**Authentic Swedish Meatballs: A Culinary Journey to Sweden**
Swedish meatballs, known as "köttbullar" in Swedish, are a beloved dish that embodies the essence of Swedish cuisine. These succulent orbs of ground meat are traditionally served with a rich gravy, lingonberry jam, and mashed potatoes, creating a symphony of flavors that has captured the hearts of food enthusiasts worldwide. Immerse yourself in the culinary traditions of Sweden as we embark on a journey to explore the authentic recipe for Swedish meatballs, along with variations that cater to different dietary preferences and taste profiles. From the classic version to gluten-free, low-carb, and vegetarian alternatives, this article will guide you in recreating this iconic dish, ensuring a delightful and unforgettable dining experience.
SWEDISH MEATBALLS (SVENSKA KOTTBULLAR)
Our family's traditional Christmas recipe, frequently doubled and kept warm in a crock pot. Worth the effort, and the meatballs are even better the next day! Reserve brown gravy and add sour cream to it the day you serve the leftovers.
Provided by Nom Nom Nom
Categories World Cuisine Recipes European Scandinavian
Time 1h25m
Yield 6
Number Of Ingredients 18
Steps:
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
- Place the bread crumbs into a small bowl, and mix in the cream. Allow to stand until crumbs absorb the cream, about 10 minutes. While the bread is soaking, melt 1 teaspoon of butter in a skillet over medium heat, and cook and stir the onion until it turns light brown, about 10 minutes. Place onion into a mixing bowl; mix with the ground beef, ground pork, egg, brown sugar, salt, black pepper, nutmeg, allspice, and ginger. Lightly mix in the bread crumbs and cream.
- Melt 1 tablespoon of butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Pinch off about 1 1/2 tablespoon of the meat mixture per meatball, and form into balls. Place the meatballs into the skillet, and cook just until the outsides are brown, about 5 minutes, turning the meatballs often. Insides of the meatballs will still be pink. Place browned meatballs into a baking dish, pour in chicken broth, and cover with foil.
- Bake in the preheated oven until the meatballs are tender, about 40 minutes. Remove meatballs to a serving dish.
- To make brown gravy, pour pan drippings into a saucepan over medium heat. Whisk the flour into the pan drippings until smooth, and gradually whisk in enough beef broth to total about 2 1/2 cups of liquid. Bring the gravy to a simmer, whisking constantly until thick, about 5 minutes. Just before serving, whisk in the sour cream. Season to taste with salt and black pepper. Serve the gravy with the meatballs.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 308.7 calories, Carbohydrate 11.9 g, Cholesterol 107.6 mg, Fat 21.3 g, Fiber 0.6 g, Protein 16.9 g, SaturatedFat 10.6 g, Sodium 794.2 mg, Sugar 3.2 g
GRANDMA'S AUTHENTIC SWEDISH MEATBALLS
Family recipe straight from Sweden. This is a favorite dish any time that I make it and is often requested by my foodie friends. Serve with mashed potatoes. Enjoy!
Provided by KamiBelyeu
Categories World Cuisine Recipes European Scandinavian
Time 1h
Yield 6
Number Of Ingredients 16
Steps:
- Mix beef, sausage, bread crumbs, onion, milk, egg, parsley, salt, Worcestershire sauce, and pepper in a large bowl. Form into meatballs.
- Heat oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Pan-fry meatballs in batches, turning as needed, until browned and heated through, 6 to 8 minutes.
- Mix boiling water, sour cream, flour, paprika, and pepper together in a deep saucepan over low heat. Add the meatballs and let simmer until thickened and heated through, 15 to 20 minutes.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 437 calories, Carbohydrate 22.4 g, Cholesterol 112.2 mg, Fat 27.9 g, Fiber 1.4 g, Protein 22.9 g, SaturatedFat 11.7 g, Sodium 1096.3 mg, Sugar 2.9 g
CLASSIC SWEDISH MEATBALLS
I'm a "Svenska flicka" (Swedish girl) from northwest Iowa, where many Swedes settled at the turn of the century. This recipe was given to me by a Swedish friend. It's obviously a 20th century version of a 19th century favorite, since back then they didn't have bouillon cubes or evaporated milk! I think you'll agree that these modern-day "Kottbullar" are very tasty. -Emily Gould, Hawarden, Iowa
Provided by Taste of Home
Categories Appetizers
Time 35m
Yield 3-1/2 dozen.
Number Of Ingredients 14
Steps:
- Combine 2/3 cup evaporated milk with the next 5 ingredients. Add beef; mix lightly. Refrigerate until chilled., With wet hands, shape meat mixture into 1-in. balls. In a large skillet, heat butter over medium heat. Brown meatballs in batches. Dissolve bouillon in boiling water. Pour over meatballs; bring to a boil. Cover; simmer 15 minutes. , Meanwhile, stir together cold water and flour. Remove meatballs from skillet; skim fat, reserving juices. Add flour mixture and remaining evaporated milk to pan juices; cook, uncovered, over low heat, stirring until sauce thickens. , Return meatballs to skillet. Stir in lemon juice. If desired, top with lingonberries.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 36 calories, Fat 2g fat (1g saturated fat), Cholesterol 10mg cholesterol, Sodium 87mg sodium, Carbohydrate 2g carbohydrate (1g sugars, Fiber 0 fiber), Protein 3g protein.
SWEDISH MEATBALLS
The trick to Alton Brown's moist Swedish Meatballs recipe, from Good Eats on Food Network, is white bread soaked in milk.
Provided by Alton Brown
Categories appetizer
Time 55m
Yield approximately 30 meatballs, 4 to 6 servings
Number Of Ingredients 14
Steps:
- Preheat oven to 200 degrees F.
- Tear the bread into pieces and place in a small mixing bowl along with the milk. Set aside.
- In a 12-inch straight sided saute pan over medium heat, melt 1 tablespoon of the butter. Add the onion and a pinch of salt and sweat until the onions are soft. Remove from the heat and set aside.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine the bread and milk mixture, ground chuck, pork, egg yolks, 1 teaspoon of kosher salt, black pepper, allspice, nutmeg, and onions. Beat on medium speed for 1 to 2 minutes.
- Using a scale, weigh meatballs into 1-ounce portions and place on a sheet pan. Using your hands, shape the meatballs into rounds.
- Heat the remaining butter in the saute pan over medium-low heat, or in an electric skillet set to 250 degrees F. Add the meatballs and saute until golden brown on all sides, about 7 to 10 minutes. Remove the meatballs to an ovenproof dish using a slotted spoon and place in the warmed oven.
- Once all of the meatballs are cooked, decrease the heat to low and add the flour to the pan or skillet. Whisk until lightly browned, approximately 1 to 2 minutes. Gradually add the beef stock and whisk until sauce begins to thicken. Add the cream and continue to cook until the gravy reaches the desired consistency. Remove the meatballs from the oven, cover with the gravy and serve.
AUTHENTIC SWEDISH MEATBALLS
This recipe is one of my earliest food memories. Every Christmas Eve, my family enjoys an authentic Swedish Smorgasbord, of which this is an essential part. My mother still tells tales (and I'm 40) of me as a toddler, standing by the dish of meatballs and eating as many as I could hold. These are not spicy, like most Scandinavian food, but have a great flavor and texture. In fact, they are so soft, that I usually chill the meat mixture before rolling and frying to avoid meatballs with flat sides. I've included the directions for the gravy, which I usually don't make, as it's traditional, but the balls are wonderful without it on any buffet table, or as an addition to a potluck. They are also good cold, straight from the fridge. If you like to do OAMC cooking, these freeze beautifully, in fact, I never make less than 100 meatballs at a time, lightly brown them, then flash freeze to finish later. The traditional recipe calls for a mix of beef, pork, and veal- if you object to veal, they work equally well with an even mix of beef and pork. Don't try to use these as an option for spaghetti, the seasonings just don't match. Prep time does not include chilling the meat mixture or the prepared meatballs.
Provided by IngridH
Categories Meat
Time 50m
Yield 6 serving(s)
Number Of Ingredients 17
Steps:
- Melt butter in a skillet.
- Saute onions in the butter until golden.
- Soak the bread crumbs in the milk.
- To the bread mixture, add the meats, egg, onion, allspice, salt, and pepper. Mix until a smooth texture is achieved.
- Chill mix for an hour or so, to firm it up.
- Form mix into meatballs, using 1-2 tablespoons of meat per ball. (these should be smaller than a golf ball). If you are making these on a warm day, you might want to chill the formed balls again, so that you don't get flat sides when you fry them.
- Heat a large skillet over medium high heat.
- Melt a small amount of butter (traditional) or oil in the pan.
- Add enough meatballs to fill the pan very loosely.
- Shake the pan as you fry the balls, to keep the round shape as they cook. Continue to cook until they are evenly brown on all sides.
- Remove each batch to a warm platter in the oven, as you fry the rest.
- If you wish to make the gravy, deglaze the pan with a little water after each batch, and reserve the resulting drippings in a bowl.
- For the gravy:.
- When all of the meatballs have been fried, mix the flour and cream (or milk), and add to the reserved pan drippings in the skillet.
- Simmer for 10 minutes.
- If the mixture is too thick, add a bit of cream (or milk) to thin, then taste and season with salt and/or pepper as needed.
- Pour gravy over warm meatballs and serve with boiled potatoes and lingonberry sauce.
EASY SWEDISH MEATBALL SAUCE
A quick but very tasty sauce to add to already prepared frozen meatballs. This recipe makes a generous amount of sauce for a 1/2 package (20 oz) of meatballs. Serve over egg noodles or rice.
Provided by Mary B
Categories World Cuisine Recipes European Scandinavian
Time 20m
Yield 4
Number Of Ingredients 7
Steps:
- Whisk together the beef stock, heavy cream, flour, soy sauce, black pepper, and rosemary in a large saucepan until smooth. Cook and stir over low heat until thickened, about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in the meatballs, and continue cooking until meatballs are heated through, about 5 more minutes.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 392.9 calories, Carbohydrate 12.2 g, Cholesterol 140.4 mg, Fat 31.5 g, Fiber 0.8 g, Protein 15 g, SaturatedFat 17 g, Sodium 357.8 mg, Sugar 0.9 g
AUTHENTIC SWEDISH MEATBALLS
There are as many meatball recipes as there are meatball lovers. This authentic Swedish recipe results in delicious, juicy meatballs with a good and creamy taste. Serve with mashed potatoes, lingonberries, and a cream sauce!
Provided by SwedishChef
Categories World Cuisine Recipes European Scandinavian
Time 1h
Yield 8
Number Of Ingredients 10
Steps:
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C).
- Mix cream, oats, potato flour, salt, and pepper together in a bowl. Let sit for 10 minutes at room temperature to allow oats to absorb the liquid; paste should have the consistency of mashed potatoes.
- Melt butter in a frying pan over medium heat. Cook and stir onion until softened but still pale, 3 to 4 minutes. Add onions to the oat paste and mix well. And ground beef and allspice; mix just until combined, 30 to 45 seconds.
- Oil your hands and roll mixture into meatballs of desired size, ideally smaller than a golf ball. Place meatballs on a sheet pan.
- Bake in the preheated oven until meatballs are hot, about 10 minutes. Let cool briefly.
- Heat a cast iron skillet over medium heat. Add oil. Cook and stir meatballs, about 10 at a time, until browned, 3 to 5 minutes.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 418.9 calories, Carbohydrate 11.4 g, Cholesterol 110.2 mg, Fat 36.6 g, Fiber 1.3 g, Protein 11.7 g, SaturatedFat 17.7 g, Sodium 368.7 mg, Sugar 0.5 g
Tips:
- Use a combination of ground beef and pork for the meatballs. This will result in a more flavorful and juicy meatball.
- Season the meatballs well with salt, pepper, and other spices. This will help to enhance the flavor of the meat.
- Brown the meatballs in a pan before simmering them in the sauce. This will help to create a crispy outer crust and lock in the juices.
- Use a good quality beef broth for the sauce. This will help to create a rich and flavorful sauce.
- Add a touch of cream or sour cream to the sauce. This will help to make the sauce more creamy and decadent.
- Serve the meatballs with mashed potatoes, egg noodles, or rice. This will help to soak up the delicious sauce.
Conclusion:
Authentic Swedish meatballs are a delicious and comforting dish that is perfect for a special occasion or a weeknight meal. By following the tips above, you can make sure that your meatballs are flavorful, juicy, and perfectly cooked. So next time you're in the mood for a hearty and satisfying meal, give this recipe a try.
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