Swedish Meatballs

Name: Swedish Meatballs
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 25 min
Total time: 40 min
Yield: 4 servings
Ingredients: 1 lb ground beef, 80/20 blend preferred; 0.25 cup panko bread crumbs; 1 tbsp fresh parsley, finely chopped; 0.25 tsp ground allspice; 0.25 tsp ground nutmeg; 0.25 cup yellow onion, finely minced; 0.5 tsp garlic powder; 0.13 tsp freshly ground black pepper; 0.5 tsp kosher salt; 1 large egg, lightly beaten; 1 tbsp olive oil; 5 tbsp unsalted butter, divided; 3 tbsp all-purpose flour; 2 cup beef broth, preferably low-sodium; 1 cup heavy cream; 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce; 1 tsp Dijon mustard; salt and pepper to taste

Classic Swedish Meatballs in Silky Cream Sauce

The secret to authentic Swedish meatballs lies in the warm spices — allspice and nutmeg create that distinctive flavor that sets them apart from Italian versions. Each tender meatball gets a luxurious coat of pan gravy enriched with cream and a hint of Dijon sharpness. Serve them over buttered egg noodles for the full comfort food experience.

ScandinavianDinnerComfort FoodBeef

Prep15 min

Cook25 min

Total40 min

Servings4

Difficultymedium

Ingredients

Meatballs

1 lbground beef, 80/20 blend preferred
¼ cuppanko bread crumbs
1 tbspfresh parsley, finely chopped
¼ tspground allspice
¼ tspground nutmeg
¼ cupyellow onion, finely minced
½ tspgarlic powder
⅛ tspfreshly ground black pepper
½ tspkosher salt
1 large egg, lightly beaten

Sauce

1 tbspolive oil
5 tbspunsalted butter, divided
3 tbspall-purpose flour
2 cupbeef broth, preferably low-sodium
1 cupheavy cream
1 tbspWorcestershire sauce
1 tspDijon mustard
salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

Preheat your oven to 350°F. In a medium bowl, gently combine the ground beef, panko, parsley, allspice, nutmeg, minced onion, garlic powder, pepper, salt, and beaten egg. Mix with your hands just until everything comes together — overworking will make the meatballs tough.
Shape the mixture into 12 generous meatballs or 20 smaller ones, rolling them lightly between your palms. Keep them uniform in size so they cook evenly.
Heat the olive oil and 1 tablespoon of butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. When the butter stops foaming, add the meatballs and brown them on all sides, turning carefully with tongs. You want a rich golden crust all around — this adds serious flavor to the final dish.
Transfer the browned meatballs to a rimmed baking sheet and slide into the 350°F oven. Bake until they're cooked through with no trace of pink in the center — this usually takes about 15-20 minutes depending on size.
While the meatballs finish cooking, add the remaining 4 tablespoons of butter to the same skillet. Once melted, whisk in the flour and cook until the mixture turns golden brown and smells nutty — about 2-3 minutes. This is your roux, and browning it properly gives the sauce depth.
Gradually pour in the beef broth, whisking constantly to prevent lumps. Follow with the heavy cream, Worcestershire sauce, and Dijon mustard, whisking everything smooth.
Bring the sauce to a gentle simmer and let it bubble until it coats the back of a spoon — usually 3-4 minutes. Taste and adjust with salt and pepper as needed. The sauce should be rich and velvety.
Nestle the cooked meatballs back into the creamy sauce and let them simmer together for a minute or two. This final step marries the flavors beautifully.
⏱ 1 min 30 sec
Serve immediately over buttered egg noodles or fluffy rice, spooning extra sauce over everything. A sprinkle of fresh parsley makes it picture-perfect.