Swedish Meatballs (Svenska Köttbullar)
Add Preferred SourceForget Ikea! These classic Swedish Meatballs are tender, flavorful, and coated in a rich, creamy gravy that’s so good, you’ll want to lick your plate clean. Easier than you think, you can even make the homemade meatballs ahead of time.
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The sauce is the boss in this recipe. The gravy is the star of the show, so serve this easy dish with mashed potatoes or egg noodles to soak up all that delicious gravy. Want to really impress? Buy a jar of lingonberry jam, and now you’ve got an authentic meal that beats Ikea’s famous Swedish Meatballs any day of the week!
Ingredients
For the Meatballs
- White bread – We’re using bread instead of breadcrumbs in this recipe. They make the meatballs so much more tender.
- Heavy cream – You could use milk if you want to shave a few calories.
- Butter – Salted butter is fine.
- Small onion – Chop the onion very small. In fact, sometimes I grate the onion so that you get onion flavor in your meatballs, without big chunks of onion.
- Ground beef – I cook with 80/20 ground beef.
- Ground pork – Look for lean ground pork.
- Large egg – Extra large egg is fine, too.
- Spices – Salt, ground black pepper, ground nutmeg, and ground allspice.
- Butter – Salted or unsalted is fine. You’ll adjust the seasonings of the gravy before serving.
- Chicken broth – Low or no sodium chicken broth is best.
For the Gravy
- All-purpose flour – Don’t worry if there are little lumps in your flour.
- Beef broth – Use low or no sodium added to control the salt.
- Sour cream – Full fat sour cream won’t curdle as easily in the gravy.
- Salt and black pepper – To taste.
How To Make Swedish Meatballs
Scroll down for the full recipe card with exact measurements and printable instructions.
Preheat the oven to 350°F and set aside a baking dish. A ceramic or glass baking dish works well here because it holds heat evenly and keeps the meatballs tender as they finish cooking.
Add the crumbled bread and heavy cream to a small bowl and let the mixture soak for about 10 minutes, until the bread has fully absorbed the cream and becomes paste-like.
Melt 1 tablespoon of butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the minced onion and cook for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally with a wooden spoon or silicone spatula, until soft and lightly browned.
Add the ground beef, ground pork, egg, salt, pepper, nutmeg, and allspice to the bowl with the onion. Mix gently using your hands or a sturdy spatula until just combined.
Fold in the soaked bread mixture, mixing only until incorporated. Avoid overmixing, which can make the meatballs dense instead of tender.
Melt 1 tablespoon of butter in the same skillet over medium heat. Use a 1 ½-tablespoon cookie scoop to portion the meat mixture evenly, then roll gently into meatballs. The scoop helps keep all the meatballs the same size so they cook evenly.
Brown the meatballs in the skillet, turning often with tongs, for about 5 minutes. The centers will still be pink at this stage.
Transfer the browned meatballs to the prepared baking dish in a single layer. Bake for about 40 minutes, until fully cooked and tender. Remove the meatballs to a serving dish and cover loosely to keep warm.
Whisk the flour into the pan drippings over medium heat using a wire whisk until smooth. Gradually whisk in the beef broth until you have about 2½ cups of liquid.
Simmer the gravy for about 5 minutes, stirring constantly, until thickened. Stir in the sour cream just before serving and season with salt and black pepper to taste.
Serve the gravy over the meatballs while hot.
Chef Jenn’s Tips
- Browning the meatballs before baking adds flavor and helps them hold their shape, even though they finish cooking in the oven.
- Let the gravy simmer just until thickened, then add the sour cream off the heat to prevent curdling and keep the sauce smooth.
- If the gravy thickens too much while resting, whisk in a splash of warm beef broth to loosen it back up before serving.
Serving Suggestions
Serve Swedish Meatballs with creamy mashed potatoes, buttered egg noodles, or steamed rice to soak up the rich gravy. A spoonful of lingonberry jam or cranberry sauce adds a classic sweet contrast. Finish the plate with roasted zucchini or broiled vegetables for a full meal.
Storage
Store leftover meatballs and gravy in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Reheat gently on the stovetop over low heat, adding a splash of broth if the gravy thickens too much.
Swedish Meatballs (Svenska Köttbullar)
Ingredients
- 2 slices day-old white bread crumbled
- ½ cup heavy cream
- 2 tablespoons butter divided
- 1 small onion minced
- ⅔ pound ground beef
- ⅓ pound ground pork
- 1 large egg
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
- ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- ¼ teaspoon ground allspice
- 1 tablespoon butter
- ¼ cup chicken broth
For the Gravy
- 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 2 cups beef broth
- ½ cup sour cream
- salt and black pepper to taste
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F and prepare a baking dish.
- Soak the bread crumbs in the heavy cream for 10 minutes until fully absorbed.
- Cook the onion in 1 tablespoon of butter over medium heat until soft and lightly browned. Transfer to a mixing bowl.
- Add the ground beef, ground pork, egg, salt, pepper, nutmeg, allspice, and onion. Mix gently.
- Fold in the soaked bread mixture until just combined.
- Melt 1 tablespoon butter in a skillet over medium heat. Shape the mixture into meatballs using about 1½ tablespoons each.
- Brown the meatballs for about 5 minutes, turning often.
- Transfer the meatballs to the baking dish and bake for 40 minutes. Remove and keep warm.
- Whisk the flour into the pan drippings, then gradually add the beef broth. Simmer for 5 minutes until thickened.
- Stir in the sour cream and season with salt and pepper. Serve over the meatballs.
Notes
Chef Jenn’s Tips
- Browning the meatballs before baking adds flavor and helps them hold their shape, even though they finish cooking in the oven.
- Let the gravy simmer just until thickened, then add the sour cream off the heat to prevent curdling and keep the sauce smooth.
- If the gravy thickens too much while resting, whisk in a splash of warm beef broth to loosen it back up before serving.
Nutrition
A Note on Nutritional Information
Nutritional information for this recipe is provided as a courtesy and is calculated based on available online ingredient information. It is only an approximate value. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site cannot be guaranteed.
