Description
Classic Swedish Meatballs are tender, flavorful meatballs cooked in a creamy, savory sauce made from butter, flour, beef broth, and cream. This quick and easy recipe combines fragrant spices like allspice and nutmeg with ground beef, onion, and breadcrumbs to create a comforting dish perfect for serving over noodles, mashed potatoes, or rice.
Ingredients
Scale
Meatballs
- 1 pound ground beef
- ¼ cup panko bread crumbs
- 1 tablespoon parsley, chopped
- ¼ teaspoon ground allspice
- ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- ¼ cup onion, finely chopped
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- â…› teaspoon pepper
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 egg
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 tablespoon butter
Sauce
- 4 tablespoons butter
- 3 tablespoons flour
- 2 cups beef broth
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce (or substitute with soy sauce and a dash of vinegar)
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Mix Ingredients: In a large mixing bowl, combine ground beef, panko breadcrumbs, chopped parsley, ground allspice, ground nutmeg, finely chopped onion, garlic powder, salt, pepper, and egg. Mix gently until just combined without overworking the meat.
- Form Meatballs: Roll the mixture into 12 large or 20 smaller uniform meatballs to ensure even cooking.
- Brown Meatballs: Heat olive oil and 1 tablespoon butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the meatballs and cook for 7–8 minutes, turning occasionally to brown all sides evenly. Once browned, transfer meatballs to a plate and cover to keep warm.
- Prepare Sauce: In the same skillet, melt 4 tablespoons butter over medium heat. Whisk in the flour and cook for 2–3 minutes until the mixture turns golden brown, forming a roux. Gradually whisk in beef broth until the sauce is smooth. Stir in heavy cream, Worcestershire sauce, and Dijon mustard. Let the sauce simmer until it thickens slightly.
- Combine and Heat Through: Season the sauce with salt and pepper to taste. Return the browned meatballs to the skillet and simmer everything together for 1–2 minutes until the meatballs are heated through and fully coated in the creamy sauce.
- Serve: Serve the Swedish meatballs over noodles, mashed potatoes, or rice. Spoon extra sauce over the top and garnish with chopped parsley if desired for added freshness.
Notes
- For a gluten-free option, substitute panko bread crumbs with gluten-free breadcrumbs and use gluten-free flour for the sauce.
- If avoiding Worcestershire sauce, use soy sauce combined with a dash of vinegar as a substitute.
- Ensure meatballs are uniform in size to cook evenly.
- Do not overmix the meatball mixture to keep meatballs tender.
- This dish can be made ahead and reheated gently on the stove.
