Your family will absolutely love these insanely delicious Swedish meatballs. Ready in only 30 minutes, this easy to follow recipe will turn your favorite frozen meatballs into a scrumptious dish that pairs well with noodles, rice or potatoes.
We also love serving roasted vegetables or a crunchy salad with these mouthwatering Swedish meatballs in rich creamy sauce.
This recipe only uses ingredients that you most likely already have at home. So it is budget-friendly and best of all it comes together in just one skillet which makes for an easy clean up.
WHAT ARE SWEDISH MEATBALLS?
Swedish meatballs are a popular comfort food that is made from juicy and tender meatballs smothered in a rich, creamy and flavorful sauce that is just to die for. This dish is very versatile and tastes amazing over rice, egg noodles and mashed potatoes.
❤️ WHY YOU'LL LOVE THIS MEATBALL RECIPE
✔️ Tender meatballs with rich and creamy sauce are the ultimate comfort food.
✔️ This scrumptious dish is ready in only 30 minutes.
✔️ Swedish meatballs pair well with rice, noodles or potatoes.
✔️ It is a simple one pan meal that does not require any special kitchen equipment.
SWEDISH MEATBALLS INGREDIENTS
This section explains how to choose the best ingredients for easy Swedish meatballs, what each one does in the recipe, and substitution options. For measurements, see the recipe card below.
You may have all of these frozen Swedish meatballs ingredients in your refrigerator or pantry and not need to make a trip to the grocery store. See recipe card below for ingredient amounts.
- Frozen Meatballs: We used regular frozen beef meatballs for this recipe. You can also try turkey or chicken meatballs if you prefer. You can also make meatballs fresh for this recipe. We recommend Stef's Famous Meatballs or the delicious Air Fryer Meatballs.
- Butter
- Olive Oil: You can substitute avocado or vegetable oil.
- All-Purpose Flour
- Beef Broth: Beef broth gives the sauce a very rich flavor. You can substitute chicken or vegetable broth in a pinch.
- Heavy Cream: This helps create a creamy, thick sauce.
- Soy Sauce
- Spices: Dijon Mustard, Salt , Pepper
INSTRUCTIONS
This section shows how to cook Swedish meatballs from frozen meatballs on the stovetop , with step-by-step photos and details about the technique. For full instructions, nutritional information, to print the recipe or to have the recipe scaled to double or triple, see the recipe card below.
FRY MEATBALLS: Over medium-high heat, melt 1 tablespoon of butter and oil in a skillet. Heat meatballs in batches so they don’t stew or simmer. Then transfer to a warm plate and cover with foil.
MAKE ROUX: Add a ¼ cup butter to the pan. After the butter has melted add the flour and whisk until smooth. Keep stirring the roux until it turns brown and bubbly.
🔴 TIP: A roux is equal parts of fat, such as butter or olive oil, and flour cooked together until lightly browned. Roux is mostly used to thicken sauces.
FINISH SAUCE: Whisk in broth until combined. Then add cream, soy sauce and dijon mustard and whisk again. Season the sauce with salt and pepper to taste and bring back to a simmer.
ADD MEATBALLS AND SERVE: Return meatballs to the pan, stir until they are all covered in sauce. Simmer for another 1-2 minutes so the meatballs are heated through. Then sprinkle with fresh parsley and serve.
RECOMMENDED TOOLS
Pan or Skillet – This recipe does not require any fancy equipment. Swedish meatballs are a simple one pan meal.
HOW TO MAKE AHEAD
Swedish meatballs is a great recipe to make ahead because it reheats easily. You can prepare the whole dish from start to finish in advance. Then simply put the skillet back on the stove until heated through.
Because reheating Swedish meatballs is so easy, it makes them a great contribution to a meal train as well.
⚠️ TIPS FOR THE BEST SWEDISH MEATBALLS
Follow these tips to make the best meatballs in creamy sauce.
✔️ Don’t crowd the pan. Cook your meatballs in batches so they don't stew or simmer.
✔️ Do not overcook your meatballs. Otherwise meatballs become tough and dry and don't taste very good.
✔️ Keep stirring the roux. Make sure to frequently stir the roux until golden brown. Burnt roux will ruin the flavor of your sauce.
STORAGE TIPS
Refrigerate: Store cooled meatball leftovers in an airtight container or ziplock bag in the fridge for up to 3 days.
Reheat: You can reheat meatballs either in the microwave or on the stovetop.
Freeze: Leftover meatballs can also be frozen in a freezer safe container or ziploc bag for up to 3 months.
Defrosting: Swedish meatballs thaw well in the fridge overnight.
WHAT TO SERVE WITH THIS RECIPE
Serve these scrumptious meatballs over Jasmine rice, your favorite egg noodles or creamy mashed potatoes. Swedish meatballs also pair really well with any kind of roasted vegetable. We love serving them with air fryer cooked vegetables, like broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cauliflower or asparagus.
For a special twist, you can serve Swedish meatballs with a little dollop of lingonberry jam. This is a tangy and sweet jam, very similar to cranberry sauce. You can usually find it at the IKEA food market or in the European aisle of grocery stores.
MORE MEATBALL RECIPES
Meatballs are a family favorite at our house, because they are super versatile and can be prepared many different ways. They are the main ingredients in some of our favorite Italian meals such as Italian Meatballs, Meatball Calzones, Mozzarella Stuffed Meatballs or Fettuccine Pesto with Meatballs.
Buffalo Chicken Meatballs even make a great party snack or game day appetizer.
If you are looking for a lighter meatball version try our amazingly delicious Air Fryer Meatballs, Chicken Meatballs or Turkey Meatballs with Spinach.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
For perfect results every time, here are answers to the most common questions about cooking Swedish meatballs.
Meatballs are fully cooked when the internal temperature reaches 165°F. Insert a meat thermometer into one or more of the meatballs after cooking to read the temperature.
Of course! After preparing and frying your favorite homemade meatballs, keep them warm on a foil covered plate. Then follow the additional steps of our recipe to make the scrumptious sauce.
Roux is equal parts of fat, such as butter or olive oil, and flour cooked together. First you melt the butter or heat the oil, then you whisk in flour. The mixture is kept over medium-high heat until it becomes bubbly and starts to brown. It is important to keep stirring the roux so it doesn't burn. Roux is mostly used to thicken sauces.
Equipment
Ingredients
- ¼ cup butter + 1 tablespoon - divided
- 2 tbsps olive oil
- 3 tbsps all-purpose flour
- 1½ cups beef broth
- ¾ cup heavy cream
- 1½ tsps soy sauce
- ¾ teaspoon dijon mustard
- salt and pepper to taste
- 36 frozen meatballs
Garnish:
- freshly chopped parsley
Instructions
Over medium-high heat, melt 1 tablespoon of butter with 2 tablespoons of oil in a skillet.
Fry meatballs in batches so they don’t stew or simmer. Then transfer them to a plate and cover with foil.
Add a ¼ cup butter to the juices in the pan to melt.
Whisk in the flour until smooth, then keep stirring until the roux turns bubbly and golden brown.
Add the broth and whisk until combined.
Slowly add heavy cream, soy sauce and dijon mustard. Whisk until blended thoroughly.
Season with salt and pepper to taste then bring to a boil and continue to simmer until the sauce has thickened.
Now add the meatballs back into the sauce and simmer for another 1-2 minutes or until heated through.
Sprinkle with freshly chopped parsley and serve.
Notes
- Serve Swedish meatballs over rice, mashed potatoes or egg noodles.
- For a leaner version, try using chicken or turkey meatballs.
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