Swedish Meatballs are tender meatballs served with a savory, creamy gravy that’s delicious over pasta, rice, or egg noodles—perfect for dinner or a hearty appetizer. They also stay warm in a slow cooker, making them ideal for potlucks.
Swedish Meatball Recipe
This recipe is my go-to for homemade Swedish meatballs. They’re made with a mix of ground beef and pork, lightly seasoned, and kept moist by soaking bread in cream. The result is tender, juicy meatballs finished in a simple, rich gravy that complements noodles, rice, or egg noodles.
I grew up with a light connection to Swedish traditions, but whenever I bring these to a potluck they disappear fast. The milk-soaked bread in the meatball mix keeps them exceptionally tender compared to dry breadcrumbs. You can chill the mixture briefly before shaping for neater balls, and be sure to brown them in a skillet before baking—this adds depth of flavor and a lovely color.
The meatball mix in this recipe uses 2/3 pound ground beef and 1/3 pound finely ground pork, but you can use equal parts beef and pork if you prefer. After mixing the ingredients, chill the mixture 30–60 minutes to firm it up, then form into small meatballs and brown them briefly in butter before finishing them in the oven with a splash of chicken broth to keep them moist.
Browned and baked meatballs are finished with a smooth brown gravy made from pan drippings, flour, and broth, enriched with sour cream just before serving. The gravy is flavorful without being overly heavy.
How to Make Swedish Meatballs
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Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C).
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Place toasted, crumbled white bread in a small bowl and mix with heavy cream. Let it stand about 10 minutes to absorb. Meanwhile, melt 1 teaspoon butter in a skillet over medium heat and cook the minced onion until soft and lightly browned.
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Combine the cooked onion with ground beef, ground pork, egg, brown sugar, salt, black pepper, nutmeg, and allspice in a mixing bowl. Gently fold in the soaked bread and cream until evenly distributed. Chill the mixture 30–60 minutes if possible to firm it up.
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Melt 1 tablespoon butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Shape about 1½ tablespoons of meat mixture per meatball and brown them in batches, turning often, until the outsides are golden (about 5 minutes). The centers may still be pink. Transfer browned meatballs to a baking dish, pour in chicken broth to cover the pan bottom, and cover with foil.
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Bake in the preheated oven until meatballs are cooked through and tender, about 20–40 minutes depending on size. Remove the meatballs to a serving dish.
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To make the gravy, pour pan drippings into a saucepan over medium heat. Whisk in all-purpose flour until smooth, then gradually whisk in beef broth until you have about 2½ cups of liquid. Simmer, whisking constantly, until the gravy thickens, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat and whisk in sour cream just before serving. Season to taste with salt and black pepper. Serve the gravy over the meatballs with pasta, rice, or egg noodles.
Make-Ahead Tip
Keep meatballs warm in a slow cooker with the gravy. Stir in the sour cream just before serving to retain a fresh, creamy texture.
What to Serve With This
These Swedish meatballs pair beautifully with egg noodles, pasta, or rice. A simple green vegetable or a light salad balances the rich flavors.
Other Appetizer Recipes
- Chicken Parmesan Meatballs
- Muffin-Tin Bacon Cheeseburgers
- Chicken Parmesan Meatball Sliders
- Italian Meatballs
- Mini Italian Meatloaves
- Stuffed Mushrooms
- Asian Turkey Meatballs
Swedish Meatballs recipe
Christy Denney
Ingredients
- 2 slices white bread, toasted and crumbled
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
- 1 teaspoon butter
- 1 small onion, minced
- 2/3 pound ground beef
- 1/3 pound finely ground pork
- 1 egg
- 1 tablespoon brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
Gravy:
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 1/4 cup chicken broth (or beef broth)
- 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour, or as needed
- 2 cups beef broth, or as needed
- 1/2 cup sour cream
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C).
- Soak the crumbled, toasted bread in the heavy cream for about 10 minutes. While it soaks, melt 1 teaspoon butter and cook the minced onion until soft and lightly browned.
- Combine the cooked onion with ground beef, ground pork, egg, brown sugar, salt, pepper, nutmeg, and allspice. Fold in the soaked bread and cream gently. Chill if you can to make shaping easier.
- Melt 1 tablespoon butter in a large skillet. Form meatballs (about 1½ tablespoons each) and brown them in the skillet, turning often, until the outsides are golden (about 5 minutes). Transfer to a baking dish, add chicken broth to the pan, and cover with foil.
- Bake until meatballs are cooked through and tender, 20–40 minutes depending on size. Remove to a serving dish.
- For the gravy, pour pan drippings into a saucepan over medium heat. Whisk in flour until smooth, then gradually add beef broth to reach about 2½ cups of liquid. Simmer, whisking constantly, until thickened, about 5 minutes. Stir in sour cream just before serving and season with salt and pepper. Serve the gravy over the meatballs with pasta, rice, or egg noodles. Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge.
- Make-ahead tip: Keep meatballs warm in a slow cooker with the gravy and stir in sour cream before serving.
Notes
You can substitute 1/2 pound beef and 1/2 pound pork if you prefer—taste is similar. This recipe doubles easily.
Make-ahead tip: Place meatballs in a slow cooker with the gravy if serving later. Stir in the sour cream just before serving.
