Savory Sweet Swedish Meatballs are delicious tender beef meatballs in a hearty rich cream sauce with a hint of sweetness. They are the ultimate comfort meal and absolutely delicious served over Amish egg noodles.
If you have never tried Swedish meatballs you really must. They are indeed a real treat! They are super easy to prepare and can be cooked and on the table in about thirty five minutes. Almost any veggie could accompany the meal. I went with a real simple zucchini and yellow squash quick pan saute.
What are Swedish Meatballs?
The meatball itself is somewhat similar to the Italian meatball with a pinch of nutmeg in place of the Italian herbs and spices. The sauce however is completely different from an Italian sauce. It is a roux based gravy that gets a large portion of its flavor from the brown bits that were left in the pan after cooking the meatballs and from the nutmeg.
How to make Swedish Meatballs.
Mix the beef, onion, breadcrumbs, egg, spices and parsley together. Shape into meatballs and cook in skillet until golden brown. Move meatballs to plate and cover to keep warm. Add butter to skillet and scrape to loosen the brown bits. Whisk in flour until smooth. Slowly whisk in beef broth and cook over low heat until thickened. Add the sour cream whisking it in until it is well combined. Add the parsley, nutmeg, pepper & salt to taste. Return meatballs to pan and simmer for about ten minutes. Sprinkle with fresh parsley and serve over cooked egg noodles, rice or mashed potatoes.
Helpful hints for making Swedish Meatballs.
- Freeze the shaped raw meatballs for about ten minutes prior to cooking them. It helps them hold their round shape.
- I like to use a couple of tablespoons of sherry or brandy to loosen the brown bits left from the meatballs on the bottom of the pan.
- I use my stainless steel skillet for this recipe. A lot of the flavor from the gravy comes from the brown bits left in the bottom of the pan and that is not going to happen with a nonstick skillet.
- If the gravy becomes to thick waiting for the family to get home from school and work add a little bit more beef broth. Chicken broth and milk will work as well.
Give these Savory Sweet Swedish Meatballs a whirl and you will find yourself a little piece of heaven in a chaotic world!
Other ground beef recipes you will love!
- One Pot Beef and Macaroni
- Philly Cheesesteak Pasta
- Easy Taco Pasta Salad
- Ground Beef Stroganoff
- Ground Beef Tacos
- Beef Enchilada Casserole
This recipe was originally published July 25, 2014 and was republished June 21, 2018 with new pictures, relevant information and helpful hints.
PrintSwedish Meatballs
Savory and Sweet Swedish Meatballs are delicious tender beef meatballs in a hearty rich cream sauce with a hint of sweetness.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Total Time: 50 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings
- Category: Beef
- Method: Stove top
- Cuisine: Swedish
Ingredients
- Meatballs
- Olive oil
- 1/2 medium onion finely diced
- 1 lb ground turkey or beef
- 1/2 cup panko bread crumbs
- 1 large egg
- 1/4 teaspoon of nutmeg
- Pinch of allspice
- Fresh ground pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon of sea salt
- 1 tablespoon fresh parsley
- Sauce
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 3 tablespoons flour
- 2 cups low sodium beef broth
- 1/2 cup sour cream
- Fresh ground pepper and sea salt
- 1/4 cup fresh parsley plus 1-2 tablespoons for sprinkling on top of dish
- 1/8 teaspoon nutmeg
Instructions
- Combine the onion, ground turkey (or beef), bread crumbs, egg, nutmeg, allspice, a few cranks of your pepper-mill, salt and parsley in a bowl. Mix with your hand or a spoon. Shape in to one inch balls. Spray to coat saucepan with olive oil. Add meatballs and brown on all sides for about 7-10 minutes on medium heat. Remove from heat, cover and keep warm.
- Using the same pan to make the sauce loosen the browned bits from the bottom. Melt the butter over medium low. Whisk the flour into the butter stirring constantly. Add the beef broth slowly to the flour mixture whisking constantly. Once the sauce has thickened add the sour cream whisking it in until it is well combined. Add the parsley, nutmeg and pepper & salt to taste. Return the meatballs to the sauce and simmer for 7-10 minutes. Sprinkle with 1-2 tablespoons fresh parsley.
Notes
- Freeze the shaped raw meatballs for about ten minutes prior to cooking them. It helps them hold their round shape.
- I like to use a couple of tablespoons of sherry or brandy to loosen the brown bits left from the meatballs on the bottom of the pan.
- I use my stainless steel skillet for this recipe. A lot of the flavor from the gravy comes from the brown bits left in the bottom of the pan and that is not going to happen with a nonstick skillet.
- If the gravy becomes to thick waiting for the family to get home from school and work add a little bit more beef broth. Chicken broth and milk will work as well.
Keywords: swedish meatball recipe, swedish meatball sauce, easy swedish meatballs, how to make swedish meatballs
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Angela
Swedish meatballs are a favorite at my house but I could never bring myself to add the nutmeg. After reading this I finally tried it. Thanks for sharing. Everyone at my house agreed they loved it!
★★★★★
Marie-Charlotte Chatelain
Gorgeous Photography! Love this dish but it needs to have the perfect gravy and yours looks simply perfect in texture. Not to much not too little and smooth and silky
★★★★★
Ana F.
These Swedish meatballs turned out amazing! They were a hit with the family over the weekend. Thanks for the recipe!
★★★★★
Jen
We have been craving these but we moved and our IKEA is very far away. This perfectly hit the spot!
★★★★★
Gina
I’ve always loved the swap of nutmeg for Italian spices in Swedish meatballs and the sauce is so comforting and cozy – one of our favorites!
★★★★★
Barbara Knotts
Awesome recipe! This dish turned out amazing! Definitely a keeper.
★★★★★
Beth Pierce
Thanks Barbara! So glad that you liked it!!
Karen Velthaus
Cold, rainy, windy day here in NY today. This was a great meal on this type of day. It was very tasty, thanks.
★★★★★
Beth Pierce
My pleasure Karen! So glad that you liked it!!
Kv
Delicious!
bpierce
Thank you! 🙂