Creamy, cozy, and packed with flavor — Swedish meatballs are comfort food at its best. 🇸🇪🥘 Tender meatballs in a rich, creamy gravy… perfect over mashed potatoes or egg noodles.
Here’s a classic homemade version:
Swedish Meatballs
Serves 4–6
Ingredients
For the Meatballs
- 1 lb ground beef
- ½ lb ground pork
- ½ cup breadcrumbs
- ¼ cup milk
- 1 small onion, finely grated or minced
- 1 egg
- ½ tsp salt
- ½ tsp black pepper
- ¼ tsp ground allspice
- ¼ tsp ground nutmeg
For the Creamy Gravy
- 3 tbsp butter
- 3 tbsp all-purpose flour
- 2 cups beef broth
- ½ cup heavy cream
- 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
- Salt & pepper to taste
Instructions
1️⃣ Make the Meatball Mixture
- In a small bowl, combine breadcrumbs and milk. Let sit 5 minutes.
- In a large bowl, mix beef, pork, soaked breadcrumbs, onion, egg, salt, pepper, allspice, and nutmeg.
- Mix gently — don’t overwork.
- Roll into 1-inch balls.
2️⃣ Brown the Meatballs
- Heat a large skillet over medium heat with a little oil.
- Brown meatballs on all sides (about 6–8 minutes).
- Remove and set aside (they’ll finish cooking in the sauce).
3️⃣ Make the Gravy
- In the same skillet, melt butter.
- Whisk in flour and cook 1–2 minutes until lightly golden.
- Slowly whisk in beef broth.
- Simmer until thickened (3–5 minutes).
- Stir in cream and Worcestershire.
- Season with salt and pepper.
4️⃣ Finish Cooking
- Return meatballs to skillet.
- Simmer 8–10 minutes until cooked through and coated in creamy gravy.
Serve With
- Mashed potatoes
- Egg noodles
- Lingonberry jam (traditional touch!)
- Fresh parsley on top
🔥 Pro Tips
- A mix of beef and pork gives the best texture and flavor.
- The allspice + nutmeg is what makes them “Swedish.”
- For extra richness, add a spoonful of sour cream to the gravy at the end.
If you’d like, I can give you a baked Swedish meatballs version, a slow cooker version, or a copycat IKEA-style recipe next.
