Swedish Meatballs

Flavor packed Swedish Meatballs in a rich, cream gravy. This family friendly meal is as easy as it is delicious! Hearty homemade meatballs in a savory, thick gravy, perfect for a weeknight meal.

Love gravy and meat? Our salisbury steak will not disappoint. Flavorful and hearty, the gravy, mushrooms, and beef patties are sure to satisfy. Or give our garlic butter salmon a try next!

Having been to Sweden, I can attest that these meatballs are as close to authentic as possible, while still making sure that they have no refined flours (or sugar)!

Whipping up dinner during the week can be a struggle sometimes, but these meatballs are easy enough to make ahead of time, and kid approved too!

What you’ll need for Swedish Meatballs

• Meat. I use a combination of ground beef and ground pork to create the best flavor. You can use just beef if you prefer, but unless you’re going to use reindeer like the Swedes do, I suggest the combo of meats!
• Spices. Adding a generous amount of salt, pepper, and allspice to the meatballs gives these meatballs a unique flavor. The addition of the allspice is what helps give these Swedish Meatballs that authentic, warm flavor.
• No Refined Flour. Instead of traditional breadcrumbs, we chose to add almond flour to the meatball. This helps the meat bind and stay formed while cooking, without the gluten from traditional flours.
• To thicken the sauce, cornstarch is used, as is heavy whipping cream. No sour cream in this recipe!

How to Make Swedish Meatballs

STEP 1. The meatballs.

In a mixing bowl, combine the ground beef, ground pork, minced onion, almond flour, salt, pepper, allspice, eggs, and heavy whipping cream.

Use your hands to make sure the meat mixture is well blended, without OVER mixing it. (I wear gloves to make cleanup a breeze!)

Roll the meatballs into 1-inch sized balls, packing tightly. You will get about 5-6 dozen meatballs.

Heat a large cast iron skillet over medium high heat. Add the meatballs in a single layer, with a small amount of space between each one. Cook several minutes on each side, rotating to make sure they cook evenly.

Once cooked, remove meatballs to a plate, repeating until all the meatballs are cooked completely.

STEP 2. Swedish Meatball Sauce.

Once you have cooked all the meatballs, add the butter to the drippings in the pan. Using a whisk, melt butter and scrape up the bits.

Sprinkle the melted butter with cornstarch and whisk over medium heat for about a minute. Add in the beef bone broth, salt, pepper, and allspice. Whisk until there are no cornstarch lumps (aside from any of the meatball pieces).

Turn heat down to low, add in the heavy cream, whisk and simmer for about 20 minutes.

STEP 3. Serve.

Once the sauce has thickened, return the meatballs to the skillet and continue to heat until the meatballs are warmed up (this will only take a couple minutes). Sprinkle a little parsley over the top and serve!

What to Serve with Swedish Meatballs

While in Sweden, our authentic Swedish Meatballs were served with creamy mashed potatoes, cucumber salad, and lingonberries.

If you’re on a no sugar, no flour diet, you may want to avoid the lingonberries as most kinds I have found are packed with added sugars!

Some people who follow the No Sugar No Flour lifestyle still enjoy homemade mashed potatoes. So enjoy!

However, if you’re looking for alternatives, cauliflour rice, cauliflower mash, zoodles, and spaghetti squash are all delicious options.

These Swedish Meatballs are also delicious on their own!

Can you Make Swedish Meatballs Ahead of Time

One thing my family does to make our weeknight meals a little easier to manage is prep our proteins ahead of time. Whether we’re cooking up some shredded chicken or making meatballs, having it done makes our dinner time run smoothly during the week.

1. To make the meatballs ahead of time, complete all of Step 1. Scrape the extra grease and bits from the pan into a small container, or discard.
2. Store cooked meatballs in the freezer for up to 60 days (or in the refrigerator for up to 4 days).
3. To use, thaw meatballs in the refrigerator overnight. When ready to prepare dinner, begin with STEP 2 (using your reserved grease if you have it, if you don’t, no worries).

ENJOY!

MORE EASY DINNERS

• Bacon Cheeseburger Stuffed Zucchini
• Zucchini Egg Nests
• Pizza Casserole
• Chicken Broccoli Casserole
• Sheet Pan Roasted Vegetables

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Swedish Meatballs

Yield: 8 servings

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Cook Time: 30 minutes

Total Time: 50 minutes

Flavor packed Swedish Meatballs in a rich, cream gravy. This family friendly meal is as easy as it is delicious!

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Ingredients

For the Meatballs

• 1 pound ground beef
• 1 pound ground pork
• 2 Tablespoons dry minced onion
• 1 cup almond flour
• 1/2 teaspoon allspice
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• 2 large eggs
• 1/4 cup heavy whipping cream

For the sauce

• 2 Tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1/4 cup plus 2 Tablespoons cornstarch
• 3 cups beef bone broth
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon allspice
• 2/3 cup heavy whipping cream
• 1 Tablespoon parsley, optional

Instructions

1. In a mixing bowl, combine the ground beef, ground pork, minced onion, almond flour, salt, pepper, allspice, eggs, and heavy whipping cream.
2. Use your hands to make sure the meat mixture is well blended, without OVER mixing it. (I wear gloves to make cleanup a breeze!)
3. Roll the meatballs into 1-inch sized balls, packing tightly. You will get about 5-6 dozen meatballs.
4. Heat a large cast iron skillet over medium high heat. Add the meatballs in a single layer, with a small amount of space between each one. Cook several minutes on each side, rotating to make sure they cook evenly.
5. Once cooked, remove meatballs to a plate, repeating until all the meatballs are cooked completely.
6. Once you have cooked all the meatballs, add the butter to the drippings in the pan. Using a whisk, melt butter and scrape up the bits.
7. Sprinkle the melted butter with cornstarch and whisk over medium heat for about a minute. Add in the beef bone broth, salt, pepper, and allspice. Whisk until there are no cornstarch lumps (aside from any of the meatball pieces).
8. Turn heat down to low, add in the heavy cream, whisk and simmer for about 20 minutes.
9. Once the sauce has thickened, return the meatballs to the skillet and continue to heat until the meatballs are warmed up (this will only take a couple minutes). Sprinkle a little parsley over the top and serve!

Notes

• Looking to keep it closer to keto? Swap out the cornstarch for sour cream. This will help thicken up the sauce and make it even creamier!

Nutrition Information:

Yield: 8 Serving Size: 1
Amount Per Serving:Calories: 776Total Fat: 57gSaturated Fat: 23gTrans Fat: 1gUnsaturated Fat: 29gCholesterol: 263mgSodium: 537mgCarbohydrates: 6gFiber: 2gSugar: 2gProtein: 59g

Authentic Swedish Meatballs recipe with a creamy, tangy sauce. Easy for weeknight enjoyment, impressive for guests!