Homemade Swedish Meatballs with creamy gravy

These homemade Swedish meatballs are the kind of cozy, comforting dinner that makes everyone want to gather around the table. Tender, flavorful Swedish meatballs are baked until juicy and then covered in a creamy brown gravy made with beef broth, butter, and a simple roux. This Swedish meatballs recipe makes a generous batch, which is one of the reasons I love it so much—not only can you feed your whole family, but you can easily share a meal with someone else or freeze a portion for later. Serve these traditional Swedish meatballs over mashed potatoes or wide egg noodles and garnish with fresh parsley for a dinner that belongs on the list of favorite comfort foods.

Why I love this recipe so much

I want to start out saying that I am in no way shape of form Swedish in my heritage. I wish I were. My legs would be longer, my hair shinier, and I might even have a cute little red cottage somewhere in the hills. I do have a Dala horse from our trip 30 years ago to Sweden. Oh did we eat some meatballs on this trip! I will say Ikea puts out a decent Swedish meatball in their cafeteria. This recipe is based on a recipe from a church cookbook I have. We used to attended a church denomination that is full of Swedes. We fit right in with the last name Johnson, but for sure don’t have a lick of Swedish in me and I’m pretty sure Ken doesn’t either. We do like our Swedish meatballs, Swedish pancakes, and cardamom bread, they can keep there lutefisk.

This recipe mades a enormous amount of meatballs. I recommend sharing them or freezing half. I give the best directions for that in the FAQ section below.

Gather these ingredients

How to make Swedish Meatballs

How to Make Swedish Meatballs

1. Caramelize the onions

Start by chopping one large sweet onion. Heat olive oil in a skillet and cook the onion for about 10 minutes, until golden and caramelized. Set aside.

2. Prepare the bread mixture

Place the bread and milk in a medium bowl and let it sit for about 5 minutes. Use your hands or a fork to break the bread down into a soft paste. This helps keep the meatballs tender.

3. Make the meatball mixture

In a large bowl, combine ground beef, ground pork, the caramelized onions, egg, spices, salt, and the bread and milk mixture. This combination of ground beef and pork gives these meatballs wonderful flavor and helps create juicy meatballs.

Mix everything together until the meatball mixture is evenly combined. I find that using your hands works the best to get everything thoroughly mixed together. Try not to overwork the meat. Mix until everything is even consistency.

4. Shape the meatballs

Form the mixture into approximately 1-inch meatballs and place them on a baking sheet. Once all the meatballs are shaped, place the baking sheet in the freezer for 30–60 minutes. This little bit of chilling helps the meatballs hold their shape when you brown them.

Note: at this point you could freeze the meat balls and place them in zip-loc freezer bags for making at a later date. Flash freeze on a baking sheet. When meatballs are frozen solid, place them in freezer bags. They will keep in freezer for up to 3 months. Or you can also brown, bake, and let them cool and freeze them at that point.

5. Brown and bake

Heat a large skillet and brown the meatballs in batches. You only need to brown the outside at this point; they do not need to be cooked through.

Transfer the browned meatballs back to the baking sheet and bake at 400°F for about 20 minutes, or until cooked through.

Make-ahead tip: At this point, you can let the baked meatballs cool and freeze them in a freezer bag. When you’re ready to serve the entire recipe, prepare the gravy and warm the meatballs in it.

6. Make the creamy brown gravy

While the meatballs are baking, melt butter in the same large saucepan over medium heat. Scrape any browned bits off the bottom of the pan. Browned bits are pure flavor! Whisk in the all purpose flour into the butter. This creates a simple roux. Cook until the roux turns a beautiful golden-brown color.

Gradually whisk in the beef broth, making sure to whisk continuously so the gravy stays smooth. Don’t forget the flavorful little bits left behind in the meatball pan! Add the juices from the baked meatballs to the gravy for even more savory flavor.

Bring the gravy to a gentle simmer and cook for 10–15 minutes, until it has thickened enough to coat the back of a spoon. Reduce the heat to low heat and whisk in the sour cream to create a rich, creamy sauce. Remove meatballs from the oven and stir pan juices into the gravy, then add meatballs to gravy.

Season with salt and black pepper to taste.

7. Serve

Simmer Swedish meatballs on low in gravy for 5-10 minutes and serve with mashed potatoes, boiled potatoes, or wide egg noodles. A sprinkle of fresh parsley makes a simple and pretty garnish.

This recipe is also perfect for sharing. Divide the meatballs and gravy into baking dishes, refrigerate, and reheat when you’re ready—or give a pan to someone who could use a homemade meal. I cooked wide egg noodles and put them in zip-loc bags to serve the meatballs and gravy over.

Frequently Asked Questions

What makes these the best Swedish meatballs?

This recipe comes from a church cookbook from a church we attended with a high population of Swedish folks. So I believe this to be very close to authentic Swedish Meatballs. I think the combination of warm spices, caramelized onions, tender meatballs, and creamy brown gravy makes these some of the best Swedish meatballs you’ll find. The beef and pork create flavorful Swedish meatballs, while the homemade gravy brings everything together.

Can I make Swedish meatballs ahead of time?

Absolutely. That’s one of the things I love about this delicious recipe. You can prepare and bake the meatballs ahead of time, let them cool, and store them in a freezer bag. When you’re ready to serve them, make the gravy and warm the meatballs through.

For leftovers, place the meatballs and gravy in an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 3 days.

Can I freeze Swedish meatballs?

Yes! This is actually one of the reasons I make such a large batch. Once the meatballs have been baked and cooled, place them in a freezer bag and freeze them for later. I recommend making the gravy fresh when you’re ready to serve them.

Can I use a slow cooker for this recipe?

I prefer making this recipe as written because browning and baking the meatballs gives them great texture and flavor. If you’re specifically looking for a slow cooker version, that’s a great question for another recipe variation, but I would not recommend simply putting the uncooked meatballs and gravy into a slow cooker without adjusting the cooking method.

You could, however, make the recipe and transfer the meatballs to your crockpot to keep warm. This is a great potluck recipe.

Do Swedish meatballs traditionally come with lingonberry sauce?

Traditional Swedish meatballs are often served with lingonberry sauce or a dollop of lingonberry jam on the side. I don’t include either in my gravy recipe, but you can absolutely serve them alongside the finished meatballs if you enjoy that sweet-tart contrast.

Can I serve these with homemade cranberry sauce instead?

Yes! While lingonberry sauce is the more traditional pairing, homemade cranberry sauce or canned whole berry cranberry sauce can give you a similar sweet-tart contrast.

What should I serve with Swedish meatballs?

Mashed potatoes and wide egg noodles are my favorite options because they give you something to soak up all that savory gravy. You could also serve them with boiled potatoes or rice.

How big should I make the meatballs?

I recommend making them about 1 inch in diameter. Keeping them fairly uniform in size helps them cook evenly. A small cookie scoop or melon baller can make this job much easier.

Can I make these with only ground beef?

The original recipe uses both ground beef and ground pork. The combination gives the meatballs their tender texture and rich flavor. You can experiment with using all ground beef, but the finished meatballs will be somewhat different from the traditional version of this recipe.

Why do you freeze the meatballs before browning them?

Chilling the shaped meatballs for 30–60 minutes helps them hold their shape when you brown them. It’s an extra step, but it makes handling the meatballs much easier.

How do I reheat Swedish meatballs?

Place the meatballs and gravy in a baking dish and cover. Reheat at 350°F until the meatballs are heated through. You can also gently warm them on the stovetop over low heat, being careful not to let the creamy sauce boil.

These Swedish meatballs are more than just a delicious recipe—they’re exactly the kind of meal I love to make and share. The generous batch means you can put dinner on your own table and still have enough to take a meal to a friend, neighbor, or family member. Whether you’re making them for Sunday dinner, a holiday gathering, or simply because you’re craving something cozy, this Swedish meatballs recipe is a keeper.

If you make these traditional Swedish meatballs, I’d love to hear what you think! Please leave a rating and review below—your reviews help other readers find the recipe. And if you know someone who would love a big pan of tender meatballs covered in creamy gravy, share this recipe with them. Don’t forget to pin it to Pinterest so you can easily find this favorite comfort food the next time you’re craving it! From my table to yours with love, Sheila