Arguably one of the best meatballs in the world: Swedish Meatballs!!! Juicy meatballs with a hint of fragrant spice and smothered in a creamy gravy. Follow my two little tips that make all the difference for truly soft, extra tasty meatballs. And watch how I roll them – fast!
I’ve declared before and will declare again: we need more ball shaped food in this world. Every ball shaped food I know is delicious. I am pretty sure that it’s my favourite food shape. If there was to be such a thing. ? It sounds ridiculous, I know – but think about it! Arancini Balls (I die). Chinese Sesame Balls (One of the best items on the Yum Cha cart). Takoyaki (Japanese deep fried balls with octopus inside – I’m dying again). Doughnut Balls (OMG OMG). Cheese Balls (Oh yeah….). Truffles and all other manner of sweets in ball shapes…
OK, I know I’m missing a million others, but the list is long and I can’t think of a single one I don’t go mad over.
The thing with balls shaped food is that it’s just so darn easy to pop into your mouth. Is that the appeal, I wonder?
Anyway. The point I’m leading to is that for someone who loves ball shaped food so much, there is a serious lack of them on my site.
So I decided to do something about it. Announcing….Meatball Mania!!!
OK….so Meatball Mania is not a real thing. It’s something my friend Jo from Jo Cooks and I made up. We both concur that ball shaped food is awesome, and that of all ball shaped food, meatballs are probably the best. To which I confessed disappointment that I had so few meatball recipes on my site.
And thus Meatball Mania was born. On the last Monday of every month, both Jo and I will post a meatball recipe. Oh imagine the possibilities…… ?
On the meatball front, I’m drastically behind schedule because when you search Jo Cooks, she has no few than 18 meatball recipes on her site. EIGHTEEN!!! (Update: It’s now 19. Here’s her offering for today: Taco Meatball Ring. OMG OMG!)
So I have some serious catching up to do. I want to release the demon within and come up with some outrageous meatballs, but the sensible side of me says to do classic favorites first. Italian Meatballs – tick! Now onto the next epic one: Swedish Meatballs. ?
Are you ready for the Meatball-athon? I am. BRING IT ON! – Nagi xx
PS Don’t miss the first 2 seconds of the video. It is just everything! Oh, and you’ll also see how I roll them – fast. ??
PPS Have you ever before read such ridiculousness of an entire post talking about ball shaped food and the awesomeness of meatballs??
PPPS If you have a view on cream vs sour cream for the gravy, tell me in the comments below!!
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Swedish Meatballs
Ingredients
Meatballs
- 2 slices sandwich bread, crusts removed, chopped into small cubes (Note 2)
- 1 medium onion (Note 3)
- 300 g / 10 oz ground beef (mince)
- 300 g / 10 oz ground pork (mince), or sub with beef (Note 4)
- 1 egg
- 1/4 tsp freshly ground nutmeg
- 1/4 tsp All Spice powder
- 1/4 tsp black pepper
- 3/4 tsp salt
- 1 tbsp oil
Gravy
- 40 g / 3 tbsp butter, preferably unsalted
- 3 tbsp flour
- 2 1/2 cups beef broth / stock ( salt reduced), or sub with chicken
- 1/3 - 1/2 heavy / thickened cream (Note 5)
Instructions
- Grate onion using a standard box grater (see video).
- Scrape onion and juices into bowl. Add bread and mix well, set aside to soak for 1 minute. (Note 6)
- Add remaining Meatball ingredients EXCEPT oil. Mix well.
- Using a tablespoon measure and measure out a slightly heaped tablespoon, dollop on work surface. Repeat with remaining mixture: 25 - 30 meatballs. Then roll into shape.
Cooking
- Heat 1 tbsp oil in a skillet over medium high heat. Add half the meatballs and brown all over (but raw inside still) - about 3 minutes. Remove onto plate, then brown the remaining batch.
- If there is lots of oil, pour off excess and discard. Lower heat to medium.
Gravy
- Add butter into skillet and melt. Add flour and stir in. Cook for 1 minute.
- While mixing, add about 1/4 of the beef broth - it will thicken quickly. Then gradually add remaining beef broth, stirring as you go. Switch to whisk if required to make it lump free.
- When the liquid is simmering, add meatball and juices pooled on plate.
- Turn up heat slightly to keep it at a rapid simmer. Cook for 8 - 10 minutes or until the liquid thickens into a thin gravy, stirring occasionally.
- Add cream, simmer for a further 2 minutes then remove from stove.
- Serve over noodles or mashed potato! For a truly authentic experience, add a dollop of ligonberry jam on the side!
Recipe Notes:
- milk adds no flavour to the mixture, whereas the onion juices do;
- grating onion makes it finer than chopped onions so it melds better into the mixture;
- chopped onion that's not cooked before adding into the mixture can have a tendency to not cook through properly. Chunks of raw onion is not nice. Refer to myItalian Meatballs recipe for more information and also testimonial from the many people who have tried and loved them! 2. White or wholemeal is fine, not one with grains or seeds in it. 3. Just smaller than the size of a tennis ball. White, brown or yellow. 4. I really encourage you to use a mix of pork and beef, it's part of the authentic flavour of Swedish Meatballs. But you can use all beef or all pork. You could also make this with chicken or turkey! 5. The jury is out on whether it should be made with sour cream or normal cream. I've scouted around and it varies, and I haven't found a definitive answer. I mostly make this with heavy cream - and most of the recipes I checked (dozens!) use heavy cream. However, I know to some people, a gravy with the slight tang from sour cream is familiar. So take your pick! The more cream used, the lighter the colour of the gravy. In the photos, I used 1/2 cup. For the video, I used 1/3 cup. I really truly do not notice the difference in flavour, so for the sake of being a bit healthier, I use 1/3 cup. Actually, usually I don't bother measuring properly. Just depends how generous I'm feeling on the day! Reduced fat and pouring cream can also be used. The gravy just needs a couple of minutes longer to thicken. 6. Onion juices should soak bread, making it disintegrate (if not, add a touch of milk or water). 7. Nutrition for meatballs only, and all gravy. This doesn't take into account fat discarded from skillet.
Nutrition Information:
WATCH HOW TO MAKE IT
Swedish Meatballs recipe video!
LIFE OF DOZER
No surprises here – Dozer loves ball shaped food too. Care to take a guess if he got that meatball? ?
Super good!! Loved it so much. Just curious, if I’d like to baked instead of pan fried, may I know how long it will take? Please excuse this newbie. Thanks – Jo
Hi Jo, are you wanting to make the whole dish in the oven or just baking the meatballs? – N x
Hi Nagi,
Just the meatballs. Have to admit I’m so not good at frying #shy. I’ll make the Gravy and finishing at the stove top. Thanks a lot. Jo
Hi Nagi, My darling lady is not keen on cream as she tries to eat low fat as much as possible. I have been told you can use natural greek yoghurt as an alternative. Is this correct. I will be making this for dinner tonight and cannot wait to taste. Cheers
Hi David, greek yogurt has a more sour taste than cream so the two aren’t directly interchangeable. You could stir it in at the end if you wish just don’t simmer or the sauce may split – N x
I have these on the stove atm, make them quite a lot & definitely Sour Cream I also add some Worcestershire sauce for a bit of a kick, some recipes say to use Caraway seeds, not sure about that???
Best meatballs ever!
Hi Jennifer, you could add caraway if you prefer – would make a great addition! – N x
Excellent recipe, Nagi! Using a panade of white bread and either grated onion or milk makes for such a tender meatball. Spices were right on but I added 2 packets of low sodium chicken flavouring and pepper to enhance the gravy as the stock was salt free. Love your site and use the recipes often. Ps I used cream
Sounds amazing Myrna!
Hi Nagy
I simply LOVE your recipes! It is down to earth, common sense cooking!
I am also a lover of ball shaped food, so seeing this recipe pop up, really tickled my taste buds
I have recently been asked to stop eating grains..its a digestion thing! I have still been making meatballs and just omitting the breadcrumbs. They are a little more dense, but hey…if it works!
I feel as if the bread component in this recipe is more vital and I was wondering if you can suggest an alternative? There are bread alternatives I have been using but all contain seeds and ground nuts which you said not to use.
A ‘curly question, I know, but just hoping as these meatballs sound delicious. I am all OK with the dairy and protein…just the grain!
Hi Heather, I could never stop eating bread! I feel for you, almond meal could possibly work but I haven’t tested it – N x
HAHA! I know!!!
I might try almond meal or perhaps some of the almond meal breads I am making.
Thanks….keep up the great recipes please. They are my ‘go to’ when I need inspiration 🙂
I like to make a big a batch and freeze the meatballs raw. Put them on a cookie sheet in the the freezer for about 20 min then you can transfer to freezer bags. On busy weekdays I toss a bunch of meatballs in the oven, put veggies & pasta on while I make the gravy. Dinner under 30 minutes! Thanks for the great recipe!
Great idea Nancy!
Can this be made ahead and reheated in a crockpot? Any specific suggestions?
Hi Mabry, you could easily make in advance and reheat in a crockpot!
Thank you for another hit recipe! My 1 year old and husband inhaled the balls like there was no tomorrow! Another recipe to add to my repertoire.
Awesome!!! Glad you enjoyed this Chantelle! N x ❤️
Dear Nagi,
THANK YOU SO MUCH for all your effort you put into the recipes! Your passion for food is a life changer (and safer!) indeed.
Since I am blessed with two children (baby & toddler), there is only a limited time for preparing meals. I’ve been following you on instagram for a while and when the second child was born I started to actively cook your recipes. On Sunday evening, I go through your website and pick out the recipes I want to cook during the week. On Monday, I go grocery shopping with the kids and then I cook the different meals during the week. My older child (now two years old) often helps me with it and tries everything we prepare. Today, we had the Swedish Meatballs. My children LOVED it and my husband ate around 25 meatballs with the gravy! I have to admit: I am vegetarian, so I only cook meat and fish recipes for my family. But the Swedish Meatballs smelled delicious and I am glad and relieved that I – as a vegetarian – am able to cook your recipes without any difficulty and that the food always turns out so tasty! So: THANK YOU again and keep up with that great work!
You’re so welcome JayDee! I’m glad you are enjoying my recipes, thank you for letting me know!! N xx
Hello Nag, I’m new to your website, but so appreciate your extra notes to explain food prep! Very helpful. Now onto review. Once upon a time, I was an exchange student to Sweden.. (like 25 years ago). I’m a big fan of all things Swedish and I have to say YOUR recipe is the “IT” recipe for Swedish meatballs… indeed, it’s the bread crumbs soaked in shredded onions for sure! This subtle approach is what makes this dish go from nice to over the top YUMMM! I don’t care how enticing the pictures are on other recipes, this is a keeper! I look forward to trying your many other recipes as well! A standing ovation from our farm in Central Virginia!
So glad you enjoyed this Mary! Thanks for letting me know – N x
I like your recipe and I’ll try it cause it is so different from mine.
I have been making my blue plate special with:
Minced onion, crushed Saltine crackers, 1 cup of half-and half, 1 egg in the meat balls.
Flour, salt & pepper, 1 tsp. sugar, 1 cup water, 1 1/4 cup half-and-half, simmer 15 min.
to make the gravy. Light airy meatballs with a smooth sweet creamy gravy. A winner!
Sounds amazing Patricia!! N x
It is amazing. The Swedes like sauces but not all gravies.
By NOT adding your staple beef broth, the meatballs are
less salty and the gravy has a light cream color as intended.
BTW. . . by making the meatballs smaller, they can be served
as hors d’oeuvres in a chafing dish.
Hey Nagi thank you for your great recipes. Wondering if there ia a way to make beef broth in larger quantities and how long i can store it for…noticed you use it in a lot of recipes and I am not sure how to make and keep good beef broth.
Hi Shey! I plan to start adding more staple recipes to my collection soon! Beef broth will be one of the first that I do! N x
For me, the recipe success was mixed. I liked the tenderness of the meatballs (great idea to soak small cubes of bread in onions first) and the texture/creaminess of the sauce (used full cream). However, I felt it needed more flavor. I used only beef and I could imagine a beef/pork mix would be more flavorful. I ended up adding garlic powder, but this was not enough.
Nagi – what would you recommend for a family which likes strong flavors? Should I increase the amount of the listed spices, add fresh herbs at the end (e.g. chives, parsley or green onions) or try mixing the broth with marsala or red wine for more flavor? I really want to try this again as an alternative to the standard meatballs in a tomato sauce.
Hi Barb! Pork will certainly make a difference, it adds flavour and compliments the spices in this recipe. I would then increase the salt and all the spices by 50% 🙂 Hope that helps! N x
So good! The question now being, what did we eat for dinner before you came into our lives?
You flatter me Stephanie!! 🙂 Glad you enjoyed this! N x
oh my gosh! these were SO good. I just cleaned up from us having them tonight and it is hard to avoid the leftovers…filling and comforting, but not overly heavy. The minuscule onion gave great flavor but did not cause my picky eaters to go excavating for the onion. Economical but elegant. I opted for all beef as I do not care for veal or pork and they were simply fantastic (like everything else from you I make!).
That’s wonderful to hear Kristen! Thank you for letting me know you enjoyed this! N x
having them again tonight!!! can’t find lingonberry so we have cranberry sauce 😉
Love the recipe and plan to try it. However, if I want to add pasta, what do you suggest? Increase cream & broth?
Thaks
I find there is enough sauce to serve over pasta but if you want to increase the sauce, just the recipe scaler by clicking on servings then SLIDE! N xx
Just made this recipe, being a cook by trade, it was excellent!! But I did alter this. I cook a lot with basil, so added basil, seasoning salt, 2 lg. cloves of crushed garlic, did not make the sauce this time, But next time I will, making a sweet sour sauce for finger food for the party. Thanks a lot. Good job!!