Best Swedish Meatballs

Make delicious Swedish meatballs at home with this easy copycat recipe made with meatballs pan-fried until juicy and tender then simmered in a rich sauce.

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About Best Swedish Meatballs

Swedish meatballs may bring to mind fancy dinners at restaurants—or maybe even shopping trips to IKEA—but they are actually a breeze to make at home. They can taste just as good as they do in the restaurant, too.

This copycat recipe employs a two-step cooking process: pan-frying the meatballs for a satisfying texture and then simmering them in a rich sauce for that iconic Swedish meatball experience. The end result is a versatile dish that pairs well either solo or atop a bed of pasta.

So, no need to wait for your next IKEA visit to enjoy this classic dish; this recipe brings that delicious flavor and aroma into your kitchen.

What Are Swedish Meatballs?

Swedish meatballs, known as “köttbullar” in Sweden, are small, round meatballs traditionally made from a mixture of ground meat, breadcrumbs, and spices. They are often served with lingonberry sauce, gravy, and mashed potatoes. The dish is a staple in Swedish cuisine and has gained international popularity, especially through stores like IKEA.

What’s in Swedish Meatballs?

Before you can serve up a dish of iconic Swedish meatballs, you’ll need to gather the following ingredients:

• Panko Breadcrumbs: Adds a light, crispy texture and helps bind the meat together.
• Milk: Softens the breadcrumbs, contributing to a tender, juicy meatball.
• Olive Oil: Used for sautéing and frying, it adds richness and flavor.
• Yellow Onion: Provides a subtle sweetness and moisture to the meatballs.
• Garlic: Adds a robust, aromatic flavor to the mix.
• Oregano: Introduces an herbal note, enhancing the meatball’s complexity.
• Ground Beef: The primary protein, offering a robust meaty flavor.
• Ground Pork: Adds fat and flavor, making the meatballs juicier.
• Egg Yolk: Serves as a binding agent, keeping the meatball intact.
• Ground Allspice: Gives a warm, aromatic flavor, typical in Swedish cuisine.
• Ground Nutmeg: Adds a subtle, nutty spice, complementing the allspice.
• Unsalted Butter: Forms the roux base, adding richness to the gravy.
• All-Purpose Flour: Acts as a thickening agent, giving the gravy body.
• Beef Broth: Provides the foundational liquid and deepens the gravy’s flavor.
• Heavy Whipping Cream: Adds a creamy, rich texture to the gravy.
• Worcestershire Sauce: Enhances depth with a tangy, umami kick.
• Dijon Mustard: Introduces a mild spiciness and complexity to the gravy.
• Salt: Balances and enhances the overall flavors in the dish.
• Black Pepper: Adds a touch of heat and spice, rounding out the flavors.

What is a panade? What’s its purpose?

A panade is a mixture of bread and milk, combined to form a paste. This mixture is then added to ground meats, such as meatballs, to ensure they stay moist and tender during cooking. The starch in the panade interacts with the meat’s proteins, inhibiting them from contracting too much and squeezing out valuable moisture.

In a classic panade, bread is torn into crumbs and soaked in milk. Once soaked, it’s mashed to create a paste that’s added to the meat mixture. For this recipe, we opt for panko breadcrumbs as a convenient alternative. These are soaked in milk, transformed into a paste, and seamlessly incorporated into the meatball mix.

What type of ground beef should you use?

You can use any type of ground beef in this recipe, but lean ground beef is recommended. It will be less greasy, making it easier to handle and more complimenting to the gravy.

If you’d like to try other types of ground beef, here’s a quick breakdown of the pros and cons:

Lean Ground Beef (90-95% Lean)

• Pros: Lower in fat, which means fewer calories. It’s also less greasy.
• Cons: Can be drier and less flavorful due to the low fat content.

Fatty Ground Beef (70-85% Lean)

• Pros: Higher fat content makes for juicier, more flavorful meatballs.
• Cons: More calories and can be greasier.

Middle-of-the-Road (85-90% Lean)

• Pros: A good balance of leanness and fat, offering both flavor and a less greasy texture.
• Cons: Not as lean as the 90-95% but not as flavorful as the 70-85%.

Can You Use a Different Type of Meat?

Certainly! The rich gravy that accompanies Swedish meatballs is versatile enough to complement other types of ground meat like turkey, pork, or chicken. Just use an equal amount of your chosen protein—1 pound for this recipe—and you’re all set.

Can you make them in advance?

Yes, you can, but with a catch. In most cases, it’s only recommended to prepare the meatballs in advance; the sauce should only be made just before serving, because its texture may change over time. For the optimal blend of convenience and flavor, make the meatballs ahead and save the sauce for last-minute preparation.

To prepare and store the meatballs:

• Refrigerate Raw: Mix and shape the meatballs, then store them in a sealed container in the refrigerator. Let the meatballs sit on the counter for 30 minutes to return to room temperature, then cook as directed.
• Refrigerate Cooked: Follow the recipe instructions to prepare and cook the meatballs, let them cool, then store them in a sealed container in the refrigerator.

Note: if you would still like to prepare the sauce in advance, always store it in a separate container when possible.

Can you Bake the Meatballs Instead?

Absolutely, you can bake Swedish meatballs instead of pan-frying them. To do this, follow these steps:

• Preheat your oven to 400°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
• Form meatballs as directed in the recipe, then arrange the shaped meatballs on the prepared baking sheet, ensuring they do not touch.
• Bake meatballs for 15-25 minutes or until cooked through (no pink inside with a 165°F internal temp).
• While meatballs cook, prepare the gravy.
• Toss cooked meatballs in prepared gravy.
• Serve as desired.

How long are they good for?

Once prepared and cooled, meatballs can be stored in a sealed container in the refrigerator for up to three to four days.

Can you freeze Swedish meatballs?

Sort of, yes. The meatballs themselves can be frozen, but it’s not recommended to freeze the sauce due to potential texture changes upon thawing. For best results, focus on freezing just the meatballs. The good news is that the freezing process is the same whether the meatballs are cooked or uncooked.

To Freeze Meatballs

• Place room-temperature meatballs on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. If the meatballs are already cooked, ensure they are cooled to room temperature first.
• Transfer the baking sheet to the freezer until meatballs are frozen.
• Remove the baking sheet from the freezer, then transfer the frozen meatballs to a ziplock bag.
• Seal the bag and store it in the freezer until ready to eat. Raw meatballs can be frozen for up to three to four months while cooked meatballs can be frozen for up to two to three months.

When you’re ready to use the meatballs, let them thaw in the refrigerator overnight, then use them in the recipe as directed.

Is it better to freeze meatballs before or after cooking?

The decision really boils down to personal preference. Both raw and cooked meatballs can be effectively frozen, but each approach has its unique advantages.

But if you’re having trouble deciding, each method has its own minor benefits, such as:

• Freezing Raw: This method will capture the freshness of the ingredients and give you more freedom in how the meatballs are cooked up later (whether that be baking, frying, simmering in sauce, etc.). Raw meat also still has plenty of moisture, so it will be less susceptible to freezer burn than its cooked (and dryer) counterpart. Additionally, freezing raw meatballs is beneficial for meal-prepping days when you don’t want to use the oven.
• Freezing Cooked: Cooked meatballs are the ultimate heat-up-and-eat meal and can be added to a variety of dishes. And once cooked, the meatballs will have a more even and firm texture (so they’ll maintain their shape better once frozen), and they’ll be less likely to harbor bacteria.

How to reheat meatballs

When ready to reheat the leftovers, allow the meatballs to sit on the counter for 30 minutes to come to room temperature, then use the following guidelines for bringing these meatballs back to their original tastiness:

Microwave Method

• Place meatballs in a microwave-safe dish.
• Cover the dish with a microwave-safe lid, paper towel, or paper plate, ensuring that there’s a loose corner to vent the steam.
• Heat on medium power for one to two minutes, checking and stirring every 30 seconds to ensure even heating.

Oven Method

• Preheat oven to 350°F.
• Place meatballs in a baking dish, preferably in a single layer.
• Heat for about 15-20 minutes, or until they’re heated through. For frozen meatballs, you might need to extend the time.

Stovetop Method

• Place meatballs in a skillet or saucepan.
• If you have a sauce, add it now; it will help rehydrate the meatballs and prevent them from drying out.
• Cover and heat over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until meatballs are heated through. This usually takes about 10 minutes.

Slow Cooker Method

• Add meatballs (and sauce, if using) to the slow cooker.
• Cover and heat on the LOW setting until they’re warmed through, anywhere from one to two hours.

What can you serve Swedish Meatballs with?

Swedish meatballs are delicious on their own, but they also pair well with some classic side dishes, such as:

• Lingonberry sauce (Swedish classic) or cranberry sauce (for American flair)
• Swedish Rye Bread (Limpa)
• Mashed potatoes
• Buttered noodles
• Rice Pilaf

Notes & Tips for Swedish Meatballs

• This recipe is great for making larger batches. I’ve doubled and tripled the recipe with great success.

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How to Make Swedish Meatballs

This next part is only a photo tutorial of the recipe steps. If you’re looking for the full recipe measurements and instructions, scroll down to Recipe Details.

Step 1 – Start by whisking panko breadcrumbs and milk in a small bowl. Give it about 10 minutes; you’ll want the panko to soak up all the milk.

Step 2 – In a large skillet, warm a tablespoon of olive oil over medium heat. Toss in diced yellow onions, then cook and stir until they turn translucent. Add a dash of minced garlic and chopped oregano, cooking for just a minute more.

Step 3 – Take the skillet off the heat and let it cool for a few minutes.

Step 4 – In a large bowl, combine the sautéed onion mix, breadcrumb mixture, ground beef, ground pork, egg yolk, allspice, and nutmeg. Use a spatula (or just your hands) and stir everything together until well mixed.

Step 5 – As the skillet heats up again, have a large plate ready. Scoop up a tablespoon of the meat mixture and roll it into a ball. The trick is to press gently as you roll; it helps the meatballs hold their shape. Once the meatball is formed, place it on the nearby plate. Repeat this step until all the meat mixture has been used.

Step 6 – Place the meatballs in the skillet, cooking them in batches of 10. Keep stirring until they’re browned on all sides. A little tip: tilt the skillet occasionally to help the meatballs roll around and brown evenly. Once the meatballs are done cooking, transfer them to a bowl and cover it with a paper towel to keep them warm.

Step 7 – If there’s more than a tablespoon of olive oil left in the skillet, just use a paper towel to soak up the excess.

Step 8 – Melt unsalted butter in the skillet and whisk in all-purpose flour. Keep whisking until the flour absorbs the butter and turns a tan color.

Step 9 – Slowly add beef broth, letting the flour absorb it before adding more. Continue until all the broth is in.

Step 10 – Pour in heavy whipping cream and stir until well combined.

Step 11 – Add Worcestershire sauce, Dijon mustard, salt, and pepper. Bring it to a simmer and let it bubble for about 5 minutes.

Step 12 – Add the cooked meatballs back into the skillet and cover. Let them simmer in the gravy for about 10 minutes. Cut into one meatball to make sure there’s no pink left. If needed, cook for an additional 3-5 minutes.

Step 13 – Serve and enjoy!