Description
Classic Swedish meatballs — savory and tender meatballs made with ground beef, warm spices, and served in a creamy gravy. A comforting Nordic dish, often paired with mashed potatoes and lingonberry jam.
Ingredients
- 750 g ground beef
- 1 small onion, finely chopped
- ⅓ cup (about 35 g) breadcrumbs
- 1 egg
- 2–3 tbsp milk (or cream) to soak the breadcrumbs
- Salt and pepper, to taste
- A pinch of ground allspice or nutmeg (optional)
- Olive oil or butter, for frying
- For the gravy sauce:
- 25–40 g butter
- 2 tbsp flour
- 300–400 ml beef or chicken stock
- 100–150 ml heavy cream (or milk)
- 1 tsp Dijon mustard (optional)
- 1 tsp Worcestershire sauce (optional, use halal version if needed)
- Salt and pepper, to taste
Instructions
- In a small bowl, soak breadcrumbs in milk or cream and set aside.
- Sauté chopped onion in a bit of butter or oil until soft but not browned. Let cool.
- In a large bowl, combine ground beef, soaked breadcrumbs, sautéed onion, egg, salt, pepper, and spices. Mix gently.
- With damp hands, shape the mixture into small meatballs.
- In a skillet over medium heat, cook the meatballs in batches until browned on all sides. Remove and set aside.
- In the same pan, melt butter, stir in flour to form a roux, then slowly whisk in stock. Simmer until smooth and slightly thickened.
- Add cream, mustard, and Worcestershire sauce if using. Stir and simmer.
- Return meatballs to the sauce, cover, and simmer for 5–10 minutes until fully cooked through. Serve warm.
Notes
- For juicier meatballs, soak breadcrumbs thoroughly in cream.
- Do not overmix the meat mixture to keep meatballs tender.
- Oven baking is an alternative: bake at 200 °C (400 °F) for 20–25 minutes.
- Lingonberry or cranberry sauce makes a great traditional pairing.
- Leftovers can be frozen — store meatballs separately from the sauce for best results.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving (approx 150 g meat + sauce)
- Calories: 440 kcal
- Sugar: 2 g
- Sodium: 520 mg
- Fat: 33 g
- Saturated Fat: 13 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 18 g
- Trans Fat: 0.5 g
- Carbohydrates: 10 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 28 g
- Cholesterol: 110 mg
