They might get a bad wrap, but Swedish meatballs have a special place in my heart. It started out as a brief introduction to a certain Swedish furniture store, but it didn’t stop there. The greatest part about these Swedish meatballs has to be the creamy gravy. The gravy is part of what makes the meatballs so delicious. Serve them on top of egg noodles or with a side of mashed potatoes and you’ve got the makings of an awesome meal. Want to take it one step further? Try adding a little ligon berry jam for a sweet punch to your savory dish.
So, without further ado, here are some of the best versions of Swedish meatballs outside of IKEA.
Easy Swedish Meatballs & Gravy Recipe
This recipe might have a few ingredients, but trust me, it’s worth it! The gravy uses all the yummy crispy bits from cooking the meatballs to create a deep flavor that’s way better than anything premade. I’d suggest making sure you’ve got a good cast iron skillet and a meatball scoop to make portioning out your meatballs easy.
Swedish Meatballs
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp olive oil divided
- 1 onion diced
- 1 lb ground beef
- 1 lb ground pork
- ½ c. panko
- 2 large egg yolks
- ¼ tsp ground allspice
- ¼ tsp. ground nutmeg
- salt and pepper to taste
Gravy
- ¼ c. butter
- ⅓ c. flour
- 4 c. beef broth
- ¾ c. sour cream
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Start by heating a tablespoon of olive oil in your skillet over medium heat. When the oil is nice and warm, add in the onion and saute until they are soft and see-through. This should take about 2-3 minutes.
- Next, mix the beef, pork, panko, eggs, spices, and onion until well combined. Then use either a small ice cream scoop or spoons to portion out 24 meatballs and place them on a piece of parchment paper.
- Then heat up the remaining olive oil in your skillet over medium-high heat. Add the meatballs a group of 6-8 at a time and cook for 4-5 minutes or until all sides are crispy and browned. Remove the meatballs when they are done and keep them warm in the oven.
- Last up is the gravy! Melt the butter in your skillet and when it's bubbly, whisk in the flour until combined. Then slowly whisk in the beef broth and allow to simmer for 1-2 minutes so it begins to thicken. Next, stir in the sour cream, season to taste with salt and pepper, and add in your meatballs. Serve and enjoy!
Swedish Meatballs Recipe: Crockpot Edition
If you’re serving a crowd, or perhaps trying to use those frozen meatballs chilling in your freezer, then this is your recipe. I prefer using a crockpot like this one because of its digital timer. It just makes it easier to fix it and forget it, and when I do forget it, I don’t end up burning the dish. This recipe is simple in that it uses Cream of Mushroom as the base for its sauce which makes it simple and cost-efficient.
Crockpot Swedish Meatballs
Equipment
- slow cooker
Ingredients
- 1 can cream of mushroom soup
- 1 can beef broth
- 1 packet dry onion soup mix
- 2 tbsp A1 steak sauce
- 2 lb frozen meatballs
- 1 c. sour cream
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Begin by mixing the cream of mushroom soup with the beef broth, onion soup mix, and steak sauce until completely mixed. When the soup is thoroughly mixed, add in the frozen meatballs and cook on low for 6-8 hours or high for 3-5 hours.
- When the meatballs are hot and ready, stir in the sour cream and season with salt and pepper. Serve and enjoy!
Swedish Meatball Recipe: Just the Sauce
If you’re not making your meatballs from scratch, then it can be hard to make a gravy that has the same depth of flavor. But don’t despair! With the right seasonings and herbs, you can still create a sauce that has deep flavor and doesn’t take hours. This gravy can be paired with premade meatballs or frozen meatballs.
Swedish Meatball Gravy
Ingredients
- 1 c. beef stock
- 1 c. heavy cream or substitute with half/half and sour cream
- 3 tbsp flour
- 1 tbsp soy sauce or Worcestershire sauce
- ½ tsp black pepper
- ½ tsp dried rosemary
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tbsp butter
Instructions
- Begin by melting the butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. When the butter begins to bubble, whisk in the flour and cook for 1-2 minutes while whisking constantly. Then slowly whisk in the beef broth, cream, and spices. When the sauce begins to bubble, reduce the heat to low and continue to cook until thickened, about 10 more minutes. Serve with meatballs and enjoy!
Swedish Meatballs: Vegetarian Version
I know. Vegetarian Swedish Meatballs sound like a complete oxymoron. But it isn’t. It’s possible to make a meat-free ball that is tasty and full of flavor when there’s no meat involved. So, if you or your crew is meat-free, then look no further than this comfort inducing recipe.
Vegetarian Swedish Meat(less)balls
Ingredients
- 2 c. cooked wild rice
- 1 c. mushrooms finely chopped
- ½ c. plain Greek yogurt
- 2 eggs
- ¾ c. breadcrumbs
- 1 tsp. paprika
- 1 tsp. garlic powder
- ½ tsp. salt
Gravy
- 3 tbsp. butter
- ½ tsp. onion powder
- ½ tsp. garlic powder
- 3 tbsp. flour
- 1 ½ c. vegetable broth
- ½ c. sour cream
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Begin by setting your oven to 425°F and lining a baking sheet with parchment paper. Then, in a medium-sized bowl, mix all the meatball ingredients together until combined. Use a meatball scooper to portion the mix out into meatballs. Place the meatless balls on the parchment paper and bake for 15-20 minutes. The meatless balls should be firm when you press on them.
- While the meatless balls are baking, it's time to make the sauce! Start by melting the butter in a skillet. Then whisk in the onion powder, garlic powder, and flour until combined. Cook for 1-2 minutes while whisking constantly before slowly adding in the broth. Continue whisking so that you don't end up with lumps! When the sauce is mixed, add in the sour cream. Adjust the thickness of the broth by adding more broth if desired.
- Serve the meatless balls and gravy together and enjoy!
Swedish Meatballs Recipe: Instant Pot
I know you love your Instant Pot as much as I do. If you haven’t picked one up yet, you definitely should! It’s streamlined a lot of my cooking and it cooks in a flash. Grab your Instant Pot here. Serve these meatballs with mashed potatoes or noodles for a delicious meal.
Instant Pot Swedish Meatballs
Equipment
- Instant Pot
Ingredients
- 1 lb ground beef
- ½ lb ground pork
- ½ c. Panko
- ½ c. milk
- 1 small onion minced
- 1 tsp. salt
- ½ tsp. pepper
- ¼ tsp. Allspice
- ¼ tsp. nutmeg
- 1 tsp. garlic powder
- 1 egg beaten
Gravy
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 6 tbsp butter divided
- 2 10 oz cans Beef Consomme
- 1 tsp. Dijon mustard
- 1 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
- 2 c. heavy cream divided
- ¼ c. flour
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Begin by mixing all of the meatball ingredients together in a mixing bowl until they are combined. Use a spoon or meatball scooper to portion out about 30 meatballs and set them aside on a piece of parchment paper. When the meatballs are all portioned, turn the Instant pot to Saute and place half the butter in the pot. When the butter is melted, add half the meatballs and cook for 4-5 minutes or until golden and crispy on each side. Repeat with the other half of the meatballs until all of them are cooked.
- Next up, deglaze the pot by adding in the beef consomme and stir to get all the crispy bits off the bottom. Then add in the remaining butter, mustard, Worcestershire, and half of the heavy cream. Stir until combined, then turn off the Instant Pot.
- Add the meatballs into the Instant Pot, close the lid, and set the steam release valve to the "sealed" position. Set the pressure cooker on Manual for 4 minutes. When the Instant Pot is done, allow it to release naturally for 6 minutes. While the meatballs are cooking, whisk the flour into the remaining cream. When the meatballs are done, do a quick release and move the meatballs to an oven-safe dish with a lid.
- Next, set the Instant Pot to saute once more and bring the sauce to a simmer. When the sauce begins to bubble, whisk in the cream mixture and allow to cook for a few minutes so that it thickens. Cancel the saute and allow the sauce to cool slightly before seasoning with salt and pepper. Add the meatballs back in and give a good stir before serving!
I’d love to know which of these recipes was your favorite! Share in the comments below. Happy cooking!
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