The real deal authentic Swedish Meatballs! A family recipe passed down from southern Sweden made with beef, pork, veal, and warm spices in a smooth and creamy brown gravy for true Scandinavian flavor. Comfort food perfection for weeknights or holidays.
Authentic Swedish Meatballs
A great majority of my side of the family is Swedish, and this is our authentic family Swedish Meatballs recipe. Passed down from my grandpa’s family in southern Sweden, these traditional Swedish Meatballs are tender, richly flavored, and served in a silky brown gravy made right from the pan drippings.
Every Christmas my grandma would host a Smorgasbord on Christmas, and these would always be on her menu, along with some other authentic Swedish foods and some American ones too. Since having my own family, I've decided to carry on the tradition, and these meatballs are still on the menu.
So if you're looking for true authentic Swedish meatballs, not the Americanized versions you see online or the quick grocery-store shortcut, you’re in the right place.
These homemade meatballs are made with a blend of ground beef, veal, and pork for the perfect rich texture, and the warm flavor comes from a touch of ginger and coffee, a hallmark in many traditional southern Swedish kitchens.
These old-school Swedish Meatballs are baked (not fried!), making them easier to cook while still keeping all that comforting, juicy goodness. They're soft, juicy, and comforting, and way better than the ones you can buy at the store! I hope your family enjoys these as much as mine does!
Are Authentic Swedish Meatballs Really Baked?
Well, no. Authentic Swedish Meatballs are usually pan-fried in butter or oil. That's the only part of this recipe that doesn't follow my grandma's. I usually triple or quadruple this recipe for holidays, so I started baking them because it's exponentially so much faster than pan cooking them in batches.
Here are the pan-cooking directions if you want to cook them like my grandma:
In a large skillet, melt 2 tablespoons of butter. Brown the meatballs, a few at a time, in the butter. They will need near constant rolling to get them to keep their ball shape (which I haven't entirely mastered). I also usually brown only 5-6 at a time so I can watch them and try to get them to keep their shape. Remove meatballs from skillet and place in a large baking dish. Continue browning your meatballs until they're all done. If you feel you need more butter, go ahead and add some.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Authentic Swedish family recipe - straight from southern Sweden to our family smorgasbord
- Perfect texture - moist, tender, and never dry
- Made with real pan gravy - no soup mixes or shortcuts
- Oven-baked - faster, easier, and less mess
- Cozy comfort food that works for holidays or weeknight dinners
How to Serve Swedish Meatballs
Traditionally Swedish Meatballs are served with pureed potatoes, lingonberries (which you can find here on Amazon), and pressed cucumber. In America, you can substitute lingonberries for cranberry sauce, as it's way easier to come by, and pressed cucumbers are similar to cucumber salad made with vinegar.
Serve your Swedish meatballs with warm buttered egg noodles or creamy mashed potatoes to soak up all that gravy goodness.
Pro Tip: Swedish meatballs are even better the next day as the flavors meld!
Recipe Tips, Variations, & FAQ's
- No veal? Replace with additional pork or beef
- Reduce ginger slightly if you prefer a milder flavor
- Use panko instead of classic breadcrumbs for lighter texture
- Are Swedish meatballs the same as IKEA meatballs? No! IKEA’s version is simpler and more standardized. Authentic Swedish recipes, especially from southern regions, often use richer ingredients and specialty spice notes like ginger and coffee.
- Why is there coffee in Swedish meatballs? It enhances the savory flavors and deepens the gravy color. It doesn’t taste like coffee!
More Recipes You'll Love
Some more favorites we serve at our smorgasbord!
- Swedish Meatball Mac and Cheese - a fun cheesy take on Swedish meatballs. Would also be a yummy way to use up leftovers.
- Authentic Swedish Limpa Bread - a unique spiced Swedish bread that we mostly reserve for Christmas.
- Gingersnaps - another recipe passed down to me by my grandma. These cookies are snappy on the outside and soft in the middle with the perfect spiced flavor.
- Shrimp Mold Dip - A retro party classic made with tender shrimp, cream cheese, and savory seasonings. Perfectly creamy, flavorful, and always a hit at holiday gatherings or potlucks.
- Cinnamon Swirl Bread - Soft, buttery homemade bread with a sweet cinnamon-sugar ribbon baked right inside. Cozy, fragrant, and perfect for breakfast or gifting.
Authentic Swedish Meatballs Video
Authentic Swedish Meatballs
Ingredients
For the meatballs
- 1½ cups bread crumbs
- ¼ cup milk
- 2 tablespoons butter
- ½ cup chopped onion
- ¾ pounds ground beef
- ½ pound ground veal
- ¼ pound lean ground pork
- 1 cup half and half
- ¼ cup fresh chopped parsley
- 1 teaspoons instant coffee
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground ginger
For the Gravy
- ¼ cup flour
- 2 cups half and half
- ½ teaspoon instant coffee
- ½ teaspoon ground ginger
- Salt to taste
Instructions
- In a small bowl, mix together bread crumbs and milk. Set aside and allow to soak for 5 minutes.
- Preheat oven to 400°F.
- In a skillet, saute onions in 2 tablespoons of butter. Set aside to cool slightly.
- In a large mixing bowl, add your meats, onion, half-and-half, parsley, bread crumbs, ginger, and instant coffee. Mix with clean hands until everything is incorporated very well.
- Scoop a rounded tablespoon of the meat mixture, and form into a ball. Place into a mini muffin tin. Continue rolling until you've used all your meat or your tin is full.
- Place tin on a baking sheet to catch drips that might fall in your oven. Bake in a 400°F oven for 17-20 min, until cooked through.
- Remove meatballs from tin using a spoon. Place on a plate and set aside. Empty remaining drippings into a large pot.
For the gravy
- Add butter to make a full ¼ cup of drippings if you don't have enough.
- Stir flour into the drippings, and allow to warm for about a minute.
- Slowly add your half-and-half, and stir to combine until the mixture is smooth. Your mixture should be fairly thin at this point, about the consistency of plain half-and-half. If your mixture is to thick, add a little more half-and-half, a quarter cup at a time until it thins.
- Add the ginger and instant coffee, and continue stirring over medium-low heat. Bring to a simmer and allow to simmer for about 10-15 minutes, until gravy thickens.
- Add salt to taste.
- Add meatballs back to gravy, and stir to coat.
- Serve alone or over warm butter egg noodles or mashed potatoes.
Notes
- You'll need at least ¼ cup (4 tablespoons) drippings from the meatballs. If you don't have enough, make up the difference with butter.
- You can use a mixer to mix the meat mixture, but your meatballs will be more soft and tender if you use your hands to mix.
- If meat is sticking to your hands while rolling meatballs, wet them with cold water. Just re-wet whenever the meatballs start sticking again.
- Storage: Store covered in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. Reheat in a skillet on the stove or in individual servings in the microwave.
- Freezer: After cooking, place cooled meatballs in a freezer container and freeze for up to 3 months. To use, thaw overnight in the refrigerator. Warm cooked meatballs in a Dutch oven. Make gravy according to instructions and pour on top.
Nutrition
UPDATE INFO: This recipe was originally published in January 2015. It was updated with new pictures, tips, and video and republished in November 2025.
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Sarah R. says
Mmmmm...I LOVE me a good Swedish meatball...you definitely got my mouth watering! Thank you so much for linking up at Snickerdoodle Sunday- hope to see you again later this week!
Sarah (Sadie Seasongoods)
Love Keil (MunchkinTime) says
Authentic Swedish Meatballs looks amazing, pinning it!
Julia @ Swirls and Spice says
These look wonderful! Is the coffee flavour noticeable? I've never heard of it in gravy before.
Michelle says
It's a little noticeable, but it's not overpowering. It just gives it a little bitterness and blends really well with the other flavors.