Classic, cozy, and irresistible—here’s a traditional Swedish meatballs (Köttbullar) recipe with that famous creamy gravy.
🇸🇪 Swedish Meatballs with Cream Sauce
Ingredients (serves 4–6)
Meatballs
- ½ lb ground beef
- ½ lb ground pork
- ½ cup breadcrumbs
- ¼ cup milk
- 1 small onion, finely grated
- 1 egg
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- ¼ teaspoon allspice
- ¼ teaspoon nutmeg
- 1 tablespoon butter or oil, for frying
Cream Sauce
- 3 tablespoons butter
- 3 tablespoons flour
- 2 cups beef broth
- ½ cup heavy cream
- 1 teaspoon soy sauce or Worcestershire
- Salt & pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Make the meatball mix
- Combine breadcrumbs and milk; let soak 2 minutes.
- Add onion, egg, salt, pepper, allspice, nutmeg, beef, and pork.
- Mix gently—don’t overwork.
- Shape & brown
- Roll into small balls (about 1 tablespoon each).
- Heat butter in a skillet over medium heat.
- Brown meatballs on all sides (they don’t need to be fully cooked yet).
- Remove and set aside.
- Make the sauce
- In the same pan, melt butter.
- Whisk in flour; cook 1–2 minutes.
- Gradually whisk in broth until smooth.
- Stir in cream and soy sauce. Simmer until thickened.
- Finish cooking
- Return meatballs to sauce.
- Simmer 10–15 minutes until cooked through.
🍽️ Serve With
- Creamy mashed potatoes
- Lingonberry jam (classic & essential!)
- Buttered egg noodles or rice
- Pickled cucumbers
🔥 Pro Tips
- Smaller meatballs = more tender.
- Grating the onion keeps them juicy.
- Allspice is the signature flavor—don’t skip it.
If you’d like, I can also share:
• Oven-baked meatballs
• IKEA-style copycat version
• Slow cooker Swedish meatballs
Just tell me 😊
