Indulge in rich and savory Swedish meatballs. These tender meatballs are smothered in the best creamy gravy and served over egg noodles or mashed potatoes.
My family loves comfort food recipes and this is one of their most requested. You can prepare the meatballs ahead of time for a quick and easy weekday meal. This meatball recipe also makes a great appetizer to serve at your next party.
What are Swedish Meatballs?
Swedish Meatballs are a comforting, classic dish consisting of juicy ground beef meatballs smothered in a creamy gravy. The sauce is usually made with warm spices like allspice and nutmeg. My husband does not like allspice or nutmeg with ground beef so I like to flavor my sauce with a combination of Worcestershire sauce, beef stock or beef broth, dijon mustard, black pepper, and salt.
The key to making flavorful Swedish meatball sauce is scraping all the browned meatball bits off of the bottom of the skillet. Pan-frying in a cast iron skillet works perfectly for this. I use a combination of butter and olive oil when browning the meatballs because the olive oil helps prevent burning the butter. Burned butter will not make a great tasting sauce, so keep an eye on the heat while browning your meatballs!
How to Make Swedish Meatballs
- In a large bowl, combine ground beef, sautéed onion, garlic and oregano.
- Mix in salt, pepper, egg, and breadcrumbs.
- On medium heat, brown meatballs on all sides, carefully turning so they don't break apart.
- Transfer meatballs to a sheet pan and keep warm in the oven while making your sauce.
- Add butter and flour to the pan to create a roux, then add in beef broth, cream, Worcestershire sauce, and Dijon mustard until sauce thickens.
- Add meatballs into sauce, cover and simmer on low heat for about 10 minutes. Season to taste.
Substitutions for this recipe
- Ground Beef - use a combination of ground beef and ground pork. You can even substitute ground turkey or chicken.
- Spices - add nutmeg or allspice for a more traditional Swedish Meatball recipe.
- Panko breadcrumbs - regular breadcrumbs, pieces of bread or saltine crackers.
- Substitute ground beef meatballs with this Turkey Meatball recipe.
What to Serve with Swedish Meatballs
Serve Swedish Meatballs with broad leg noodles, rice, or this great tasting recipe for Garlic Mashed Potatoes. Top these juicy meatballs with different condiments such as classic Swedish lingonberry jam, cranberry sauce or mustard pickles.
If you enjoy this recipe you will want to try some more family favorite recipes using ground beef:
This post was originally published on November 17, 2014. Occasionally I update with fresh tips, content, and photos. Current update February 20, 2022.
Swedish Meatballs
Ingredients
- 1 lb ground beef
- ¼ cup panko bread crumbs
- ¼ cup milk
- ½ cup chopped onion
- 1 clove garlic minced
- 1 tablespoon fresh oregano chopped or 1 teaspoon dry oregano
- 1 egg
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 5 tablespoons butter
- 3 tablespoons flour
- 2 cups beef broth warmed up
- 1 cup heavy cream
- ½ tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon pepper
Instructions
- In a small bowl combine panko bread crumbs and milk. Let sit for 10 minutes until breadcrumbs have soaked up the milk.
- In a large skillet heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil with 1 tablespoon of butter.
- Add the onions and sauté until translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and oregano and sauté for another 1-2 minutes.
- In a large bowl, combine the ground beef, sautéed onion, garlic and oregano.
- Mix in the salt, pepper and egg. Combine until the eggs are mixed into the ground beef.
- Add the breadcrumbs to meat mixture and combine well.
- Use a tablespoon or scoop to make equal sized meatballs. This recipe makes approximately 20 meatballs.
- Reheat the skillet used to sauté onions and garlic, adding a bit more olive oil and butter if needed.
- On medium heat, brown the meat balls on all sides, carefully turning so they don't break apart.
- Don't overcrowd the skillet with meatballs, work in batches.
- Transfer the meatballs to a baking sheet and keep warm in the oven while you make the sauce.
- Add 4 tablespoons of butter to the skillet. Once melted whisk in the flour and cook until golden brown.
- Slowly stir in the heated beef broth and cook at a temperature that keeps the sauce at slow bubble.
- Add in the cream, Worcestershire sauce and Dijon mustard and simmer until sauce thickens at bit.
- Add the meatballs into sauce. Cover and simmer on low heat for about 10 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
- Serve over egg noodles, broad noodles or mashed potatoes.
Anonymous says
thank you for this recipe. Most of the time it calls for mushrooms which I do not like. I will definitely try this...
Laureen King says
Hope you enjoy the recipe!
Nicole | Culinary Cool says
Oh man, these look soooo good!
Laureen King says
Thanks Nicole, so sweet of you to comment 🙂
Malyssa Diaz says
This recipe is amazing! I just made it for my mom and her boyfriend and they loved it! Thank you so much! I will definitely keep this recipe for the future 🙂
Debbo Lynch says
These look great. Heading out to store now for ingredients.
This should make a great Sunday meal.. Bet the toddler loves them!!!!
Laureen King says
Debbo, the toddler will love them, but so will Momma 🙂
Dee Kevan says
I have just cooked this our dinner, have to say it tasted absolutely fantastic and will do again, however I followed the recipe exactly even though I thought 3 Tbsp of flour was a lot, and it was 🙁
So had to remake the sauce but using 3 tsp and it turned out absolutely delicious.
Thank you for this yummy recipe 🙂
Laureen King says
Hi Dee, so glad you enjoyed the recipe, when making the sauce you are starting with the butter/flour to make a roux, which will be very thick until you start whisking in the beef broth.
Dee Kevan says
Hi,
Yes I did make a roux using your quoted 3 Tablespoons of flour, even when I added the stock it was so thick and gluppy, so I made again but using 3 teaspoons of flour and it was absolutely perfect.
Wondering if UK spoon sizes could be different from US spoon sizes.
Anyway have cooked this recipe so many times now and it is absolutely delicious - thank you so much for sharing it 🙂 🙂
Bridgette says
Can't wait to try these
Laureen King says
Bridgette, I'd love to hear back when you try the recipe.
Gus says
Just made this recipe tonight...very very good! I didn't change the recipe at all and my girlfriend and I both thought it was delicious. Served on wide old fashioned egg noodles.
Laureen King says
Thank you Gus, it always means a lot to me when people take the time to drop me a note. Your girlfriend is so lucky to have you cook for her.
Kathy says
If I don’t have heavy cream, can I use whole milk?
Laureen King says
Hi Kathy, whole milk will not work as well as cream as it doesn't not thicken like cream does. Cream also adds better flavour.
Linda says
When do you add the heavy whipping cream? I'm going to try your recipe tonight.
Laureen King says
Hi Linda, I update the instructions a bit, the cream goes in right after beef broth, simmer until sauce thickens a bit, then add meatballs and simmer for another 10 minutes.
Meg says
My family loved these. A few thing I might do differently next time: there was so much sauce- I could easily have double the meatballs and still have lots of sauce (And have leftovers!) And the meatballs were on the verge of falling apart while cooking them. I am going to refrigerate them to firm them up and then fry them.
Will definitely make them again and again!
Laureen King says
Thanks for the great feedback Meg!
J Kostamo says
I would add an egg to the beef mixture, as it acts as a "glue" to keep them from falling apart.
Patty Furkin says
We made these today. Great recipe, except it needs something to make it less bland. Will experiment with it a little, but overall, the perfect recipe for the family! Thanks for sharing!
Laureen King says
Hi Patty, try adjusting the Djion mustard, worcestershire, and oregano to your taste.
Kim says
Hi. I think the recipe was very good. I served it over egg noodles and my picky eaters (2 teen sons and husband) really liked it. They are normally opposed to ground beef outside of spaghetti but this, they have already asked me to make again! Thanks for sharing your recipe!
Laureen King says
Terrific Kim, so glad you tried the recipe
Denise says
Make this dinner. We loved it! I wouldn't change a thing about this recipe!
Laureen King says
Thank you so much Denise, so glad you enjoyed the recipe.
Carol Borchardt says
Yummed and pinned! I've been looking for a really good Swedish meatball recipe in.....forever. Looking forward to trying this one. It's looks divine!
Laureen King says
Thank you Carol.
Abbi says
Im so excited to Make this! It seems really simple! 🙂 thanks for sharing the recipe!
Laureen King says
yes Abbi, simple and tasty!
ashley says
I tried this tonight. Very easy and good. I think i may have overused the Dijon mustard but it was still so good!
Laureen King says
That is awesome to hear Ashley, glad you enjoyed the recipe.
Lisa says
Have you ever tried adding a little sour cream to the dauce? I have not tried the recipe yet but I think I may when I do. Sounds really good...
Laureen King says
Hey Lisa, I don't to this recipe, but have make other types of stroganoff that I do add sour cream to. I'm sure it will taste great.
Mike Benayoun says
Thanks for the recipe Laureen. Those are definitely better than the IKEA version... unless you prefer horse meat 😉 Prepared kottbullar yesterday (slightly tweaked this recipe with allspice instead of origan) and served them with lingonberry jam, pressgurka (pressed cucumbers) and potatismos (mashed potatoes). They were absolutely DELICIOUS! I am ready to go back to Stockholm and celebrate Midsommar next week 😉
Laureen King says
Have a great celebration in Stockholm, appreciate you taking the time to give me the feedback on the recipe. Like how you changed it up as well 🙂
Rachel says
This recipe is fantastic! My family asks for it over & over. The only thing I've done differently is bake the meatballs. It saves me time & I have to say I've been known to pulverize my meatballs when trying to pan fry them. 🙂 this recipe is a keeper! Thanks for sharing.
Laureen King says
Thank you Rachel, so glad your family enjoys it, so does mine 🙂
Lucy says
How long did you bake the meatballs and what temperature?
Laureen King says
Hey Lucy, depending on what size you make the meatballs they should cook until internal temperature of 160º.Browned on all sides and cooked throughout. Mine unusually take about 10 minutes.
Laureen King says
Michelle, thank you!
Hollie says
Wonderful dish! I used coconut oil instead of olive and horseradish brown mustard. Came out perfect! Thank you
Laureen King says
Hey Hollie, I bet that horseradish mustard added some tasty zip, I'll have to try that.
Shelby says
Made these tonight, I used a half pound of ground beef and a half pound of ground pork mixed together for the meatballs as a little twist on the recipe! Turned out great. Only comment I have is that I felt there was a little too much heavy cream. The sauce almost had that feeling of coating your mouth. I'd reduce the cream by a touch and I think it'd be perfect! Thanks for the recipe!!
Laureen King says
Thanks for the great feedback, appreciated!
Connie says
I made this tonight. My husband and I both liked it a lot and will make it again.
Laureen King says
Connie, it is a recipe I make quite often, so glad you and your husband enjoyed it.
amanda says
This was SO good.
I totally messed up and didn't add the carmelized onion to the meatballs, I realized after I formed them so I scooped the onions into a cup until time to add the meatballs back, it was still awesome and I enjoyed having the onion in the sauce!
My insanely picky 6 year old ate 2 servings and said "super awesome dinner!" which is quite a complement coming from him.
My husband loved them as well, he's not as picky though 😉
So glad I found this!
Oh and I served on some pappardelle. I feel fancy saying that. I promise I'm not, I just always get excited any time a new pasta comes to my publix and I had it on hand.
Sorry for the novel, thanks for the great recipe !
Laureen King says
Amanda thank you, I'll really enjoyed your comment, it made my day. I need to try some of that pasta, it does sound fancy. We have an Italian shop in town, so I'm going to check this week to see if they carry it.
Carrol says
Fantastic recipe, thanks. I added a little more Dijon as my whole family are mustard lovers!!!
Absolutely loved that it had a lot of sauce, it's hard to find recipes that have that, I usually make double batch.
Will definitely be cooking again
Laureen King says
Thanks Carrol, my husband doesn't like too much Dijon, I like more, so I just serve it on the side, but it always does seem to taste just a bit better cooked in
Mary Ann says
I made this dish tonight for dinner . DELICIOUS !!!!!
My husband loved it. Me, too. I did add a little nutmeg to the meatballs.
Mary Ann says
I used the 3 tbsp. of flour and the sauce came out perfectly. The trick to making a smooth non-lumpy roux is to add the flour a little at a time whisking the entire time . Don't dump the flour in all at once. I learned this from my French Mother-in-law who was a genius making French sauces. Thank you so much for this awesome recipe .
Laureen King says
Thanks for the tip MaryAnn
jcernek@yahoo.com says
I just made these with my daughter. I can only describe them as manna from heaven. We tripled the recipe, in hopes of freezing some, but lets face it folks, we're pigs, and they were that good, sadly they will not make it past the leftover stage! LOL. So if you're thinking of making these, and dont have all the ingredients on hand, I say run, dont walk to the nearest grocery store, and be sure to buy extra because you want to double even triple this one!
what are you still doing here? I said RUN!!!!! GET!!! NOW!!!
Laureen King says
Thank you for that wonderful comment, you sure made me laugh. So glad you enjoyed the recipe 🙂
Shannon M says
Making these tomorrow! Can't wait! Will let you know how they turned out! 🙂
Laureen King says
Great Shannon, I would love the feedback
Janice says
I am going to make these this weekend. My 8 year old loves meatball anything!! We will have so much fun making these together! Thanks for the recipe~
Laureen King says
This will be a great recipe to make together and your 8 year old will love eating his cooking with this recipe.
Madison Hornsby says
I made this last night and it was divine! I added some sautéed mushrooms and onions to the sauce as well! This was such a hit ! I couldn't believe how tender the meatball was!
Laureen King says
Awesome Madison, mushrooms and onions are a great addition!
Nazia says
Just made this! The sauce is just "saucalicious" is that a word? ....I mean just perfectly yummy for the meatballs!! I added some dill to the sauce and that made it even better! My kids loved it!! Thank you so much!
Laureen King says
Nazia, love that saucalicious, describes this recipe very well!
Caroline Wilson says
I'm going to try this recipe. I love Beef Stroganoff. Have had Swedish Meatballs but only has an appetizer. Had a craving for Swedish Meatballs and have Sour Cream in the fridge.
Laureen King says
Hi Caroline, I hope you enjoy the recipe as much as my family does.
Jamie says
Made this last night and followed the instructions all the way.. the entire family loved it! This will be a regular meal now.
Laureen King says
Terrific Jamie, so glad you and your family enjoyed the recipe
Diane Watson says
So looking forward to trying this recipe out! I'm not a pork eater so I wanted to find a Swedish Meatball recipe without pork and this one looks like it is a winner. I've never made Swedish Meatballs before but have a little potluck at the end of our Bible study and was thinking what to bring...this just sounded yummy and perfect for the colder weather setting in. Thank you so much for the recipe...all all the helpful tips that others posted.
I'm planning on doubling the recipe for sure after that one comment 🙂
Diane Watson says
Okay, I made them tonight. I did refrigerate them first before cooking as one person suggested. Well, my refrigerator is tiny because I'm off grid, and it's a propane refrigerator, but this time of year outside is my extra refrigerator....so I put them on a cookie sheet, two actually, wrapped them up and put them outside to chill them 🙂
They are pretty soft and fragile so the chilling and firming them up helps.
Okay, the sauce...wow is that rich! It is delicious, but when I make this again...I will probably use half and half rather than heavy cream. Also I wanted more of the mustard taste, so I kept adding more and more until I got the flavor I wanted, I also increased the Worcestershire sauce and added some white pepper. I didn't have Dijon but I had a horseradish mustard which was is good flavor.
Thank you for the recipe!
Laureen King says
The meatballs are a bit more delicate that the usual dense meatball recipes, but I think that's what makes them so good. I haven't chilled them myself before cooking but I will try that. Half and half should work well as a substitution, and perfect that you season to your liking. That is what cooking is all about. Thank you!
alexis says
This recipe looks great! going to try it for thanksgiving, going to double the recipe by mixing 1lb of ground beed and 1 lb of sausagfe. I was thinking of doing this in the crockpot. I actually have a multicooker where I can brown/sear in the same pot and then change it over to slowcooking mode. Im thinking of searing the meatballs (not completely cooking), removing them. then making the sauce with tbe browned bits on the bottom, then add the meatballs back in. 2 hours covered on high, add the cream and heat another 30 minutes uncovered so the sauce thickens.. ..
Laureen King says
Hi Alexis,
I have never tried this recipe in the crockpot and now sure how it would turn out. The one concern I would have is that the meatballs would fall apart doing this recipe in the slow cooker. I would give it a try ahead of time, so you don't have a recipe that doesn't turn out for Thanksgiving.
Randee says
Hi Alexis! Just wondering how if you tried this recipe in a slow cooker and how it turned out??
Laureen King says
Hi Randee, I have not tried this recipe in a slow cooker.
sweetie says
looks so delicious
Laureen King says
Thanks so much.
Missy Norton says
This recipe is amazing. I doubled it and it is absolutely delicious. This will definitely be my go to recipe for now on. Thank you
Laureen King says
Thank you so much Missy
Kaitlyn says
I followed this recipe exactly (except for the Dijon Mustard because I didn't have any) and it was AMAZING. My first ever attempt at meatballs, let alone Swedish meatballs, and I'm so glad I didn't take a short cut and use cream of mushroom! This will be my go-to recipe and is going in the cookbook binder! You rock, Laureen!
Laureen King says
Wonderful Kaitlyn, so glad you enjoy the recipe
Rebecca M. says
Do you think half and half would work instead of heavy cream?
Laureen King says
Hi Rebecca, yes half and half would work, but may not thicken up as much.
Laureen King says
So glad you enjoyed the recipe Jill, thanks for dropping me a note.
Pattie says
I made these meatballs about a month ago and they were absolutely delicious. Great as leftovers, also.
Laureen King says
Thanks Pattie for dropping me a note, I really appreciate when people take the time to comment.
Ruthie says
It might save some time to bake the meatballs wouldn't it?
Stacy says
Made this tonight with brown rice noodles. So good. Only thing I changed was I used half and half and source am mixture to get the creamy sauce. I used an all natural beef broth paste which eliminated the need for Worcester and dijon. Thank you. This recipe was great!
Laureen King says
Fantastic Stacy, so glad you tried the recipe
Lori k says
I just made this and it was really good. I followed recipe exactly. It was so good I had to run back to the store to get more meat to make another batch. 🙂
Laureen King says
Thank you Lori for taking the time to drop a comment. So glad you enjoyed the recipe.
Helen says
I'm going to cook this recipe later, has anyone tried it without the cream? Some of my friends are dairy intolerant.
Laureen King says
Helen, I not sure what type of dairy substitute you could use because the cream is an important ingredient to making this dish taste as good as it is.
Vickie Davis says
Tried the recipe tonight and it was great. Definitely a keeper.
Paul says
Do you have a printer feature for your recipes? I can't seem to find it
Laureen King says
Hey Paul, its there, right under the small photo beside the recipe.
Laura Cogley says
My Swedish Grandmother Maya always added allspice to her meatballs. I don't think she used oregano.
Jennifer says
Allspice is used in the authentic recipes I've found. But this recipe is my favorite!
Laureen King says
Yes I have seen allspice in many recipes, but my husband is not a fan of allspice so I don't add it. So glad you enjoyed the recipe Jennifer.
Bella says
But they are not Swedish, sorry.
Mindy says
I'm Swedish and we use a equal parts beef, pork & veal mix for the meat. I will try this recipe, it sounds very tasty. My Greek husband will tell you that oregano improves everything. As for the non-Swedish aspect-we have our Christmas meatballs with a BBQ sauce that includes grape jelly. So there! Sounds kinda icky, definitely non-traditional, but very good and always a huge hit. Some of my family even prefer them without any sauce at all.
Danielle Barker says
My grandmother used either nutmeg and allspice or just nutmeg. Definitely not oregano.
Laureen King says
Grandma's are the best cooks Danielle! Great thing about recipes, you can adapt them to suite your taste and sometimes just what you have on hand. I love the flavour of the meatballs in this recipe.
Deidra says
I made it once before using this recipe and it was great. Thinking of making it tonight, but I don't have beef broth, do you think chicken broth might work as a replacement?
Laureen King says
Hi Deidra, so for slow response, I was out all day. Chicken broth should work.
Sarah says
This looks so amazing!! I am so bummed I don't have ground beef defrosted, but I will make this tomorrow. Awesome recipe! Thanks for posting!
Laureen King says
Terrific Sarah, let me know when you make it.
Gail says
These look very good and the picture is perfect. I love that it is also shown in a cast iron skillet, as that is how my mother made them for me every year for my birthday.
HOWEVER - this really shouldn't be called Swedish Meatballs as the recipe, and the spices is not at all how Swedish meatballs are made. The only thing similar to the Swedish recipe is that it is in a creamy gravy.
Nonetheless, it looks like a good recipe for meatballs, regardless of not being a Swedish meatball.
LaMinta C. says
Just prepared this tonight and my granddaughter's and I are all fans. We're not fond of mushrooms so I'm happy to have found your recipe. Thanks so much for sharing!!
Happy Eating 🙂
Laureen King says
Thank you for trying the recipe LaMinta
Kim Morgan -Smith says
I doubled this recipe for a group of 6 adults and 2 teenage boys! We had plenty leftover and all of the guys literally went into a food coma right after dinner! In the south, a food coma is the best compliment you can give the cook..... Ha ha ha!
Fabulous recipe..... Will DEFINITELY make again and again!
Thanks!
Laureen King says
Thank you Kim, I feel honoured to have a "food coma" recipe.
Caitlin says
SO yummy! My husband asked what brand they were! LOL!! Thank you for the great recipe!
Laureen King says
Thank you Caitlin, so funny that your husband asked what brand 🙂
Nikki says
Is it possible to sub ground turkey for beef and then chicken broth for beef?? These look so tasty!
Laureen King says
asolutely Nikki, that would taste great. The sauce would be lighter, but still taste great!
Lisa says
Just finished making these and they looked perfect until I added the cream. Perhaps it was an error in my measuring but my sauce went from a beautiful golden brown to milky white. I was expecting a lightening effect but the one cup of cream was just too much in my opinion. I have two grandkids visiting. Hopefully they will taste great.
Laureen King says
Hi Lisa, I cook the meatballs in a cast iron skillet so it may brown the meatballs a bit more. Its those little bits that stick to the bottom of the pan that add flavour and colour to the sauce.
Todd says
Just made this for the first time tonight. It was yummy, and the family liked it...even our picky 7 year old. I will definitely make it again.
Laureen King says
When the 7 year old likes a recipe, that is a true compliment 🙂
Emily says
Can I use Italian bread crumb or would that be too much? Looks like a great recipe!
Laureen King says
Hi Emily, are you using the seasoned Italian bread crumbs? if so it would work, but the flavouring would change from the original recipe, which would still probably taste good.
Frances says
I am considering this for a large crew as a part of a donation meal we are doing for a shelter home. Any suggestions on how far in advance this canned by cooked and the best way to transport and reheat?
Laureen King says
Hi Frances, you cook it a day ahead, keep refrigerated and then reheat.
Tara says
Thank You so much for this awesome recipe. I not only make it for my family but even have several times for company (especially company with kid) always to rave reviews! I actually despise the Ikea version of this and have tried other recipes that were just OK This one rocks!
Laureen King says
you made my day with this comment Tara 🙂
Emmie says
Hello,
This recipes looks great, but I was wondering is it possible to switch out beef for chicken or do you not recommend it? I was planning on using ground chicken and chicken broth for this recipe. Please let me know. Thank you.
Laureen King says
I think ground chicken would be a great alternative to try!
Emmie says
Hello Laureen,
Thanks for the fast response. I just tried your recipe with ground chicken and chicken broth tonight and it was delicious. I added in some fatty ground pork so that it would balance out my lean ground chicken though. In all, I recommend this recipe and will be making it again in the future. Thank you.
Laureen King says
Terrific Emmie!
Lindsay R says
This was absolutely fantastic! I loved it so so much! And it was damn the torpedoes as far as all the oil, beef fat, butter and cream went. I used a spoon to clean the suace off my plate and when cleaning my cast iron pot there was a moment where I was tempted to lick it. I used my fingers instead 🙂
Thank you so very much!
Lindsay
Laureen King says
That is awesome Lindsay, so glad you enjoyed the recipe!
Rae says
Making this hopefully tomorrow....plus making extra meatballs to freeze for busy nights with school and homework.
Laureen King says
Having a extra meatballs in the freezer is a great idea for those busy days!
Courtnificent says
So, I'm a bit picky and I hardly EVER follow a recipe precisely. This one is as close as I've gotten. The only change I made was that I was out of panko so I made my own bread crumbs. I found that it took about 2x the amount of crumbs to the same amount of milk. Otherwise, I followed the directions exactly. It was fantastic. I am about to make it for the 2nd time. Thank you for sharing. 🙂 PS - I don't even like meatballs. LOL 🙂
Laureen King says
I a thrilled you enjoyed the recipe, thanks for taking the time to drop me note.
Michelle says
I made this tonight and it was SO GOOD. I used regular bread crumbs instead of Panko and didn't soak them in milk but kept everything else essentially the same. We served it over rice because it's typically a heavier dish and felt the rice kept it a little lighter, but it was a perfect dish for a rainy day!
Laureen King says
Hi Michelle, thankyou for dropping me a comment, so glad you enjoyed the recipe
Jules says
I made this tonight, and hands down, this is the best Swedish Meatballs I've ever had! I followed your recipe exactly, and it turned out so amazing! Thank you so much for the recipe, I'll be making this dish often!!
Laureen King says
Thank you so much Jules. Thanks for taking the time to comment. So glad you enjoyed the recipe.
Belinda says
Made a few days ago. Very good thank you.
Laureen King says
thank you Belinda for dropping me a comment, glad you liked the recipe.
savvy_lady says
Pinterest brings me to so many yummy recipes, and this is one of them!
I made these for our family of 5 last week and even the picky kids ate them! Now that's a miracle lol!
I made the recipe exactly as is and served with mashed potatoes and carrots. There was a good amount of sauce which was fantastic with the potatoes!
The Worcestershire sauce is definitely the ingredient that makes the flavor pop.
Thanks for sharing! This one is definitely a keeper!
Laureen King says
Thank you for taking the time to drop me a comment, its awesome when you find a recipe the whole family loves.
SCOTT1235 says
I made this for my wife and daughter tonite it was easy and very good ,can't wait to eat the left overs
Laureen King says
That's great Scott, happy your family enjoyed the meatballs!
Sherri says
Do I use whipping cream or 18% cream or is there a different one? Also I doubled the meatballs so should I double the sauce too or just leave it
Laureen King says
Hi Sherri, I use whipping cream. Yes I would double the sauce.
Kicki Strandberg says
I really like this recipe for meatballs and I'll try it but there is no Swedish about these meatballs. Trust me, I'm Swedish! 🙂
Mayby a little bit italian and a bit english but you don't have garlic and oregano in swedish meatballs. Nor Worchester sause and Dijon mustard.
But I'll still try it out because it sounds really good. But I would not try to have the on the Christmas table! 🙂
Tina says
These were absolutely delicious. Loooooooved them. Will definitely make these again.
Laureen King says
Thank you Tina, so happy you enjoyed the recipe.
Susan e says
I made these, good but next time I will use fattier beef as I used grass fed lean and think fattier would be better.
Peter Bengtsson says
In real swedish meatballs there is also pork
Denise says
If the sauce is to liquified does it thicken as it cools?
Laureen King says
Hi Denise, the sauce will thicken as it cools.
Becky says
Have you made this recipe and froze it ? I'm catering a wedding rehearsal dinner and would like to get them done ahead of time .
Laureen King says
Hi Becky, I have not froze this recipe. I never have enough left over. Meatballs usually freeze quite well, so I don't think it should be a problem. Best it probably make a batch and test freezing them.
Fredrik says
Hallo and Greetings from Sweden the meatballs looks good but are not Swedish!.
We dont put oregano and djon mustard and garlic in the meatballs.
We only have salt and black pepper and onion.
A brown sause made of salt pepper and cream then some soy sause for color
Then we eat them with boiled and lingon berry jam.
Jan Hogg says
Brilliant!nice warming supper for Christmas Eve at our daughters ,grandson Matty will be looking for more and our Fikey eater (son in law John ) will have a problem with Santa if he complains!!! Great recipe thank you ,Merry Christmas Jan in the Scottish Borders
Laureen King says
Thank you Jan, hope you have a wonderful Christmas season.
Gail says
If I want to triple this recipe do I literally triple everything? Any ingredient I shouldn't triple but maybe double?
Laureen King says
Hi Gail, I would only double the oregano, and start with double Worcestershire sauce
and Dijon mustard, then add more to taste.
Jean says
Thank you. Husband-approved meal. I was attracted to them by the gravy--it looked like my mother's. They are not really Swedish meatballs with the oregano, but they will be made again, husband liked.
Laureen King says
Hi Jean, so glad your husband enjoyed the recipe. Have a great Holiday season
kathleen says
Seriously good sauce. I had left over meatballs in the freezer and used this sauce. It was great.
Laureen King says
thank Kathleen, yes I love the sauce. One of my favs is on mashed potatoes.
Brandy says
This was an awesome dinner! I made a change to make it gluten free. My husband, daughter and I loved it.
Laureen King says
Thank you Brandy,
Sherri says
I have celiac The first time I made this a couple months ago I made it over rice which was delicious. The meatballs and sauce were rich and tasty!! (drooling writing this haha!) I finally found some really GOOD tasting gluten-free egg noodles; therefore, I am going to make this again this week with the noodles this time. Can't wait!! Great great great recipe!!! Yummm!!!!
Laureen King says
Thank you so much, I love these meatballs over rice as well.
Shannon says
Absolutely the best Swedish meatballs recipe I've ever had! I love the sauce so much that I double it - YUM!
Laureen King says
Thank you Shannon, I really appreciate that you took the time to comment. Happy New Year!
Faith G says
Loved this recipe. I cooked it for my daughters, for their freezer, and I made more tonight for my husband and me. Delicious. I only cook about 7 meat balls in the frying pan, the rest I cook in the oven on a wire rack at 350 degrees for 25 minutes. It is quicker and the meat balls are perfect.
Laureen King says
Hi Faith, you daughters are so lucky. I often sear the meatballs, then transfer to oven to finish cooking as well. Searing them 1st leaves all those great browned bits that are needed to add flavour to the sauce.
Karalee says
My sauce didn't seem very thick, however, it tasted delicious and the meatballs were so yummy!
Thanks for sharing!
Laureen King says
Hi Karalee, not sure what could have affected the thickness of the sauce, but if this happens again you can thicken it up with a bit of flour or cornstarch. Scoop out a bit of the sauce, then whisk it together with about 1 tbsp. of flour or cornstarch to make a slurry. Then whisk slurry back into sauce.
Kourtney Harrington says
Made this last night and it was great! Its a cold weekend here in Michigan and this warmed us right up! Thank you for sharing!
Laureen King says
Hi Kourtney, Michigan is sure getting blasted with some cold weather lately. So glad you enjoyed the recipe!
Jody Champion says
These were so very good. And they got the ultimate seal of approval, my picky tween boy. He loved them. Thanks for a great, easy recipe!
Laureen King says
So glad to hear your family enjoyed the recipe, makes my day when I get messages like yours. Thanks!
Crissy says
I made this recipe for dinner tonight and we LOVED it! I had Omaha steaks meatballs, so I used them, but I love your meatball recipe and will make them next time. The seasonings for the sauce were amazing and the sauce thickened beautifully. I am disappointed to see so many comments from people who didn't like the recipe. I am sorry people feel the need to say these aren't real Swedish Meatballs or that the recipe is bland. I thought it was comforting and full of flavor! Thanks for sharing the recipe, I love it!
Laureen King says
Thank you Crissy, so glad you enjoyed the recipe. An extremely large percentage of people who have tried my recipe love it, my family loves it, and that helps me ignore the negative comments. As food blogger, I have to accept the fact I'm not going to please everyone 🙂 Thanks again for your kind comments.
Penny says
I made these the other night and they were delicious. I didn't have heavy cream so I added an extra tablespoon of flour to the butter and flour mixture and used skim milk instead and it turned out great!
I'll definitely be making these again!
Laureen King says
That is great Penny, good way to make the recipe lower fat.
Rochelle says
Hi! This recipe looks delicious! I don't have any Heavy Whipping Cream and am stuck at home with a broken ankle. Would 1% Milk work? Maybe a little sour cream?
Laureen King says
Hi Rochelle, use milk and thicken the sauce a bit more by adding 2 more tbsp. of flour and 1 more tbsp of butter. you may also have to add a bit more seasonings.
Kari says
I have made these...delish! You will love them. Making this recipe in a cast iron skillet or dutch oven really does make a difference too!
Laureen King says
Agreed Kari, dutch ovens and cast iron skillets get great sears on meat.
Jennifer says
Fabulous! Thank you very much!
Peter Bengtsson says
You can call them meatballs, but don't call them swedish meatballs. That is not even close to swedish meatballs.
Mindy says
Peter, in the United States "Swedish meatballs" has evolved to be a generic term for meatballs that are smaller than the larger Italian meatballs. Swedish cuisine and culture. make that Scandinavian, is pretty much non-existent to the general public except for Ikea. I live just outside Chicago. At one time (1890s) Chicago had more Swedes than any other city except Stockholm. The last Swedish deli here closed in 2007. There is little Swedish presence today except for a small Swedish American Museum, one restaurant and North Park University.
Christy says
This was really good! I think I'd add more garlic and possibly some Allspice and nutmeg for more authenticity. I liked that there was extra sauce.
Laureen King says
Thank you Christy, allspice and nutmeg sound like delicious additions
Peter Bengtsson says
And it's even less SWEDISH meatballs!!!
Christina says
Seriously we get you don't like the name Swedish meatballs. Don't make it then!
Peter Bengtsson says
I could make them, and call them mediterean meatballs. Because there is nothing swedish with them. It's just plain ignorance to call them swedish meatballs.
Christina says
More ignorant to give a recipe 1 star that you haven't made because you don't like the name. Again we all get you don't like the name.
Peter Bengtsson says
Oh, I made italian spiced meatballs many times. I can give the recipe 1 star because expecting swedish flavour and get italian is not correct.
Christy Nichols says
He's a very cranky Swede....
Christina says
Amazing!!!! Made tonight, my 14 yr old son asked what we were having. When I told him, he said he wasn't really hungry. I knew he didn't really like meatballs, but I told him he had to try it. Okay so his fork was going so fast from the bowl to his mouth I was afraid he was gonna choke. He said it's a keeper!! My husband kept making mmm noises every bite. He loved it!! Thank you great recipee
Laureen King says
Your comment made my day Christina, thank you!
Catherine says
I made this tonight for dinner using ground turkey and served over mashed potatoes- everyone loved it! I didn't have heavy cream so I substituted it with whole milk and sour cream. I also threw in some paprika. It was delicious and was a great dish that I will make again.
janelle says
I have made these meatballs several times, and the only thing I changed was I used 50 percent beef, and 50 percent ground pork. These meatballs are so tender and flavorful. I am so glad that I tried this recipe. I make it at least once a month.
Courtney says
Made these tonight for dinner. O.M.G. best meatballs ever!!
Maria says
I just made these for dinner and my brother and I devoured them! They were so delicious. We did use ground turkey instead of ground beef and they were still just as juicy and tender! I also paired it with oven-roasted sweet potatoes and it was perfect! Great recipe, and easy-to-follow directions.
Laureen King says
Thank you Maria, Ground turkey is a great substitution and I bet it tasted great with sweet potatoes!
Mommadubs says
I just made these on Monday - went back today to print the recipe and it has changed?? I'm not seeing Allspice and nutmeg and the Worcestershire sauce was 1 Tbsp not 1/2...am I missing something??
Laureen King says
Hi Mommadubs, I have a feeling you were looking at a different recipe, because mine has not changed since I 1st posted it. Do you have a link or the photo, maybe I can help you find the recipe you originally looked at.
Lynda says
Just made it tonight , the Hubster and I loved it. Thank you!
Sonia says
Made these last night and we all enjoyed them! My boys loved the gravy and I liked that their was enough gravy to go over our mashed potatoes as well. Will definitely make again and again!
Laureen King says
Fantastic your family enjoyed it! I love this recipe with mashed potatoes!
Lynn Erickson says
Thank you so much for this recipe! My dad would’ve been so proud!
Beth dige says
Hi Lauren,
Whatever people calls it, the name doesnt matter, it is the taste of the food that matters. The outcome really👌👌👌
Laureen King says
My thoughts exactly Beth.
Saunny Murray says
This was amazing! Thank you so much for sharing your recipe. Loved the sauce especially.
Laureen King says
Thank you Saunny, the sauce is my favourite, love this recipe with mashed potatoes as well as pasta.
Sam Creamer says
Made this over the weekend and we both loved it. Next time I'll put more garlic and onions but that is just a personal thing for us. Great recipe and it tasted good as leftovers the next night. Just let the sauce warm up really slowly and steamed the pasta in a double broiler. Thanks so much.
Laureen King says
thanks Sam, glad you enjoyed the recipe!
Lori kilo says
I just made this exactly as listed. It is fantastic!!!
Laureen King says
thanks so much Lori for leaving a comment, Glad you enjoyed the recipe
Nerissa says
this is such a great recipe and I think is even better than IKEA's ones. Thank you!!
Laureen King says
Thank you so much Nerissa
Lisa says
This is the fourth time that I have made this recipe. My family loves it!
Laureen King says
Wonderful Lisa, means a lot to mean when people take the time to comment on my blog. So glad you found a recipe the family loves.
Guy says
Hi Laureen,
I don't usually follow recipes to the letter, but I did on this one and my boys just loved it, all 3 requested I add it to our arsenal of top ten recipes. For years their mum took blue ribbon on Swedish Meatballs, now dads got it!
Thanks Laureen for such a great recipe.
Laureen King says
Hey Guy, I am truly humbled by your comment. I really appreciate you taking the time to leave a comment. So great your boys enjoyed the recipe!
lisa a whitehead says
can we use half and half? I dont have heavy cream in the house? thank you
Laureen King says
Yes you can use half and half, it may not thicken up quite as much and in that case use a bit of cornstarch (2 tsp cornstarch mixed with 2 tsp water) stirred in to thicken it up.
Debbie Pitzer says
I have made these a few times and they are AMAZING!!!! I do have a question. I want to make them ahead of time. Is that possible? Would I just keep them warm after searing or should I refrigerate? I want to make them around noon - 2pm and serve around 8pm. Thanks!
Laureen King says
Hi Debbie, I would definitely keep them refrigerated. You can reheat in oven. I would suggest 30-40 minutes before serving at 300º
Patricia Ostergren says
I'm sure these are tasty meatballs. PLEASE do not call them authentic Swedish meatballs. Authentic one always have allspice in them and no oregano. These lean towards Italian. Also Swedish ones have beef, pork, and veal in them.
Renee says
Absolutely delicious! This is my 9 year old son's favor meal! Thank you.
Robert says
I would recommend serving this with lingonberries (or cranberries) to make it even more traditional Swedish. Nice recipe!
Laureen King says
Great idea Robert! thanks
Dominnique says
This is a household favorite. We don’t really eat red meat much so I’ve used ground turkey and then I use chicken broth. Tastes delish. I also cook brown rice with it. Thanks for sharing the recipe.
Alison says
Has anyone ever baked the meatballs? I’m doubling it and I know would be much easier to bake the meatballs instead of cooking 2 pounds worth in a pan!
Laureen King says
Hi Alison, you can bake the meatballs in the oven but then you won't have the tasty bits that add incredible flavor to the sauce.
Michelle says
My stomach can’t take heavy cream, did you ever use whole milk to see how it came out? I’m sure not as thick , but any other suggestions?
Laureen King says
Using whole milk can work but you will probably have to thicken the gravy with a thickening agent like cornstarch or a flour slurry.
Debora Florimonte says
I use ground turkey and substituted Coconut cream, I've made it so many times...family favorite...thank you!
Marlene says
You could possibly try sour cream (like stroganoff) or lite sour cream. It would give it the richness that heavy cream would, and thicken it a little too. Worth a shot!
Danielle says
Would I be able to freeze this recipe?
Laureen King says
Hi Danielle, this recipe should freeze well.
Karla says
Not with cream in it though. It will separate in the freezer. After its thawed put back in pan to warm through and then add the cream
Laureen King says
thanks for the tip Karla.
Teri Blount says
I have made this several times and freeze them just fine. I double the sauce though. This is for my mother and I-me; we eat 4 meatballs for one dinner then freeze 4 meals. My mother really likes the sauce.
Denis Lajoie says
The best, simply the best! These have become a family favourite
Thank you for sharing
Denis
Laureen King says
Thank you Denis!
Ann Still says
Could you make this with ground turkey?
Laureen King says
Absolutely, ground turkey is a great alternative.
Jeanette says
I love this recipe! I make it every other week. 🙂
Laureen King says
Thanks Jeanette, that is awesome to hear!
Laura says
I made these tonight, and my family loved them! I served the meatballs over noodles. Delicious!
Laureen King says
Hey Laura, thanks for the comment. Super that your family enjoyed this recipe. Its one of my family's fav as well.
Rachael Wright says
Hi Laureen! I’m trying this recipe tonight. When making the meatballs do you use 1 tablespoon per ball?
Laureen King says
Awesome Rachael, I usually do a heaping tablespoon.
Crissy says
These were perfect Swedish meatballs! I cooked them in the oven at 400 for 18 minutes and used onion powder in place of sauteed onion. A little sour cream and a little heavy cream made for a great sauce, the worcestershire and dijon adds lots of flavor. Definitely will use this recipe again and again! Thanks so much for sharing!
Laureen King says
Thank you Crissy, appreciate taking the time to comment and leave star rating.
Kat says
Amazing!! Have you ever made and froze?
Jainie says
Absolutely delicious!!!!! Followed recipe to the T! Server over garlic chives mashed potatoes. This is definitely a keeper!!!!! THANK YOU for this!!!!
Eleanor says
I'm looking forward to trying this recipe tonight! Do you have a recommendation for substituting the heavy cream or is that a "must have" ingredient that makes the recipe?
Laureen King says
Hi Eleanor, the heavy cream adds great flavour to the recipe as well it thickens the sauce. You could try milk but would have to use some kind of gravy thickener. The taste would not be as good.
Jeanette says
Best recipe ever!!!
Emilie Levert says
Could I use cream cheese and milk instead of heavy cream
Laureen King says
Have not tried that Emilie, but sounds interesting.
DEBORAH PITZER says
I've made these several times and my family LOVES them.
I'm crunched for time this evening and wondered if I could bake them off instead of frying them?
Laureen King says
Hi Deborah, yes you can bake them in the oven but you won't get the nice brown bits from pan frying them so your gravy won't get the brown color to them and may require a bit more season. They still taste great and you can make large batches of meatballs using the oven method.
Leah McMahon says
I absolutely love this recipe. I want to make these for an appetizer at a little party. I'm wondering if this recipe would work in a Crock-pot?
Laureen King says
I would make the recipe in a skillet to make sure you get a good gravy as shown and then transfer to crockpot to keep warm or even use to reheat the meatballs.
Lisa says
I have always loved Swedish Meatballs. But, have never made them. I am so glad that I chose your recipe for my first time.
Clear cut instructions that are easy to follow.
And these meatballs are the best thatI have ever had. My husband agrees.
Thank you,
Lisa Germanowski
Laureen King says
Thank you so much Lisa, glad you enjoyed the recipe.
Catol says
I made this for dinner today. It was really good. It was easy to make and I had just about everything on hand.
Laureen King says
Thank you Catol for taking the time to comment and rate my recipe. Glad you enjoyed it.
Net says
So I cheated with the meatballs, i brought a bag and just made gravy/sauce part of the recipe 😋😋😋 It still was delicious!! Thanks for sharing.
Lori Schrank says
Thanks for the recipe. My husband is getting picky the older he gets, but he actually liked this recipe. Thanks again!
Chris says
Seriously? Garlic, oregano, mustard in a recipe for Swedish meatballs? No allspice or nutmeg? Wrong on so many levels.
Elisha Hoskins says
That's what I was thinking too. Nutmeg and allspice add such a wonderful taste to make these stand out as swedish meatballs and not just meatballs.
Christy says
These are absolutely amazing. I used fresh oregano from my container garden, and the taste was spectacular! They do take some time and effort to make, but I promise it's worth it!
Laureen King says
Thank you Christy, I love using garden fresh herbs in recipes!
Patricia says
These are NOT authentic Swedish meatballs. Swedish meatballs MUST have Allspice seasoning in them...NOT Italian herbs. These may taste good, but they are not the real thing. I am part of a Swedish family that goes way back. Look up the facts, please, before you call something authentic..
Elisha Leigh Hoskins says
I agree 100%
Clara Labelle says
She never said they are authentic, they are her recipe for swedish meatballs. Why add useless comments? Post your own recipe the way you want it if that is the case..
William says
Delicious recipe. Definitely a favorite. Adding the 1/4 tsp each of nutmeg and Allspice really added to the flavor of the Meatballs. Not sure if it was intended, but after cooking the meatballs in the cream sauce for 10 minutes, I gently folded the egg noodles into the Meatballs and cream sauce so as not to break up the Meatballs. Doing so added a lot more flavor to the noodles, than simply spooning the Meatballs and sauce on top. In any case, a real winner.
Laureen King says
thank you William!