Swedish Meatballs are flavorful and tender meatballs smothered in a homemade gravy that are delicious served over egg noodles or mashed potatoes.Try my Easy Crockpot Peppered Meatballs for another tasty meatball recipe.
SWEDISH MEATBALLS
This recipe started with part of a recipe from my friend, Elizabeth. Her great-grandparents came to the United States from Norway, and the recipe had been passed down from generation to generation.
She remembers her grandmother making these and serving them with mashed potatoes. It was the favorite meal of her mom and aunts and uncles when they were growing up. So, with just a piece of the recipe, I was able to replicate the texture and flavor of the meatballs… approved by Elizabeth of course!
SWEDISH MEATBALLS INGREDIENTS
The secret to these meatballs is the combination of ground beef and ground pork. It’s the same combination that makes my Honey BBQ Meatloaf so flavorful and juicy. With just a little bit to go on from the recipe, we were able to get the meatballs and gravy made and written out for you to replicate. The ingredients are pretty standard but important.
Egg: The egg helps bind the meat together, as well as add flavor and moisture.
Breadcrumbs: Breadcrumbs are important for the texture of meatballs. Not only do they also help bind the mixture together (like eggs), but they also soak up juices from the meat. This gives you moist meatballs since the juices are ‘trapped’ in each one. Look for fresh breadcrumbs (found in the bakery department).
HOW TO MAKE SWEDISH MEATBALLS
Elizabeth insists these are ‘Norwegian Meatballs’ because her great-grandmother would make them a little flatter than other meatballs. (Traditional Norwegian meatballs are flattened, made from beef only, and are served with brown gravy.) The reason she flattened them a bit was to can them. You can make these as round or as flat as you prefer; they will still be delicious!
To make the meatballs, combine the ground beef, ground pork, salt, pepper, diced onion, and parsley. In a separate bowl, mix together the bread crumbs, milk, and egg. Pour the milk mixture into the meat mixture and mix with your hands. Be careful to not overwork the meat. Form into balls and set them on a plate to get ready to cook them.
To cook the meatballs, melt butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the meatballs (in batches, depending on the size of your skillet) and brown on all sides. Cook time is about 20 minutes, or until the internal temperature of the meatballs is 160°F. Transfer the cooked meatballs to a plate. Tent them to keep them warm as you make the gravy.
HOW TO MAKE THE GRAVY
There wasn’t much to go on for the gravy, so I took liberties to make a rich and creamy gravy that got Elizabeth’s approval. To make the gravy, add butter and flour to the same skillet you cooked the meatballs. Whisk for 1-2 minutes until browned.
Next, add beef broth, sour cream, salt, and pepper to the skillet. Stir until combined. Finally, add the meatballs to the gravy and serve over egg noodles or, as Elizabeth prefers, with mashed potatoes. And, if you have any leftovers, be sure to enjoy them wrapped in lefse! They will last 3-4 days in a sealed container when stored in the refrigerator.
Ingredients
Meatballs
- 1 pound ground beef
- 1 pound ground pork
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon pepper
- 1 cup onion, diced
- 1 tablespoon parsley
- 1 cup bread crumbs
- ¾ cup milk
- 1 large egg, beaten
- ¼ cup butter
Gravy
- ¼ cup butter
- ¼ cup all-purpose flour
- 2 cups beef broth
- 1 cup sour cream
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon pepper
Instructions
Meatballs
In a large bowl, combine ground beef, ground pork, salt, pepper, diced onion, and parsley.
In a separate medium bowl, combine bread crumbs, milk, and egg.
Pour the milk mixture into the meat mixture and combine with your hands (without overworking the meat). Form into balls and set aside.
In a large skillet over medium heat, melt butter. Add the meatballs and cook through, rotating to brown all sides (about 20 minutes). You may have to work in batches if your skillet isn’t large enough for all the meatballs.
Transfer the cooked meatballs to a plate. Tent to keep warm as you make the gravy.
Gravy
To the same skillet you cooked the meatballs, add butter and flour. Whisk until browned (1-2 minutes), scraping up any brown bits along the sides of the skillet.
Add beef broth, sour cream, salt, and pepper. Stir to combine.
Add the cooked meatballs to the gravy. Serve the meatballs and gravy over egg noodles or mashed potatoes, garnished with parsley (optional).
