Easy Swedish Meatball Recipe | The Modern Proper (2024)

These Swedish meatballs are the best you'll ever have. Gently warmed with spices and covered in a heavenly creamy gravy sauce, then served with fluffy mashed potatoes!

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    Easy Swedish Meatball Recipe | The Modern Proper (1)

    Swedish Meatballs Served Up: At Home.

    Swedish meatballs are everyone’s favorite IKEA menu item, and our recipe recreates that deliciousness at home—classed up, cleaned up and so. dang. good. We love that they are beginner chef level friendly, well seasoned and totally drool worthy! You will want to make this easy recipe again and again.

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    This Swedish Meatball Dinner Sparks All The Joy!

    This time of year we're especially on the lookout for recipes that bring people together, can be served for multiple occasions, and most importantly, taste great. Like our Beef Stroganoff, Hamburger Helper and Salisbury Steak. We are big believers that when you’re gathered around delicious food—like these moist, warmly-spiced, perfect meatballs—with those you love, you can create moments of joy even amidst the busy and chaotic holiday season.

    All of these things—plus Simply Organic's array of warm and festive spices—inspired us to create this, the best Swedish meatballs recipe ever! We know that this is one both your picky kids and holiday guests alike will enjoy.

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    A Weeknight Dinner That is Simple, Quick And Easy.

    This meatball recipe isn't just the best—it's also simple. This recipe comes together quickly enough for an easy weeknight dinner, or last-minute party snack.

    We’ve turned this classic Swedish recipe—warm with wintery Swedish spices like allspice and nutmeg—into a show-stopping dish that can be served as an appetizer for your next party, tonight for dinner with the family, or even a special occasion like Christmas!

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    What is So Special About These Meatballs?

    It’s all about the Swedish spices, a buttery cream sauce, and the fact that they require just one pan! They are filled with wonderful warm spices and finished with a fragrant, heavenly cream sauce. Our Creamy Turkey Meatballs are a similarly cozy meatball recipe.

    There are many versions of these tasty morsels out there, but for the sake of ease we chose to use Simply Organicallspice and nutmeg. The result is meatballs that are perfectly seasoned with warm spices without being overpowered.

    How Do You Make Authentic Swedish Meatballs?

    There isn't necessarily one single defining recipe for Swedish meatballs—there is a fair amount of variation in terms of what qualifies as "classic". But, traditionally they include:

    • A mixture of pork and beef
    • Onion (we added garlic and parsley to make them even more flavorful.)
    • Warm spices such as Simply Organic nutmeg and allspice.
    • A cream-based light brown gravy.
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    Easy Swedish Meatball Recipe | The Modern Proper (9)

    How Do You Make Easy Swedish Meatballs?

    The next time you are at IKEA, you should take a hard pass on their frozen, bagged, processed, and dare I say “American” version of Swedish meatballs and make them from scratch at home instead. Why? Because they are really easy, and a thousand percent better.

    You can pull the entire recipe together in a few simple steps (and only dirty one bowl and one pan in the process)!

    1. Mix your Swedish meatball ingredients in a large bowl and roll them out onto a sheet pan.
    2. Fry the meatballs in a large pan.
    3. Use the same pan to make your gravy.
    4. Add the meatballs back to the pan and serve in that creamy, spiced Swedish meatball sauce!
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    Easy Swedish Meatball Recipe | The Modern Proper (11)

    Tips for Making Delicious Homemade Swedish Meatballs:

    1. Don’t make them too big. These meatballs are pan fried and contain pork. The last thing you want to do is undercook them. They should be about the size of a rounded tablespoon.
    2. Take care while forming the balls that they are tight so they don’t fall apart in the pan. We like to dip our hands in water as we roll them to make them nice and smooth. The breadcrumbs and eggs also help hold the mixture together.
    3. Fry the meatballs in batches. If you crowd the pan the meatballs will steam instead of brown.
    4. These meatballs and sauce reheat perfectly in a covered casserole dish. Heat oven to 350° and pop them in the oven for 10-15 minutes. Cover with warmed sauce and you are good to go!

    Tools You'll Need

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    What to Serve with the Best Swedish Meatballs?

    • Swedish meatballs are at the type of great recipe that can be served all by themselves!
    • Add some simple steamed veggies.
    • Go traditional and serve them with a dollop of lingonberry jam over mashed potatoes (just like at Ikea!)
    • Egg noodles are also always a good idea.
    • You can also just serve them on a platter for your guests to gobble up with toothpicks at your next co*cktail party.

    Are You a Meatball Fan? (I’ve got both hands raised over here!)

    Be sure to check out these other delicious weeknight dinner meatballs:

    • Mediterranean Meatballs with Tzatziki

    • Baked Teriyaki Meatballs with Roasted Broccoli

    • Turkey Meatballs in a creamy red curry sauce

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    How Good Did They Turn Out?

    If you make this dish, we’d love to hear about it! Be sure to snap a photo, add it to your Instagram feed or stories and tag us @themodernproper and #themodernproper if you do. Also, feel free to leave a comment on the post and tell your friends where you discovered the recipe.

    This sponsored post is written by TMP on behalf of Simply Organic in partnership with TheFeedFeed. The opinions and text are all ours. Thank you for supporting the brands we love.

    Easy Swedish Meatball Recipe | The Modern Proper (2024)

    FAQs

    What is Swedish meatball sauce made of? ›

    The sauce for Swedish Meatballs is a creamy gravy that is made with butter, beef broth/stock, thickened with flour and made creamy with cream. But the most important flavour for the a really good creamy gravy is the pan drippings after searing the meatballs.

    What is the secret of a tender meatball? ›

    Egg and breadcrumbs are common mix-ins to add moisture and tenderness. Another binder option that people swear by is a panade, which is fresh or dry breadcrumbs that have been soaked in milk. “The soaked breadcrumbs help keep the proteins in the meat from shrinking,” as food writer Tara Holland explained in the Kitchn.

    What is the secret to firm meatballs? ›

    Massage your meat

    Get your hands into your mixing bowl and combine the ingredients for your meatballs using your fingers. The heat from your hands will help release the proteins in the meat which will in turn help the mixture stick together when it cooks. Don't overmix, just a few minutes will do.

    Why are Ikea Swedish meatballs so good? ›

    They're made with all-natural ingredients

    The Ikea website lists the ingredients of their meatballs (which Ikea calls ALLEMANSRÄTTEN), and the rundown is surprisingly simple: Meat (a combination of pork and beef, for texture, flavor, and juiciness), onion, breadcrumbs, egg, water, salt, and pepper.

    What is the Swedish meatball scandal? ›

    Czech authorities alerted the discount furniture maker that they had found horsemeat in a sample of meatballs, and Ikea subsequently pulled the product from stores in 14 countries.

    What is the difference between stroganoff and Swedish meatball sauce? ›

    While Beef Stroganoff is a creamy dish perfect for those who love rich, mushroom-based sauces, Swedish Meatballs come with a spiced, hearty flavor complemented by sweet lingonberries and creamy gravy.

    What not to do when making meatballs? ›

    5 Mistakes to Avoid When Making Meatballs
    1. Not seasoning the meat.
    2. Not adding any moisture to the meat.
    3. Over-mixing the meat.
    4. Not shaping the meatballs correctly.
    5. Not forming evenly-sized meatballs.
    May 1, 2019

    What does adding milk to meatballs do? ›

    The Key to Tender Meatballs

    Here, we're soaking fresh or dried breadcrumbs in a little milk until the bread becomes soggy, then mixing that right into the meat. This binder (aka panade) helps add moisture to the meatballs and also prevents the meat proteins from shrinking and becoming tough.

    Why do you put baking soda in meatballs? ›

    Baking soda acts as a meat tenderizer by changing the physical composition of meat fibers. It raises the pH levels on the surface and makes it tougher (pun intended) for the proteins in the meat to bond.

    What is the difference between Swedish meatballs and Danish meatballs? ›

    The Danish meatball is a little rugged in texture and can be served in multiple ways – with a lightly spiced curry sauce, for example, or a rich gravy. A Swedish meatball, in comparison to the crispy, pan-fried Danish version, is often a little smaller, with a very smooth, even texture and a rounder shape.

    What to serve with Swedish meatballs? ›

    Mashed Potatoes - The creamy gravy on Swedish Meatballs is perfect with potatoes! Egg Noodles - Spaghetti isn't a bad idea either. Green veggies - I love to serve green peas with Swedish meatballs. Roasted Vegetables - Skip the starch and serve the meatballs with a combination of roasted vegetables.

    Why do Swedish meatballs taste different? ›

    Swedish Meatballs also tend to use spices like allspice and nutmeg for flavoring where Italian meatballs rely more on parmesan and garlic flavoring.

    What is Ikea meatball sauce made of? ›

    Iconic Swedish cream sauce: Melt 40g of butter in a pan. Whisk in 40g of plain flour and stir for 2 mins. Add 300ml of bouillon (or consommé) and continue to stir. Add 150ml double cream, 2 tsp of soy sauce and 1 tsp of (Dijon) mustard.

    Are Swedish meatballs pink inside? ›

    Form the meat mix into 2 inch diameter meatballs, rolling them lightly between your palms to form them, then place them about an inch apart on the cookie sheets. Bake for about 20 minutes, until the outside of each ball is a nice light brown, but the center is still a rosy pink.

    What's the difference between Swedish and Norwegian meatballs? ›

    Norwegian recipes are made with all beef, while some Swedish recipes also use pork. Norwegian meatballs tend to be larger and flatter than their Swedish cousins.

    Does Swedish meatballs contain sour cream? ›

    It's All About the Sauce

    Flavored with nutmeg and cardamom, these little beef-and-pork meatballs are best served with a Swedish meatball sauce—a rich roux-based and beef stock gravy, spiked with sour cream and a little lingonberry jelly.

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