These delicious Swedish Meatballs take their base formula from my grandmother’s Italian Meatball recipe. From there they get all the flavors of a great Swedish Meatball recipe. Traditionally, Swedish Meatballs are served with lingonberry preserves. Americans have spun this recipe into a dish served with a thick and rich sour cream based gravy. That is the version you are getting here, and it is nothing short of delicious and comforting. Pan fried in butter with the perfect combination of ingredients leaves you with a meatball that is crisp on the outside and tender and flavorful on the inside.
Swedish Meatball Ingredients
Ground Meat: We are using a combination of ground beef and ground pork in this recipe. The combo works great in meatballs and meatloaf, giving you the best of both worlds and a deep flavor. White Bread: Just like in grandma’s recipe we are soaking bread in water. This method brings a great moisture to a meatball recipe, while also working as a glue. Eggs: These provide additional binding to hold the meatballs together. Breadcrumbs: Plain, unseasoned, breadcrumbs provide great structure and help us form meatballs into their sphere shape. Onion: Make sure to dice the onions fine. There is nothing worse than a chunk of onion in a meatball. Garlic: A little garlic adds a great layer of flavor to these meatballs. Spices: Just a few spices round out these meatballs and give them their signature flavor.
How to Make Swedish Meatballs
Pork and Ground Beef Combination
You will notice that we are using a combination of ground beef and ground pork in this recipe. Using both brings the perfect ratio of fat and meat while providing a deep flavor to the meatball.
How to Serve Swedish Meatballs
Traditionally Swedish Meatballs are served with lingonberry preserves and Swedish pickled cucumbers. A lot of us have come to love IKEA Swedish Meatballs served in a gravy. In this recipe we are using sour cream to make the gravy creamier. While not the traditional Swedish Meatball way, it is absolutely delicious. Swedish Meatballs are often enjoyed over egg noodles. You could also serve these with mashed potatoes or boiled red potatoes.
Make Ahead
You can make Swedish Meatballs ahead of time. Pan fry them and complete the recipe through step 3. The meatballs can be stored in the refrigerator overnight to eat the next day or they can be frozen. If freezing, freeze the meatballs in a single layer. Transfer the to an air tight container and store for three weeks. When you are ready to eat, thaw the meatballs in the refrigerator overnight. Then continue the recipe from step 4, heating the refrigerated meatballs in the gravy.
Other Comfort Food Recipes
Looking for more flavors of childhood that are comforting? Try some of these.
Crockpot LasagnaChicken and DumplingsGround Beef Stroganoff
If you make these Easy Swedish Meatballs or any of my other recipes, leave me a comment and let me know what you think.
