Mom’s Swedish Meatballs
Is there anything better than a tried and true family recipe? My Mom’s Swedish Meatballs recipe is exactly that! Flavorful, easy to make, and with a delicious gravy, it’s been a family favorite for decades!
Next, try our Cheesy Sausage Balls!
Friends, my Mom’s Swedish Meatballs is a recipe that I have wanted to share with you all since the very beginning. It’s a recipe that is so incredibly near and dear to my heart. Every single bite brings me back to my childhood. It was not only the meal that I used to request for my birthday throughout my childhood, but my husband (as my boyfriend at the time) even got the recipe from my mom and had a friend make them for my 27th birthday for me! Fast forward many years, and my oldest has now started requesting them for her birthday. It’s a full circle, tried and true family recipe enjoyed by multiple generations!
Ingredients Needed
Before you look at the ground lamb and go uh nope, don’t worry, it’s not totally necessary.
For the Meatballs:
- Ground Meats – Ground Beef, Ground Pork, and Ground… Lamb, Veal, OR you could sub a combo of just ground beef and ground pork. See the recipe notes.
- Soft Bread Crumbs – What are soft bread crumbs? Cut up soft bread, that’s it. Get a loaf of your favorite basic, simple white bread, and there you go. Our favorite for this recipe is our Easy White Sandwich Bread.
- Onion – I prefer white for this (because that’s our household’s onion of choice), but yellow would also be great. Stay away from red, though it won’t work in this recipe.
- Egg – To bind!
- Butter – To saute the onion in and bring in a lot of flavor.
- Milk – Just enough to soften up the bread crumbs.
- Fresh Parsley – Fresh is really key for this recipe. Yes, you could use dried, but it’s not the same. It’s still delicious, but fresh is always better.
- Spices: Ground Ginger, Nutmeg, Kosher Salt, Pepper
Ground Lamb
I’ll be honest, I think this recipe is best with ground lamb; however, I understand that it can be really hard to come by. While I’m noticing it more and more in our local big grocery stores, you can also, of course, check out your local butcher. With that said, if you can’t find it (or if it’s too cost-prohibitive – I get that!), you can absolutely use either all ground beef, or do a mixture of just ground beef and pork. See the recipe notes for my suggestions of ratios. But fear not, lamb is not required to make this recipe delicious. Most of my life, we couldn’t afford lamb, so some of my favorite memories of this recipe are with just ground beef and pork.
For the Gravy
Here’s where my mom’s secret ingredient comes in.
- Beef Stock – Make your own with this recipe!
- Butter – Salted is my preferred, but unsalted is totally fine.
- Flour – To make the roux (to thicken the gravy).
- Instant Coffee: The secret ingredient!
Instant Coffee?!
Strange, I know. But let me tell you, my husband hates the taste of coffee. He’s one of the few people walking on Earth who does not and will not drink coffee or eat anything that tastes like it, like Tiramisu (I know… the travesty). However, he loves these meatballs. There’s no taste of coffee in them at all, but it does add a nice richness to the gravy.
Step-by-Step Instructions
Another reason why I love my Mom’s Swedish Meatballs recipe, it’s actually pretty easy to make because the meatballs are baked instead of pan-fried.
Step 1: Sauté onion in butter. It will feel like a lot of butter for the amount of onion, but trust me, you want it.
Step 2: Add bread crumbs to a bowl with milk to soak.
Step 3: Add meats to a large bowl with onion, parsley, egg, and spices.
Step 4: Mix the bread crumbs with the meats.
Step 5: Roll out 2 1/2 – 3 inch(ish) balls and add to a rimmed baking sheet.
Step 6: Bake!
Mmmm… See those drippings? Keep them for your gravy!
Look at those little beauties.
You could also pan-fry the meatballs, but let’s be honest, that’s so much more work. Easier is better in our house. So pop these beauties in the oven and let them bake on their own and go about ya life.
Step 7: Make the gravy.
Once your meatballs are done, take the drippings from the baking sheet and scoop them into your pot or Dutch Oven, add the butter and flour, and make the roux.
Then, slowly add the beef stock and create a delicious gravy to add your meatballs to.
Step 8: Let your meatballs simmer in the gravy until you can’t handle it any longer!
And then Mom’s Swedish Meatballs are ready to enjoy!!
We love to serve them on egg noodles (this was my favorite as a kid), but you could also serve them over rice or mashed potatoes. Or just straight out of the pot with a toothpick as a delightful appetizer, like our Sweet Sesame Ginger Meatballs. Make it a meal with our:
- 10 Minute Garlic Kale
- Balsamic Spinach and Mushrooms
- Garlic and Gruyere Roasted Asparagus
- Easy 10 Minute Garlic Broccoli
- 10 Minute Sauteed Sugar Snap Peas
- Classic Caesar Salad From Scratch
- 15 Minute Mustard Green Beans
Our Other Ground Beef Recipes
- Easy Ground Beef and Broccoli
- Enchilada Skillet Pasta
- Beef and Spinach Noodles
- Hamburger Vegetable Soup
- Kimchi Sloppy Joes
FAQs
Nope! You can absolutely use just all ground beef, or use 1 lb of ground beef and 1/2 lb of ground pork. Lamb is not necessary but very delicious with it!
Yes, it will be. Pop it in the fridge for 15-30 minutes, and then it will be easier to work with. Also, if you clean your hands often, it will also help to form the meatballs.
Absolutely. Heat a pan to medium, add a little fat (butter or oil), and then add the meatballs in batches and turn them until they’re cooked. It’s more work than just baking them, that’s why I prefer to bake them.
Yes! Prep it all, and you can have the raw meat mixture in the fridge for up to a day before you want to bake them.
Definitely. Bake the meatballs, make the gravy, and then freeze in a freezer-friendly container for up to 3-4 months.
Soft bread crumbs are really best for this recipe because they soak up the milk and add tenderness to the meatballs.
How delicious do these look? Trust me, they taste even better than they look. If ever there’s a recipe on this site I hope you make, it’s this one, my Mom’s Swedish Meatballs.
Enjoy! As always, if you make this recipe or any of my others, I love to hear what you think! Leave a comment below, email me, or you can find me on Facebook, Instagram, and Pinterest!
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Mom’s Swedish Meatballs
Equipment
- Dutch Oven or large pot
Ingredients
Meatballs
- 3/4 lbs ground beef
- 1/2 lb ground lamb or venison see notes
- 1/4 lb ground mild pork
- 1 1/2 cup soft bread crumbs, cubed
- 1/3 cup onion, minced
- 1 egg
- 1/4 cup fresh parsley, minced
- 1/4 – 1/3 cup milk 2% or 1%
- 1 tablespoon salted butter
- 1 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
- pinch ground nutmeg
Gravy
- 2 cups beef stock
- 4 tablespoons all purpose flour
- 2 tablespoons salted butter
- 1 teaspoon instant coffee
Instructions
Make Meatballs
- Preheat Oven: Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F and add the rack to the center.
- Prep Onions: Melt 1 tablespoon of butter in a sauté pan. Add the onion and cook for 2-3 minutes until the onions are soft. Add them to a large bowl.
- Prep Breadcrumbs: Add breadcrumbs to a medium-sized bowl. Add milk, starting with 1/4 cup and use just enough to wet all of the bread. Add a bit more if all of the bread is not wet, but don't use more than 1/3 of a cup. Set aside.
- Make Meatballs: Add the meats to the large bowl with the onions and add the parsley, egg, salt, ginger, and nutmeg. Mix well and then add the milk-soaked bread crumbs. If there is any extra milk in the bowl with the bread, do not add. Add the meat mixture to the fridge for at least 15 minutes to cool. This will help make shaping the meatballs easier.
- Shape Meatballs: Shape the meat into 2 – 3ish inch meatballs and add to a rimmed baking sheet. Don't worry about crowding.
- Bake: Bake the meatballs on the middle rack for 30 minutes.
- Baked Meatballs: Once the meatballs are done, remove them with tongs and add them to a plate or bowl to set aside. Then use a spatula to scrape all of the drippings from the baking sheet into a large pot or Dutch oven.
- Make Gravy: Heat the pot with the drippings over medium heat and add 2 tablespoons of butter to the meatball drippings. Add the flour and whisk it with the butter to create a roux. Slowly add beef broth, mixing the roux with it as it's added until all the broth is incorporated. Add instant coffee.
- Add Meatballs to Gravy: Add the meatballs to the pan and let them simmer on medium-low for 15-20 minutes.
- Serve and Enjoy! Serve over noodles, rice, or whatever you'd like!
Excellent. one of the easiest recipies for Swedish Meatballs I have found onthe internet. I bought ground pork by mistake. When I finished unpacking my groceries and said,”Ach, stupid me.” I sat down at my computer and this recipie popped up. Tracy to the rescue.
I’m honored to be of service!
excellent! best i have ever made. i did add more ginger and nutmeg for my personal liking.
So wonderful to hear, Nancy!! Thanks so much for sharing!