Description
This classic Swedish Meatball recipe features tender meatballs made with a blend of ground beef and pork, flavored with aromatic spices and parmesan cheese, simmered in a creamy, savory sauce. Perfect served over mashed potatoes or egg noodles, these meatballs bring comforting, rich flavor to your meal.
Ingredients
Scale
Meatballs
- 2 tablespoons olive oil, divided in half
- ½ cup yellow onion, finely diced
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- ½ cup panko breadcrumbs
- ¼ cup Parmesan cheese
- 1 large egg, whisked
- 1/3 cup milk
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon oregano
- ¼ teaspoon ground allspice
- ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- ¼ teaspoon pepper
- ¾ lb. ground beef, 80% lean
- ½ lb. ground pork
Sauce
- 4 tablespoons butter
- 4 tablespoons flour
- 2 cups beef broth
- 1 cube chicken bouillon
- 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- 1 teaspoon dried parsley
- ½ cup sour cream, at room temperature
Instructions
- Sauté aromatics: Heat half of the olive oil in a large high-walled skillet over medium heat. Add the finely diced onions and minced garlic. Cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool.
- Prepare meatball mixture: In a large bowl, combine the panko breadcrumbs, Parmesan cheese, whisked egg, milk, cooled onions and garlic, salt, oregano, allspice, nutmeg, and pepper. Gently incorporate the ground beef and pork until evenly combined without overmixing to keep the meatballs tender.
- Form meatballs and chill: Roll the mixture into 1 ½-inch meatballs using your hands or a small cookie scoop for uniform size. Place them on a plate, cover, and refrigerate for 15 minutes or up to overnight to firm up.
- Prepare sauce ingredients: In a large measuring cup, combine the beef broth, chicken bouillon cube, Worcestershire sauce, Dijon mustard, and dried parsley. Stir to dissolve and set aside.
- Brown meatballs: Heat the remaining olive oil in the skillet over medium-high heat. Brown the meatballs in batches, leaving space around each to allow even browning on all sides, about 1 minute per side. Adjust heat as needed to avoid burning. Remove browned meatballs and set aside. Drain excess oil from skillet.
- Make roux: Melt the butter in the same skillet over medium heat. Use a silicone spatula to scrape the browned bits from the pan bottom. Stir in the flour and cook for 2 minutes, stirring constantly, until the mixture begins to brown slightly.
- Add broth mixture: Gradually add the reserved beef broth mixture in small splashes, stirring continuously to avoid lumps. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer.
- Incorporate sour cream: Place the sour cream in a medium bowl. Add about ¼ cup of the hot sauce to the sour cream and stir to temper it. Slowly stir the sour cream mixture back into the skillet sauce over low heat until well combined.
- Simmer meatballs in sauce: Return the browned meatballs and any collected juices to the skillet. Spoon sauce over them. Cover partially and cook over low heat for 10 to 15 minutes or until meatballs are cooked through and heated.
- Serve: Garnish with fresh parsley. Serve the Swedish meatballs hot over creamy mashed potatoes or egg noodles for a comforting meal.
Notes
- The chicken bouillon cube adds depth and contrasts well with beef broth; beef bouillon can be substituted if needed.
- Use full-fat sour cream to prevent curdling in the sauce.
- Heavy cream can be used instead of sour cream for a slightly different texture and flavor.
- You can use any combination of ground beef, pork, and veal to suit your taste.
- 1¼ lbs. of meat is ideal for fitting in a 12-inch high-walled skillet for browning.
- Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days or freeze for up to 3 months.
- Reheat gently, preferably in a double boiler setup, to prevent the sauce from breaking or separating.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 meatball with sauce
- Calories: 150 kcal
- Sugar: 1 g
- Sodium: 350 mg
- Fat: 10 g
- Saturated Fat: 4 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 5 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 7 g
- Fiber: 0.5 g
- Protein: 8 g
- Cholesterol: 55 mg
