Swedish Meatballs With Sour Cream
Experience the taste of Sweden with these mouthwatering Swedish meatballs. Served with a creamy sour cream sauce and lingonberry jam.
These Swedish meatballs are perfectly spiced with a warm blend of nutmeg and allspice, then baked until tender and golden. A rich sour cream gravy made from scratch ties everything together, making this dish cozy and comforting. It’s a meal that feels both homey and a bit special—ideal for chilly nights or when you’re craving something hearty.
Traditionally served with lingonberry jam and soft buttered potatoes or noodles, this dish hits all the right notes: savory, creamy, slightly tangy, and just a little sweet. If you don’t have lingonberry jam, cranberry relish or whole berry cranberry sauce makes an excellent stand-in.
What You’ll Like About This Dish
Authentic flavor. Classic Swedish spices and sour cream sauce bring traditional taste to your table.
Comforting and hearty. Perfect over noodles, mashed potatoes, or rice for a satisfying main dish.
Great for gatherings. Makes about 40 meatballs—ideal for family dinners or entertaining.
Ingredient Notes
- Ground pork and beef: A mix of both adds the perfect balance of flavor and fat for tender, juicy meatballs.
- Onion: Finely chopped and sautéed for a subtle sweetness and depth.
- Bread crumbs and milk: Act as a binder and keep the meatballs moist.
- Eggs: Help hold the mixture together.
- Spices: Nutmeg and allspice are key to that signature Swedish flavor.
- Butter and flour: Form the roux for a smooth, rich sauce.
- Beef stock: Low-sodium or homemade is best to control saltiness.
- Sour cream: Adds tang and richness—substitute with heavy cream if preferred.
Steps to Make Swedish Meatballs With Sour Cream
- Sauté the chopped onion in butter and olive oil until soft and golden.
- Mix the eggs, milk, bread crumbs, salt, pepper, nutmeg, and allspice in a large bowl.
- Stir in the beef, pork, and cooked onion; mix gently by hand.
- Shape into 1-inch meatballs and arrange on a foil-lined baking sheet.
- Bake at 400°F for about 25 minutes, until cooked through.
- Meanwhile, make the sauce: cook butter and flour for 2 minutes, then whisk in beef stock and simmer until thickened.
- Stir in sour cream and season to taste. Add the meatballs and heat gently.
Tips for the Best Swedish Meatballs
- Use a scoop for evenly sized meatballs—about 1 ounce each.
- Don’t overmix the meat or the texture may be tough.
- Bake on a rack over a sheet pan for better browning and less grease.
- Simmer the sauce gently after adding sour cream to prevent curdling.
Recipe Variations
- Use all beef. You can make the meatballs with 100% ground beef if you prefer.
- Swap the sour cream. Use heavy cream or a mix of cream and sour cream for a milder flavor.
- Make it dairy-free. Use dairy-free butter and cream substitutes to adapt for allergies.
- Low-carb option. Replace bread crumbs with almond flour or a keto-friendly binder.
- Add fresh herbs. Stir chopped parsley or dill into the meatball mixture for extra brightness.
Serving Suggestions
- Serve with buttered egg noodles or mashed potatoes.
- Pair with traditional lingonberry jam or cranberry sauce.
- Add roasted vegetables or a green salad on the side.
- Offer crusty bread to soak up the creamy sauce.
- Make it a spread. Serve the meatballs and sauce as part of a buffet or party platter.
How to Store and Reheat
Refrigerate: Store leftover meatballs and sauce in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days.
Freeze: Freeze the meatballs and sauce together or separately for up to 2 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge before reheating.
To reheat: Warm gently in a saucepan over low heat, stirring occasionally. Add a splash of cream or broth if the sauce has thickened too much.
If you like meatballs, you will love these Moroccan meatballs. Or try these sweet and sour pork meatballs.
Swedish Meatballs With Sour Cream
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 1 medium onion, finely chopped
- 1/2 cup bread crumbs, fine dry
- 1/4 cup milk, or half-and-half, or light cream
- 2 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/4 teaspoon grated or ground nutmeg
- 1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
- 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1 pound ground pork, lean
- 1 pound ground beef, at least 85%
Sauce
- 5 tablespoons butter
- 6 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 3 cups beef broth, low sodium or homemade
- 1/2 cup sour cream
- salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Instructions
- In a skillet or saute pan over medium heat, melt the butter with the olive oil. Add the chopped onion and cook, stirring, until the onion is translucent and begins to color. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, whisk the eggs with the 1/4 cup of milk, half-and-half, or light cream. Add the bread crumbs, 1 teaspoon of kosher salt, the nutmeg and allspice, and 1/4 teaspoon of black pepper. Blend well.
- Heat the oven to 400 F. Line a half sheet pan or large rimmed jelly roll pan with foil. Put a cooling rack in the pan if you have one that will fit.
- Add the ground pork, ground beef, and sauteed onions to the bread crumb mixture and mix with your hands until well blended. Shape into meatballs about 1 to 1 1/4 inches in diameter, about 1 ounce each.
- Arrange the meatballs in the prepared sheet pan (or on the rack in the sheet pan, if using).
- Bake for 25 minutes, until the meatballs are cooked through. Remove the meatballs from the oven and drain off any excess grease.
- Meanwhile, make the sauce. In a medium saucepan over medium heat, melt the 5 tablespoons of butter. When the butter is foamy, stir in the flour. Cook, stirring, for 2 minutes. Gradually whisk the beef stock into the roux. Cook, stirring constantly, until thickened and bubbling. Reduce the heat to low and simmer for 2 minutes.
- Stir the sour cream into the sauce, whisking until smooth. Add the drained meatballs to the sauce and heat through. Do not boil.
Nutrition
Disclaimer:
Our nutritional information is based on a third-party application that analyzes the ingredients list to determine the values. The information is meant to be helpful, but should be considered an estimate. Values may differ depending on measurements, brands, serving variations, and database availability.
