This authentic Swedish meatball recipe is ready in just about 35 minutes. Smothered in a rich flavorful cream sauce, these little meatballs pair perfectly with a side of rice or mashed potatoes and lingonberry jam or this 10-minute fruitti di bosco sauce. Plus, they’re a cinch to make — perfect for easy weeknight dinners or to make ahead and take to holiday parties. If you enjoy IKEA’s famous meatballs as much as we do, it’s time to make your own tastier version at home.
Why We Love This Swedish Meatballs Recipe
These meatballs are lightly spiced and comforting (just the way the Swedes intended them to be) and they couldn’t be easier to make.
- Baked or fried (bake them for larger groups — hands-free & splatter-free)
- One bowl mixing
- Ready in under 1 hour
- Great MealPrep-and-freeze option
- Taste great reheated the next day
- Perfect for parties and appetizers too
- Versatile flavor means you can eat them with anything
- Everyone loves meatballs
- Easy recipe for kiddos to help make
What is in the Meatballs at Ikea?
Ikea meatballs and cream gravy contain pretty basic meatball ingredient which I’ve outlned below. And while we love ordering them when shopping there, at home we much prefer the addition of a few warm spices and a little parsley.
- Ikea meatball ingredients. 500g (1 lb) ground beef and 250g (1/2lb) ground pork, 1 onion finely chopped, 1 clove of garlic (crushed or minced), 100g breadcrumbs, 1 egg, 5 tablespoons whole milk, and salt and pepper to taste.
- Ikea meatball cream gravy sauce ingredients. 40g butter, 40g all-purpose flour, 300ml vegetable, chicken, or beef stock, 150ml heavy cream, 2 teaspoons soy sauce, and 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard.
Easy Swedish Meatballs With Cream Gravy Ingredients
This is a very simple and forgiving recipe and substitutions can easily be made. I’ve included a few below just in case you need them.
Meatball Ingredients
- ground veal or beef
- ground pork
- butter (sub extra virgin olive oil)
- onion
- panko breadcrumbs (sub plain breadcrumbs or bread soaked in milk)
- egg
- garlic clove (sub garlic powder)
- allspice
- nutmeg, freshly grated
- parsley
- dried sage leaves (sub dry rubbed sage)
- salt and pepper
Cream Gravy Ingredients
- butter
- all-purpose flour
- heavy cream
- chicken stock or beef stock
- Dijon mustard
- Worchestershire sauce (sub soy sauce)
- pinch of nutmeg, freshly grated
- salt and pepper
How to Make the Best Swedish Meatballs (as always see below for step-by-step recipe photos)
- Sauté the onion. Add 1/2 tablespoon of butter to a preheated skillet and sauté the onion until translucent (about 4 to 5 minutes). Remove to a large mixing bowl.
- Make the meatball mixture. Add the pork and veal (or beef if using), breadcrumbs, egg, allspice, nutmeg, garlic powder, parsley, salt, and pepper, and mix until well combined.
- Taste test the meatball mixture. Add a small amount of the meatball mixture to a preheated skillet and cook until golden brown. Taste and adjust seasonings if needed before rolling the mixture into meatballs.
- Roll the meatballs & sauté them. Roll the mixture into about 20 small meatballs and set them on a platter. Heat the remaining 1/2 tablespoon of butter in the same skillet over medium heat until sizzling, add the meatballs in a single layer and cook on the first side until golden brown. Continue cooking, turning them periodically until all sides are browned and cooked through (15 to 20 minutes total). Remove them to a platter while you make the creamy gravy.
- Make the cream gravy. Melt 3 tablespoons of butter in the skillet and add the flour whisking constantly to create a roux. Cook the mixture until browned and the flour no longer tastes raw (about 2 to 3 minutes). Pour the chicken stock (or beef stock if using) and heavy cream (or milk if using) into the roux in a slow steady stream while constantly whisking and cook for a few minutes just until slightly thickened. Add the Worchestershire sauce, Dijon mustard, a pinch of nutmeg, and salt and pepper to taste. Adjust seasonings and add the meatballs back to the gravy, stir to cover them, and warm through. Garnish with scallions or parsley and serve over rice or mashed potatoes with a side of lingonberry berry or frutti di bosco jam. Enjoy!
4 Easy Ways to Cook Swedish Meatballs — Sautéed, Baked, Air-Fryer, and Instapot
Not only are meatballs a family favorite recipe, but they can be cooked in so many different which makes them one of the easiest family meals to prepare. Below are instructions for how to cook meatballs by baking, sautéeing, Air-frying, or cooking them in the crockpot or Instapot.
- Sautéed. Preheat a skillet over medium heat with butter or a drizzle of olive oil. Once the oil is hot, add the meatballs in a single layer and cook on the first side until golden brown. Continue cooking, turning them periodically until all sides are golden brown and cooked through. (15 to 20 minutes total).
- Baked. Preheat the oven to 350°F/175°C and bake meatballs on a foil-lined baking sheet for 20 to 25 minutes (for 1 1/2 to 1 3/4 inch meatballs and 30 to 35 minutes for larger meatballs). This is a hands-off, splatter-free way to cook meatballs which is especially great when cooking for a crowd.
- Air-Fryer. Preheat air fryer to 380°F/193°C and cook meatballs for 10 to 12 minutes, or until cooked through.
- Instapot. Add 1 cup of beef, vegetable, or chicken broth to the Instapot, add the trivet, and stack the formed meatballs on top of each other to form a mound, cover with the lid and cook on high pressure for 8 minutes with a 5-minute natural release. Remove the meatballs to a platter, and remove the trivet and the liquid (reserving it for the cream sauce). Add a drizzle of olive oil to the pot and set it to ‘sauté mode’ and add the meatballs back to the pot once the oil is hot. Continue cooking until golden brown on all sides.
The Best Things to Serve with Swedish Meatballs
Mashed potatoes or rice are definitely one of our favorite sides to pair with these meatballs, but we’ve given you a few more options for dinner inspiration.
- Simple Classic Italian Tomato Sauce
- Pan-Seared Purple Cauliflower Sesame Steaks
- Perfect Pan-Seared Zucchini
- Perfect Pan-Seared Sweet Carrots
- Easy Creamy Mushy Peas Recipe
Looking for More Tasty Meatball Inspiration?
Then try out our chicken and pork meatball recipe which can be used to dip into your favorite sauce, or add to your favorite pasta sauce.
- Chicken & Pork Meatballs recipe
Let’s get started!
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Easy Swedish Meatballs (Even Better Than Ikea’s)
- Total Time: 35 minutes
- Yield: 20 Meatballs
Description
If you enjoy IKEA’s famous meatballs as much as we do, then we think you may also love this simple and even tastier version. This is a meal the whole family loves and it’s ready to eat in less than an hour.
Ingredients
Meatball Ingredients
- 1/2 pound ground veal OR beef (227g)
- 1/2 pound fatty ground pork (227g)
- 1 tablespoon butter (15g) (sub extra virgin olive oil)
- 3/4 cup onion, diced or grated (about 1 small onion) (120g)
- 1/4 cup panko breadcrumbs (15g)(sub plain breadcrumbs or bread soaked in milk)
- 1 large egg (50g)
- 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder (0.25g)(sub 1 garlic clove, minced)
- 1/4 teaspoon allspice, or up to 1/2 teaspoon (0.25g to 0.5g)
- 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg, freshly grated (0.5g)
- 1/2 teaspoon parsley, minced (optional) (3g)
- 2 fresh dried sage leaves, crumbled (sub dry rubbed sage)
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt, or more to taste (4g)
- 1/8 teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper, or more to taste (about 20 turns on peppermill)
Cream Gravy Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter (45g)
- 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour (30g)
- 1/4 cup + 2 tablespoons heavy cream (3 ounces) (85g) (sub whole milk)
- 2 cups chicken stock or beef stock (475g)
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard, or more to taste (5g)
- 1 teaspoon Worchestershire sauce, or more to taste (6g) (sub 1 teaspoon soy sauce)
- pinch of nutmeg, freshly grated (optional)
- salt and pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Sauté the onion. Add 1/2 tablespoon of butter to a preheated skillet and sauté the onion until translucent (about 4 to 5 minutes). Remove to a large mixing bowl.
- Make the meatball mixture. Add the pork and veal (or beef if using), breadcrumbs, egg, allspice, nutmeg, garlic powder, parsley, salt, and pepper, and mix until well combined.
- Taste test the meatball mixture. Add a small amount of the meatball mixture to a preheated skillet and cook until golden brown. Taste and adjust seasonings if needed before rolling the mixture into meatballs.
- Roll the meatballs & sauté them. Roll the mixture into about 20 small meatballs and set them on a platter. Heat the remaining 1/2 tablespoon of butter in the same skillet over medium heat until sizzling, add the meatballs in a single layer and cook on the first side until golden brown. Continue cooking, turning them periodically until all sides are browned and cooked through (15 to 20 minutes total). Remove them to a platter while you make the creamy gravy.
- Make the cream gravy. Melt 3 tablespoons of butter in the skillet and add the flour whisking constantly to create a roux. Cook the mixture until browned and the flour no longer tastes raw (about 2 to 3 minutes). Pour the chicken stock (or beef stock if using) and heavy cream (or milk if using) into the roux in a slow steady stream while constantly whisking and cook for a few minutes just until slightly thickened. Add the Worchestershire sauce, Dijon mustard, a pinch of nutmeg, and salt and pepper to taste. Adjust seasonings and add the meatballs back to the gravy, stir to cover them, and warm through. Garnish with scallions or parsley and serve over rice or mashed potatoes with a side of lingonberry berry or frutti di bosco jam. Enjoy!
Notes
- Make ahead and freeze fully cooked meatballs in gravy, by allowing them to completely cool and placing them in an airtight container. Thaw in the refrigerator overnight and reheat covered in a skillet for about 10 minutes or until warmed through. Add a touch of water, meat or vegetable stock, or even milk to loosen the gravy to desired consistency if needed.
- Make ahead and freeze uncooked meatballs, by placing them on a parchment-lined sheet tray and popping them into the freezer until frozen solid. Once they are completely frozen, place the meatballs into an airtight container or freezer bag, seal, and store until ready to cook.
- How to cook frozen raw uncooked meatballs in the oven. Place frozen uncooked meatballs on a parchment or foil-lined sheet tray and pop them into a preheated 350°F/176°C oven and cook for 20 to 25 minutes or until cooked through.
- How to cook frozen raw uncooked meatballs in a skillet on the stovetop. Preheat a skillet with 1 tablespoon of olive oil in it over medium-high heat and when sizzling, place the frozen uncooked meatballs into the pan in a single layer. Add about 1/2 cup of vegetable or meat stock (or even water) and cover with a lid. Cook allowing the meatballs to thaw and steam and the liquid to evaporate (about 8 to 10 minutes). Reduce the heat to medium, remove the lid and continue cooking until all of the liquid has evaporated. Turn the meatballs periodically to brown them on all sides and continue until cooked through and golden brown (about 10 to 15 minutes).
3 Other Easy Ways to Cook Swedish Meatballs — Baked, Air-Fryer, and Instapot Instructions
- Baked. Preheat the oven to 350°F/175°C and bake meatballs on a foil-lined baking sheet for 20 to 25 minutes (for 1 1/2 to 1 3/4 inch meatballs and 30 to 35 minutes for larger meatballs). This is a hands-off, splatter-free way to cook meatballs which is especially great when cooking for a crowd.
- Air-Fryer. Preheat air fryer to 380°F/193°C and cook meatballs for 10 to 12 minutes, or until cooked through.
- Instapot. Add 1 cup of beef, vegetable, or chicken broth to the Instapot, add the trivet, and stack the formed meatballs on top of each other to form a mound, cover with the lid and cook on high pressure for 8 minutes with a 5-minute natural release. Remove the meatballs to a platter, and remove the trivet and the liquid (reserving it for the cream sauce). Add a drizzle of olive oil to the pot and set it to ‘sauté mode’ and add the meatballs back to the pot once the oil is hot. Continue cooking until golden brown on all sides.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Category: Meat + Chicken
- Method: Skillet
- Cuisine: Swedish
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 5 Meatballs
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Best Ever Ikea-Style Swedish Meatballs step-by-step recipe photos
Making the Meatballs
Making the Cream Gravy
