Swedish Meatballs (Köttbullar)

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Tender, rich, and flavorful, these Swedish Meatballs are seasoned with traditional spices and drenched in a luxuriously creamy and decadent gravy. Served in Swedish fashion with mashed potatoes and lingonberry jam, they are a memorable feast for the senses!

What are Swedish Meatballs?

The term “Swedish meatballs”, known as köttbullar in Sweden, usually conjures up the image of those ubiquitous meatballs served in IKEA’s cafes where they are served with a cream sauce. But Swedish meatballs in Sweden are just as commonly served with a brown sauce or with no sauce at all (like German Frikadellen). What distinguishes Swedish köttbullar first and foremost is the combination of beef and pork and the accompanying lingonberry jam which is an indisputable must. Swedish meatballs are traditionally served with mashed or boiled potatoes, commonly with accompaniments like quick pickled cucumbers or pickled beets (as with the classic Swedish stew Kalops).

Swedish Meatball Ingredients and Substitutions

To make the meatballs you will need:

• Ground beef and ground pork (for a lighter version you can substitute chicken or turkey) – the combination of beef and pork adds flavor and creates a more tender texture.
• Onion and garlic – for flavor and texture.
• Fresh breadcrumbs – for texture, flavor, to lock in moisture, and to help bind the meat mixture (your choice of white or whole grain; can substitute GF breadcrumbs as needed). Leave a couple slices of bread out on the counter for a day or two, or twice toast them, then pulse them in a food processor or blender until you get breadcrumbs.
• Heavy cream – adds richness, moisture and contributes to a more tender texture.
• Egg – to bind the ingredients together.
• Salt, black pepper, white pepper, mace or nutmeg, allspice, and thyme – I love the old-world flavor addition of the white pepper but if you don’t already have it and don’t want to buy it, simply omit it.
• Dried ground porcini mushrooms – dried porcini mushrooms add an incredible dose of earthy umami. They’re one of my all-time favorite “secret” flavor ingredients. If you don’t have them you can omit them.
• Parsley or chives – for flavor, freshness, and color.

To make the cream sauce you will need:

• Butter – because butter makes everything more flavorful.
• Flour – to add to the butter to make a rich roux that will give your sauce incredible flavor (can substitute GF flour as needed, just don’t use a nut flour).
• Quality chicken broth – I love and use Aneto Broth (more on that below). Chicken broth contributes a richer, deeper flavor than beef but you can substitute beef broth if that’s what you have.
• Heavy cream – this will give you the best and most luxurious texture but you can substitute half and half if you prefer.
• Worcestershire sauce – for flavor and a dose of umami.
• Dijon mustard – just enough flavor contrast to cut through the cream sauce.
• Salt and black pepper – freshly ground pepper is always best.

I’m using my favorite brand of broth, Aneto Broth, to make the sauce. Unlike other store-bought broths that rely on “natural flavors”, yeast extract and other flavor enhancers to give the broth flavor (not to mention all kinds of additives and preservatives), Aneto Broth is made strictly with real, whole ingredients: fresh chicken, fresh vegetables, and sea salt. That’s it. These are simmered low and slow for hours, breaking down collagen and extracting maximum flavor. In other words, it’s made from scratch with real ingredients just like you would make it at home in your own kitchen. Only they use ginormous cooking pots!

My husband and I toured their factory outside Barcelona, Spain several years ago and witnessed the entire process from start to finish – everything from watching them wash and chop the veggies and chicken to filling the giant pots with these ingredients, simmering the broth, letting it cool, and then watching it packaged to be wheeled off for distribution. It was so inspiring to witness such a remarkable company at work and we have been devout fans of Aneto Broth ever since, using their whole range of broths and paella cooking bases. To make these Swedish meatballs you can find their chicken broth on Amazon as well as select stores across the U.S. including Publix and Whole Foods (in the Northeast).

What to Serve with Swedish Meatballs

Swedish meatballs are versatile and can be paired with a carb of your choice (e.g., potatoes, egg noodles, rice) along with your favorite steamed, sauteed or roasted veggies. But in Sweden the traditional accompaniments are:

• Mashed or boiled potatoes
• Lingonberry jam
• Quick pickled cucumbers or a vinegar-based cucumber salad
• Pickled beets

Gluten Free Swedish Meatballs

To make gluten free Swedish meatballs simply substitute GF breadcrumbs and substitute an all-purpose GF flour. Do not use nut flours or the sauce will not thicken properly and it will be grainy in texture. If your sauce is still too thin, dissolve a couple of teaspoons cornstarch in a tablespoon of water and stir it into the sauce, stirring while the sauce simmers until it is thickened.

Storage and Freezing

Swedish meatballs can be stored in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 3 days. They can also be frozen for up to 2 months. You have a couple of options: You can either freeze the cooked and cooled meatballs and then make the sauce when you’re ready to serve them, or you can freeze the meatballs in the sauce. Place them in a freezer-safe container and let them thaw slowly overnight in the refrigerator. Re-heat them over low heat to prevent the sauce from breaking.

Flavor Tips

Here are a few tips for achieving maximum flavor:

• I like to add a dose of “umami” to both the meatballs and the sauce. In the meatballs I add ground dried porcini mushrooms which has long been one of my very favorite “secret” ingredients. To the sauce I also add some Worcestershire sauce for added depth.
• After frying the meatballs you’ll have a very dark burnt layer in the bottom of the skillet. Resist the urge to scour it out or to use a different pan for the sauce. That layer on the bottom is key for adding a ton of flavor to the sauce. So just leave it there when you add the butter and flour.
• After you dissolve the butter and flour to make what’s known as a roux, be patient and continue to whisk the mixture until it is a deep golden brown. The “flour” flavor will have long dissipated but you want to continue to cook the roux until the color darkens because that will do absolute flavor wonders for your sauce.
• I love adding a touch of Dijon. Its boldness and tanginess cuts through the cream sauce and adds just enough contrast to add flavor interest.
• While you can use parsley, I recommend using chives. They contribute a fresh, peppery, herbal taste that rounds out the flavors very nicely.

Swedish Meatballs Recipe

Let’s get started!

Place all of the meatball ingredients in a large bowl and use your hands to thoroughly combine the mixture.

Form the mixture into 30 uniformly sized meatballs. They will weigh about 30 grams/1 ounce each. You can make them larger if you prefer. Cover and chill for at least 30 minutes or overnight.

Heat the oil over medium high heat in a large skillet or saute pan with lid. Working in batches, brown the meatballs on all sides.

Continue to work in batches, transferring the meatballs to a plate, until they’re all done.

At this point you can proceed with the recipe or you can let the meatballs fully cool and then store them in the fridge for up to 3 days or you can freeze them for up to 2 months. (See “Freezing” section in above.)

The bottom of the skillet will be generously browned with residue from the meatballs. Don’t scrape it out, that will add a lot of flavor to the sauce. Melt the butter to that same skillet, add the flour, and whisk continually until the flour is dissolved.

Continue whisking for a few minutes until the roux is a deep golden brown. This will both eliminate the “flour flavor” and will add a ton of flavor to your sauce.

Gradually pour in the chicken broth while continuing to whisk to avoid clumping.

Continue to whisk and simmer the sauce until it’s smooth and thickened.

Add the Dijon mustard, Worcestershire sauce, salt, pepper and heavy cream. Whisk to combine.

Nestle the meatballs in the sauce, bring to a simmer, turn the heat to medium-low, place the lid on the skillet, and continue to lightly simmer for about 15 minutes.

Add salt and pepper to taste.

Serve garnished with some chopped chives or parsley if desired. The classic Swedish accompaniments are mashed potatoes, lingonberry jam, and either quick pickled cucumbers, cucumber salad or pickled beets. Alternatively these Swedish meatballs can be served with egg noodles, rice or for a low-carb alternative with zucchini noodles or cauliflower rice.

Enjoy!

A special thank you to Aneto Broth for sponsoring this post and helping make it possible for me to create and share free recipes for my readers to enjoy!