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These Swedish Meatballs are a top favorite recipe on the site for a reason—juicy meatballs, rich creamy gravy, and have SO MUCH FLAVOR. They’re easy to make and way better than IKEA’s (yes, really!).
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!
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 creay gravy from turning too salty and gives you more control over the final flavor.
Skip the Pork- Here’s Why
Some people like to use a mix of beef and pork for Swedish meatballs, and while the pork can add a little extra tenderness, I’ve found that it’s not enough of a difference to justify the extra cost of buying 2 kinds of meat. The rich, creamy sauce and yummy flavors in the meat make these meatballs turn out perfectly tender and delicious with just ground beef!
How to Make Swedish Meatballs
These will come together quickly and cook in about 30 minutes total, so dinner is fast and easy!
- 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 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.
Variations to Try
Since Swedish Meatballs are one of YOUR favorite recipes on the site, I thought you might want to see other ways I have cooked them up!
- Casserole: My Swedish Meatball Casserole is a simple way to serve everything in one dish, and it’s great for feeding a crowd.
- Soup: Want the same great flavor in a different form? Swedish Meatball Soup is an easy twist that’s perfect for cooler days.
- Slow Cooker: Short on time? My Slow Cooker Swedish Meatballs Recipe is a great hands-off option, and you can even use frozen meatballs!
Can You Freeze Swedish Meatballs?
Yes! This recipe is perfect for doubling and freezing for later. Here’s how to do it without losing flavor or texture:
- 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.
More Yummy Meatball Recipes
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The Best Swedish Meatballs
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 reduce to a simmer for another 1-2 minutes. Serve over egg noodles or mashed potatoes.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Hi, I’m wondering if I can freeze
What’s left of my meatball sauce as I have made too much
Thanks Michelle xx
Yes, that is a great idea! Thanks for making one of my recipes!! XOXO
Can I substitute the egg with something else
I have seen people use applesauce with baking powder but I have not tried that. Let me know how it turns out! XOXO
Meatballs are one of my “go-to” meals and I can usually spice them either up or down, depending on my sauce recipe. These were just okay.
I used a half & half mixture of pork and beef, and added just a touch of paprika for added taste. I baked them in a 350 degree oven for 30 minutes, they were perfectly browned without the effort of frying. They looked great and were moist and tender. But for me, they tasted really bland. Even with the mustard, worchester sauce, and other spices, they tasted more like plain old burgers, nothing special. The sauce was good though, and the only cheat I had there was upping the salt and pepper to taste. But I cook only for myself, and don’t have to worry about toning down spices especially for kids. All in all, I will make them again but I’m going to doctor up the spice factor for a bit more punch. They were easy to make which is the main issue for me. Here’s a tip I learned from another blogger,** helpful for getting the most flavor from onion and breadcrumbs. I grate the onion and mix in the breadcrumbs**, and let that sit for about 20 minutes. The breadcrumbs absorb all the juice from the onions and keeps you from getting bites of raw onion in the final dish. It also gives the breadcrumbs lots of moisture which is sometimes missing when using a lean cut of meat. Thanks for posting this recipe, it gives a good basic start to a simple meal plan.
**NAGI: RecipeTinEats
I actually agree with you. This was my second time making this and I doctored it up by adding slap ya mama seasoning and the Tony’s Cajun seasoning as well. I thought the sauce needed more flavor so I added some chicken buillon cubes, seasoning salt, and sour cream. It turned out pretty good. Both of those seasonings will change your life! I recommend purchasing them!
I make mine with cream of mushrooms soup and sour cream, adding g in heavy cream all of these sound so good! Super bowl Sunday and swedish meatballs! Let’s go !
The thing is Swedish meatballs are all about the meat and texture with simple seasoning. Most of the flavour is in the sauce. If you’re used to more heavily flavoured meatballs then this probably isnt the right recipe for you.
To many comments on how you do your own recipe… If you have your own post it on another site… This is a basic fast dinner for moms on the go… Plus all the mistakes you made the first time or couple of times tells me to are a newbie to cooking…
I tried the recipe but I cheated and bought a bag of swedish meatballs and just made the sauce but tge sauce was wonderful! I added just a little allspice and nutmeg to the sauce just for extra flavor! Next time I will do it all from scratch. Delicious!
haha! That is awesome! I am so glad that it tasted great! That is a great idea! Thank you for sharing! XOXO
What do you think if I added some dill to this?
MMM! Sounds delicious!
This was delicious and so easy! I served mine over mashed potatoes and I could see this being great with some sautéed mushrooms added into the sauce… I’ll try that next time!
Thanks for this recipe. Exactly what I was seeking for tonight’s meal.
Could i use regular bread crumbs instead of panko?
Yes, that is a great idea! Enjoy!
Can you freeze this dish
Yes! That is a great idea and easy to warm up too! Thanks for following along with me! XOXO
I got complimented for this dish and was asked to repeat it another time. The sauce is the secret for this success. I cooked the meatballs in one skillet and cooked the sauce in another skillet before combining both. I only got 4 main course servings over egg noodles.
Can this be made a day ahead
Yes, that will be good! They are so good and easy to warm up. XOXO
Tested and my kids & hubs Love all these recipes.
The mongolian beef in crockpot recipe was absolutely delicious. My husband liked it also and he is a picky eater. Thanks i will try other recipes
I made this as a great base. I caramelized the garlic and added chopped mint leaves to the meat mixture and added a tablespoon of Lingonberry jelly to the sauce and didn’t have to add any salt or pepper at the end to taste. Spooned over egg noodles…fantastic!
Can I make this recipe with ground chicken and chicken broth?
Yes, that sounds great! Let me know how it turns out! XOXO
Absolutely positively delicious!!!!!! This was my first time ever making Swedish Meatballs, and decided to try this recipe! Thank you SO much for sharing your family recipe with us!!!!!! We love it!!!!!!! Yummmmmmm!!!!!