Swedish meatballs creamy sauce (Printable)

Tender spiced meatballs in a rich, creamy brown sauce served with mashed potatoes and lingonberry jam.

# What You'll Need:

→ Meatballs

01 - 8.8 oz ground beef
02 - 8.8 oz ground pork
03 - 1 small onion, finely chopped
04 - 1 garlic clove, minced
05 - ½ cup whole milk
06 - ½ cup fresh breadcrumbs
07 - 1 large egg
08 - ½ teaspoon ground allspice
09 - ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
10 - 1 teaspoon salt
11 - ½ teaspoon black pepper
12 - 2 tablespoons unsalted butter (for frying)

→ Creamy Brown Sauce

13 - 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
14 - 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
15 - 2 cups beef broth
16 - ½ cup heavy cream
17 - 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
18 - 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
19 - Salt and pepper to taste

→ To Serve (Optional)

20 - Mashed potatoes
21 - Lingonberry jam
22 - Fresh parsley, chopped

# Step-by-Step:

01 - Soak breadcrumbs in milk in a small bowl for 5 minutes until softened.
02 - In a large bowl, gently mix ground beef, ground pork, soaked breadcrumbs, onion, garlic, egg, allspice, nutmeg, salt, and pepper until just combined.
03 - Moisten your hands and roll the mixture into 1-inch diameter meatballs. Set aside.
04 - Melt 2 tablespoons butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Fry meatballs in batches, turning frequently, for 6 to 8 minutes until evenly browned. Remove and keep warm.
05 - In the same skillet, melt 2 tablespoons butter. Whisk in flour and cook for 1 to 2 minutes to form a roux.
06 - Gradually whisk in beef broth, scraping up browned bits from the skillet. Simmer for 3 to 4 minutes until slightly thickened.
07 - Stir in heavy cream, Worcestershire sauce, and Dijon mustard. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
08 - Return meatballs to the sauce and simmer gently for 8 to 10 minutes until fully cooked and sauce is creamy.
09 - Plate meatballs with sauce and serve hot alongside mashed potatoes, lingonberry jam, and a sprinkle of fresh parsley.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • Meatballs that stay moist and delicate instead of turning into hard little hockey pucks.
  • A sauce so velvety and rich it tastes like it simmered for hours, not minutes.
  • The warm spices—allspice and nutmeg—add an unexpected depth that makes people ask what you did differently.
02 -
  • Overmixing the meatball mixture is the single biggest mistake—it activates gluten in the breadcrumbs and makes them tough and springy instead of tender.
  • Worcestershire sauce and Dijon mustard seem like small additions, but they're what prevent the sauce from tasting flat and one-dimensional.
  • Don't skip browning the meatballs properly even if you're rushing; that caramelized exterior is where half the flavor lives.
03 -
  • Brown the meatballs in batches without crowding the pan—a crowded pan steams instead of browns, and you'll lose texture and color.
  • When whisking the cream into the hot sauce, do it slowly off the heat to prevent the cream from separating or breaking into greasy streaks.
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