Three years ago, I picked up Max from soccer practice and we stopped by my friend Lisa's house to drop off some borrowed books. The second I opened her front door, this smell hit me - butter, cream, something warm and spiced I couldn't quite place. "You're staying for dinner," she said, not asking. Swedish meatballs were simmering on her stove, and honestly, I would've invited myself anyway after that first whiff.
Why You'll Love This Recipe
These Swedish meatballs solve my biggest weeknight problem - making something that feels special without spending two hours in the kitchen. The whole thing takes about 45 minutes, which is less time than ordering takeout and waiting for delivery. The Swedish meatballs stay tender days later because of how the cream-soaked breadcrumbs work. I've reheated these for lunch three days after making them and they're still soft, not dried out like most leftover meatballs get. That's huge when you're trying to stretch one dinner into multiple meals.
The sauce is rich enough that it feels fancy, but it's not so heavy you need a nap after eating. That lingonberry jam does something I can't quite explain - it balances everything out so you can actually finish your plate without feeling weighed down. Max didn't believe me when I told him there was jam in the sauce.
Jump to:
- Why You'll Love This Recipe
- What You'll Need for Swedish meatballs
- How to Make Swedish Meatballs Step By Step
- Smart Swaps for Swedish Meatballs
- Different Ways to Make Swedish meatballs
- Equipment For Swedish meatballs
- How to Store Swedish Meatballs
- What to Serve with Swedish Meatballs
- Top Tip
- The Secret Ingredient Worth Trying
- FAQ
- Time to Start Cooking
- Related
- Pairing
- Swedish meatballs
What You'll Need for Swedish meatballs
For the Meatballs:
- Ground beef
- Ground pork
- Fresh breadcrumbs
- Heavy cream
- Yellow onion
- Egg
- Ground allspice
- Nutmeg
- White pepper
- Salt
For the Sauce:
- Butter
- All-purpose flour
- Beef broth
- Heavy cream
- Soy sauce
- Lingonberry jam
- Dijon mustard
Tools You Need:
- Large skillet
- Two mixing bowls
- Whisk
- Cookie scoop if you want them uniform
See recipe card for quantities.
How to Make Swedish Meatballs Step By Step
Get the Meatballs Ready:
- Put breadcrumbs in a bowl with the cream, let sit 10 minutes
- Chop your onion super fine, cook it in a little butter until soft
- Mix the beef and pork together in a big bowl
- Add the soaked breadcrumbs, cooked onion, egg, and all your spices
- Mix it gently with your hands - don't squeeze it to death
- Roll into balls about an inch across
Brown Them:
- Heat your skillet over medium-high with some butter
- Brown meatballs in batches, don't crowd the pan
- Turn them to get all sides golden
- Take them out when they're browned
- Keep those brown bits in the pan
Make the Sauce:
- Lower heat to medium, add more butter if the pan's dry
- Sprinkle in flour, whisk it around for 2 minutes
- Slowly pour in beef broth while whisking
- Add the cream, keep whisking until smooth
- Stir in soy sauce, lingonberry jam, and mustard
- Taste it, add salt if it needs it
Finish:
- Put meatballs back in the sauce
- Let everything simmer together for 10-15 minutes
- Meatballs will finish cooking and the sauce thickens up
- Shake the pan now and then so nothing sticks
Smart Swaps for Swedish Meatballs
Meat Options:
- Ground pork → Ground turkey
- Beef and pork → All beef
- Regular ground meat → Lean ground meat
For Allergies:
- Breadcrumbs → Gluten-free breadcrumbs
- Heavy cream → Coconut cream
- Butter → Olive oil or dairy-free butter
- Regular flour → Rice flour or cornstarch
Sauce Switches:
- Lingonberry jam → Cranberry sauce
- Beef broth → Chicken broth
- Heavy cream → Half and half
- Soy sauce → Coconut aminos
Budget-Friendly:
- Fresh breadcrumbs → Crushed crackers
- Beef broth → Bouillon cube and water
- Lingonberry → Grape jelly (sounds weird but works)
Different Ways to Make Swedish meatballs
Slow Cooker Version:
- Brown meatballs in the skillet first
- Throw everything in the crockpot
- Low for 4 hours
- Stays warm for parties without drying out
Lighter Take:
- Use all ground turkey
- Cut the cream in half
- Add Greek yogurt at the end instead
- Still creamy, just not as heavy
Party Size:
- Roll them half as big
- Keep warm in the slow cooker
- Set out toothpicks
- Double the sauce so there's plenty
With Rice:
- Cook rice separately
- Put it in the bottom of your serving dish
- Pour meatballs and sauce over top
- Everything soaks together
Extra Veggie:
- Add chopped mushrooms to the sauce
- Throw in some peas at the end
- Diced carrots work too
- Makes it more of a complete meal
Equipment For Swedish meatballs
- Large skillet (12-inch is best)
- Two mixing bowls
- Wire whisk
- Wooden spoon
How to Store Swedish Meatballs
In the Fridge (3-4 days):
- Let them cool completely
- Store in the sauce
- Use a container with a tight lid
- Reheat on the stove, not the microwave
- Add a little cream if it got thick
Freezer (3 months):
- Cool them down first
- Put meatballs and sauce in separate containers
- Label with the date
- Thaw overnight in the fridge
- Warm up slowly on low heat
Make-Ahead:
- Roll the meatballs the day before
- Keep them on a tray in the fridge
- Brown and cook when you need them
- Sauce can be made ahead too
Reheating Tips:
- Stovetop is better than microwave
- Keep the heat low
- Stir gently so they don't fall apart
- Taste and adjust salt after reheating
What to Serve with Swedish Meatballs
The traditional way is mashed potatoes underneath with the Swedish meatballs and gravy poured right over top. That's how Lisa's grandma did it, and honestly it's still the best option. The potatoes soak up all that cream sauce and you get a little bit of everything in one forkful. Egg noodles work too if you want something lighter, or plain white rice. Just stay away from anything that'll get mushy - you need something that can handle sitting in sauce without falling apart.
For vegetables, pickled cucumbers are what you'd get in Sweden. They cut through all that richness and give you something sharp and tangy between bites. If you can't find those or don't like pickles, steamed green beans or a simple salad does the same job. I always put out lingonberry sauce on the side - some people love it, some skip it. Cranberry sauce from a can works if you can't find lingonberry. And bread, always bread. There's going to be extra gravy and you'll want something to soak it up with. We go through half a loaf every time I make these.
Top Tip
- The first thing that'll make or break your Swedish meatballs is how you handle the meat. I ruined my first three batches by squeezing and kneading the mixture like bread dough they came out dense and chewy. Your hands should barely touch the meat. Mix just until everything comes together, then stop. The second you start really working it, those proteins tighten up and you end up with little rubber balls instead of tender meatballs. Also, always cook one tiny test meatball before you roll the whole batch.
- The sauce is where I see people rush and mess it up. That flour and butter mixture needs a full two minutes of cooking - set a timer if you have to. I used to think 30 seconds was enough and my sauce always tasted like raw flour. Just keep whisking it over medium heat and trust the timing. The other game-changer is saving some of those brown drippings from the Swedish meatballs.
- Here's something nobody tells you - these legitimately taste better the day after you make them. The meatballs soak up the sauce overnight and all the flavors blend together in a way they just don't fresh out of the pan. I actually prefer making them on Wednesday for our Thursday dinners now. And one more thing about the meat blend don't try to use all beef thinking it'll be better. The pork isn't just filler, it's what keeps these from drying out.
The Secret Ingredient Worth Trying
My aunt figured out something with these Swedish meatballs that nobody in our family had tried before. She'd been making them for years the regular way until one night she ran out of beef broth halfway through making the sauce. Instead of running to the store, she grabbed the pickle juice from her jar of dill pickles and added about two tablespoons to the cream sauce along with less broth.
Sounds completely wrong, I know. But that tangy, salty punch from the pickle brine did something to the sauce that regular broth just doesn't do. It brightened up all that heavy cream and made the whole thing taste less one-note. She doesn't tell people what's in there - just lets them guess why her version tastes different from everyone else's. I tried it myself about six months ago and Max actually noticed the difference. "These taste more... awake," he said, which is probably the best way to describe it.
FAQ
What is Swedish meatball sauce made of?
The base is butter and flour cooked together, then you add beef broth and heavy cream. Soy sauce goes in for depth, lingonberry jam adds that little bit of sweet. Some people throw in Dijon mustard too. That cream base is what makes it different from regular tomato-based meatball sauces you see with spaghetti.
What makes a Swedish meatball different?
It's the meat combo - beef and pork mixed with allspice, nutmeg, and white pepper instead of Italian seasonings. They're smaller than most meatballs, sit in cream sauce not red sauce, and you eat them with lingonberry jam on the side. The breadcrumbs soaked in cream before mixing make them softer inside than regular Swedish meatballs too.
What to put with Swedish meatballs?
Mashed potatoes are what most people do. Egg noodles work great, rice too. For sides, pickled cucumbers, lingonberry sauce, or plain green beans. Bread's good for mopping up extra gravy. I always make a salad because the meatballs are rich and you need something light to balance it out.
What kind of meat is in a Swedish meatball?
Half ground beef, half ground pork is standard. Some people do more beef, like 60-40. The pork keeps them from getting dry, the beef gives them flavor. You can swap in all beef or ground turkey, but it changes how they come out - not quite the same texture as the traditional way.
Time to Start Cooking
You've got everything now the right meat blend, the test meatball trick, how to make that sauce work. These Swedish meatballs show up on our table every Thursday because they're one of those recipes that just doesn't fail. Max still asks if we can have them more often, but some things are better when you look forward to them.
Need more dinner ideas that actually work? Try our Easy Shepherds Pie Recipe for another comfort food win that uses simple ingredients. Our Healthy Honey Mustard Chicken Recipe is perfect for those nights when you want something lighter but still filling. And if you're feeding picky eaters, our Delicious Cheeseburger Pie Recipe disappears faster than anything else I make.
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Pairing
These are my favorite dishes to serve with Swedish meatballs
Swedish meatballs
Ingredients
Equipment
Method
- Let breadcrumbs soak in heavy cream for ten full minutes.
- Sauté finely chopped onion in butter until it softens.
- Combine meats, soaked breadcrumbs, onion, egg, and spices.
- Roll the mixture into evenly sized meatballs using your hands.
- Brown meatballs in batches in a skillet without overcrowding.
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