Swedish Meatballs
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Nothing beats homemade meatballs smothered in a creamy gravy sauce, and yes, they taste so much better than the IKEA version!
Remember those trips to Ikea where the budget-friendly furniture finds are the last things on your mind but all you can think about are those amazing swedish meatballs? Well, that was always me. But since we’ve moved to the Bay Area, our nearest Ikea is in the middle of the most trafficked area in the entire city so it’s really hard to get my swedish meatball fix when needed. Thankfully, I’ve found a homemade version that tastes even better than the original.
These Swedish meatballs have been on my bucket list for nearly 3 years, and I’m so glad to finally cross this off my list. I don’t know why it took me so long to make it – it’s so easy to make, and it really tastes a million times better than the Ikea version. Plus, you can always make a huge batch of meatballs (by either doubling or tripling the recipe) and storing the uncooked meatballs in the freezer. When you have that Swedish meatball craving, you can just defrost these babies overnight. So simple and easy, right?
And the sauce – you can’t forget about that creamy, heavenly gravy sauce that these meatballs are smothered in with the browned up meatball bits. Those meatball bits stuck to the bottom of the pan really make the gravy what it is. I could practically drink it! Just be sure to make a little bit extra if you serve these over a bed of egg noodles – you’ll really want a portion to slurp down!
Swedish Meatballs
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
- 1 onion, diced
- 1 pound ground beef
- 1 pound ground pork
- ½ cup Panko*
- 2 large egg yolks
- ¼ teaspoon ground allspice
- ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
For the gravy
- ¼ cup unsalted butter
- ⅓ cup all-purpose flour
- 4 cups beef broth
- ¾ cup sour cream
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley leaves
Instructions
- Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large cast iron skillet over medium heat. Add onion, and cook, stirring frequently, until onions have become translucent, about 2-3 minutes.
- In a large bowl, combine ground beef, ground pork, Panko, egg yolks, allspice, nutmeg and cooked onion; season with salt and pepper, to taste. Using a wooden spoon or clean hands, stir until well combined. Roll the mixture into 1 1/4-to-1 1/2-inch meatballs, forming about 24 meatballs.
- Add remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil to the skillet. Add meatballs, in batches, and cook until all sides are browned, about 4-5 minutes. Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate.
- To make the gravy, melt butter in the skillet. Whisk in flour until lightly browned, about 1 minute. Gradually whisk in beef broth and cook, whisking constantly, until slightly thickened, about 1-2 minutes. Stir in sour cream; season with salt and pepper, to taste.
- Stir in meatballs and cook, stirring occasionally, until heated through and thickened, about 8-10 minutes.
- Serve immediately, garnished with parsley, if desired.
Notes
Did you make this recipe?
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These are absolutely delicious! I had a package with 1 1/2 pounds ground beef and two 14 oz cans of beef broth. Other than that I followed directions exactly. Meatballs held together nicely. Great texture! Sausage gives it even more flavor. Thank you for this wonderful recipe!
Very tasty!
I wanted to love these but they weren’t very good. The gravy was too thick and lacked flavor. I followed the recipe exactly.
We love this recipe and have been making it for years. I modify slightly by using onion powder instead of diced onion, plain 2% greek yogurt instead of sour cream and besan flour (chick pea flour) instead of panko in both the meatballs and the sauce. I also reduce the amount of broth to 3 cups. It IS Damn Delicious!
As an avid fan of the IKEA meatball sauce, came here yesterday to quench my craving during this quarantine. I must admit I was skeptical about adding so much sour cream but it truly worked and neutralized the beefiness of the beef stock I used. I froze the excess batch I made for lunch but couldn’t help myself had used it for dinner too! Felt it was a bit too beefy during lunch (might be the brand of the stock I used) so when I was heating up the frozen batch later on, I added 2 tablespoons of cooking cream to balance it out.
Other adjustments that worked for myself:
* Used frozen meatballs instead (takes around 10 mins in my air fryer on 200 degrees celsius)
* Use a wooden spoon instead of a whisk (the whisk was plastic and wouldn’t done well in the heat – the flour mixed well but the sour cream did leave little bits that I didn’t mind)
* Swapped fresh parsley with my Italian herb mix (recommend you just buy bottles of this to add to pantry!)
Very delicious, I will try it with chicken stock next time and see how it goes!
Love!!! I am quite fussy but these were great and my family loved them. I wouldn’t change a thing. Thank you
I made these and I had to run my husband off because he wouldn’t stop eating them while I tried to make the salad and finish the roasted potatoes. Needless to say…he will be asking for these again and again.
I made these with gluten free bread and corn starch and couldn’t wait for butcher to grind pork so used all ground beef. Turned out great! thanks
Ok….so we don’t eat beef and very little pork. Soooooooo….I made these with ground turkey and ground chicken. Followed the recipe exactly…..ABSOLUTELY DELICIOUS!!!!!
This recipe is SO delicious! It’s a big hit with my sister and her family, and I have to double the recipe all the time! Thank you for sharing this.
Made this for dinner tonight it was absolutely delicious! I followed exact recipe dinner for two and had enough to freeze for another night of dinner wonderful thank you!
I made this for my mother and brother and myself. I’m a new chef, only the second time I’ve ever really cooked on my own and this was a big undertaking- not the recipe’s fault, I just got a bit too ambitious.
Here’s what I know: This made A TON of meatballs. Way more then the described amount, so we had a ton of leftovers. Which we love, but some people don’t. Keep that in mind. Also, my meatballs fell apart on the skillet. Be sure to spend time packing them as tight as you can, it’ll help later, so adding another egg might help? Not sure.
Finally, don’t use a skillet with ridges on it, be sure to use one that is a flat bottom pan so nothing gets in the way when you’re whisking the gravy.
This was “ok” for us. First, I found the combination of both allspice and nutmeg a little overwhelming. It was still highly present when eating these meatballs post cooking. Second, one whole onion (and I specifically picked a small one) is just way too much. I dumped in the whole chopping board’s worth into the bowl (after cooking) and then spent time picking onions out when I saw how many there were relative to the two pounds of meat. They made the meatballs not stick together as well, too, because they overwhelmed the two egg yolks. Lastly, the whole container of beef broth (4 cups) made a TON of sauce. This meant the regular 10-12″ skillet shown in the pictures cooking the meatballs wasn’t nearly enough, and I was transferring balls and sauce to different containers mid-cooking. In the end, this tasted all right but wasn’t that worth all the modifications. Next time, I’ll try only 3 cups beef brother, half the spice, and adding mushrooms to the sauce for a little bit of interest. I also think I’ll make it a day ahead and reheat because I think the flavors MIGHT develop more overnight.
I make this recipe whenever I have a taste for this dish and I’m never disappointed. I found that using half the meat this recipe calls for is perfect for me, as I’m typically cooking for one. I leave all the other measurements the same except the spices, I just sort of add those by smell & intuitive guidance lol. This also gives me some extra gravy to put over egg noodles….yum. Thanks for this!!
I forgot to mention that instead of plain ground pork I use both sweet & hot Italian sausage. My local grocery store sells a combo pack. That really kicks the flavor up.
Thanks for the ‘cooking for one’ comment. I always have to cook for one.’
Wonderful recipe, the whole family loved it. I stuck the half done meat balls into the oven in a tray at 275F to continue cooking while I made the gravy in the meatball pan. If you can find salt free or low sodium beef broth, I recommend using it and salting the gravy just before you add the sour cream. Taste for seasoning.
Tasting good so far. I’ve put them in the slow cooker to finish cooking..
This recipe is easy to make and delicious. Made a double batch; one for now one for when life is hectic. I used my own bread crumbs that I keep in freezer. There are so many quick and tasty recipes on Damn Delicious.
I have a (probably) dumb question: I just finished browning the meatballs and have quite a bit of grease left in the pan. (I am not a cook by any means). Do I wipe the pan out before making the gravy? Thank you
My opinion is leave the grease/fat it’s what adds taste. Not healthy for an everyday meal but okay for a treat.
Wow! Delicious! I browned the meatballs in the air fryer then added to the sauce. Served over rice for pure awesomeness.
I made these over the weekend and they are amazing! Thank you for another great recipe!
Not sure if I ever rated this recipe, but I know that I found it a few years ago and since then this is the only recipe I use when I feel like Swedish meatballs. These are way better than Ikea 😀 Thanks for sharing, girl!!