Homemade Swedish Meatballs and Gravy Recipe
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Swedish Meatballs smothered in a rich, buttery gravy are one of my family’s favorite comfort food dinners. Made with ground beef and pork, warm spices, and simple pantry ingredients — no canned soups or packaged mixes — this recipe comes together easily in one skillet on the stovetop. It’s a satisfying, from-scratch meal that works just as well for busy weeknights as it does for a relaxed Sunday dinner.
Sheila’s Recipe Snapshot
My granddaughter first fell in love with the Swedish meatballs at IKEA, so naturally, I set out to recreate them at home. This version has all the flavor she loves, with a from-scratch approach that fits right into our everyday cooking.
These are especially good served over my instant pot mashed potatoes or these 3-i ngredient egg noodles. Let me show you how easy it is to make them step-by-step.
Ingredient Notes for Swedish Meatballs and Gravy
- Unsalted butter | This recipe uses plenty of butter for several steps. You’ll use unsalted butter to sauté the onions, brown the meatballs, and flavor the gravy.
- Onion | The onion adds flavor to the Swedish meatballs.
- Breadcrumbs | Use breadcrumbs to add bulk to the meatball mixture and create a softer texture. Choose panko breadcrumbs or whatever style is your favorite.
- Milk | Add milk to the breadcrumbs to soften them and bring moisture to the meatballs.
- Ground beef and ground pork | A combination of ground beef and ground pork creates a delicious meatball. If desired, you can use one or the other or add ground veal to the mixture.
- Parsley | Chopped Italian parsley adds freshness.
- Spices | Warm spices, like nutmeg and allspice, are the secret to the unique taste.
- Flour | Add all-purpose flour to thicken the gravy.
- Beef broth | The base of the savory gravy. If desired, you can replace the beef broth with chicken broth. However, you should expect the overall flavor to differ.
- Heavy cream | Creates a velvety sauce. If preferred, you may substitute sour cream.
- Soy sauce | Soy sauce lends a rich taste. Similar recipes call for a tablespoon of Worcestershire sauce instead. So, feel free to swap this ingredient if you’d like.
- Dijon mustard | For subtle spice and a kick of flavor, add a tiny bit of Dijon mustard to the gravy.
Variations and Substitutions
- Go Lean. Use ground turkey or chicken, or a mix, for a leaner and lighter option.
- You may replace the soft breadcrumbs with panko or crushed saltine crackers.
- Add sautéed mushrooms to the gravy and serve the meatballs over egg noodles for a twist on beef stroganoff.
How to Make Swedish Meatballs Smothered in Savory Gravy
All you need to make these delicious Swedish meatballs is one mixing bowl, a serving dish, and a single large skillet. You’ll have a tasty and fragrant meal in no time at all!
STEP 1 | Preheat and prep
Preheat the oven to 250 degrees. Next, prep the veggies by dicing the onion and chopping fresh parsley. Now, you’re all set to dive into this recipe.
STEP 2 | Cook the onions
Grab a large nonstick skillet and set the stove to medium heat. Toss in some butter to melt, and add the onions and a pinch of salt. Sauté the diced onions for about 5 minutes. You’ll know they are done cooking when they are soft and tender.
STEP 3 | Soften the breadcrumbs
While the onions are cooking, add the breadcrumbs and some milk to a large mixing bowl. Mix the ingredients and set the bowl aside, allowing the breadcrumbs to absorb the milk and soften. Once the onions are done, add them to the breadcrumb mixing bowl.
STEP 4 | Mix and shape the meatballs
Next, toss in the remaining meatball ingredients — ground beef, ground pork, nutmeg, beaten egg, a touch of allspice, salt, pepper, and parsley. Use your hands to combine the ingredients. That’s right — dig your hands in there and mix and mash until everything is thoroughly combined.
Of course, you may use a rubber spatula if you prefer, or use the paddle attachment on your stand mixer — but only mix a few seconds until the ingredients are combined. Form the meatball mixture into small balls, about 1.5 inches.
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STEP 5 | Cook the Swedish meatballs
Next, melt some butter in the same skillet you used to cook the onions. Set the heat to medium-high. Cook the meatballs in the melted butter until each is brown on all sides. This may take about 7 to 10 minutes. Be sure to turn them as you go.
Then, transfer the meatballs to a serving dish and keep warm in a preheated oven.
STEP 6 | Make the gravy
Drain off all but two tablespoons of the drippings from the skillet and add the last four tablespoons of fresh butter to the pan. Once melted, evenly sprinkle the flour into the skillet. Then, whisk and cook the flour and butter together for about one minute. Slowly pour in the beef broth, constantly whisking the ingredients. Be careful not to splash the broth into the hot pan.
STEP 7 | Bring it all together and serve
The recipe is almost finished! Just add the heavy cream, soy sauce, and Dijon mustard to the skillet. Then, cook for about 4 minutes while continuously stirring. The gravy is complete when it has a thick consistency.
Finally, pour the savory gravy over the meatballs. Serve this dish while it’s still hot over buttered egg noodles or mashed potatoes.
Recipe Success Tips
Storage and Reheating Tips
- Store Swedish meatballs in an airtight container in the refrigerator for about three days.
- You may also freeze the meatballs (cooked or uncooked) for up to three months. I don’t recommend freezing the gravy; instead, make it when ready to serve for the best results.
If you enjoy today’s comfort food, next time, try this easy Ground Beef and Potatoes or any of my easy ground beef recipes.
Frequently Asked Questions
Mix the meatball ingredients gently — overworking the mixture can make them dense and tough. For the best texture, use your hands to combine and shape the meatballs so they stay tender and juicy. Also, when forming the balls, use water to wet your hands. This will help you create a smooth and perfect sphere.
You can bake the meatballs if you like, but I recommend pan-frying for this recipe. That quick sear adds a nice browned crust before they go into the gravy. Just don’t crowd the pan, or they’ll steam instead of brown and lose that texture you’re after.
Swedish meatballs are an excellent dish to prepare ahead of time and save yourself the hassle at dinner time. Make the meatballs, cover them, and store them in the refrigerator for up to two days. When you’re ready, continue the recipe as directed.
You can also complete the entire recipe, leaving the sauce separate from the meatballs. This will store well in the refrigerator for about three days and in the freezer for three months. If you are freezing this recipe, it is best to skip the gravy altogether and make it fresh before serving.
The gravy will thicken as it sits, so plan to make it just before serving. If it gets too thick, a quick splash of beef broth will bring it right back to the perfect consistency.
Looking for More Tasty Meatball Recipes?
As you may (or may not) know, meatballs aren’t only for spaghetti. Like this Swedish meatball recipe, many dishes use meatballs in unique ways. Check out my Turkey Meatballs without Breadcrumbs, Chicken Meatballs with a honey garlic sauce, and these Pork Meatballs.
What to Serve With Swedish Meatballs
This dish is so flavorful that you can serve the Swedish meatballs all on their own. You may also pair them with seasoned and steamed veggies, mashed potatoes, rice, or buttery egg noodles.
If you want to go the traditional route, serve Swedish meatballs with lingonberry jam and mashed potatoes.
On the other hand, perhaps you want to try something different. My Woodshed Potatoes or Redskin Mashed Potatoes deliciously combine with the Swedish meatball flavors.
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Swedish Meatballs and Gravy
Ingredients
- 8 tablespoons unsalted butter divided
- 1 medium onion finely diced
- 1 ½ cups soft breadcrumbs
- ¾ cup milk
- 1 lb. ground beef
- ½ lb. ground pork
- ¼ cup Italian parsley finely chopped
- ½ teaspoon nutmeg
- ½ teaspoon allspice
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- ⅛ teaspoon black pepper
- 1 large egg slightly beaten
- ¼ cup all-purpose flour
- 2 cups beef broth
- ⅔ cup heavy cream
- 2 teaspoons soy sauce
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 250 degrees.
- Melt 2 tablespoons of the butter in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add the onions and a pinch of salt and saute for about 5 minutes, until the onions are soft and tender.
- In the meantime, add the breadcrumbs and milk to a large mixing bowl and allow to soften.
- Once the onions are ready, transfer them to the mixing bowl along with the ground beef, ground pork, nutmeg, allspice, salt, pepper, parsley, and egg. Use your hands or a rubber spatula to combine all the ingredients, then form into small 1 1/2-inch balls.
- Melt another 2 tablespoons of the butter in the skillet over medium hight heat. Working in batches, if needed, cook the meatballs in the butter, turning to brown on all sides, for 7 to 10 minutes, or until cooked through. Transfer the meatballs to a serving dish and keep warm in the preheated oven.
- Drain off all but 2 tablespoons of the drippings from the skillet. Add the remaining butter to the skillet and once melted, evenly sprinkle in the flour. Cook and stir for 1 to 2 minutes, then slowly add in the beef broth whisking constantly.
- Next, add the cream, soy sauce, and dijon mustard. Continue cooking and stirring until the gravy is thickened, about 3 to 4 minutes. Pour the gravy over the meatballs and serve immediately over buttered egg noodles or mashed potatoes.
Notes
- When cooking the meatballs, you will likely not have room in the single pan to cook all the meatballs at once. I suggest working in batches to ensure all are cooked evenly.
- Cooking the ingredients in the same skillet blends all the flavors and saves you some dishes—it’s a win-win situation!
- If you use your hands to form the meatballs, you’ll want to scrub and wash them well before moving on with the recipe.
- Store Swedish meatballs in an airtight container in the refrigerator for about three days.
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Nutrition
Life Love and Good Food does not claim to be a registered dietician or nutritionist. Nutritional information shared on this site is only an estimate. We recommend running the ingredients through an online nutritional calculator if you need to verify any information.
I followed this recipe and it was a hit…. This one is a keeper!
I hadn’t had Swedish Meatballs for years and made them for our Sunday dinner. This recipe was definitely better than the one I loved years ago and your tips made it so easy to follow.
My husband LOVED these!! HE’s a huge fan of Swedish meatballs and these were given two thumbs up!
These Swedish meatballs in creamy gravy are the ultimate comfort food meal! My whole family loves them, and they’re going to be on permanent meal rotation now. Thanks for the little history lesson, too. I had no idea “Swedish meatballs” originated in Turkey!
My entire family LOVED these meatballs. So much so that we had very few leftovers! The kids went back for seconds. That’s a HUGE win, and we’ll definitely make these again!
I love going to IKEA just for the incredible hostess gifts that I can there but I do love some meatballs. Now, these are WAY BETTER than theirs for sure. My kids couldn’t stop eating them and requested a double batch next time!