!
Great recipe! I made my meatballs with ground pork. I followed the meatball exactly, but had to use dried parsley instead of fresh. My husband loved it. The gravy was very tasty. I didn’t include the salt after tasting. I thought it was fine without. We have enough leftover for another meal, and will definitely be making again! They were great on mashed potatoes!
Great to hear! Thank you CarolK!