Swedish Meatballs (Köttbullar) with Cream Gravy

Small, tender beef and pork meatballs seasoned with allspice and white pepper, browned in butter and simmered in a silky cream gravy. Served with mashed potatoes and lingonberries. Serves 4.

Swedish meatballs in cream gravy with mashed potatoes, lingonberry jam and pickled cucumber
  • Prep 25 min
  • Cook 30 min
  • Total 55 min
  • Yield 4 servings (about 30 meatballs)

Jump to: Ingredients | Instructions | Tips | Questions | Print recipe

Swedish meatballs are smaller and more delicate than Italian ones. A mix of beef and pork, bread crumbs soaked in milk and a little grated onion keeps them tender, and a pinch of allspice gives them their gentle warmth.

They are served the same way in nearly every Swedish home: in a cream gravy with mashed or boiled potatoes, a spoonful of lingonberry jam and some quick pickled cucumber.

Ingredients

Meatballs

  • 1/3 cup plain dry bread crumbs
  • 1/2 cup whole milk
  • 1 small yellow onion, very finely chopped
  • 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided
  • 1/2 pound ground beef
  • 1/2 pound ground pork
  • 1 large egg
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon white pepper
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground allspice

Cream gravy

  • 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
  • 1 1/2 cups beef broth
  • 1/2 cup heavy cream
  • 1 teaspoon soy sauce
  • Salt and white pepper, to taste

To serve

  • Mashed or boiled potatoes
  • Lingonberry jam
  • Pickled cucumber (pressgurka)

Instructions

  1. Soak the crumbs. Stir the bread crumbs into the milk and let them soak for 5 minutes.
  2. Soften the onion. Melt 1 tablespoon of the butter in a large skillet and cook the onion over medium heat for 3 to 4 minutes, until soft. Let it cool slightly.
  3. Mix. In a large bowl, combine the beef, pork, soaked crumbs, onion, egg, salt, pepper and allspice. Mix with your hands just until evenly combined.
  4. Shape. With wet hands, roll the mixture into balls about 1 1/4 inches across. You should have about 30.
  5. Brown. Melt the remaining 2 tablespoons butter in the skillet over medium heat. Brown the meatballs in batches for 8 to 10 minutes, turning often, until browned all over and 160°F in the center. Move them to a plate.
  6. Make the gravy. Pour off all but about 2 tablespoons of fat. Whisk in the flour and cook for 1 minute, then whisk in the broth, scraping up the browned bits. Simmer for 2 minutes, then stir in the cream and soy sauce and season with salt and pepper.
  7. Simmer and serve. Return the meatballs to the pan and simmer for 3 to 4 minutes, until heated through and coated in gravy. Serve with potatoes, lingonberry jam and pickled cucumber.

Tips

  • The teaspoon of soy sauce is a common Swedish home trick for giving the gravy a deeper color and flavor.
  • Mix the meat gently; overworking it makes the meatballs dense.
  • Uncooked meatballs freeze well on a tray; brown them straight from the freezer, adding a few minutes.

Questions about this recipe

What do you serve with Swedish meatballs?
Mashed or boiled potatoes, lingonberry jam, pickled cucumber and the cream gravy. Egg noodles are a common American alternative.
Can I make them with all beef?
Yes, though the pork keeps them more tender. If you use all beef, choose 80 percent lean.

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