All hail tender, savory, creamy Swedish Meatballs!
I grew up eating a lot of Swedish meatballs, and I have to say – Swedish meatball recipes are varied and they all kind of have their own personality. But after testing several ingredient combinations and methods, this is the one that I like best:
Cream-soaked bread mixed with ground beef and ground pork with plenty of salt and pepper, baked to golden meatball perfection, and finally rolled around in a rich and savory cream-based gravy. It is mellow, ultra comforting, and deeply flavorful all at the same time.
How To Make Swedish Meatballs
Swedish meatballs may or may not be something that you want to make on a random Tuesday night because they’re gonna take a little time to make. You’ve got the rolling, you’ve got the baking, you’ve got the gravy-making…
But they are SPECIAL. And they aren’t hard. They are perfect for holiday meals or dinner club or just a little something extra when you’re looking for a good reason to live your best life.
Here are the basics:
- You’re going to mix up your meatballs (pork, beef, BREAD, butter, onions, garlic, all that’s good).
- Then you’ll roll them and bake them until they’re done.
- Next up you’ll build the gravy: butter, flour, broth, Worcestershire, and some heavy cream for that delicious tangy bite.
- Pop those meatballs back in the pan with the gravy and…
HELLO SWEDISH MEATBALLS. ❤️
What To Serve with Swedish Meatballs
The meatballs in and of themselves are a world wonder, but let me fill out the plate for you for what to serve with Swedish meatballs.
- Creamy Mashed Potatoes <– I like these, obviously, because they’re very easy and have so much garlic herb flavor.
- Tangy Cranberry Sauce, for which we use the recipe on the back of the cranberry package.
- Vinegary Cucumber Salad, which seems a little strange at first glance but is so delicious and essential for cutting through everything. It wakes the whole plate up.
May your gravy be creamy and your meatballs be extra-savory and your special dinner be one to remember. ♡
Swedish Meatballs: Frequently Asked Questions
You can, but if you are able to find it and you enjoy it, the flavor combo of the two meats is really, really good.
You can use pan drippings to make your gravy, but the gravy will be more lumpy and flecked with meatball bits. I prefer a smooth gravy, which is why I like to wipe out the pan first and just start fresh with butter.
The meatball mixture is WET! That’s normal. We want that because it makes for a very tender meatball once it’s cooked. If you get your hands slightly wet, you’ll have an easier time rolling them.
You can! If you are using thin, plain white sandwich bread, you may want to use 6-8 slices instead to make a thicker bread mixture.
Prefer To Watch Instead Of Read?
The Best Swedish Meatballs
Total Time: 1 hour 30 minutes
Yield: 6 servings
Print Recipe
Pin RecipeDescription
Swedish Meatballs that are perfectly tender and spiced, served with creamy, savory, tangy gravy. Comfort food at its best!
Ingredients
Swedish Meatballs:
- 4 slices white bread, no crusts
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
- 2 tablespoons butter, divided
- 1/4 cup onion, roughly chopped
- 4 cloves garlic, chopped
- 1 pound ground beef (I like using 85/15)
- 1 pound ground pork
- 1 egg
- 2 tablespoons brown sugar
- 2 teaspoons salt (more to taste)
- a few shakes of black pepper
Gravy:
- 2 tablespoons butter (or grease from meatballs)
- 2 tablespoons flour
- 1 1/2 cups beef broth
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce (more to taste)
- 1–2 teaspoons brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon salt
- Dash of nutmeg
Instructions
- In a small bowl, soak the white bread in the heavy cream for 5-10 minutes. Add the soaked bread and the onion and garlic to the bowl of a food processor. Pulse for 10-15 seconds until mostly smooth. Mix the bread paste in a large bowl with the meat, egg, brown sugar, salt, and pepper. When it’s all well-mixed, roll into smallish meatballs.
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Place meatballs in a casserole dish or baking dish with sides. Bake for 20-25 minutes until cooked through. (You can bake some or all — I often freeze half of the meatballs for later.)
- Gravy time! Drain off and reserve the grease from the meatball pan. Add 2 tablespoons of the grease to a small skillet (alternatively, you can use butter). Over medium heat, whisk in the flour; sauté for 2-3 minutes. Add the beef broth, slowly, stirring after each addition. Gradually a smooth gravy should start to form. Stir in the heavy cream and season with Worcestershire sauce, sugar, salt, and a bit of nutmeg if you want.
- Add meatballs in with the gravy in the skillet and cover to keep warm until you want to serve them. (The meatballs are already great on their own, but once soaked in sauce, they should get extra tender and very delicious.) Serve over mashed potatoes, with a cucumber salad and cranberries or lingonberries.
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 1 hour
Category: Dinner
Method: Sauté
Cuisine: Swedish
Keywords: swedish meatballs, meatballs, swedish food, gravy recipe
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