Recipe for Swedish Meatballs — the Ultimate Comfort Food

If love on a plate had a flavor, it would taste like Swedish meatballs. Your family will love this classic comfort food recipe.

Updated January 29, 2024
Swedish meatball dinner

We love making comfort food classics for dinner. Sometimes, you just need a cozy meal with a hint of nostalgia to make everything right with the world. And Swedish meatballs are just that — a classic comfort food that'll leave you feeling warm, cozy, and loved — just the way mom meant for you to feel the first time she made them for you. Share that same love with your family with our comforting and tasty Swedish meatballs recipe. 

How to Make Homemade Swedish Meatballs

We think there's something therapeutic about making meatballs. It's so zen and satisfying, rolling perfectly round, same-sized balls of meat. Oh - and the meatballs taste good, too. This recipe serves 6-8.

Ingredients

Meatball Ingredients

  • 2 tablespoons butter
  • 1 small onion, chopped
  • ¾ pound ground beef
  • ¾ pound ground pork
  • ⅓ cup milk
  • 2 eggs
  • 4 slices white bread
  • ⅓ teaspoon ground allspice
  • ⅓ teaspoon ground nutmeg
  • ⅛ teaspoon ground ginger

Sauce Ingredients

  • 3 tablespoons butter
  • ⅓ cup all-purpose flour
  • 2½ cups beef stock
  • ¾ cup heavy cream
  • Salt and black pepper
  • Chopped, fresh parsley for garnish

Cooking Instructions

Meatball Instructions

  1. Adjust your oven shelf height to the highest level beneath your broiler, and set the oven temperature to broil.
  2. Spray the top of a broiling pan with non-stick cooking spray and set aside.
  3. In a large frying pan, melt two tablespoons of butter over medium-high heat. Add the chopped onion and cook until it's translucent. Stir frequently to prevent burning. Save the pan to make the sauce in later.
  4. While the onions are cooking, combine the milk, eggs, allspice, nutmeg, and ginger in a large bowl, and whisk to combine.
  5. Tear the bread into small pieces, and stir them and the onions into the egg and milk mix.
  6. Break up the pork and beef with your hands, add it to the egg and milk mix, and mix everything together thoroughly using your hands.
  7. Pinch off portions of the meatball mixture, roll them into approximately 1½-inch balls, and place them on the broiler pan.
  8. Place the pan under the broiler, and broil the meatballs, watching them carefully. As each side browns, turn them with tongs to ensure even browning on all sides.

Sauce Instructions

  1. Add the three tablespoons of butter to the frying pan and melt it over a low heat.
  2. Stir the flour into the butter until the butter is absorbed.
  3. Pour the stock and cream into the pan and whisk constantly over medium-high heat to thicken the mixture into a creamy sauce.
  4. Season the sauce with salt and pepper to taste.

Finishing Instructions

  1. When the meatballs are browned on all sides, add them to the sauce mix.
  2. Simmer the meatballs over low heat for 15 to 20 minutes to finish cooking. Stir occasionally to keep them from sticking to the bottom of the pan. Garnish with chopped, fresh parsley.
  3. Serve immediately. These meatballs are also easy to cook ahead, refrigerate, and serve a day or two later after reheating.

Savory, Creamy Meatballs

We adore these creamy meatballs served over egg noodles, rice, or mashed potatoes. They are so warm and comforting, it's like serving up love on a plate. 

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Recipe for Swedish Meatballs — the Ultimate Comfort Food