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Swedish Meatballs with Classic Creamy Sauce Recipe

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★★★★★

4.9 from 111 reviews

Classic Swedish Meatballs feature tender meatballs made from a blend of ground chicken and chuck beef, seasoned with warm spices like allspice and nutmeg. They’re pan-fried to golden perfection and simmered in a rich, creamy sauce made with broth, cream, and sour cream, flavored with soy sauce, Dijon mustard, and Worcestershire sauce. Served traditionally with a hint of fresh parsley and optionally paired with lingonberry jam or cranberry sauce for a perfect balance of savory and sweet.

Ingredients

Scale

For the Meatballs

  • ⅓ cup breadcrumbs
  • ½ cup milk
  • 2 tablespoons heavy cream
  • 1 large egg
  • ½ teaspoon kosher salt
  • ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
  • ¼ teaspoon ground allspice
  • ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
  • 1 tablespoon minced fresh parsley
  • 1 tablespoon unsalted butter (⅛ stick)
  • 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
  • ½ yellow onion, minced
  • 1 clove garlic, minced
  • 1 pound ground chicken
  • 1½ pounds ground chuck

For the Sauce

  • 6 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • ⅓ cup all-purpose flour
  • 14.5 ounces low sodium beef broth
  • 14.5 ounces low-sodium chicken broth
  • 1 cup heavy cream
  • ¾ cup sour cream
  • 1 teaspoon Beef Instant Bouillon Granules
  • 1 tablespoon low-sodium soy sauce
  • 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
  • 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
  • 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
  • 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
  • ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • Kosher salt, to taste
  • 1–2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley

For Serving (Optional)

  • Cranberry sauce or lingonberry jam

Instructions

  1. Prepare the Meatball Mixture: In a large bowl, soak the breadcrumbs in milk and heavy cream until absorbed. Add the egg, kosher salt, black pepper, allspice, nutmeg, minced parsley, and mix well. Incorporate the ground chicken and ground chuck into the mixture until just combined. Avoid overmixing to keep the meatballs tender.
  2. Sauté Aromatics: In a large skillet, heat the unsalted butter and vegetable oil over medium heat. Add the minced yellow onion and garlic, cooking until translucent and fragrant, about 3-5 minutes. Remove from heat and allow to cool slightly.
  3. Form and Brown Meatballs: Combine the sautéed onion and garlic into the meatball mixture evenly. Shape the mixture into uniform-sized meatballs, about 1 to 1.5 inches in diameter. In the same skillet, heat more butter and oil if needed, then brown the meatballs in batches over medium heat, turning to brown all sides. This should take about 6-8 minutes per batch. Transfer browned meatballs to a plate.
  4. Make the Sauce Base: In the skillet used for browning, melt 6 tablespoons of butter over medium heat. Whisk in the all-purpose flour and cook for 2-3 minutes to form a roux, stirring constantly to prevent burning and achieve a light golden color.
  5. Add Broths and Cream: Gradually whisk in both the low sodium beef broth and chicken broth, combining well to avoid lumps. Stir in heavy cream, sour cream, Beef Instant Bouillon Granules, low-sodium soy sauce, Dijon mustard, Worcestershire sauce, apple cider vinegar, granulated sugar, and freshly ground black pepper. Bring the sauce to a gentle simmer, stirring frequently until it thickens, about 7-10 minutes.
  6. Simmer Meatballs in Sauce: Return the browned meatballs to the skillet with the sauce. Cover and simmer on low heat for 10-15 minutes to ensure the meatballs cook through and absorb the sauce flavors. Taste the sauce and adjust seasoning with kosher salt and additional pepper if needed.
  7. Garnish and Serve: Stir in the fresh minced parsley right before serving. Serve hot Swedish meatballs with an optional side of cranberry sauce or lingonberry jam to enhance the traditional flavor profile.

Notes

  • The all-purpose flour used for the sauce roux can be substituted with gluten-free flour if preferred.
  • Breadcrumbs can be made gluten-free by using gluten-free bread or alternatives.
  • For a richer sauce, a combination of beef and chicken broth brings balanced flavor.
  • Ensure not to overmix the meat mixture to keep the meatballs tender.
  • Lingonberry jam is a traditional accompaniment but cranberry sauce works well as a substitute.

Keywords: Swedish meatballs, creamy sauce, ground chicken meatballs, beef meatballs, traditional Swedish recipe, comfort food, ground beef and chicken, allspice meatballs

Find it online: https://mjrecipe.com/swedish-meatballs-with-classic-creamy-sauce-recipe/