Swedish Meatballs
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These Swedish Meatballs are rich, creamy, and full of comforting flavors. They are tender and juicy with just the right amount of spice, and they make an irresistible main course or appetizer. Serve homemade Swedish meatballs over buttered egg noodles, mashed potatoes, or on their own with a toothpick.
Table of Contents
- Here’s Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Ingredients You’ll Need
- In Photos: How To Make Swedish Meatballs
- Swedish Meatballs FAQ
- More Meatball Recipes
You don’t have to make the trek to Ikea to have your favorite meatballs anymore. This recipe is easy to make, is great for meal prep, reheats beautifully, and is perfect served with our Make-Ahead Mashed Potatoes or with a big pile of our Homemade Pasta.
Here’s Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- So flavorful: A warm blend of spices, including nutmeg, cardamom, and cloves, makes these meatballs taste extra special.
- Super tender: Thanks to creamy ricotta and breadcrumbs, the texture is incredibly soft and juicy.
- That gravy: Silky, tangy, and rich with just the right amount of depth from the sautéed onion and spices.
- Versatile: Serve them as an appetizer, over noodles or mashed potatoes, or even tucked into a sandwich!
- Make-ahead friendly: These reheat beautifully and can even be made in a crockpot or slow cooker.
Ingredients You’ll Need
The recipe card at the bottom of the post contains the full list with all of the amounts. Refer to that when you’re cooking.
For the Meatballs
- Meatloaf Mix: A combination of ground beef, pork, and veal gives the most flavor, but you can use just one or any mix, including turkey or chicken.
- Ricotta Cheese: Whole milk ricotta is best, but lower-fat versions also work.
- Onion: Finely minced and cooked until translucent.
- Breadcrumbs: Help bind everything together while keeping the meatballs tender. Plain, dry breadcrumbs are perfect here.
- Fresh Parsley: Adds a pop of color and freshness.
- Egg: Acts as a binder.
- Kosher Salt, Garlic Powder, Black Pepper: Seasoning essentials that enhance all the other flavors.
For the Sauce
- Olive Oil: Used for sautéing the aromatics. Any neutral oil will also work.
- Onion: Softened in oil to form a flavorful base for the sauce.
- Kosher Salt, Cardamom, Nutmeg, Black Pepper, Ground Cloves: A warmly spiced mix that gives the gravy its signature Swedish twist.
- All-Purpose Flour: Thickens the sauce to that perfect, creamy consistency.
- Chicken Stock: Forms the body of the gravy. Beef or veggie stock works, too.
- Sour Cream: Adds tang, silkiness, and richness to the sauce.
In Photos: How To Make Swedish Meatballs
Step 1: Make the Meatballs
Preheat your oven to 425°F.
In a large bowl, stir together the meatloaf mix, ricotta, sauteed onion, breadcrumbs, parsley, egg, salt, garlic powder, and black pepper until well combined.
Use a 1/4-cup scoop or your hands to form the meatballs, then place them in a large, oven-safe baking dish.
Bake for around 30 minutes, or until the internal temperature reaches 165°F.
Step 2: Make the Sauce
In a large skillet, heat the oil over medium heat until it shimmers (about 2-4 minutes).
Add the chopped onion, salt, cardamom, nutmeg, pepper, and cloves.
Sauté until the onion becomes soft and translucent, about 5 minutes.
Sprinkle the flour over the onion and stir until evenly coated.
Slowly stir in the chicken stock, scraping the bottom of the pan to prevent sticking.
Bring to a gentle simmer and whisk in the sour cream until smooth.
Step 3: Combine
Add the cooked meatballs to the pan and simmer for 5 minutes, or until the sauce has thickened and the meatballs are well coated.
Serve warm over noodles or mashed potatoes, or enjoy them on their own with extra sauce!
Helpful Tips and Tricks
- Sauté the onions before adding them to the meatball mixture. This removes sharpness and adds a touch of sweetness.
- Use a cookie scoop for evenly sized meatballs that cook at the same rate.
- Let the meatball mixture rest for a few minutes before forming the meatballs. It helps the breadcrumbs absorb moisture.
- If your sauce looks too thick, add a splash of stock or milk to thin it out.
- Double the recipe and freeze half for a quick meal another night!
Swedish Meatballs FAQ
Yes! Once cooked and cooled, freeze the meatballs and sauce in an airtight container for up to 2 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge and reheat gently.
Absolutely. Just swap the breadcrumbs and flour for your favorite gluten-free versions.
You can use cottage cheese (blended smooth), sour cream, or even plain Greek yogurt in a pinch. The texture may vary slightly, but it will still taste delicious.
More Meatball Recipes
Swedish Meatballs
Ingredients
For the Meatballs*
- 1 pound (453.59 g) meatloaf mix, or use ground beef, pork, veal, lamb, turkey, or chicken
- 15 ounces (425.24 g) ricotta, (I prefer whole milk ricotta but part skim works too)
- 1/2 (55 g) onion, medium, finely minced and cooked until tender and translucent
- 1/2 cup (54 g) breadcrumbs, (I like plain dry breadcrumbs)
- 1 bunch (57 g) fresh parsley, finely minced
- 1 (44 g) egg, large
- 1 teaspoon (6 g) kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon (1.5 g) garlic powder, (or a few cloves of fresh chopped garlic)
- 1/4 teaspoon (0.5 g) ground black pepper
For the Sauce
- 2 tablespoons (28 g) oil, (I used extra-virgin olive oil)
- 1/2 (55 g) onion, medium, finely chopped
- 1 teaspoon (6 g) kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon (1 g) ground cardamom
- 1/4 teaspoon (0.5 g) ground nutmeg
- 1/4 teaspoon (0.5 g) ground black pepper
- 1/8 teaspoon (0.25 g) ground cloves
- 2 tablespoons (15 g) all-purpose flour
- 2 cups (480 g) chicken stock , (beef stock or vegetable stock can be substituted)
- 1 cup (230 g) sour cream
Instructions
To Make the Meatballs*
- Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.
- Place the meatloaf mix, ricotta, onion, breadcrumbs, parsley, egg, salt, garlic powder, and pepper in a large bowl and mix to combine.
- Use a 1/4-cup trigger scoop to portion out meatballs, placing them in a large oven-safe baking dish.
- Bake the meatballs until they reach an internal temperature of 165 degrees F (approx. 30 minutes).
To Make the Sauce
- Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat until shimmering (approx. 2 to 4 minutes).
- Add the onion, salt, cardamom, nutmeg, pepper, and cloves and saute until the onion has softened and become translucent (approx. 5 minutes).
- Sprinkle the flour over the cooked onions and stir until evenly coated.
- Stir in the stock and bring the mixture up to a simmer, stirring.
- Whisk in the sour cream, add the cooked meatballs, and simmer until the sauce has thickened (approx. 5 minutes).
- Serve over buttered egg noodles or mashed potatoes, if desired.
