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.  

When you walk in, you’re greeted by the biggest petri dish on the planet….the kids playroom.  Complete with ball pit.  If you know, you know.

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…which are really good but not as good as mine. They 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?

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.

How to Make Swedish Meatballs

This easy 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 med-high heat.
  2. Add the onions to the pan and cook until softened. Allow to cool.
  3. In a large bowl, mix the ground beef, egg, bread crumbs, milk, onion, salt, pepper, nutmeg and allspice until combined.
  4. Form the mixture into 1 inch balls.
  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.
  7. Drain off all but 2 tablespoons of fat 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.
  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 buttered egg noodles tossed with a bit of chopped parsley.  The blend of the two together is like nothing else.  

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

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

And homemade meatballs are always better….like THESE meatballs.…people will be begging you to make these week after week.  So…just add them to your weekly meal plan now.  And maybe these meatballs too, they were famous on Facebook last week and THESE Chicken Marsala Meatballs are amazing, too. Pretty epic, actually.

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

Get the Recipe: Swedish Meatballs 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

https://youtu.be/nUBEYDoVKDs
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