Swedish Meatballs

This recipe for Swedish meatballs comes from my Swedish grandmother, Ingrid. I grew up eating them and think they are the best in the whole world. I know everyone thinks their grandmothers make the best, but mine really does!

Swedish meatballs are usually smaller and lighter than their Italian counterparts. Many recipes call for just pork and beef, but I like the addition of turkey or chicken in my grandmother’s recipe. It helps make them less heavy, so you can eat more of them! Her recipe also calls for mashed potatoes instead of breadcrumbs, making the meatballs incredibly soft and moist. No dry meatballs here!

You can eat Swedish meatballs with or without gravy. When making a meal out of the meatballs, they are almost always served with gravy, like at Ikea. However, meatballs are also often served at holidays like Easter, Midsummer, and Christmas. In those instances, they are served without sauce. They are part of a larger meal with many other dishes, and sauce would just get in the way.

These meatballs keep well in the freezer, so make a double or triple batch and keep them on hand for a quick dinner or to get ahead for your next party!

Print Recipe

Swedish Meatballs

Ingredients

• 400 g ground beef
• 400 g ground pork
• 400 g ground turkey or chicken
• 1 potato
• ½ yellow onion finely chopped
• 1 egg
• 1 tbsp cornstarch
• 50 g milk
• Salt and pepper

Instructions

• Peel and boil the potato until soft all the way through.
• Use a ricer or mash the potato until smooth.
• Slowly fry the onion until translucent, then let it cool.
• In a large bowl, add the ground beef, ground pork, ground turkey or chicken, mashed potato, cooked onion, egg, cornstarch, and milk.
• Mix everything together well, then season to taste with salt and pepper.
• Fry a small piece of the mixture to check the seasoning, and adjust if necessary.
• Scoop the meat mixture using a cookie scoop, meatball tongs, or two spoons.
• Place each scoop of meat on a lined sheet tray (lined with parchment or foil).
• Roll each meatball in your hands to make it nice and round, using a bit of water on your hands to prevent sticking.
• Bake at 190°C (375°F) for about 15 minutes or until cooked through.
• Once baked, let the meatballs cool. You can store them in the refrigerator or the freezer.
• Fry the meatballs in a bit of butter until brown on all sides.