These heavenly Swedish Meatballs are a homemade version of the iconic Ikea meatballs. They’re a whole lot easier than assembling flat-pack furniture, that’s for sure! Extra-soft and juicy, with a dash of classic spices like allspice, they’re smothered with the bread-mop-worthy sauce.
Swedish Meatballs
I’m that person who goes into Ikea just to pick up tea lights, only to emerge 2 hours later with all sorts of useful organisation solutions, looking for a problem to solve.
I’m also that person who confidently puts together Ikea furniture (I’m a chartered accountant! I can do this!), only to worryingly end up with one leftover screw or bracket. Thankfully, none of my Ikea furniture has come tumbling down (yet), so now I have a theory that Ikea throws an extra piece into every flatpack just to mess with us.😂
As for their meatballs? Flatpack shopping is hard work. I can’t blame anyone who needs a pick-me-up after making it out the other end of the Ikea maze.
But once you’ve tried homemade Swedish Meatballs, you’ll never order these at the Ikea cafe ever again!
What’s so special about Swedish Meatballs?
If you’re wondering what’s so special about Swedish Meatballs, or what they taste like, close your eyes and imagine this: incredibly soft meatballs, made extra juicy by using a combination of both pork and beef and soaked bread instead of breadcrumbs, lightly spiced with just a touch of nutmeg and all spice that gives it the signature Swedish flavour, smothered in a creamy gravy that is absolutely to-die-for.
These are meatballs unlike any other – and regular readers know I have a very big soft spot for my favourite Italian Meatballs.
But I’d go as far to say that if you aren’t a regular maker of meatballs for whatever reason (pain to roll them, don’t like mixing meat with your hands etc etc), but you have the inclination to make ONE meatball recipe, make it these Swedish Meatballs.
You won’t regret it. I promise.
What goes in Swedish Meatballs
Here’s what you need to make the Swedish Meatballs.
Beef AND pork – the beef gives it flavour, the pork gives it juiciness and tenderness;
Bread – the secret to extra soft meatballs! Far more effective than breadcrumbs;
Nutmeg and All Spice – the signature spicing, just a small, subtle amount. All Spice is a particular type of spice made from a plant called Pimenta dioica. It smells like cloves. It’s a common spice found in normal supermarkets, and costs no more than usual spices. Best substitute is Mixed Spice.
Beef stock/broth and cream – for the creamy gravy;
Flour – to thicken the gravy;
Egg – for binding the meatballs together.
How to make Swedish Meatballs
Here’s how to make them:
FIRST, chop up sandwich bread, the soak in grated onion. This is a secret tip for ultra soft, extra tasty meatballs. Grating onion = no need to pan fry chopped onion AND extracts onion juices which soaks the bread, which later puffs up inside the meatballs as they cook, creating ultra soft meatballs!
How I roll meatballs
And here’s how I roll meatballs. It’s the fastest method I’ve been able to come up with!
Use an ice cream scooper with a lever to scoop up the mixture. Standard size is 3 tablespoons – I use slightly less than the scoop (3 tablespoons is quite large);
Scoop and dollop all the mixture;
THEN roll them all;
Voila! Even size meatballs, rolled relatively quickly!
Sauce for Swedish Meatballs
The sauce for Swedish Meatballs is a creamy gravy that is made with butter, beef broth/stock, thickened with flour and made creamy with cream.
But the most important flavour for the a really good creamy gravy is the pan drippings after searing the meatballs. All the brown stuff left in the pan after browning the meatballs adds incredible flavour into the gravy, which is why baking these meatballs is not an option!!!
What to serve with Swedish Meatballs
The Swedish Meatball eating experience is incomplete without creamy Mashed Potato. You need the mash so you can savour every last drop of that wickedly delicious creamy gravy.
Having said that though, rice, noodles or pasta are adequate fall backs, or some bread for mopping up the sauce (try this easy Artisan bread, or emergency No Yeast Sandwich Bread). And if you’re really trying to cut down on carbs, Creamy Mashed Cauliflower is your answer!
If you start now, you’ll have these on the table in less than hour. Are you ready for the most sinfully delectable meatballs you’ve ever had in your life?? – Nagi x
Watch how to make it
This recipe features in my debut cookbook Dinner. The book is mostly new recipes, but this is a reader favourite included by popular demand!
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Swedish Meatballs (homemade Ikea Meatballs)
Ingredients
Meatballs
- 2 slices white sandwich bread , crusts removed, chopped into small cubes (Note 1)
- 1 onion , small (brown, white or yellow)
- 300g / 10 oz ground beef (mince)
- 300g / 10 oz ground pork (mince) , or sub with more beef (Note 2)
- 1 egg
- 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg , preferably freshly grated
- 1/4 tsp All Spice powder (Note 3)
- 1/4 tsp black pepper
- 3/4 tsp salt
- 1 tbsp oil
Gravy
- 40g / 3 tbsp butter , unsalted
- 3 tbsp flour
- 2 cups beef broth/stock (salt reduced), or sub with chicken
- 1/2 cup heavy / thickened cream (Note 4)
Instructions
- Grate onion using a standard box grater (see video).
- Scrape onion and juices into bowl. Add bread and mix well – onion juice should make bread soggy (if not, add a tiny splash of milk). Set aside to soak for 1 minute.
- Add remaining Meatball ingredients EXCEPT oil. Mix well.
- Using a tablespoon measure and measure out a heaped tablespoon (or use ice cream scooper which is what I do), dollop on work surface. Repeat with remaining mixture: 25 – 30 meatballs. Then roll into shape.
Cooking
- Heat 1 tbsp oil in a skillet over medium high heat. Add half the meatballs and brown all over (but raw inside still) – about 3 minutes. Remove onto plate, then brown the remaining batch.
- If there is lots of oil, pour off excess and discard. Lower heat to medium.
Gravy
- Add butter into skillet and melt. Add flour and stir in. Cook for 1 minute.
- While mixing, add about 1/4 of the beef broth – it will thicken quickly. Then gradually add remaining beef broth, stirring as you go. Switch to whisk if required to make it lump free.
- When the liquid is simmering, add meatball and juices pooled on plate.
- Turn up heat slightly to keep it at a rapid simmer. Cook for 8 – 10 minutes or until the liquid thickens into a thin gravy, stirring occasionally.
- Add cream, simmer for a further 2 minutes then remove from stove.
- Serve over mashed potato (or Cauliflower Mash for low carb). For a truly authentic experience, add a dollop of ligonberry jam on the side!
Recipe Notes:
Nutrition Information:
Originally published January 2017. Post updated 13 May 2020 with improved videos, plus ingredients and step photos added. No change to recipe, it’s perfect as is!!!
Life of Dozer
Dozer – I love you, but if you bump that tripod while I’m filming, you will be in a LOT of trouble!!
And from the original publication date:
Trying to negotiate with Dozer using a Swedish Meatball…..
Hi Nagi, I had made this yesterday, thank you so much I have learn so much from you
R blog. 💋
You just keep on doing what you do, Nagi. The morons who troll the internet looking for slights to be outraged about are not worth your time. You and Dozer stay safe and well. Love your work.
Thanks so much Roger! N x
Great Meatballs! As are all your recipes! Just wanted to say, ignore the Trolls who wrote you about your comments re Sweden. They must lead pretty unhappy lives if they got message like they sent you, anyone who reads your pages should know you’ e comments were in jest and if they didn’t, it’ their problem! Thanks for your recipes and for Dozer. Keep up the good work!! Stay safe!
Thanks so much Joan! ❤️
I agree the recipe was delicious. Since ikea was closed, I made the meatballs.
Don’t worry about the folks who have no life and didn’t get your joke. They have no life.
I love your recipes and your sense of humour! Don’t listen to the whining trolls. Never change! We all need a bit of laughter.
Thanks Brenda! N x
I made these…You are my HERO!…fantastic…followed every word and action exactly! Will never buy IKEA Meatballs ever again! You more than nailed it!….
P.S. I love your light hearted comments…. you are a hoot! You make sense of the world and take action whether in the kitchen or the lives that matter (providing for first line responders), you make me smile, laugh and bring pure joy into my life…Thank you…THANK YOU!!!… You and Dozer ROCK!
Thanks so much Margaret!!! N x
Made this last night with 500g beef/500g pork as that’s what was in each packet and easily played with the ingredients to match this weight. Left overs galore! Absolutely loved it. Thank you for all your recipes and making it look like I can actually cook. All your recipes are so easy and adaptable!
Absolutely delicious. Swedish Meatballs are a favourite and this recipe reminded me of enjoying them in Stockholm!
Wahoo, thanks Mike! N x
These were amazing! I didn’t have the ground pork, but they still tasted very good and definitely reminiscent of the IKEA staple meatballs. I made your creamy mashed potatoes and wow, together with the gravy, it was great. Love your recipes, how easy they are to follow and how user friendly your website is, don’t change a thing!
Very accurate recipie for swedish meatballs (or, as we call them in Sweden, meatballs). But you forgot one of the most important condiment. Never, never ever serve meatballs without lingonberry jam!!!
Okay Romney… I’ll bite! What the recipe for lingonberry jam?
Lingonberrys and sugar to taste. Mix until sugar is dissolved, No cooking required.
Recipe turned out perfectly! No need to add anything else to the gravy as the beautiful fond left in my pan after removing meatballs ensured outstanding flavor! Super easy & delicious! I froze half of the meatballs (uncooked) for another delicious Swedish Meatball meal in the near future!
P.S. Made with heavy cream
I love your recipes! I usually follow them to the letter, but sometimes I use them as a “springboard “! I am also deeply deeply in love with Dozer…,
Nagi, I love your blog and your sense of humor, please don’t take the comments to heart. During these weird times we should all have a sense of humor – even about our own country. Laughter is a great gift that you give us. Thank you!
I loved the Swedish meatballs and I would ignore the internet trolls. Good grief. People don’t have a sense of humor any more.
Oh for heaven’s sake, Nagi – really? You’re a food blogger and we ALL love your sense of humor – you poke fun at yourself all the time. You go on right ahead.
Don’t be offended and never apologize for the truth.
Sweden is nothing but a liberal socialist dot on the world map
Tried these. Amazing sauce. Again, another winner.
And as for the comments about Sweden :”No sense of humour? Move along”. No judgement (read tolerance) is a good way to start enjoying life.”
Seriously, I am Swedish, almost 100% and I was NOT offended by this..I laughed and thought it was quite witty. Nagi, thank you and Dozer for always making us smile and providing some of the BEST recipes. Be well and stay safe
What can I say…Some people are stupid and quick to judge. There’s not a person on this earth that is perfect. Can we all just celebrate one another and not criticize. All of your loyal followers know that you are witty and talented and do not have a mean bone in your body. So please don’t lose sleep over their comments. It’s not worth it. And your follow through email was PERFECT!
1. I get your sense of humor
2. I LAUGHED!!
and I live in Minnesota, full of Swedes and a big IKEA store nearby. I went to a wedding where Swedish meatballs was the main entree, and I’ve seen the lines of people waiting to get some from IKEA, without having any shopping to do, so your statement is spot on, and from where I live, the phrase “Uf da” to describe how full you are after eating a meal might make my #3. It’s a perfect phrase, and you should try it.
Have a fabulous weekend!! I’m taking the night off of cooking to try my neighbor’s driveway BBQ, a new business to pop up during the stay at home order.
By the way, do you have any stovetop smoker recipes to fill my cravings?
Seriously? I find in these times people are surprising quick to be critical or become offended…even when it has absolutely nothing to do really with them or their lives. A lighthearted comment about a world renowned Vendor and an appealing recipe giving credit to same. Looks good.Thanks
I agree with Tracey. People do need to lighten up, and be re-taught that if you haven’t got something nice to say, don’t say anything. Your blog is great and your recipes are fabulous!