Make the famous Ikea meatballs with this authentic Swedish meatballs recipe with easy to follow instructions! Swedish meatballs are delicious with their signature cream gravy. Enjoy them the Swedish way with mashed potatoes or pair them with your favourite veggie side. They come out perfect every time!
We all know them from Ikea. They’re small, they have that unmistakable onion and butter flavour, and they’re served with a delicious cream gravy. They are Sweden’s national dish, the most famous Swedish food in the world. In their homeland they’re known as köttbullar med gräddsås and we’re obviously talking about the Swedish meatballs!
Swedish-style meatballs are incredibly easy to make and only require a bunch of ingredients, really. They freeze wonderfully, being perfect make-ahead lunch options. They are rich and flavourful, and paired with the right side dish they will not disappoint as main course when entertaining! Once you learn to make homemade Swedish meatballs you’ll never buy frozen again.
What makes Swedish meatballs different?
- They are small and perfectly round. Swedish meatballs are rarely large and never flattened. They generally measure about 2,5 cm (1 inch) in diameter and weigh between 15-20 grams.
- They are fried (in butter). I know healthier versions call for baking them, but real Swedish meatballs are fried. Best if in butter, or in Swedish rapeseed oil.
- Their main flavour element is onion. Not garlic. Not parsley. No other spice. For true authentic Swedish meatballs the onion is king. And you should be able to taste it.
- They are firm. As opposite to Italian meatballs, köttbullar are rather firm in texture.
- Cream gravy, mashed potatoes, preserved lingonberries and a couple sliced pickles are what completes the dish in its most traditional way. But you can enjoy them any way you like.
Meatballs exist in many cuisines, and in a way reflect a place’s own flavours and preferences. Think of Middle Eastern meatballs made with ground lamb and flavoured with cumin. Or Italian meatballs drowned in rich tomato sauce. So Swedish meatballs with their firm texture and signature cream gravy stand out for their unique recipe.
What are traditional Swedish meatballs made of?
Possible substitutions:
- If you don’t eat pork you can do just beef, or beef and lamb. A lot of Swedes eat wild meat, so if you have the possibility moose or reindeer mince are a real treat. Salsiccia is not recommended for the added spices as it may change the overall flavour.
- I’ll say it again: onion is king. Can’t sub that one, especially not with garlic. If you don’t want to handle fresh onion you can use onion powder or onion paste.
- The oil is for frying; sub with butter if you feel like a true Swedish grandma. Keep in mind the lower smoke point and the possibility it could brown before you’re done making the gravy.
- The cream for the gravy should have a whopping min. 30% fat. Oat cream is a great alternative for dairy-free.
- Beef stock concentrate or fond is a great way to add a lot of flavour without thinning the sauce too much. If you want to use a cube dissolve it in little warm water.
- Worchestershire sauce can be subbed with soy sauce but halve the amount if you do.
Step by step instructions
- Finely mince the shallot. I don’t mind a bit of onion here and there, however if you prefer a smoother finish you can grate the onion or use onion paste or powder.
- Combine the ground meat, onion, egg yolks, salt and pepper in a bowl. Knead the mixture with your hands until homogeneous, 1 minute.
- With slightly damp hands take a small amount of mixture at a time and roll into meatballs. To make them all the same size I weigh mine at 15 g each.
- Set a skillet on medium-high heat and add 4 tbsp oil or butter. When hot, add the meatballs to the pan. Shallow fry for a couple of minutes, then roll the meatballs over to cook the other side. After another couple minutes roll the meatballs again to cook the sides where they look raw. Shallow fry the meatballs until homogeneously cooked and slightly browned for a total time of about 10 minutes.
- When cooked, turn off the heat. Transfer the meatballs to a plate lined with kitchen paper for the time being. With the help of a spoon remove some of the cooking fat leaving about 2 tbsp in the pan. Some onion bits may have escaped the meatballs as the meat shrank, keep those bits of fried onion for more flavour in the gravy. However if they have burned do remove them.
The creamy meatball sauce
- Return the pan to the stove on medium heat and pour all the cream in. In a small bowl aside, mix the water and the stock concentrate, then add to the pan. Stir in the mustard and lastly add the Worchestershire sauce. Stir to combine and keep simmering on medium heat until the sauce thickens, 3-4 minutes.
- Put the meatballs back into the pan and toss to coat in the cream sauce. Your meatballs are ready to be served!
Can I freeze the Swedish meatballs?
Yes, Swedish meatballs freeze great both with the sauce or without! If you have some ground meat that needs to be used, Swedish meatballs are a great recipe for it. Just make them, fry them, let cool and store away for up to 3 months.
If you are using fresh ground meat you can even store them raw. Then you just need to thaw them and you can go ahead and cook them. You can even bake them from frozen, but check that their inner temperature reaches 75°C (170°F) before serving. However, if you are using ground meat that had been previously frozen, it is not recommended to freeze them again raw. Cook them- the original way in the pan, or in the oven, then store away.
If you want to make the whole recipe ahead so you can prepare the sauce in the same pan where you fried the meatballs, good news! Once your köttbullar in cream gravy are ready divide them into lunch boxes, let cool and store in the freezer. It makes for the perfect make-ahead lunch as they microwave very well!
Swedish food inspiration
If you’re feeling inspired to make more food from the land of Ikea, here are some more Swedish recipes for you to try:
- Kladdkaka, Swedish chocolate cake – something between a brownie and a lava cake, kladdkaka is a chocolate cake with a sticky texture loved by kids and adults alike. Made with 7 ingredients and ready in less than 30 minutes, this is a favourite!
- Skagenröra, Swedish shrimp salad – traditionally used to top buttered toast or baked potato, skagenröra is a mixture of cooked shrimp, cream, mayo and dill. Serve it on small toasties for the perfect appetizer idea!
- Pepparkakor, Swedish ginger thins – another Ikea food, pepparkakor are the Swedish gingerbread cookies. They are thin and crispy and a favourite for Christmas.
- Picklad rödlök, Swedish pickled onion – simple pickled red onion perfect to top lots of various dishes and fantastic in burgers!
- Lussekatter, Swedish saffron buns – another Christmas time recipe from Sweden, Lussekatter are semi-sweet yeast rolls flavoured with ground saffron.
- BONUS: Renskav, Sami reindeer stew – a reindeer meat recipe from the Sami people from northern Sweden, also made in a cream gravy.
Are there other Swedish recipes you would like to see here on the blog? Let me know in the comments! And don’t forget to pin this Swedish meatballs recipe for later! Please subscribe to my newsletter and follow me on Instagram and Pinterest. Take care!
This recipe was originally posted in February 2018 and has been updated in January 2021 with new photos, better wording and a recipe card.
Swedish meatballs in cream sauce
Equipment
- Mixing bowl
- Cutting board
- Knife
- Kitchen scale
- Skillet
Ingredients
- 500 g beef and pork mince
- 2 egg yolks
- 1 shallot
- 40 g bread crumbs
- 1 tsp salt
- black pepper to taste
- 4 tbsp vegetable oil for frying
- 300 ml cream
- 1 tbsp beef stock concentrate or 1 stock cube
- 2 tbsp warm water
- 1 tbsp Dijon mustard
- 2 tbsp Worchestershire sauce
Instructions
- Finely mince the shallot. For a smoother finish you can grate the onion or use onion paste or powder.
- Combine the ground meat, onion, egg yolks, bread crumbs, salt and pepper in a bowl. Knead the mixture with your hands until homogeneous, 1 minute.
- With slightly damp hands take a small amount of mixture at a time and roll into meatballs. To make them all the same size I weigh mine at 15 g each.
- Set a skillet on medium-high heat and add 4 tbsp oil or butter. When hot, add the meatballs and shallow fry for a couple of minutes. Roll the meatballs over to cook the other side. After another couple minutes roll the meatballs again to cook the sides where they look raw. Shallow fry the meatballs until homogeneously cooked and slightly browned for a total time of about 10 minutes.
- When cooked, turn off the heat. Transfer the meatballs to a plate lined with kitchen paper for the time being. With the help of a spoon remove some of the cooking fat leaving about 2 tbsp in the pan. Keep the onion bits that may have escaped the meatballs as the meat shrank for extra flavour; but discard if burnt.
- Return the pan to the stove on medium heat and pour all the cream in. In a small bowl aside, mix the water and the stock concentrate, then add to the pan. Stir in the mustard and lastly add the Worchestershire sauce. Stir to combine and keep simmering on medium heat until the sauce thickens, 3-4 minutes.
- Put the meatballs back into the pan and toss to coat in the cream sauce. Serve with mashed potatoes or your favourite veggie side.
Notes
- A regular adult portion is 10-12 meatballs together with a vegetable side dish like mashed potatoes. However, if planning to only serve these meatballs with a simpler side dish like a leaf salad, you can count on this recipe yielding 3 portions rather than 4.
- The nutrition information included in this recipe card is a guideline only and based on a suggested serving size.
These sound absolutely wonderful. And yes, I remember the Swedish Chef! Ha! <3
Hi Jessie, nice to read you under a non-sweet post 😀 Glad you also enjoy a savoury treat like these meatballs. Well, there is so much cream they could be classified as cake, in all honesty 😀 Thanks for stopping by and sharing the Swedish Chef love!! <3
is this 300 g of each beef and pork or 300 grams total?
Hi Laura! It’s 300 g total. You could do only beef but I like it better mixed.
Loved the Swedish Chef! Loved all those Muppets!
The recipe looks fantastic— I can’t wait till I can entertain again and have an excuse to make these.
I love the Swedish Chef’s scene where he throws meatballs around like tennis balls!! Hope you get a chance to try these soon!!
Swedish meatballs can take some time to make so that’s why I love this easy meatball recipe whenever I’m craving some creamy comfort food.
Thank you Sharon!
Love Swedish meatballs! My absolute favorite comfort dish. I have never made them, my mother in law always makes and brings them over, and we devour them. This is my chance to show off for a change. Thanks so much for the terrific recipe!!
Hi Jenny! I’d be curious to know if my recipe can compare to your mother in law’s! Hopefully it does! Good luck with the show off 🙂
Thanks to you, it’s now possible to make these popular Ikea meatballs. The sauce is so enticing. Thanks for this recipe.
Thank you Naiby! As you can see Swedish meatballs are really easy to make! Hope you get a chance to try them soon!
These meatballs are delicious! They were so perfectly tender, and the cream sauce was unbelievably delicious. I can’t wait to make them again.
Thank you for your kind words Amanda! Glad you enjoyed them!
I laughed because as I read Swedish meatballs I automatically thought Ikea. Funny how that is! Lol.
I love Swedish meatballs and that cream sauce just so good with mashed potatoes. Yours look perfectly round and all symmetrical. I am already smelling the aroma, it is making my mouth water. Now all I have to do is try your recipe. Thanks for sharing!
Hi Loreto! I know it’s hilarious, but Ikea really takes the credits for exporting them all over the world! Hope you will enjoy my recipe!
I love meatballs but I’ve never made Swedish Meatballs. This recipe looks incredible and so simple. These are truly the perfect comfort food! Pinned for later.
Hi Nicole! I really hope you will get a chance to try them!
I love the smaller size of Swedish meatballs and this cream dijon sauce is so delicious! Will be adding this to our regular meal rotation.
Wow Cindy I’m honoured to be featured in your meal plans 🙂
Your recipe calls for 500 grams of meat, but you’re responding to someone asking if it’s 300 grams each of pork and beef mince? And you say it’s 300 grams in total. Huh? Why do the ingredients state 500 grams then?
Also your ingredients include 40 grams of breadcrumbs but … the recipe never mentions breadcrumbs at all.
I added them to the (500 grams of) mince, worked out ok.
Seriously, how about some better proof reading please?
As it turns out, the meatballs with sauce are quite nice, without, a lttile bland, so next time I make these, I’m adding garlic 🙂
Hello! Wow thank you very much for pointing this out to me. As you may have noticed this recipe had been re-written in 2021 so the comment must have been from before, hence the 300 g of meat. I definitely missed adding the bread crumbs in the instructions, because it is correct to have them in, so you did the right thing adding them in. Will edit the instructions now. Thank you very much again for this, I mean it!
And I agree with you, the sauce does add a lot of flavour so I think that if you’re planning to eat them without the sauce you are right in adding some garlic for some extra flavour. Just never tell a Swede that you eat them without sauce 😀