Classic Swedish Meatballs Recipe
Craving meatballs but sick of Italian? If so, this recipe is a must-make. According to Visit Sweden, Swedish meatballs are the most popular dish in the country and they are distinguishable by their creamy sauce. And you know they're good when everyone in the country raves about them. Recipe developer Ting Dalton came up with this wonderful recipe for Swedish meatballs and one of the best parts about it is that you whip them up in advance. "The meatballs can be made ahead of time and kept in the refrigerator for up to 24 hours if you want to finish them off at the last moment," Dalton notes.
Dalton shares all the reasons why she loves this dish so much and it will make you want to dig in! "There's no denying that going to Ikea can be quite painful. It's busy and crowded, which is why we always reward ourselves with some Swedish meatballs. It's impossible not to eat the lot really quickly," Dalton shares. "My children absolutely adore them, so I wanted to recreate the taste at home — which is why this Swedish meatball recipe is one of their favorites."
Gather the ingredients for these classic Swedish meatballs
The first thing you will need to do is make a list and head to the store. Pick up ground beef, ground pork, white onion, garlic, breadcrumbs, egg, milk, salt, black pepper, allspice, oil, butter, plain flour, chicken stock, beef stock, cream, soy sauce, and Dijon mustard.
Once you have those items, you can make these classic Swedish meatballs.
Start making the meatballs
Take out a large bowl and add both types of meat — the beef and the pork mince. Use your hands to mix the two ingredients together, as this is easier to incorporate the meat together than a spoon.
Next, toss in the chopped onion, garlic, breadcrumbs, and egg. Mix again before adding the milk. To add a little flavor, season with salt and pepper.
Roll the meatballs
Now, the meatballs are good to go, so you can get rolling. For each ball, try to use the same amount of meat, rolling in the palm of your hand to make it into a meatball shape. You can always use an ice cream scoop to measure it out if it's easier. Place the meatballs in a dish or on a plate, cover, and pop in the fridge for one hour.
Preheat the oven and add meatballs to the skillet
This recipe requires the use of an oven, so go ahead and preheat yours to 350 F. Then, select a large skillet and place it on your stove. Turn the heat to medium and add the oil, which will help cook the meatballs. Once the oil is heated, add the meatballs and brown them on all sides. This should only take about 1 to 2 minutes.
Place the meatballs in an ovenproof dish and pop them into the preheated oven for 30 minutes.
Make the sauce
While the meatballs are cooking in the oven, go ahead and make the signature Swedish meatball sauce. Add three tablespoons of butter to a skillet and turn the heat to medium. Then, toss in three tablespoons of flour, stirring continuously, to get a nice paste.
Add ⅔ cup chicken broth and ⅔ cup beef broth to the mix and continue stirring to get all of the lumps out. Next, toss in the cream, soy sauce, and Dijon mustard and stir. The sauce should start to thicken, indicating that it's done. "The sauce has a salty, creamy taste with a tang from the mustard, but it really pairs wonderfully with the juicy meatballs," Dalton shares.
Serve and enjoy
Remove the meatballs from the oven and spoon over the sauce before serving. "You can sprinkle some freshly chopped parsley over the top before serving," Dalton notes. There are plenty of different ways to serve these meatballs, but Dalton shares her go-to. "Served over lots of buttery mashed potato, it's comfort food at its best. And you can achieve the same flavors with very few ingredients," Dalton says.
If you make extra or have some left, be sure to wrap up and save. "You can freeze these Swedish meatballs and sauce for up to two months," Dalton suggests. "Just make sure to defrost thoroughly before heating."
- 1 pound ground beef
- 1 pound ground pork
- 1 white onion, finely chopped or grated
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- ⅔ cup breadcrumbs
- 1 egg
- 5 tablespoons of milk
- 1 ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- ¼ teaspoon allspice
- 1 teaspoon oil
- 3 tablespoons butter
- 3 tablespoons plain flour
- ⅔ cup chicken stock
- ⅔ cup beef stock
- 1 cup cream
- 2 teaspoons soy sauce
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- In a large bowl, combine the beef and pork mince with your hands.
- Add the chopped onion, garlic, breadcrumbs, and egg. Then add milk and season well with salt and pepper.
- Roll the mixture into meatballs. Pinch roughly the same amount of meat for each ball and slowly roll them in the palm of your hand. If you want, you can also use an ice cream scoop. Place the meatballs on a dish and cover and refrigerate for one hour.
- Preheat the oven to 300 F.
- In a large skillet, heat oil on medium heat. Add the meatballs and brown on all sides, around 1 to 2 minutes.
- Put the meatballs in an ovenproof dish and cook for 30 minutes in the oven.
- To make the sauce, melt 3 tablespoons of butter in a skillet over medium heat. Then add 3 tablespoons of flour and stir continuously until you get a paste.
- Add ⅔ cup of chicken broth and ⅔ cup of beef broth and continue to stir quite vigorously, getting all the lumps out.
- Add the cream, 2 teaspoons of soy sauce, and 1 teaspoon of Dijon mustard and continue to stir. The sauce will begin to thicken very nicely.
- Serve the sauce with the meatballs and enjoy.
| Calories per Serving | 828 |
| Total Fat | 65.4 g |
| Saturated Fat | 30.3 g |
| Trans Fat | 1.4 g |
| Cholesterol | 247.7 mg |
| Total Carbohydrates | 20.9 g |
| Dietary Fiber | 1.4 g |
| Total Sugars | 4.8 g |
| Sodium | 872.4 mg |
| Protein | 38.0 g |
