Swedish meatballs, a traditional dish in Swedish cuisine, are typically made with ground beef, pork, or a combination. They include eggs and breadcrumbs, and the seasonings often include spices, such as nutmeg or allspice. The creamy sauce is a gravy-like concoction made with a combination of beef broth and cream. It’s a delicious dish that’s perfect for any weeknight meal. You can make the meatballs a day or two in advance, making it a snap to prepare the sauce and finish the dish in 20 minutes or less.
What to Serve With Swedish Meatballs
- Potatoes: Creamy mashed potatoes are an excellent choice. Spoon the meatballs and sauce over the mashed potatoes.
- Noodles: Buttered egg noodles make a delicious nest for Swedish meatballs.
- Lingonberry Jam: This is a traditional accompaniment. The sweet-tart flavor complements the rich sauce. If you can’t find lingonberry jam, try serving the meatballs with cranberry sauce or jam or applesauce on the side.
- Cucumbers: Sliced cucumbers or a simple cucumber salad goes well with the meatballs and sauce.
- Roasted Vegetables: A side of roasted root vegetables is colorful and delicious with Swedish meatballs and their sauce.
- Salad: Try an apple-walnut Waldorf salad, or a creamy, slightly sweet coleslaw.
Recipe Variations
- You can replace the ground beef and pork with all ground beef or all ground pork, or use ground turkey or chicken. The USDA minimum safe temperature for ground poultry is 165 F, a bit higher than the minimum for red meat.
- Instead of baking, you can fry the meatballs. Cook them in a skillet in a few tablespoons of melted butter until cooked through, about 10 to 12 minutes, turning frequently.
- For spiced meatballs, add 1/4 teaspoon of allspice along with 1/2 teaspoon of nutmeg to the meat mixture.
Swedish Meatballs
Our best Swedish meatball recipe features a flavorful blend of seasonings and creamy sauce. This is a fantastic dish for any night of the week!
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Total Time: 45 minutes
- Yield: 8 servings 1x
- Category: Meatballs
- Cuisine: Swedish
Ingredients
Scale
For the Meatballs
- 1/2 cup milk or half-and-half
- 4 slices bread, crumbled
- 1 large egg
- 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
- 1 1/2 pounds 85% ground beef
- 1/2 pound ground pork
For the Sauce
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 2 tablespoons flour
- 1 1/2 to 2 cups beef broth, preferably low sodium
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
- Kosher salt, to taste
- 1/8 teaspoon nutmeg, optional
Instructions
Make the Meatballs
- Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat it to 400 F. Lightly grease a large, rimmed baking pan.
- Combine the milk and crumbled bread in a large bowl and let stand for 5 minutes. Whisk in the egg, 1 1/2 teaspoons of salt, onion powder, garlic powder, 1/4 teaspoon of pepper, and nutmeg. Add the ground beef and pork and mix to blend thoroughly. Shape the mixture into 1-inch meatballs.
- Arrange the meatballs in the pan and bake for 20 minutes, until cooked through. They should register at least 160 F on an instant-read thermometer. Remove to a rack and set aside.
Prepare the Sauce
- Melt the butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. When the butter begins to sizzle, add the flour. Cook, stirring, for 2 minutes.
- Gradually whisk in 1 1/2 cups of beef broth and the Worcestershire sauce and cook until bubbling and thickened. Gradually whisk in the heavy cream. If too thick, add more beef broth, a little at a time. Taste and adjust the seasonings with salt and nutmeg, if using.
- Add the meatballs to the sauce and gently stir to coat; heat through.
