Indulge in the traditional taste of Sweden with our mouthwatering recipe for authentic Swedish Meatballs. These tender and flavourful meatballs are braised in a rich mushroom gravy, making them the perfect comfort food to enjoy with mashed potatoes and vegetables. Learn how to make the perfect Swedish Meatball Sauce and Gravy that will elevate your meatballs to the next level.
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How To Make Swedish Meatballs
Meatball Ingredients
The key ingredients in these delicious Swedish Meatballs are medium ground beef, onion, garlic, and a blend of herbs. The medium ground beef is important for the perfect balance of fat content, ensuring that your meatballs will be moist and flavourful. The onion and garlic add a savoury depth to the meatballs, while the herbs bring a touch of freshness.
For the breadcrumbs, I used the dried heels of gluten-free bread, grated on a cheese grater, to add a nice texture to the meatballs. While store-bought breadcrumbs can be used, it can be difficult to find high-quality gluten-free options. To ensure that the onion and garlic are finely chopped, you can even consider grating them. Just be prepared for some tears!
I used a combination of fresh rosemary, thyme, and parsley for the herbs, but you can also use dried herbs if that's all you have. If you opt for dried herbs, use about half the amount called for in the recipe.
Forming The Meatballs
Creating delicious, authentic Swedish Meatballs starts with mixing all ingredients until well combined. Divide the meat mixture into 24 evenly sized pieces, using your hands to roll each piece into a ball. To prevent sticking, wet your hands with cold water before rolling each meatball. To ensure even-sized meatballs, a tip is to use a small ice cream scoop to portion the meat mixture.
Place the formed meatballs on an oiled sheet pan and roast in the oven at 400°F for 20 minutes. The browning of the meatballs is important as it adds a nice colour and flavour, but they don't need to be cooked through at this point. They will be braised for an additional 20 minutes, ensuring they are cooked through and juicy.
Swedish Meatball Gravy
The secret to the rich and savoury taste of our Swedish Meatball Mushroom Gravy lies in the carefully selected ingredients. The gravy is made with thinly sliced onions and mushrooms, oil, butter, flour (gluten-free or regular all-purpose), beef stock, and a blend of herbs.
To add depth of flavour, I used a combination of cremini, portobello, and oyster mushrooms. However, you can also use cremini mushrooms only or even just button mushrooms. While using a variety of mushrooms does give the gravy a better flavour, it can get expensive. If you're looking for a more budget-friendly option, cremini mushrooms, also known as brown mushrooms or mini Bellas, are a great choice. You can find the full list of ingredients and the amounts in the recipe at the end of the post.
Making The Gravy
To create the delicious mushroom gravy that complements our Swedish Meatballs, you will need a large, heavy-bottom skillet. Heat the skillet over medium-high heat and add a tablespoon of olive oil and two tablespoons of butter. Once the butter has melted and started to foam, add in the thinly sliced onions and cook for three minutes or until they start to soften.
Next, add in about two cups of mushrooms, a combination of cremini, portobello, and oyster mushrooms for a rich flavour, or use cremini mushrooms for a budget-friendly option. Cook for an additional three to four minutes or until the mushrooms and onions both start to brown. Sprinkle in flour: I used all-purpose gluten-free flour, but you can use regular all-purpose flour. Mix it in and cook, stirring, for two minutes. Then, pour in the beef stock and bring the gravy to a boil, stirring continuously. The result is a delicious, rich and savoury mushroom gravy that complements the meatballs perfectly.
Note: I used store-bought beef stock. Campbell's, to be specific. It is gluten-free, and it saves a lot of time. If you would prefer to use homemade stock, all the power to you.
How To Braise The Swedish Meatballs in Gravy
To braise the Swedish Meatballs in gravy, start by bringing the mushroom gravy to a boil in a large, heavy-bottom skillet. Gently add the roasted meatballs to the pan, one at a time, taking care not to splash. To add a touch of freshness, add in a few sprigs of rosemary and thyme. I like to tie the herbs together with a thyme sprig, but you can also use butcher's twine or leave them as is. You can also use dried herbs, about half a teaspoon of each, or fresh chopped herbs, in which case you would use one teaspoon of each.
Once the meatballs are in the pan, cover it and reduce the heat to low. Simmer the meatballs for fifteen minutes to allow them to fully absorb the flavours of the gravy. Then, take the lid off the pan, turn the heat up slightly (it shouldn't be higher than medium) and continue to simmer the meatballs until the gravy coats a spoon.
A note on seasoning: When using store-bought stock, it's best to wait until the end to season the gravy. As the liquid reduces, it becomes saltier, so taste it first and then add salt and pepper as needed.
Finishing and Serving The Meatballs
The final step in creating a delicious and authentic Swedish Meatball experience is in the presentation and serving. Serve the meatballs, three or four per person, with creamy mashed potatoes and a variety of vegetables of your choice.
This dish makes a great hearty lunch or a nice filling dinner, depending on the portion size, and it's perfect to enjoy at any time of day. The meatballs are tender, juicy, and perfectly seasoned, while the mushroom gravy is rich, savoury, and flavourful. A spoonful of cranberry sauce over the top will take these Swedish Meatballs up to eleven. If you enjoy cooking with ground beef, this is one of the best ways to use it.
Recipe
Ingredients
Meatballs
- 2 lb medium-lean ground beef
- ½ cup minced or Grated Onion
- 1 tablespoon Garlic
- 1 teaspoon Salt
- Pinch of Pepper
- ½ cup gluten-free fine bread crumbs or regular bread crumbs
- 1 teaspoon Rosemary
- 1 teaspoon parsley
- 1 teaspoon thyme
- 1 egg
Mushroom Gravy
- 1 tablespoon canola oil
- 2 tablespoon butter
- 2 tablespoon gluten-free all-purpose flour or regular all-purpose flour
- 1 L beef stock
- 2 cups Sliced mixed mushrooms
- 4 Sprigs of thyme
- 2 Sprigs of rosemary
- 1 cup thinly sliced onions
- Salt and Pepper to taste
Instructions
Meatballs
- In a large mixing bowl, combine all the meatball ingredients and mix well.
- Form into 24 meatballs and place on a greased sheet pan at least 2 cm apart.
- Roast the meatballs for 20 minutes at 400°f
Mushroom Gravy
- Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat and add the canola oil and butter to the pan. Once the butter melts and starts to foam, add in the sliced onions.
- Cook the onions for 2 to 3 minutes, or until they start to soften. Add in the mushrooms and cook for another 3 minutes, or until the onions and mushrooms are slightly browned.
- Sprinkle the flour over the mushrooms and onions, then stir to mix and cook for 2 minutes.
- Add the stock, and bring to a boil, stirring. Add the meatballs, rosemary, and thyme to the gravy, cover the pan and reduce the heat to low. Simmer the meatballs, covered, for 15 minutes. Take the lid of the pot, turn the heat up slightly and cook for another 10 minutes or until the gravy is thick.
- Serve the meatballs with mashed potatoes and vegetables.
Final Thoughts
If I were to open a small restaurant, these meatballs would be on the menu exactly as they are. The mushroom gravy alone is worth making this recipe for, and paired with creamy mashed potatoes it's one of those meals that just makes the world feel a little bit better for a while.
Diana says
The recipe doesn’t say when to add the rosemary or thyme in the gravy.
Chef Ben Kelly says
Hello Diana,
Thank you for bringing this to my attention. I have adjusted the recipe to include when to add the herbs to the gravy. For your own reference, it is when you add the meatballs. Thank you for helping make my site a bit better. I sincerely appreciate it.