Swedish meatballs are the ultimate comfort food dish and is easy to make! This recipe has shortcuts so it’s easy enough for weeknight dinners. You will love the tender meatballs in the rich and savory sauce – serve it over egg noodles for a cozy dinner!
Sometimes you just need a big plate of comfort food, right? This Swedish meatball recipe will definitely take care of your craving – it’s hearty, comforting, and you don’t have to spend hours making it! These are our easy Swedish meatballs we make on repeat when we want something delicious on a cold night.
Table of Contents
What are Swedish Meatballs?
Basically, it’s a dish with meatballs that are served in a sauce that is made with beef broth and thickened with flour and butter, also known as a roux. There are lots of variations and the recipe I’m sharing is a really easy one. It’s rich, savory and definitely hits the spot when you want a hearty dinner.
Ingredients
What makes this recipe so easy are frozen meatballs, so we call this our semi homemade Swedish meatballs! There are a lot of good options and using them cuts the work in half. So, pick your favorite brand. You can also use turkey meatballs if you want to make it a little lighter.
The Swedish meatball sauce is made with mostly pantry ingredients – you probably have most of them on hand already:
- Unsalted butter
- All-purpose flour
- Beef stock (you can also use chicken stock)
- Onion powder and garlic powder
- Salt and pepper
- Worcestershire sauce
- Half and half
How to Make Swedish Meatballs
Bake the meatballs according to the package directions. The sauce only takes 10 minutes, so you can make it while the meatballs are in the oven.
For the sauce, melt the butter in a large pan. Add the flour and whisk for 30 to 60 seconds. This will cook the raw flavor out of the flour.
Add the stock while continuously whisking. Do this slowly so it’s easy to break up any lumps that might form. Once there are no lumps in the sauce, add the onion and garlic powders, salt, pepper and Worcestershire sauce.
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Add the half and half and whisk again to combine. Keep stirring the sauce and it will start to thicken. This should only take a few minutes.
Add the cooked meatballs to the sauce and stir to coat them.
How to Serve It
We love this dish with lots of egg noodles! I usually boil them while the meatballs are baking and I’m making the sauce so everything is ready at the same time.
You can also serve Swedish meatballs with rice or other kind of pasta, like penne, if that’s what you have on hand.
Add a tossed salad on the side or some cooked veggies to make it a complete meal. Some crusty bread is always nice to soak up all of the extra sauce.
How to Store Leftovers and Reheating Tips
Leftovers will keep in the fridge for a few days. Sometimes the sauce will thicken up when it’s cold, so you can add a splash of half and half or broth to loosen it up.
We’ve made this for weeknight dinners, but it’s also great for guests when you add some side dishes! It’s so easy, but no one can tell because it tastes like you worked for hours on it. I hope you give it a try!
Other Dinners You’ll Enjoy..
Easy Swedish Meatballs Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 pound frozen meatballs
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1/4 cup all purpose flour
- 2 cups chicken or beef stock
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1/2 cup half and half
- Egg noodles cooked, for serving
Instructions
- Bake meatballs according to package directions. (Mine baked at 375°F for about 15-20 minutes.)
- Boil the noodles while meatballs are baking, if using.
- While the meatballs are baking, make the sauce (the sauce only takes about 10 minutes to make). Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Whisk in the flour and cook for about 30-60 seconds, then whisk in the stock until no lumps remain. Add onion powder, garlic powder, salt, pepper and Worcestershire sauce. Whisk in half and half and cook, stirring often, until thickened.
- Once the meatballs are cooked through, add to the sauce and toss to coat.
- Serve hot with noodles.
Recipe Nutrition
We’ve made Swedish Meatballs even easier with a few shortcuts! These will help keep dinner simple if you’re in a rush – otherwise, take your time enjoying this ultimate comfort meal.
Yum!!!