Swedish Meatball Recipe Recipe
Cozy, lighter Swedish meatballs made with ground turkey, gently spiced and simmered in a comforting gravy—easy to make and perfect for sharing.
How to Make the Best Swedish Meatball Recipe
Swedish meatballs are a classic comfort food that brings warmth and satisfaction to any table. This recipe features a lighter version made with ground turkey, though you can easily swap in ground beef, ground pork, or a combination of meats depending on your preference. The meatballs themselves are delicately spiced with warming notes of allspice and nutmeg, creating that authentic Swedish flavor profile.
What makes this dish truly special is the creamy, savory gravy that simmers the meatballs to perfection. Built from a simple roux and chicken broth, enriched with Dijon mustard, Worcestershire sauce, and finished with heavy cream or sour cream, the sauce is restaurant-quality and surprisingly easy to make. The beauty of this recipe is that you can prepare the meatballs ahead of time—they actually taste better after chilling for a few hours or even overnight, as this allows the flavors to meld beautifully.
Serve these cozy Swedish meatballs over creamy mashed potatoes, tender egg noodles, or your favorite pasta, and don’t forget the freshly grated nutmeg on top for that authentic finishing touch. Pair them with traditional Swedish condiments like lingonberry jam or cranberry relish, and you’ve got a meal that feels both homey and elegant. Whether you’re cooking for a weeknight dinner or hosting a gathering, this Swedish meatball recipe is sure to become a beloved favorite.
Swedish Meatball Recipe
Cozy, lighter Swedish meatballs made with ground turkey, gently spiced and simmered in a comforting gravy—easy to make and perfect for sharing.
Ingredients
Meatballs
Gravy
Instructions
Make the Meatballs
- Prep onion, garlic, and parsley. In a medium bowl combine the ground meat (if using turkey add 2 teaspoons of olive oil), grated onion, garlic, parsley, panko, egg, salt, pepper, allspice, and nutmeg until just combined.
- Dampen your hands with water and shape the mixture into meatballs—about 2 tablespoons per meatball to make 18 2-inch meatballs.
- Place meatballs in the refrigerator and chill for 30 minutes, or up to two days.
Brown the Meatballs
- Heat a large skillet to medium-high heat and add 2 tablespoons oil. Add the meatballs and brown them on all sides, about 8-10 minutes.
- Set the browned meatballs aside.
Make the Gravy
- In the same pan without cleaning it out, melt the butter and whisk in the flour to make a roux. Stir for 2 minutes.
- Add the chicken broth, Dijon mustard, Worcestershire sauce, salt, pepper, allspice, and nutmeg. Stir while it comes to a simmer and thickens.
Simmer and Serve
- Add the meatballs back into the gravy and simmer for 5-10 minutes.
- Push the meatballs to the side and stir in the cream. Heat for 2 minutes.
- Serve over mashed potatoes, egg noodles, or pasta with a sprinkle of freshly grated nutmeg.
Notes
- For baking: Place browned meatballs on a baking sheet and bake at 350°F for 10-15 minutes instead of pan-frying.
- For air frying: Cook meatballs at 400°F for 8-10 minutes.
- Pair with lingonberry jam, red currant jam, or cranberry relish.
- Pickled vegetables make a nice complement to the rich meatballs.
- The sauce can be made with vegetable broth or beef broth as substitutes.
- For a gluten-free version, use gluten-free flour blend in the gravy.
