Köttbullar (Swedish Meatballs)
User Reviews
5.0
6 reviews
Excellent
-
Prep Time
30 mins
-
Cook Time
30 mins
-
Total Time
50 mins
-
Servings
8 servings (makes 35 to 40 meatballs)
-
Calories
510 kcal
-
Course
Main Course
-
Cuisine
Swedish
Köttbullar (Swedish Meatballs)
Report
Köttbullar (Swedish Meatballs) may have have gained universal popularity from IKEA, but they're even more delicious homemade! Tender, melt-in-your-mouth meatballs are draped in a simple gravy and served with classically Swedish lingonberry preserves for a truly comforting meal.
Share:
Ingredients
Meatballs:
- 3 lices fresh white bread crusts removed and roughly torn
- ½ cup beef or chicken broth
- ½ cup milk or heavy cream
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 onion finely diced
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley plus more for garnish if desired
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt (Diamond Crystal brand, for Morton’s use 1 teaspoon)
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- ¼ teaspoon ground allspice
- ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- ¼ teaspoon dry mustard powder
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 pound ground beef
- 1 pound ground pork
- 2 large eggs
Gravy:
- ¼ cup (4 tablespoons) unsalted butter
- ¼ cup all-purpose flour
- 2 cups beef broth
- ¼ cup heavy cream
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
Serving:
- Lingonberry preserves for serving
- chopped parsley for serving
Instructions
- Place the torn bread, broth, and milk in a large mixing bowl together and let soak for 5 minutes.
- Meanwhile, melt the butter in a skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onions and cook, stirring frequently, until soft and translucent, about 5 minutes. Next, add the parsley, garlic, flour, salt, pepper, allspice, nutmeg, and mustard powder and stir to incorporate. Pour the contents of the pan into the bowl with the soaking bread mixture and stir until well mixed. Set aside to cool completely.
- Preheat the oven to 450°F. Drizzle the olive oil into a large aluminum foil-lined baking dish or pan and use your hand to evenly coat the entire surface (I used a 9×13-inch rectangular pan and a small 5-inch square pan for a few extra meatballs that didn’t fit). Set aside.
- Combine the cooled onion and bread mixture with the ground beef, ground pork, salt, pepper, and eggs and mix by hand until thoroughly incorporated. The mixture will be wet.
- Roll the mixture into round, golf ball-size meatballs (about 1 ½ inches in diameter), making sure to pack the meat firmly (you may use a medium cookie scoop to portion them; wet your hands with water as needed so the meat doesn’t stick). Place the balls in the prepared pan. They should be touching each other in snug, even rows vertically and horizontally to form a grid (I arranged them in rows of 5 by 7 in my rectangular pan and put 4 extra meatballs in a small square pan).
- Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, or until the meatballs are firm and cooked through (they may not be super browned on top, but that’s ok). An instant read thermometer inserted into the center of a meatball should read 165°F.
- Meanwhile, in a large skillet, melt the butter for the gravy. Whisk in the flour and cook for 1 to 2 minutes. Then gradually whisk in the broth until smooth, followed by the heavy cream. Season with salt and pepper and continue to simmer for a couple more minutes until thickened.
- Remove the cooked meatballs from the pan and toss to coat with the gravy. Serve the Swedish meatballs with egg noodles or mashed potatoes, topped with chopped parsley and with lingonberry preserves on the side, if desired.
Notes
- Reheat leftover Swedish meatballs (in their gravy) in a covered skillet over medium to medium-low heat, stirring regularly so they heat evenly and don’t stick. Thin out the gravy with a splash or two of beef broth if needed.
- The measurements in this recipe are very easy to halve if you want to make only 4 servings. You can also make the full meatball recipe and freeze half the meatballs and only make half the gravy to serve 4 and then thaw the remaining meatballs and make more gravy another day for another meal. Freeze meatballs (without the gravy) in an airtight, freezer-safe container for up to 4 months.
- You can certainly bake these köttbullar on a foil-lined baking sheet if you prefer. This technique of baking them in snug rows instead of spread out is inspired by The Meatball Shop in NYC. Baking them this way helps keep the Swedish meatballs moist and less likely to dry out.
- Lingonberry preserves are a specialty of Sweden and may not be available in many supermarkets in the United States. Lingonberries have a unique combination of sweet and tart flavors, similar to cranberries. Serving lingonberries with Swedish meatballs reminds me a lot of the concept of serving cranberry sauce with Thanksgiving turkey (and don’t forget that gravy!). If you can't find lingonberries, try red currant or raspberry jam.
Nutrition Information
Show Details
Calories
510kcal
(26%)
Carbohydrates
12g
(4%)
Protein
25g
(50%)
Fat
39g
(60%)
Saturated Fat
18g
(90%)
Polyunsaturated Fat
2g
Monounsaturated Fat
10g
Cholesterol
173mg
(58%)
Sodium
779mg
(32%)
Potassium
265mg
(8%)
Fiber
1g
(4%)
Sugar
2g
(4%)
Nutrition Facts
Serving: 8servings (makes 35 to 40 meatballs)
Amount Per Serving
Calories 510 kcal
% Daily Value*
| Calories | 510kcal | 26% |
| Carbohydrates | 12g | 4% |
| Protein | 25g | 50% |
| Fat | 39g | 60% |
| Saturated Fat | 18g | 90% |
| Polyunsaturated Fat | 2g | 12% |
| Monounsaturated Fat | 10g | 50% |
| Cholesterol | 173mg | 58% |
| Sodium | 779mg | 32% |
| Potassium | 265mg | 6% |
| Fiber | 1g | 4% |
| Sugar | 2g | 4% |
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.
Genuine Reviews
User Reviews
Overall Rating
5.0
6 reviews
Excellent
Other Recipes
You'll Also Love
