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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.
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
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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*I originally shared this recipe August 2014, adapted from Damn Delicious. Updated March 2019, August 2022 and July 2025.
D love to try this recipe. Are the bread crumbs the soft ones from a loaf of bread , or from a container of fine dry bread crumbs?
You’ll want to use the dried ones! You can make them yourself with stale bread or buy them!
I just tried these tonight 11/7/22 and they are amazing!! Because I like a little thicker sauce, the only thing I did differently was doubled her flour measurements. Followed everything else to a science and I have zero complaints. Thank you, and I will be trying many more recipes on this site ❤️… PS I love how I already had every ingredient already in my kitchen so no one had to make a store run 😂
I think the sauce calls for 3/4 cup beef broth and not 3 and 3/4 cups which would make the sauce very runny. Can anyone confirm? Thanks!
It’s 3 and 3/4 cups! The flour and butter create a roux that will thicken the sauce! Let us know what you think
Yes. You need that much and I even added more flour and broth because I have 3 grown boys…they could eat just the gravy..it was very good. A keeper for sure
This was soooo good. Simple even though multiple steps. I accidentally mixed my onion into my meat mixture before sautéing it. I rescued some and sautéed them. It would have been even better had I read the instructions first and sautéed them all. So rich and creamy. Comfort food!!!
Mmmmmm, this was delicious!! I’ve actually never had Swedish meatballs but my husband and mother in law love the dish and gave this a big ole stamp of approval!! It was an easy recipe, easy to follow and I’m excited to make it again!
Oh wow! I have never made Swedish meatballs before, and they came out fabulous! My husband raved all evening about what a good dinner it was! Thanks again, your recipes never disappoint!
This was such a nice, simple recipe and worked well even with all the substitutions I made. I brought a double batch to a pot luck and they were all gone in a short time, with many compliments. I had to make them gluten and dairy free. Even so, very good. No suggestions, no quibbles, just fine! Thank you!
You need to do a research before you publish anything if you’re a responsible person. Why are you comparing Swedish meatballs with Italian ones? Swedish meatballs come from Turkish meatballs because it was brought to the Scandinavian country by King Charles XII, who lived in exile in the Ottoman Empire in the early 18th-century!
Comparing meatballs with other meatballs! I think because most people think of the Italian kind when they think of a meatball.
Most of your recipipies I really enjoy. Except this one. Too greassy with the butter and sour cream
The best I’ve ever had!! My family love this recipe!!