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Dinner Beef Meatballs
4.6 from 41 votes

Swedish Meatballs

Jump to RecipeVideoPrintRate
By: Joanna Cismaru •12/19/22 49 Comments

This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure policy.

pin for swedish meatballs.

These Swedish Meatballs are the mother of all meatballs in an epic creamy gravy. These savory and delicious meatballs are perfectly seasoned and spiced a hint of nutmeg and allspice. They’re great served over noodles or creamy mashed potatoes.

swedish meatballs with gravy in a skillet with a spoon in it.
Table of Contents Open
  • The Best Swedish Meatballs Recipe
  • Swedish Meatballs Highlights
  • Ingredients You’ll Need
    • Meatballs
    • Gravy
  • How To Make Swedish Meatballs
    • Meatballs
    • Gravy
  • What Are Swedish Meatballs?
  • How To Roll Meatballs
  • Can I Bake The Meatballs?
  • Expert Tips
  • Leftovers
  • Other Delicious Meatball Recipes To Try
  • Swedish Meatballs
    • Ingredients
    • Instructions
    • Video
    • Notes
    • Nutrition Information
  • Did You Make This?

The Best Swedish Meatballs Recipe

Let’s talk Swedish meatballs. You all know I love my meatballs, and this is a recipe I originally posted in my early blogging career, which believe it or not was over a decade ago. These juicy meatballs are one of my favorites and it’s primarily because of the delicious creamy gravy, and you won’t believe how easy they are to make.

I love shopping at Ikea, but more than shopping we love to go there and eat. Besides the really cheap breakfasts they have, I go there for the Swedish meatballs. It’s not that the meatballs at Ikea are so good, it’s more the fact that they are so cheap and I always love a good deal.

swedish meatballs with gravy in a skillet with a spoon in it.

Swedish Meatballs Highlights

  • Juicy And Perfectly Spiced. These juicy meatballs get their signature Swedish flavor from the hint of nutmeg and allspice which sets them apart from all other meatballs.
  • Easy To Make And Versatile. I’ve made these meatballs with chicken, pork, beef or a combination of meats. Use what you have in your freezer. They’re really easy to make, mix the meatball ingredients together, shape into balls, fry and make the easy gravy. Easy as pie!
  • Crowd Favorite. Meatballs and gravy? Nobody is going to turn down that dinner, they’re literally everyone’s favorite comfort food.

Ingredients You’ll Need

ingredients needed to make swedish meatballs.

Meatballs

  • Ground Meat – I’ve used ground beef here, but I’ve made these before with a combination ground beef and ground chicken, or ground beef and ground pork which will give you the juiciest meatballs because pork is normally fatter.
  • Bread and Milk – While you typically see breadcrumbs in meatballs, these babies use plain white sandwich bread that’s soaked in milk, resulting in extra soft meatballs.
  • Spices – You’ll need some nutmeg and allspice to give these meatballs their signature flavor.
  • Onion – Make sure to grate your onion using a box grater, to avoid big chunks in your meatballs.
  • Eggs – We only need 2 egg yolks to bind the meatballs. You can sub this with one whole egg if you wish.
ingredients needed to make gravy for swedish meatballs.

Gravy

  • Butter and Flour – You’ll need butter and all-purpose flour to make a roux which is the base of our Swedish meatballs sauce. I like to use unsalted butter, then I can season my gravy with salt and pepper to my liking.
  • Chicken Broth – I always opt for a no salt added or low sodium chicken broth.
  • Sour Cream – The sour cream is what’s going to make our gravy extra creamy. You can sub this with ½ cup of heavy cream.

How To Make Swedish Meatballs

process shots showing how to make swedish meatballs.

Meatballs

You know meatballs are not hard to make at all, the only time consuming part is the shaping of the meatballs. But don’t be afraid to make them. But here’s how I make them.

  1. Soak the bread. Add the bread to a large bowl along with the milk and toss. Set aside to let the bread soak up the milk for a couple minutes.
  2. Combine meatball ingredients. Add the ground meat, grated onion, egg yolks, salt, pepper, nutmeg and allspice to the bowl with the bread. Mix the meat mixture well using your clean hands. Shape the meat into 1 inch meatballs, see below for instructions on how to easily roll your meatballs.
  3. Cook the meatballs. Melt the 2 tablespoons of butter in a large skillet over medium heat and add another tablespoon of olive oil to the skillet. Add the meatballs and fry until golden all around, about 7 minutes. If your skillet isn’t big enough to fit all the meatballs, you will have to do this in batches. Transfer the meatballs to a dish.
process shots showing how to make sauce for swedish meatballs.

Gravy

  1. Make gravy. Melt the 3 tablespoons of butter in the same skillet you used for frying the meatballs. Stir and scrape all the pan drippings. Add the flour to the pan and whisk well. Add the broth and continue whisking. Season with salt and pepper and other spices if preferred. Cook for a couple minutes until the gravy thickens from the flour. Whisk in the sour cream.
  2. Add the meatballs to the gravy. Bring the gravy to a boil then add the meatballs to it and cook for another 10 minutes, stirring occasionally to ensure meatballs don’t stick to bottom of pan.
  3. Garnish and serve. Garnish with fresh parsley and serve over pasta, egg noodles or Mashed Potatoes.
swedish meatballs with gravy over noodles in a blue bowl.

What Are Swedish Meatballs?

Perhaps the better question would be what differentiates Swedish meatballs from Italian meatballs for example. There are a few differences. The most noticeable one is that Swedish meatballs are a bit smaller than Italian meatballs. The other difference is in the spices used. Swedish meatballs tend to use spices like nutmeg and allspice, sometimes ground ginger.

The main difference, of course, is the meatball sauce. Unlike their Italian counterpart, these meatballs are served in a rich and creamy sour cream/gravy, roux based sauce, alongside Mashed Potatoes with lingonberry jam.

How To Roll Meatballs

Rolling meatballs is super easy. Best way is to use a cookie scoop with a lever, an ice cream scoop is too big, these meatballs should be golf ball size. Start by scooping out all the meatballs and placing them on a baking sheet or cutting board. After you scooped them all, roll them each between your hands so they’re perfectly round.

Can I Bake The Meatballs?

Absolutely! Simply coat a baking sheet with cooking spray, or use a baking rack. Bake in the oven at 375°F for 25 minutes until golden brown. Don’t worry if they’re not completely cooked inside because they will continue to cook in the gravy later on.

swedish meatballs with gravy in a skillet with a spoon in it.

Expert Tips

  1. Make-ahead: Prep the meatballs and fry them as instructed, then refrigerate them in an airtight container for up to 4 days. When ready to serve make the gravy and reheat the meatballs in the gravy, right before serving.
  2. For leaner meatballs use ground chicken or ground turkey or a combination of both.
  3. You can also sub the sour cream with heavy cream or yogurt if you’re looking for more of a reduced fat version of gravy.

Leftovers

Refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container for up to 3 or 4 days. To freeze the meatballs and gravy, let them cool completely at room temperature. Transfer them to a freezer safe container and place them in the freezer for up to two months.

swedish meatballs with gravy over noodles in a blue bowl.

Other Delicious Meatball Recipes To Try

  • Salisbury Steak Meatballs
  • Porcupine Meatballs
  • Indonesian Meatballs
  • Thai Red Curry Turkey Meatballs
  • Chimichurri Meatballs
  • Firecracker Chicken Meatballs
  • Italian Meatballs

Before You Begin! If you make this, please leave a review and rating letting us know how you liked this recipe! This helps our business thrive & continue providing free recipes.

swedish meatballs with gravy in a skillet with a spoon in it.
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4.57 from 41 votes

Swedish Meatballs

Prep 20 minutes
Cook 30 minutes
Total 50 minutes
Rate Recipe
These Swedish Meatballs are the mother of all meatballs in an epic creamy gravy. These savory and delicious meatballs are perfectly seasoned and spiced a hint of nutmeg and allspice. They're great served over noodles or creamy mashed potatoes.
8

Ingredients

Meatballs

  • 2 slices bread (cut up into cubes)
  • ¼ cup milk
  • 2 pounds ground beef (or mixed with ground chicken)
  • 1 medium onion (grated or chopped)
  • 2 egg yolks
  • ½ teaspoon salt (or to taste)
  • ½ teaspoon pepper (or to taste)
  • ¼ teaspoon nutmeg (ground)
  • ¼ teaspoon allspice (ground)
  • 2 tablespoons butter (unsalted)
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil

Gravy

  • 3 tablespoons butter (unsalted)
  • ⅓ cup all-purpose flour
  • 3 cups chicken broth (low sodium, or beef broth)
  • ¼ teaspoon salt (or to taste)
  • ¼ teaspoon pepper (or to taste)
  • ¾ cup sour cream

Before You Begin! If you make this, please leave a review and rating letting us know how you liked this recipe! This helps our business thrive & continue providing free recipes.

Instructions 

  • Soak the bread. Add the bread to a large mixing bowl along with the milk and toss. Set aside to let the bread soak up the milk for a couple minutes.
  • Combine meatball ingredients. Add the ground meat, grated onion, egg yolks, salt, pepper, nutmeg and allspice to the bowl with the bread. Mix the meat mixture well using your clean hands. Shape the meat into 1 inch meatballs.
  • Cook the meatballs. Melt the 2 tablespoons of butter in a large skillet over medium heat and add another tablespoon of olive oil to the skillet. Add the meatballs and fry until golden all around, about 7 minutes. If your skillet isn't big enough to fit all the meatballs, you will have to do this in batches. Transfer the meatballs to a plate.
  • Make gravy. Melt the 3 tablespoons of butter in the same skillet you used for frying the meatballs. Stir and scrape all the pan drippings. Add the flour to the pan and whisk well. Add the broth and continue whisking. Season with salt and pepper and other spices if preferred. Cook for a couple minutes until the gravy thickens from the flour. Whisk in the sour cream.
  • Add the meatballs to the gravy. Bring the gravy to a boil then add the meatballs to it and cook for another 10 minutes, stirring occasionally to ensure meatballs don't stick to bottom of pan.
  • Garnish and serve. Garnish with fresh parsley and serve over noodles or Mashed Potatoes.

Video

Notes

  1. Nutritional information is for meatballs and gravy only.
  2. This recipe will work with any type of ground meat. 
  3. Recipe should yield about 35 meatballs.
  4. Baking directions: Coat a baking sheet with cooking spray, or use a baking rack. Bake at 375°F for 25 minutes until golden brown.
  5. To freeze the meatballs and gravy, let them cool completely at room temperature. Transfer them to a freezer safe container and place them in the freezer for up to two months.
  6. Refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container for up to 3 or 4 days.
  7. Make-ahead: Prep the meatballs and fry them as instructed, then refrigerate them in an airtight container for up to 4 days. When ready to serve make the gravy and reheat the meatballs in the gravy, right before serving.
  8. For leaner meatballs use ground chicken or turkey or a combination of both.
  9. You can also sub the sour cream with heavy cream or yogurt if you’re looking for more of a reduced fat version of gravy.

Nutrition Information

Serving: 1servingCalories: 397kcal (20%)Carbohydrates: 11g (4%)Protein: 27g (54%)Fat: 27g (42%)Saturated Fat: 12g (75%)Polyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 10gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 154mg (51%)Sodium: 367mg (16%)Potassium: 523mg (15%)Fiber: 1g (4%)Sugar: 2g (2%)Vitamin A: 427IU (9%)Vitamin C: 1mg (1%)Calcium: 70mg (7%)Iron: 3mg (17%)

Notice: Nutrition is auto-calculated for your convenience. Where relevant, we recommend using your own nutrition calculations.

swedish meatballs with gravy in a skillet with a spoon in it.

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Recipe originally shared August 26th, 2012

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Home Recipes
Joanna Cismaru

Joanna Cismaru

I’m Joanna (Jo for short) and this is my blog where I share with you my culinary adventures. Here you will find a variety of recipes using simple everyday ingredients and creating wonderful, delicious and comforting meals, including some decadent desserts.

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49 Comments
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Gail
Gail
Posted: 6 months ago

I hate nutmeg can I just leave it out or double the allspice?

0
Reply
Joanna Cismaru
Joanna Cismaru
Author
Reply to  Gail
Posted: 6 months ago

For sure!

0
Reply
Sara
Sara
Posted: 2 years ago

This recipe looks wonderful Jo!I to have looked at a lot of recipes for Swedish meatballs online but I have never made a recipe of yours that I didn’t love. How far in advance could I make the sauce? It will be for an Graduation Party and in a large quantity that I will need to make ahead.

0
Reply
Jo Cooks Team 2
Jo Cooks Team 2
Reply to  Sara
Posted: 2 years ago

Awesome! I would say about 3 days.

0
Reply
Sara TRisler
Sara TRisler
Posted: 3 years ago

where/When do you like to add the fresh dill?

0
Reply
Jo Cooks Team
Jo Cooks Team
Reply to  Sara TRisler
Posted: 3 years ago

You can add fresh dill to the meatball mixture, add it to the sauce at the same time as the salt and pepper, or both!

0
Reply
Amanda Richey
Amanda Richey
Posted: 4 years ago

5 stars
Absolutely delicious! Nothing left on plates after…And we’re swedish

0
Reply
Joanna Cismaru
Joanna Cismaru
Author
Reply to  Amanda Richey
Posted: 4 years ago

So happy to hear that!

0
Reply
Chris
Chris
Posted: 4 years ago

5 stars
Hi Jo.
I made this recipe for Swedish Meatballs on Sunday for dinner and it was a great success.
A must do again by all accounts I have to say.
So pleased to have found you on FaceBook whitch in turn bought me to this wonderful blog you have created. I’m hoping that your recipe for the Apple Pie Cake is the same one as my gran used to make as we sadly never found a recipe for it when she passed away.

0
Reply
Joanna Cismaru
Joanna Cismaru
Author
Reply to  Chris
Posted: 4 years ago

Thanks, Chris! When you try the apple pie cake let me know how you liked it! 🙂

0
Reply
Alice Fjeldal
Alice Fjeldal
Posted: 4 years ago

5 stars
Jo, cranberry sauce is a good substitute for lingonberry jam. Really goes well with Swedish meatballs and mashed potatoes.

0
Reply
Joanna Cismaru
Joanna Cismaru
Author
Reply to  Alice Fjeldal
Posted: 4 years ago

Great idea! Will try that next time I make these. 🙂

0
Reply
Mike from Chili Pepper Madness
Mike from Chili Pepper Madness
Posted: 4 years ago

5 stars
I need to make these. I’m totally Swedish! Can I do a spicy version?

0
Reply
Joanna Cismaru
Joanna Cismaru
Author
Reply to  Mike from Chili Pepper Madness
Posted: 4 years ago

If anyone could, that’d be you, Mike!

0
Reply
Dianna
Dianna
Posted: 4 years ago

4 stars
This recipe is similar to the one I’ve kept since High School cooking class. With the exception of using a stand mixer to mix the ingredients. Using the mixer gives the meatballs the same texture as IKEA meatballs, which are soft and firmer than hand mixed. Thank you for reminding me and giving us inspiration.

0
Reply
Gillian
Gillian
Posted: 4 years ago

Love this recipe especially the sauce.

0
Reply
Sylvie Nuckle
Sylvie Nuckle
Posted: 4 years ago

4 stars
Hello !!!
We also love IKEA meatballs 😉 We are lucky to have two IKEA near our home… but we still run out of them one in a while. Since your recipe is very easy and my boys wanted those little balls it was time to do them !!!!! My 2 boys loved them !! Thank you !!!!!! xxx

0
Reply
Lin
Lin
Posted: 5 years ago

So everything was tiring out great till I stired in the sour cream… curdled …. what did I do wrong? Happy VDay!! ☹️

0
Reply
Joanna Cismaru
Joanna Cismaru
Author
Reply to  Lin
Posted: 5 years ago

Not sure what caused your sauce to curdle, usually acids such as lemon juice will cause sauce to curdle but there isn’t any of that in this recipe. Also if there’s not enough fat that might cause curdling too. However, not all is lost. You can fix a curdled sauce. When you sauce starts to curdle take it off the heat immediately. You can take take a starch and make a roux and add it to the sauce. For example I would take a bit of flour and some of the sauce and whisk it separately until smooth, then add it back to the sauce.

0
Reply
Susan Uhl
Susan Uhl
Posted: 5 years ago

I cannot print any of the recipes…

0
Reply
Joanna Cismaru
Joanna Cismaru
Author
Reply to  Susan Uhl
Posted: 5 years ago

There’s a print button right under the image in the recipe.

0
Reply
Anna
Anna
Posted: 5 years ago

4 stars
These were good but I personally felt like they were missing something. The gravy fell a tiny bit bland. It is really good if you add a little Worcestershire sauce and use beef broth instead of chicken. That added a little more flavor that we like. Maybe this might help someone out. Thank you! We enjoyed them!

0
Reply
Bonnie Keeney
Bonnie Keeney
Posted: 5 years ago

If freezing do I freeze the meatballs and sauce separately ??

0
Reply
Joanna Cismaru
Joanna Cismaru
Author
Reply to  Bonnie Keeney
Posted: 5 years ago

Not necessary, I would freeze everything together.

0
Reply
Bonnie Keeney
Bonnie Keeney
Reply to  Joanna Cismaru
Posted: 5 years ago

My family wants swedish meatballs and lobster mac and cheese. Does this sound weird to serve together??

0
Reply
Joanna Cismaru
Joanna Cismaru
Author
Reply to  Bonnie Keeney
Posted: 5 years ago

No, I love it!

0
Reply
michele leblanc
michele leblanc
Posted: 5 years ago

5 stars
Ok Jo – yet another hit from you! Once again, I looked at other recipe websites first. I know, I know – I’m stupid – I should just trust you lol! Quite a few had what I thought were kinda wierd ingredients for “Swedish” meatballs….sugar, for one (yuck), worchestershire (I could maybe see this), tomato paste (REALLY?). So here I am again making one of your wonderful dishes. This is a HIT! So easy too. I didn’t have any ground chicken, but did have ground turkey so I used that instead. Only thing I added was a sprinkle of garlic powder. The gravy came out silky smooth. I will make this again and again. Bet it’s even better the next day! Good work, girl.

0
Reply
Joanna Cismaru
Joanna Cismaru
Author
Reply to  michele leblanc
Posted: 5 years ago

Thanks, my dear! So glad you liked the meatballs!

0
Reply

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