Swedish Meatballs Recipe

By
Diana Rattray
Diana Rattray
Diana Rattray
Southern-cuisine expert and cookbook author Diana Rattray has created more than 5,000 recipes and articles in her 20 years as a food writer.
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Updated on 12/28/22
Traditional Swedish meatballs

Luke Chan/Getty Images

Prep: 18 mins
Cook: 26 mins
Total: 44 mins
Servings: 4 to 6 servings

These Swedish meatballs are made with a rich and creamy sauce thickened with some flour and an egg yolk. The meat is all beef or a combination of veal and beef. Or use part lean ground pork in the mixture.

Swedish meatballs are traditionally served with mashed or boiled potatoes and lingonberry jam, but feel free to serve them with rice or noodles. If you like spiced meatballs, add a dash of allspice to the meat mixture.

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Ingredients

  • 1 pound ground veal, or beef, or a combination

  • 2 tablespoons fresh breadcrumbs

  • 3 tablespoons warm milk

  • 1 cup light cream, or heavy cream, divided

  • 1 large egg

  • Kosher salt, to taste

  • Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

  • 1 1/2 cups beef stock

  • 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour

  • 2 tablespoons water

  • 1 large egg yolk

  • 1 dash lemon juice

Steps to Make It

  1. Heat the oven to 400 F.

  2. Line a baking pan with foil and then spray lightly with nonstick cooking spray.

  3. In a large bowl, combine the bread crumbs with milk; let stand for a few minutes. Add the ground meat to the breadcrumbs along with about 1/3 cup of the cream. Blend well. Add the whole egg, 1/2 teaspoon of salt, and 1/8 teaspoon of freshly ground black pepper. Mix to blend thoroughly. Shape the meat mixture into 1-inch balls and place in the prepared baking pan.

  4. Bake the meatballs for about 20 minutes, or until no longer pink in the center. Remove the meatballs to a platter and keep warm.

  5. Meanwhile, in a saucepan, bring the beef stock to a simmer.

  6. In a small bowl, combine the flour with 2 tablespoons of water; blend until smooth. Stir the flour mixture into the broth and bring to a boil. continue cooking for 3 minutes. 

  7. In a small bowl, blend the remaining 2/3 cup of cream with the egg yolk. Whisk about 1/3 cup of the hot broth into the egg and cream mixture and then return the mixture to the broth.

  8. Cook the sauce, stirring, just until the mixture begins to simmer. Season to taste and pour over the meatballs.

  9. Serve the meatballs and sauce with boiled or mashed potatoes, rice, or noodles.

 

Nutrition Facts (per serving)
297 Calories
19g Fat
6g Carbs
25g Protein
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 4 to 6
Amount per serving
Calories 297
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 19g 25%
Saturated Fat 8g 41%
Cholesterol 175mg 58%
Sodium 355mg 15%
Total Carbohydrate 6g 2%
Dietary Fiber 0g 1%
Total Sugars 2g
Protein 25g
Vitamin C 0mg 2%
Calcium 82mg 6%
Iron 2mg 10%
Potassium 395mg 8%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)