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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.
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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.
I totally cheat and use frozen Kirkland brand meatballs. Put the frozen meatballs in a crockpot. ( about 4 pound) Pour the sauce over. Heat for 4 hours on low. These are a hit at every party.
Brilliant! Thank you, Costco! 🙂
Just for the record, traditional Swedish meatballs do not have garlic and the meat mixture is 50/50 ground beef and ground pork. It is the simplicity of the flavor that makes them so comforting.
I love this! I didn’t have heavy cream so substituted for sour cream and it came out amazing! I used the full tsp of Dijon and didn’t think it was overpowering at all. However we love mustard so no one seemed to notice. Served it over mashed potatoes and was great! Even my daughter that doesn’t like meatballs said it was good!
I made this for the family. I did double the recipe because we eat a lot lol but this turned out amazing and it was really good! Definitely one to add to the books. My whole family loved it including my picky toddler.
I also used ground turkey and they tasted great. I did find the gravy too rich, all the butter and then all that cream. Also, the time listed for cook time should be at least double. To properly brown and cook the meatballs through I had to do two batches in the pan, no way is the average 10-12″ skillet going to fit them all in one shot. I would have still made them, I just think the time is underestimated
The meatballs were good, but the sauce was ruined by the mustard. It totally overpowered the sauce. My family and I could barely eat it. It’s worth retrying without the mustard.
I think you got your tsp and tbsp mixed up, there’s no way 1tsp made it overpowering.
I agree with Yur Dumm.. and I even used a sweet bourbon Dijon (the real stone ground). Heck, I almost wanted to add a little more than just a teaspoon! Ha
I made this with ground turkey. I used a little half&half even though it said not to. It turned out super delicious! Great recipe, thank you.
Is that fresh parsley or dried? Thanks!
Your recipe was delicious. Highly recommend trying y’all!
Love these. I do use seasoned bread crumbs and add more pepper. I use dry parsley (half the amount) and do the Dijon mustard to taste. I make smaller meatballs and use linguine or egg noodles. It’s not bland at all. Whole family loves them.
It’s fantastic! My whole family loves it! Not bland at all!
Extremely bland needs more seasoning… I even added nutmeg garlic powder and red pepper flakes to the sauce and it was still bland !!
I make the sauce and add it to frozen Sweedish meatballs in the crockpot. I do season the sauce with salt and pepper and it’s a hit all the time!
Pass on this recipe. It was HORRIBLY BLAND. I thought i made a mistake but asked a coworker who also tried it with the EXACT same bland result.
Very good recipe. Served it with mashed potatoes. Next time will double the meatballs because there was so much delicious sauce. Also had jam on the side.
Tried your recipe last night. Much better than recipe I’ve been making for years! It was the touch of Dijon and the cream that made the difference. I still added a little ground cardamom to sauce.
In order to save time, I actually used frozen Swedish meatballs but made the sauce from this recipe. It was awesome! I did add a little garlic powder and white pepper, that’s all. It was perfect, a big hit! Thank you for the recipe.
So delicious and very simple to make, really can’t fault it!