These flavor-packed Swedish meatballs will test your portion control and have you whipping up a second batch in the blink of an eye.
What You’ll Need for This Recipe
Sherry Vinegar: You can substitute with red wine vinegar instead if you’d like.
Garlic: You can definitely add more than the recipe specifies.
Ground beef and pork: I’ve made this recipe with 15% fat ground turkey as a substitute and it was delicious.
How to Make Swedish Meatballs
1. In a large bowl combine the meat, cheddar, cream cheese, onion, garlic, parsley, thyme, Worcestershire sauce, vinegar, salt, and pepper. Use your hands to thoroughly mix all the ingredients together and form into small meatballs less than 2 inches in diameter.
2. Heat a large heavy skillet on medium-low with butter and olive oil. Add the meatballs and cook until golden brown turning as needed for an even browning.
3. Once all the meatballs are done remove from pan and prepare the sauce. Add two tablespoons of butter to the pan and melt. Add the flour and whisk, cooking until golden brown in color (about 2 minutes or less).
4. While over medium heat add the cream, milk, and water, stirring to blend well.
5. Season the sauce with salt, pepper, paprika, thyme and parsley. Whisk in and stir until thickened.
6. Transfer the meatballs back to the sauce and cook on medium-low for about 20 minutes moving them around occasionally so the sauce completely covers them. Serve over pasta of your choice.
Pro Tips For This Recipe
- Don’t skimp on the oil when you’re browning the meatballs. The fat really helps give an even golden surface and creates a WONDERFUL base for the gravy sauce.
- Fresh thyme, lots of parsley, and a sharp cheddar are all musts for these meatballs.
- Go for a finer chop on the onion, it will cook faster and give you a tastier result.
- You can’t go wrong doubling the gravy sauce. The meatballs will really absorb a lot of the liquid and everyone likes a bit of extra sauce on their pasta.
- Make a BIG batch and freeze half for later, it’s not that much more work and you’ll be so happy when you need dinner in a snap.
- When forming the meatballs in the palms of your hands have a little bowl of water nearby to keep your hands slightly wet. This will help cut down on the messiness.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
WHAT ARE SWEDISH MEATBALLS?
Swedish meatballs are served in a rich creamy sauce made with a roux and filled with seasonings. Italian meatballs in contrast usually have a tomato-based sauce.
Can I use ground turkey or chicken for this recipe?
You can totally use chicken or turkey in place of the beef and pork. I’ve done this several times and they’re delicious. Make sure to use the dark ground meat, you’ll need the fat for moist meatballs.
Is there a substitute for cream cheese?
You can use full fat sour cream in place of cream cheese if desired.
How long do they keep?
These Swedish meatballs will keep for three days in the refrigerator if properly covered and up to two months in the freezer.
What can you serve these with?
I think they’re PERFECT with linguini but you can use any pasta you like or even serve them with boiled or baked potatoes! Add a nice side salad and you have a complete and oh so delicious meal everyone will enjoy.
If you love this recipe try these out!
If you’ve tried this Swedish meatball recipe then don’t forget to leave a rating and let me know how you got on in the comments below, I love hearing from you!
Swedish Meatballs
Equipment
- large pan
Ingredients
For the Meatballs
- 1 lb ground beef
- 1 lb ground pork
- 3/4 cup onion finely chopped
- 1 tbsp garlic minced
- 1/2 cup cheddar cheese grated
- 4 oz cream cheese room temp
- 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
- 1 tsp sherry vinegar
- 1 tbsp thyme fresh, finely chopped
- 1 tbsp parsley fresh, finely chopped
For the Sauce
- 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 2 tbsp butter
- 1/2 cup cream
- 1 cup whole milk
- 1 cup water
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp pepper
- 1/2 tsp paprika
- 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
- 1 tbsp thyme fresh, finely chopped
- 1 tbsp parsley fresh, finely chopped
Instructions
For the Meatballs
- Prep your ingredients: Finely chop the onion, mince the garlic, thyme and parsley, shred the cheese and make sure the cream cheese is softened.
- Combine all the ingredients for the meatballs in a large bowl and mix thoroughly using your clean hands. Make sure the cream cheese is completely room temperature or it will not mix in properly.
- Form the meat into balls between 1.5 and two inches in diameter. Wetting your hands occasionally will make make rolling them less messy. It's easiest to transfer the rolled meatballs to a baking sheet as a staging area while you finish the prep.
- Heat a large heavy skillet on medium-low with 2 tablespoons of butter and 2-3 tablespoons of olive oil. Add the meatballs and cook until golden brown turning as needed for an even browning. Remove cooked meatballs from pan and transfer to a clean bowl while you prepare the sauce in the same pan.
For the Sauce
- Melt two tablespoons of butter on the skillet you cooked the meatballs on. Add 1/4 cup of flour and whisk in, cooking until golden.
- Add 1/2 cup of cream, 1 cup of milk, and 1 cup of water. Whisk to mix well.
- Season the sauce with salt and pepper and add the paprika, thyme, parsley and stir in. Cook over medium-low heat until thickened.
- Once sauce has thickened add the meatballs back into the pan and cook on medium lot for about 20 minutes turning occasionally so they're fully coated.
- Serve with your favorite pasta and enjoy.
Notes
- Don't skimp on the oil when you're browning the meatballs. The fat really helps give an even golden surface and creates a WONDERFUL base for the sauce.
- Fresh thyme, lots or parsley and a sharp cheddar are all musts for these meatballs.
- Go for a finer chop on the onion, it will cook faster and give you a tastier result.
- You can't go wrong doubling the sauce. The meatballs will really absorb a lot of the liquid and everyone likes a bit of extra sauce on their pasta.
