The best Swedish Meatballs are made from scratch with a savory beef and pork blend, simmered in a creamy homemade gravy. This is a classic comfort food that brings restaurant-quality flavor to the kitchen!
Swedish Meatballs is that dinner my whole family begs for.
Swedish Meatballs is that dinner my whole family begs for.We make this Swedish Meatballs recipe all year round, because it uses simple pantry staples, and is a super budget-friendly dinner I can throw together without a special grocery trip. The meatballs and creamy sauce are both made completely from scratch, which gives them that comforting, homemade taste you just can’t get from store-bought or frozen versions. Best of all, it’s easy enough that my kids can help make it; they love getting involved in shaping the meatballs or stirring the sauce, and they all love eating it.
Check out all of my kid-friendly recipes like Healthy Muffins, Mongolian Noodles, American Goulash, or Baked Mac and Cheese!
How to make Swedish Meatballs:
Form and Cook Meatballs: Combine ground beef, ground pork, breadcrumbs, egg yolk, sautéed onion, allspice, nutmeg, salt, and pepper. Roll into 1-inch balls and cook in a hot skillet with oil, turning until evenly browned.
Make Sauce: In the same skillet, melt butter and whisk in flour until golden. Slowly add beef broth, stirring until thickened. Stir in sour cream, season with salt and pepper, then return meatballs to the sauce. Serve these easy Swedish Meatballs over egg noodles, mashed potatoes, or rice. I love serving it with a side of French Green Beans or Roasted Vegetables.
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Recipe
Swedish Meatballs
Equipment
- Meat Chopper , to mix the meatballs
Ingredients
For the Swedish Meatballs:
- 2 Tablespoons olive oil (28g), divided
- 1 onion , diced
- 1 pound lean ground beef (454g)
- 1 pound ground pork (454g)
- 1/2 cup breadcrumbs (60g)
- 2 large egg yolks
- 1/4 teaspoon ground allspice (0.5g)
- 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg (0.5g)
- 1 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt (9g)
- 3/4 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper (1.5g)
For the Gravy:
- 1/4 cup unsalted butter (57g)
- 1/3 cup all-purpose flour (40g)
- 3 3/4 cups low-sodium beef broth (900mL)
- 3/4 cup sour cream (180g)
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper , to taste
- 2 Tablespoons fresh chopped parsley (8g), chopped
- 1 lb egg noodles (454g), cooked (or cooked rice), for serving
Instructions
- Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add onion, and cook, stirring frequently, until onions are translucent, about 2-3 minutes; set aside.1 onion
- In a large bowl, combine ground beef, ground pork, bread crumbs, egg yolks, allspice, nutmeg and onion. Season with salt and pepper, to taste.1 pound lean ground beef, 1 pound ground pork, ½ cup breadcrumbs, 2 large egg yolks, ¼ teaspoon ground allspice, ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg, 1 ½ teaspoon kosher salt, ¾ teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
- Stir mixture with a meat chopper or wooden spoon until well combined. Use clean hands to roll the mixture into meatballs about 1 1/2-in in size (It should make about 20-24 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.
For the Swedish Meatball Sauce:
- Melt butter in the skillet. Whisk in flour until lightly browned, about 1 minute. Gradually whisk in beef broth and cook, stirring constantly, until slightly thickened, about 1-2 minutes.¼ cup unsalted butter, ⅓ cup all-purpose flour, 3 ¾ cups low-sodium beef broth
- 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.¾ cup sour cream, Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- Serve immediately, garnished with parsley, if desired.2 Tablespoons fresh chopped parsley
Notes
Nutrition
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*I originally shared this recipe August 2014, adapted from Damn Delicious. Updated March 2019, August 2022 and July 2025.
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Made these tonight,turned out great.I put them in my Air Fryer, 325 degrees for 15-20 minutes. Browned them perfectly.Loved the flavor, cant wait to make the sauce tomorrow 😋
Delicious! Made as directed and they came out wonderful. Thank you for all the great recipes.
These are AMAZING!!!!!! Made a double batch to feed a crowd of hungry workers and family and it was a HIT! Definitely a keeper! Thank you!
This was a really good meal. There are only two of us so I made all the meatballs and half the sauce. I froze half the meatballs for another time.
My meatballs are not cooked in the middle at all… and suggestions? They are burning on the outside and raw on the inside.
Lower the heat and continue to cook until they are cooked through. (You could even turn heat to low and cover the pan with a lid).
I seared my meatballs in the frying pan, then finished them in the oven.
So my sauce is not thick and I have little white pieces from the sour cream. So what did I do wr9ng and how can I fix it?
When you have measured out the amount of Sour Cream (or estimate, like I do), mix in some of the hot broth, a little at a time, until the sour cream is more liquid. Mix well with each addition, making sure any “clots” are disolved.
You left out the lingonberries, they aren’t Swedish if you do not serve them with lingonberries!
What can I use in place of sour cream if I don’t have any?
Plain Greek yogurt would be the next best substitute. Otherwise you could use a little cream, or blended cottage cheese.
You can use heavy whipping cream
Very yummy, thank you for taking the time to put in so much detail. The whole family lived it, even the toddler!
My Grandfolks were Swedish and. Would make this with a secret Ingredient in the gravy that makes it Swedish and way more flavor I would give out the ingredients but then I would have to Hillary you Maybe for a price
Funny! I would love the secret spice. My mom made the gravy from the drippings. I could never get the gravy like she did. I would love your secret ingredient. I make them for Xmas fir all the family. Pressure!! I would love to make before for my new daughter-in-laws parents before I go home for Xmas as a trial. Please please will you share. My dad was Swedish came to America through Ellis Island at 9 yrs old. So needless to say we were brought up Swedish.
Would love to know your secret ingredient. My whole family likes my mock gravy but it’s not like my mom’s.
Of course we are waiting to see if we can go hone for Xmas due to COVID and NJ Gov might close it down. We and our daughter-in-law’s parents are hoping to go back to be there for our new granddaughter to be born early January. Thank you. Kristine
Will you share!!!
So like – WOW! I made these last night. I added an extra 1/4 cup breadcrumbs and about 2 tablespoons cream cuz I like meatballs a little on the “fluffy” side. Otherwise, kept everything as written and it was like a flavor EXPLOSION in out mouths. Family loved this recipe and I have shared it with friends. Thank you!