These juicy Swedish meatballs are the perfect comfort food. With a hint of allspice and nutmeg and smothered in a creamy gravy that’s packed with flavor. Serve them over egg noodles or mashed potatoes.
If you live in the United States, there is a certain furniture chain that is known for their Swedish meatballs. While they are tasty, I have found the best way to make these tasty meatballs at home. Gently flavored with allspice and nutmeg these warming spices give the meatballs a little extra kick. Makes enough to feed the whole family or works just as well for meal prep. This comfort food is perfect a nice simple meal.
In this recipe
There are quite a few ingredients in this recipe, however it is a pretty straightforward recipe and can be made in bulk.
Ground beef: the meatballs are made with half pork and half ground beef. This makes for a nice and tender meatball that is very flavorful.
Warming spices: both nutmeg and allspice add a nutty flavor to the meatballs and gravy.
Breadcrumbs: will help bind the meatballs together to keep them from falling apart while cooking.
Low on time?
If you don’t have a lot of time, you can use a food processor and the oven to help you save some time. Put the onions, garlic, and parsley in a food processor and pulse a few times. Preheat the oven to 425F or 220C. Once everything is mixed and you start rolling the meatballs place them on a greased baking rack placed on top of the lined sheet pan. Then bake for 10-15 minutes depending on if you used a 2 or 3 tablespoon scoop. However, they won’t have the same flavor that you get from pan frying.
Don’t overmix the meatballs
One of the things you want to make sure of is to not overmix the meatballs. This will cause them to become tough and rubbery when you cook them. You want to mix until everything looks just combined. Also, another trick is if you were to flatten a clump of the meatball mixture on your hand and turn it upside down the meat should still stick to your hand then slowly pull away. This will ensure that you have a nice tender meatball.
Swedish meatball gravy
Many times, Swedish meatballs are accompanied by lingonberry or cranberry sauce, but you almost always see them smothered in gravy. The gravy needs to be just as good as the meatballs themselves. One trick that I have found to enhance the flavor of the gravy is to brown the roux that you make. Normally you only cook the flour until the raw smell has gone away.
However, if you keep cooking until the flour starts to lightly brown you will have a much richer flavored roux. From there you will want to slowly whisk in the beef broth to help prevent it from clumping. Once all of the beef broth has been mixed in whisk in the rest of the ingredients and let thicken a little bit. You don’t want the gravy to be too thick.
Looking for other meatball recipes?
Swedish Meatballs
Equipment
- Skillet
- Lined sheet pan
- Plate
- 2 tablespoon scoop
- Tongs
- Whisk
- Wooden spoon or spatula
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
Meatballs
- 1 pound ground pork
- 1 pound ground beef
- 1¼ cups breadcrumbs
- 2 eggs
- ½ cup onion finely chopped
- 2 tablespoon parsley chopped
- 1 tablespoon garlic minced
- ½ teaspoon nutmeg
- ½ teaspoon allspice
- ½ teaspoon salt
Gravy
- 2 cups beef broth
- 1 cup heavy cream
- ½ cup butter
- ½ cup flour
- ½ tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- ¼ teaspoon nutmeg
- ¼ teaspoon allspice
Instructions
Making the meatballs
- In a mixing bowl combine all of the meatball ingredients. Mix until well combined. Using the scoop shape the meatballs and roll until they form a circle. Set on the lined sheet pan.
- In a large skillet heat 1 tablespoon of the olive oil over medium-high heat and add half of the meatballs. Cook each side for 2-3 minutes or until crispy. Rotate and repeat until the meatballs are completely cooked. About 10 minutes.
- Remove from the pan and place onto a plate and cover with foil.
- Repeat with the remaining meatballs and other tablespoon of olive oil.
Making the gravy
- In the skillet add the butter and flour and cook over medium-high heat. Stir continuously until the flour starts to smell a little nutty and starts to brown. It should be light in color.
- Slowly whisk or stir in the beef stock to prevent lumps. Add the cream, Worcestershire sauce, garlic powder, nutmeg, allspice, and heavy cream. Continue to whisk until the gravy has thickened.
- Once the gravy has thickened then add the meatballs into the pan and mix to coat. Top with additional chopped parsley. Can be served over egg noodles or mashed potatoes.
Nutrition
