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.

    Easy Swedish Meatball Recipe | The Modern Proper (2)

    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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    Easy Swedish Meatball Recipe | The Modern Proper (7)

    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.
    Easy Swedish Meatball Recipe | The Modern Proper (8)
    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

    Easy Swedish Meatball Recipe | The Modern Proper (12)

    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 the sauce for Swedish meatballs made from? ›

    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 makes it a Swedish meatball? ›

    While both varieties include ingredients such as grated onion and panade (milk-soaked bread) or bread crumbs, plus the usual salt and pepper, Swedish meatballs traditionally use spices like allspice, nutmeg, white pepper, and sometimes ground ginger as flavoring.

    Why is my Swedish meatball sauce not thickening? ›

    How to Thicken Swedish Meatball Sauce. The all-purpose flour in this recipe should do the trick to thicken your Swedish meatball sauce to the right consistency. But if it doesn't, you can add a cornstarch slurry (1 tablespoon of cornstarch to 2 tablespoons of water) to thicken it up.

    What is the best binder for meatballs? ›

    You can use eggs, breadcrumbs, grated or creamy cheeses (think ricotta or feta here), ground nuts, or a mixture of these ingredients to bind the balls and help them stay together while you cook them and as you eat them—no one wants a meatball that breaks apart all over the plate.

    Do meatballs get more tender the longer they cook in sauce? ›

    As the collagen in the meat dissolves over time, it transforms into gelatin, which not only adds a silky texture to the sauce but also contributes to the overall richness and depth of flavor. The longer the simmer, the more tender and succulent the meatballs become.

    What does adding milk to meatballs do? ›

    When it comes to adding liquid to meatball mixtures, milk is often used for its versatility, depth of flavor, and richness. Without the use of milk, you may be faced with a plate of dry meatballs. Milk adds a certain level of moisture that helps produce perfectly tender meatballs.

    Is it better to use milk or water in meatballs? ›

    Milk provides more than moisture

    Not only does added fat provide loads of immeasurable flavor, but meatballs made with a little extra fat are also sure to stay nice and moist throughout the cooking process.

    Why do you chill meatballs before baking? ›

    This is especially important when working with pork, turkey and chicken, which are very wet when ground. Refrigerating gives the fat in the meat time to solidify, which helps maintain the shape. Chill your meatballs for anywhere from 10 to 20 minutes, depending on their size.

    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.

    Why are my Swedish meatballs falling apart? ›

    ANSWER: Usually when meatballs fall apart, it's the binder that is the problem. Most meatball recipes call for using bread crumbs and eggs. But too much bread crumbs make them too loose, and not enough bread crumbs won't help them hold together either.

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

    American Italian meatballs, in contrast, are typically seasoned with Italian herbs such as oregano. Swedish meatballs are typically served with a creamy sauce made from pan drippings, while American Italian meatballs are often served with a tomato-based sauce.

    What is IKEA meatball gravy 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.

    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.

    Is bolognese sauce the same as meatball sauce? ›

    Meatballs are not a sauce, they are balls of meat. A sauce has to be runny, or at least flowing. Done correctly, a bolognese sauce isn't particularly meaty. The meat is meant to be finely ground and incorporated into a standard spaghetti sauce, and the meat so fine it should stick onto the pasta in little specks.

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