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There's nothing easier and more family-friendly than a big plate of Swedish Meatballs and pasta, slathered in creamy, savory beef gravy! This recipe cooks everything at once to have a big, hearty dinner all set in just half an hour.
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What is a Swedish meatball?
Traditional Swedish meatballs are meatballs typically made from beef or beef and pork blend, breadcrumbs, egg, and spices like pepper, nutmeg and allspice. It's those last spices that set them apart from other meatballs, such as Italian style meatballs that rely on garlic and herbs for flavoring.
Easy Swedish Meatballs
I'm sure I'm not alone in admitting that the first time I had Swedish meatballs was in an IKEA food court. It was the first time myself or my kids had ever gone, brought along by a friend, and the whole experience was dazzling; but of everything, I remember that lunch the most!
And most importantly, so did my kids! It wasn't long before they were asking for the "IKEA meatballs" again. So I got to the kitchen, and started testing out recipes! This is what I settled on: my favorite easy Swedish Meatballs recipe. It's easy, uses as few dishes as possible, and the kids loved it!
What makes this Swedish Meatballs recipe easy is how everything comes together at once. After forming and heating the meat, the Swedish meatballs sauce is added to the same pan, and the noodles are cooked right in the sauce. One pan for everything!
Swedish Meatballs and Noodles Ingredients
- Ground beef
- Italian bread crumbs
- Nutmeg
- Onion
- Egg
- Kosher salt
- Pepper
- Canola oil
- Beef broth
- Heavy cream
- Worcestershire sauce
- Egg noodles
- Parmesan
- Parsley
How to Make Swedish Meatballs
- In a large mixing bowl, combine the ground beef, breadcrumbs, nutmeg, onion, egg, ½ teaspoon of salt, and ½ teaspoon of pepper. Mix until fully combined.
- Set a large pot over medium high heat, and add canola oil. Roll the meatball mixture into golf ball sized balls.
- Place each one into the pot once the oil is hot. Cook for one minute, then flip and cook for another minute.
- Add in the beef broth, milk, another ½ teaspoon salt and ½ teaspoon pepper, and the Worcestershire sauce, stirring carefully to avoid breaking the meatballs.
- Bring the sauce to a boil, then add in the egg noodles. Stir constantly until the noodles are tender and the sauce is reduced and coats the noodles, about 7-8 minutes.
- Add in the shredded Parmesan and chopped parsley, stir until the cheese has melted, and serve!
Swedish Meatballs Tips
- For an even zingier, more flavorful sauce, use only 1 cup of milk or heavy cream, and then add in a cup of sour cream. It'll be extra thick, so you won't need to reduce the sauce for as long.
- I love sprucing up this meal by adding sliced mushrooms to the pot alongside the meatballs! Onions also make a great addition.
- You can make this meal with any pasta you like! However, if you're using a classic wheat pasta instead of egg noodles, cook the noodles to al dente before adding them to the sauce. Egg noodles take less cooking time, and thus can be added to the sauce directly.
- For an even more flavorful meatball, add ½ teaspoon of allspice and and a tablespoon of spicy brown mustard to the meatball mix.
Swedish Meatballs FAQs
Swedish meatballs are typically served with a brown gravy-like sauce with egg noodles. This sauce is very simple to make and delicious, and only takes beef broth and milk or cream plus salt and pepper. You can also add in Parmesan and parsley if desired!
The secret to the difference between Swedish meatballs and Italian meatballs is in the spices! There are all sorts of meatballs out there, as almost every region has its own variation of the meal. The Swedish variety uses warm spices such as nutmeg and allspice to add flavor and is typically served with egg noodles and a creamy brown sauce.
What to Serve with Swedish Meatballs
- My favorite way to serve Swedish meatballs is with a dollop of lingonberry jam! You can typically find it in the International section of your local grocery store. If you can't find lingonberry, cranberry sauce is very similar!
- For your gluten-free family, serve this meal with gluten free pasta cooked before adding it into the sauce, and swap the breadcrumbs for gluten-free breadcrumbs.
- Or, if you're trying to reduce your pasta intake, serve it over cooked spaghetti squash! It's so delicious, sometimes I make it this way just for the taste of it.
Best Meatball Recipes
- Instant Pot Meatballs
- Italian Meatball Soup
- Mozzarella Stuffed Meatballs
- Cocktail Meatballs
- Italian Wedding Meatball Soup
- Try all of my Best Meatball Recipes!
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📋 Recipe
Swedish Meatballs Recipe
Equipment
- Large mixing bowl
Ingredients
- 1 lb. Ground beef
- 1 cup Italian breadcrumbs
- ½ teaspoon Nutmeg
- ½ Onion finely minced
- 1 Egg
- 1 teaspoon Kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon Pepper
- 2 Tablespoons Canola oil
- 2 cups Beef broth
- 2 cups Heavy cream or whole milk
- 1 Tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- 4 cups Egg noodles
- 1 cup Parmesan cheese
- ½ cup Parsley chopped
See our Beef Temperature Chart for helpful tips on cooking any cut of beef!
Instructions
- In a large mixing bowl, combine the ground beef, breadcrumbs, nutmeg, onion, egg, ½ teaspoon of salt, and ½ teaspoon of pepper. Mix until fully combined.1 lb. Ground beef, 1 cup Italian breadcrumbs, ½ teaspoon Nutmeg, ½ Onion, 1 Egg, 1 teaspoon Kosher salt, 1 teaspoon Pepper
- Set a large pot over medium high heat, and add canola oil. Roll the meatball mixture into golf ball sized balls.2 Tablespoons Canola oil
- Place each one into the pot once the oil is hot. Cook for one minute, then flip and cook for another minute.
- Add in the beef broth, milk, remaining ½ teaspoon salt and ½ teaspoon pepper, and the Worcestershire sauce, stirring carefully to avoid breaking the meatballs.1 teaspoon Kosher salt, 2 cups Beef broth, 2 cups Heavy cream, 1 Tablespoon Worcestershire sauce, 1 teaspoon Pepper
- Bring the sauce to a boil, then add in the egg noodles. Stir constantly until the noodles are tender and the sauce is reduced and coats the noodles, about 7-8 minutes.4 cups Egg noodles
- Add in the shredded Parmesan and chopped parsley, stir until the cheese has melted, and serve!1 cup Parmesan cheese, ½ cup Parsley
Video
Notes
- For an even zingier, more flavorful sauce, use only 1 cup of milk or heavy cream, and then add in a cup of sour cream. It'll be extra thick, so you won't need to reduce the sauce for as long.
- I love sprucing up this meal by adding sliced mushrooms to the pot alongside the meatballs! Onions also make a great addition.
- You can make this meal with any pasta you like! However, if you're using a classic wheat pasta instead of egg noodles, cook the noodles to al dente before adding them to the sauce. Egg noodles take less cooking time, and thus can be added to the sauce directly.
- For an even more flavorful meatball, add ½ teaspoon of allspice and and a tablespoon of spicy brown mustard to the meatball mix.
Nutrition
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