There’s nothing better than homemade meatballs and my version of Swedish Meatballs is the ultimate comfort food. Bathed in the best Swedish Meatball Sauce that’s a rich, creamy gravy and perched on a pile of buttery egg noodles, these are WAY better than IKEA!

Swedish Meatballs on egg noodles plated on a blue plate set upon a wicker placemat


Swedish Meatballs

IKEA. That place stresses me out. If you haven’t been to an IKEA, let me take you on a little visual tour. The place is gigantic….like an insanely huge warehouse filled with 25 or more of your very own dream rooms.

Head upstairs on the escalator and you weave through a maze like arrangement of modernly decorated mini abodes. Like room after room is a perfectly showcased urban oasis that you could just pull a tag off the wall and, basically, buy the whole room. 

Next up, accessories, tons of them, like a sea of plate, posters, and fuzzy rugs. And finally, the cafeteria, with their famous Swedish Meatballs with cream sauce, which are really good but not as good as mine. IKEA meatballs make the whole journey through this sea of home decor almost worth it.

This is the end of the tour, let’s whip up some meatballs, shall we?

I created this classic Swedish Meatballs recipe for busy weeknights. It’s a great meal prep idea since you can make the meatballs in advance and reheat in the microwave or in a skillet.

Ingredients for Swedish Meatballs

  • Ground Beef – I use a lean ground beef, 80/20 is best for juicy homemade meatballs. You can also use a blend of ground beef and ground pork which is more traditional.
  • Onion – A sweet onion like a vidalia onion or yellow onion gives a mild flavor that’s not overpowering.
  • Egg – The binder of the meatball is one large egg.
  • Bread crumbs – I like to use panko breadcrumbs for a lighter texture and less dense meatball.
  • Milk – To make a tender meatball, use milk. You can substitute with a non-dairy alternative or use half and half.
  • Seasoning – A blend of ground nutmeg, allspice, kosher salt and black pepper add a hint of spice that’s classic in swedish meatballs.
  • Flour – Used as a thickener for the gravy, all-purpose flour works best but you can use cornstarch for a gluten-free alternative.
  • Beef Stock – The base of the gravy is made with beef stock, you can substitute with beef broth or chicken stock.
  • Heavy Cream – To make the gravy smooth and creamy, I use heavy cream. If you want to shave some calories off you can substitute with half and half.

For the full ingredient list and instructions, see the recipe card below.

Swedish Meatballs in a stainless steel skillet.

What Are Swedish Meatballs

Unlike Italian Meatballs that are stuffed with garlic, parmesan and Italian seasoning, Swedish Meatballs are made with spices like nutmeg and allspice. They’re then cooked in a rich, brown gravy that’s velvety smooth and served with lingonberry jam on the side.

How to Make Swedish Meatballs

Our favorite Swedish Meatball recipe is super simple to make in less than 30 minutes. The Swedish Meatball sauce recipe is just a basic pan sauce that is made flavorful with the drippings and brown bits from the meatballs themselves.

  1. Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat.
  2. Add the onions to the pan and cook until softened. Allow to cool.
  3. In a large bowl, combine the meatball ingredients, ground beef, egg, bread crumbs, milk, onion, salt, pepper, nutmeg and allspice, until combined.
  4. Form the meatball mixture into 1 inch balls using a cookie scoop or your hands.
  5. Heat the remaining olive oil in the skillet over medium heat and add the meatballs to the pan.
  6. Saute the meatballs until golden brown on all sides, about 7-10 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the meatballs to a platter or cookie sheet.
  7. Drain off all but 2 tablespoons of pan drippings from the skillet and return to the heat.
  8. Add the flour to the pan and whisk until golden brown, approximately 1-2 minutes. Slowly add the beef stock and whisk until the sauce begins to thicken. Be sure to continue whisking to ensure lump-free gravy
  9. Whisk in the cream and continue to cook until the gravy is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon.
  10. Return the meatballs to the pan and simmer for 1-2 minutes. Serve over egg noodles, rice or mashed potatoes.

These Swedish Meatballs are really easy to make and come together pretty quickly. I like to pile them high on a mountain of wide egg noodles tossed with a bit of chopped parsley. The blend of the two together is like nothing else.

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Swedish Meatballs on egg noodles plated on a blue plate with a skillet full of meatballs in the background.

How to Store Leftovers

Transfer leftover meatballs and gravy to an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 3 days.

You can freeze swedish meatballs in a freezer-safe container or freezer bag for up to 3 months.

What to Serve with Swedish Meatballs

Other than a pile of buttery egg noodles as the best thing to serve with these easy Swedish Meatballs, these are a few more of our favorites:

close up of Swedish Meatballs with gravy on egg noodles.

More Easy Meatball Recipes

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Swedish Meatballs on egg noodles plated on a blue plate set upon a wicker placemat

Get the Recipe: Swedish Meatball Recipe

Yield: 4 servings
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 35 minutes
Better than IKEA, these Swedish Meatballs are swimming in a rich gravy for a one pot meal the whole family will dig.
4.72 from 7 votes
Print Recipe Rate Recipe Pin Recipe

Ingredients

  • 2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
  • 1 cup finely chopped onion
  • 1 pound ground beef
  • 1 large egg
  • 1/2 cup panko bread crumbs
  • 2 tablespoons milk
  • 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground pepper
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
  • 1/8 teaspoon ground allspice
  • 1/4 cup all purpose flour
  • 3 cups beef stock
  • 1/4 cup heavy cream

Instructions 

  • Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large skillet over med-high heat. Add the onions to the pan and cook until softened. Allow to cool.
  • In a large bowl, mix the ground beef, egg, bread crumbs, milk, onion, salt, pepper, nutmeg and allspice until combined. Form the mixture into 1 inch balls.
  • Heat the remaining olive oil in the skillet over medium heat and add the meatballs to the pan. Saute the meatballs until golden brown on all sides, about 7-10 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the meatballs to a platter. Drain off all but 2 tablespoons of fat from the skillet and return to the heat. Add the flour to the pan and whisk until golden brown, approximately 1-2 minutes. Slowly add the beef stock and whisk until the sauce begins to thicken. Whisk in the cream and continue to cook until the gravy is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon. Return the meatballs to the pan and simmer for 1-2 minutes. Serve over egg noodles, rice or mashed potatoes.

Video

YouTube video
Serving: 0g, Calories: 520kcal, Carbohydrates: 18g, Protein: 27g, Fat: 37g, Saturated Fat: 13g, Cholesterol: 142mg, Sodium: 804mg, Potassium: 748mg, Fiber: 1g, Sugar: 3g, Vitamin A: 280IU, Vitamin C: 3mg, Calcium: 82mg, Iron: 3.7mg
Author: Kellie
Course: Dinner
Cuisine: American, swedish