**Swedish meatballs** are a classic dish that is enjoyed by people all over the world. They are typically made with ground beef and pork, and are served with a creamy gravy. However, there are many variations on the traditional recipe, and the meatballs can be made with other meats, such as lamb or venison, or even vegetables. This article provides recipes for three different versions of Swedish meatballs: the classic recipe, a lighter version made with turkey, and a vegetarian version made with lentils. All three recipes are easy to follow and make delicious meatballs that are perfect for a weeknight meal or a special occasion. Best of all, these tasty meatballs can be paired with various side dishes, such as mashed potatoes, egg noodles, or lingonberry jam, offering a delightful culinary experience. Whether you are a fan of traditional Swedish meatballs or looking for a healthier or vegetarian alternative, this article has the perfect recipe for you. So, let's get cooking and enjoy the delightful flavors of Swedish meatballs!
Here are our top 6 tried and tested recipes!
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.
BEST SWEDISH MEATBALLS
Our family has been using this recipe for more than 40 years. The tender meatballs are made with a combination of beef, veal and pork, then spiced with nutmeg and ginger. If your family likes their meatballs a little milder, reduce the nutmeg to 1/2 teaspoon. Coffee adds nice color to the gravy, which is delicious over noodles.-Rev. Jim Thyren, West Pittston, Pennsylvania
Provided by Taste of Home
Categories Dinner
Time 1h20m
Yield 6 servings.
Number Of Ingredients 14
Steps:
- In a large bowl, combine bread crumbs and cream; let stand for 5 minutes. Stir in the egg, onion, parsley, salt, nutmeg and ginger. Crumble meat over mixture and mix well., Shape into 1-in. balls. Place meatballs on a greased rack in a shallow baking pan. Bake, at 350° for 20-25 minutes or until no longer pink. Drain on paper towels. , Transfer meatballs to a greased 11x7-in. baking dish. Scrape pan drippings into a small saucepan; stir in flour until blended. Gradually stir in broth and coffee. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened. Pour over meatballs. , Bake, uncovered, for 30-35 minutes or until bubbly. Serve with noodles if desired.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 371 calories, Fat 24g fat (10g saturated fat), Cholesterol 135mg cholesterol, Sodium 878mg sodium, Carbohydrate 11g carbohydrate (2g sugars, Fiber 1g fiber), Protein 24g protein.
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
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.
ALMOST-FAMOUS SWEDISH MEATBALLS
Some people drive for hours to get to an Ikea store, and we know they aren't making the trek just for the $9.99 chairs. They're going for the Swedish meatballs. The dish has been a main attraction at Ikea Restaurants since an in-store chef developed the recipe in Switzerland in 1985. Although Ikea's Real Swedish Food Book, published in 2000, included a meatball recipe, reps confirmed that it is not the one served at their restaurants. Ikea is keeping that baby a secret, so chefs in Food Network Kitchens hit a nearby store for a tasting, then created this spot-on copy.
Provided by Food Network Kitchen
Categories appetizer
Time 50m
Yield About 45 meatballs
Number Of Ingredients 20
Steps:
- Make the meatballs: Put the breadcrumbs in a large bowl. Heat the butter in a skillet over medium heat. Add the onion, garlic, allspice, 2 teaspoons salt and 1/4 teaspoon white pepper and cook, stirring, until soft, about 5 minutes. Add the milk and Worcestershire sauce and bring to a simmer. Pour the milk mixture over the breadcrumbs and stir to make a thick paste; let cool. Add the beef, pork, egg and egg white to the bowl and mix until combined.
- Brush a baking sheet with vegetable oil. Roll the meat into 1-inch balls and arrange on the prepared baking sheet. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate at least 1 hour.
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Bake the meatballs until cooked through, about 20 minutes.
- Make the gravy: Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the flour and cook, whisking, until smooth. Whisk in the beef broth and Worcestershire sauce and bring to a simmer. Add the cream and meatballs. Reduce the heat to medium low and simmer until the gravy thickens, about 10 minutes. Season with salt and black pepper. Transfer to a serving dish; sprinkle with the parsley and serve with lingonberry jam, if desired.
CLASSIC SWEDISH MEATBALLS
Now you can recreate the meatballs you've enjoyed on furniture shopping trips at home...
Provided by Good Food team
Categories Dinner, Lunch, Main course
Time 35m
Number Of Ingredients 8
Steps:
- In a bowl, mix the mince with the egg, onion, breadcrumbs, dill and seasoning. Form into small meatballs about the size of walnuts - you should get about 20.
- Heat the olive oil in a large non-stick frying pan and brown the meatballs. You may have to do this in 2 batches. Remove from pan, melt the butter, then sprinkle over the flour and stir well. Cook for 2 mins, then slowly whisk in the stock. Keep whisking until it is a thick gravy, then return the meatballs to the pan and heat through. Sprinkle with dill and serve with cranberry jelly, greens and mash.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 301 calories, Fat 13 grams fat, SaturatedFat 4 grams saturated fat, Carbohydrate 22 grams carbohydrates, Sugar 2 grams sugar, Fiber 1 grams fiber, Protein 26 grams protein, Sodium 1.73 milligram of sodium
Tips:
- Mise en Place: Before you start cooking, make sure you have all of your ingredients and equipment ready to go. This will help you stay organized and avoid any scrambling.
- Choose the Right Meat: For the most authentic Swedish meatballs, use a combination of ground beef and pork. The beef will provide a rich flavor, while the pork will add moisture and tenderness.
- Season Generously: Don't be afraid to season your meatballs well. A good combination of salt, pepper, and allspice is a must. You can also add other spices, such as nutmeg or ginger, to taste.
- Brown the Meatballs Thoroughly: Browning the meatballs before simmering them in the sauce will help to develop their flavor and give them a nice crust.
- Make a Rich Sauce: The sauce is what really makes Swedish meatballs special. Be sure to use a good quality beef broth and cream, and don't skimp on the butter.
- Serve with Traditional Sides: Swedish meatballs are traditionally served with mashed potatoes, lingonberry jam, and pickled cucumbers. These sides help to balance out the richness of the meatballs and sauce.
Conclusion:
Swedish meatballs are a classic dish that is enjoyed by people all over the world. They are easy to make and can be tailored to your own taste preferences. Whether you serve them with traditional sides or something else, Swedish meatballs are sure to be a hit at your next dinner party.
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