These homemade Swedish meatballs are made with ground beef and pork, baked first, then finished in a creamy sauce with Worcestershire and sour cream. Spoon them over egg noodles or mashed potatoes and call dinner handled. Cozy, comforting, and no trip to IKEA required.

Swedish meatballs and cream sauce over egg noodles on a blue plate next to a kitchen towel.

Servings: 8
Prep Time: 25 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Total Time: 55 minutes

Ingredients

For the Meatballs

1 large yellow onion, grated or finely chopped
1 Tbsp butter
½ cup plain breadcrumbs
2 Tbsp milk
2 eggs
1 lb ground pork
1 ⅓ lb ground beef
1 tsp dried parsley
1 tsp ground nutmeg
1 tsp black pepper

For the Sauce

5 Tbsp butter
⅓ cup flour
2 cups beef broth
¾ cup heavy cream
1 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce
¼ cup sour cream
salt and pepper, to taste

Ingredients for Swedish Meatballs and Sauce on a wooden board

Step-by-Step Directions

Step 1: Preheat oven to 350°F. Melt 1 tablespoon butter in a skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and cook for 5 minutes, until soft and translucent. Remove from heat and let cool slightly.

Step 2: While the onion cools, add the beef, pork, breadcrumbs, milk, eggs, parsley, nutmeg and pepper to a large bowl. Add the cooled onion and mix with clean hands or a wooden spoon until combined.

Cooked onions being scooped into a bowl with a meat, egg and breadcrumb mixture.

Step 3: Line two baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats. Scoop about 1 tablespoon of the meat mixture at a time and roll into balls. You should have about 45–60 meatballs. Arrange on the prepared baking sheets and bake at 350°F for 12 minutes. The meatballs will finish cooking in the sauce.

A hand holding a rolled meatball over a bowl.

A baking sheet lined with a silicone mat holding rolled meatballs ready to be baked.

Step 4: While the meatballs bake, make the sauce. Melt 5 tablespoons butter in a large, deep skillet over medium heat until bubbly. Whisk in the flour and cook for about 8 minutes, whisking constantly, until the mixture turns light brown, similar to the color of peanut butter.

Step 5: Slowly whisk in the beef broth and bring to a boil. Let it thicken for 1 minute, whisking constantly. Reduce the heat to low, then stir in the heavy cream and Worcestershire sauce. Stir in the sour cream and season with salt and pepper to taste. Add the meatballs and any juices from the baking sheets. Increase the heat to medium, cover and cook, stirring occasionally, for 10–15 minutes, or until the meatballs reach an internal temperature of 160°F.

Close-up of Swedish meatballs in a creamy sauce, cooked in a white skillet, ready to serve as part of a traditional Swedish dish.

🍋 Simply Made Suggestions

Make them ahead: Shape the meatballs up to 24 hours in advance and keep them covered in the refrigerator until you’re ready to cook.
Pick your side: Serve the meatballs and creamy sauce over egg noodles or fluffy mashed potatoes.
Add something sweet: Lingonberry jam is the classic choice, but raspberry preserves work too if that’s easier to find.
Take a shortcut: Skip the homemade meatballs and make just the sauce. Add frozen, fully cooked meatballs to the finished sauce, cover and cook until the meatballs are heated through.
Make the sauce beefier: Swap the beef broth for beef stock, or add a little beef bouillon to the sauce for a richer beef flavor. Taste before adding extra salt since bouillon can be salty.

🥔 Before You Go…

Serve these Swedish meatballs with our creamy mashed potatoes to soak up every bit of that sauce. And if hearty comfort food is on the menu this week, try our easy beef shepherd’s pie next.

Swedish Meatballs with Creamy Sauce

Homemade Swedish meatballs made with ground beef and pork, baked until lightly browned, then finished in a creamy sauce with Worcestershire and sour cream. Serve over egg noodles or mashed potatoes.

Beth

Prep Time 25

Cook Time 30

Total Time 55

Servings

Ingredients

Meatballs:

1 large yellow onion (grated or finely chopped)
1 Tbsp butter
½ cup breadcrumbs
2 Tbsp milk
2 eggs
1 pound ground pork
1 ⅓ pound ground beef
1 tsp dried parsley
1 tsp ground nutmeg
1 tsp black pepper

Sauce:

5 Tbsp butter
⅓ cup flour
2 cups beef broth
¾ cup heavy cream
1 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce
¼ cup sour cream
salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350°F. Melt 1 tablespoon butter in a skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and cook for 5 minutes, until soft and translucent. Remove from heat and let cool slightly.
While the onion cools, add the beef, pork, breadcrumbs, milk, eggs, parsley, nutmeg and pepper to a large bowl. Add the cooled onion and mix with clean hands or a wooden spoon until combined.
Line two baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats. Scoop about 1 tablespoon of the meat mixture at a time and roll into balls. You should have about 45–60 meatballs. Arrange on the prepared baking sheets and bake at 350°F for 12 minutes. The meatballs will finish cooking in the sauce.
While the meatballs bake, make the sauce. Melt 5 tablespoons butter in a large, deep skillet over medium heat until bubbly. Whisk in the flour and cook for about 8 minutes, whisking constantly, until the mixture turns light brown, similar to the color of peanut butter.
Slowly whisk in the beef broth and bring to a boil. Let it thicken for 1 minute, whisking constantly. Reduce the heat to low, then stir in the heavy cream and Worcestershire sauce. Stir in the sour cream and season with salt and pepper to taste. Add the meatballs and any juices from the baking sheets. Increase the heat to medium, cover and cook, stirring occasionally, for 10–15 minutes, or until the meatballs reach an internal temperature of 160°F.

Notes

Serve over egg noodles or with mashed potatoes.
Serve with jelly (lingonberry or raspberry)
Make meatballs up to 24 hours ahead of time and store in refrigerator until ready to cook.