Swedish Meatball Sauce Recipe - Sauce Fanatic (2024)

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This rich and creamy Swedish meatball sauce recipe is one you must add to your repertoire. It comes together in about 10 minutes and will be the perfect accompaniment to Swedish meatballs.

Swedish Meatball Sauce Recipe - Sauce Fanatic (1)

Table of Contents

  • 1 Swedish Meatball Sauce
  • 2 Swedish Meatball Sauce Ingredients:
  • 3 How to Make Swedish Meatball Sauce:
  • 4 Swedish Meatball Sauce Variations:
  • 5 How to Store Swedish Meatball Sauce:
  • 6 Swedish Meatball Sauce

Swedish Meatball Sauce

Traditionally Swedish meatballs are served with lingonberry jam but here in the U.S. we enjoy them swimming in a rich brown gravy.

There are several different variations of the gravy also. Some use cream of mushroom while others use sour cream. Some call for sherry or cooking wine.

We settled on a simpler recipe that you can modify to your liking. That’s a theme we have around here.

Make it simple and give you variations to try.

We like this version best because it’s flavorful but uses ingredients that are simple and that are probably already in your kitchen.

So whip up your favorite Swedish meatball recipe and drown them in our sauce!

Learn all about how to make a roux sauce and use it for all my gravy recipes, my Hawaiian brown gravy and country white gravy.

Swedish Meatball Sauce Recipe - Sauce Fanatic (2)

Swedish Meatball Sauce Ingredients:

To make this Swedish meatball sauce recipe, you will need:

  • Butter: Use unsalted butter because the beef broth is pretty salty
  • Flour: Combines with the butter to make a roux that will thicken the sauce
  • Beef broth: You can use low sodium if you wish
  • Brown Sugar: Just a couple teaspoons
  • Heavy cream:We like to use all heavy cream instead of sour cream
  • Blackpepper:Freshly cracked is best but use what you have
Swedish Meatball Sauce Recipe - Sauce Fanatic (3)

How to Make Swedish Meatball Sauce:

To make this homemade Swedish meatball sauce, simply…

  1. Make a roux.Whisk flour into melted butter and cook until it turns light brown.
  2. Add broth and brown sugar. Slowly whisk in the broth and brown sugar then simmer for about 5 minutes.
  3. Stir in the cream and black pepper. Slowly stir in the cream and pepper then simmer for another 5 minutes.
  4. Use immediately or let cool and refrigerate for later use.
Swedish Meatball Sauce Recipe - Sauce Fanatic (4)

Swedish Meatball Sauce Variations:

There are quite a few ways you can doctor up this Swedish meatball sauce recipe.

  • Add Worcestershire sauce: 2 teaspoons will make the sauce more flavorful
  • Add soy sauce: 2 teaspoons will add more flavor
  • Add dijon mustard: 1 teaspoon will spice up the sauce nicely
  • Add coconut aminos: 2 teaspoons will enhance the sauce the way Worcestershire sauce does
  • Add sour cream: Add ½ cup in addition to the heavy cream or use 1 cup of sour cream in place of the heavy cream.
  • Add shallots: Sauté a minced shallot before making the roux.
  • Add cream of mushroom soup: Whiskin in a can of cream of mushroom in step 3.
Swedish Meatball Sauce Recipe - Sauce Fanatic (5)

How to Store Swedish Meatball Sauce:

Refrigerate– Cool for 1 hour then transfer to an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 4 days. Reheat over low heat and add a little cream if the sauce is too thick.

Freeze– Cool for 2 hours then transfer to a freezer-safe container and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator. Reheat over low heat and add a little cream if the sauce is too thick.

You might also want to try our onion gravy, chicken marsala sauce, butter chicken sauce, and copycat mumbo sauce. Enjoy!

Swedish Meatball Sauce

4.44 from 179 votes

This rich and creamy Swedish meatball sauce recipe is one you must add to your repertoire. It comes together in about 10 minutes and will be the perfect accompaniment to Swedish meatballs.

Sauce Fanatic

Prep Time 5 minutes minutes

Cook Time 15 minutes minutes

Total Time 20 minutes minutes

Serving Size 6

Ingredients

  • 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
  • 1 ¾ cups beef broth
  • 2 teaspoons light brown sugar
  • ½ cup heavy cream
  • ½ teaspoon black pepper

Instructions

  • Melt butter in a 10-inch skillet over medium-high heat.

  • When the foaming subsides, add the flour and cook, whisking constantly, until flour turns light brown, about 30 seconds.

  • Slowly whisk in the broth followed by the brown sugar and bring to simmer.

  • Reduce the heat to medium and cook until the sauce is reduced to 1 cup, about 5 minutes.

  • Stir in the cream and pepper then return to a simmer and let cook for 5 minutes.

  • Server over freshly cooked meatballs.

Make ahead tip

  • Refrigerate – Cool for 1 hour then transfer to an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 4 days.

  • Freeze – Cool for 2 hours then transfer to a freezer-safe container and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator.

  • Reheat over low heat and add a little cream if the sauce is too thick.

Notes

Try these variations:

  • Add Worcestershire sauce: 2 teaspoons will make the sauce more flavorful
  • Add soy sauce: 2 teaspoons will add more flavor
  • Add dijon mustard: 1 teaspoon will spice up the sauce nicely
  • Add coconut aminos: 2 teaspoons will enhance the sauce the way Worcestershire sauce does
  • Add sour cream: Add ½ cup in addition to the heavy cream or use 1 cup of sour cream in place of the heavy cream.
  • Add shallots: Sauté a minced shallot before making the roux.
  • Add cream of mushroom soup: Whiskin in a can of cream of mushroom in step 3.

Nutrition

Serving: 0.25cup | Calories: 118kcal | Carbohydrates: 4g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 11g | Saturated Fat: 7g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Cholesterol: 33mg | Sodium: 118mg | Sugar: 2g

CourseCourse: Dinner

CuisineCuisine: American

Swedish Meatball Sauce Recipe - Sauce Fanatic (2024)

FAQs

What is the sauce for Swedish meatballs made from? ›

The sauce for Swedish Meatballs is a creamy gravy that is made with butter, beef broth/stock, thickened with flour and made creamy with cream. But the most important flavour for the a really good creamy gravy is the pan drippings after searing the meatballs.

Why is my Swedish meatball sauce not thickening? ›

How to Thicken Swedish Meatball Sauce. The all-purpose flour in this recipe should do the trick to thicken your Swedish meatball sauce to the right consistency. But if it doesn't, you can add a cornstarch slurry (1 tablespoon of cornstarch to 2 tablespoons of water) to thicken it up.

Is Swedish meatball sauce the same as stroganoff? ›

Stroganoff sauce has mushrooms, while Swedish meatball sauce does not. Another key difference is the seasoning for each sauce. Swedish meatballs are typically seasoned with spices like nutmeg and ginger, while Stroganoff sauce includes paprika, onion powder, and thyme.

Do Swedish meatballs contain sour cream? ›

It's All About the Sauce

Flavored with nutmeg and cardamom, these little beef-and-pork meatballs are best served with a Swedish meatball sauce—a rich roux-based and beef stock gravy, spiked with sour cream and a little lingonberry jelly.

Is there a premade Swedish meatball sauce? ›

McCormick Sweedish Meatballs Sauce Mix (2.11 oz Packets) 4 Pack.

How do you keep Swedish meatballs from falling apart? ›

Add a lightly beaten egg, but not too much. Egg acts as a binder for the ingredients, but you only need a small amount. One small egg will do for one pound of minced meat. Alternatively, if you're following an egg-free diet, you could soak fresh bread in milk, squeezing out any excess milk, to use as a binder.

What is Ikea meatball sauce made of? ›

Iconic Swedish cream sauce: Melt 40g of butter in a pan. Whisk in 40g of plain flour and stir for 2 mins. Add 300ml of bouillon (or consommé) and continue to stir. Add 150ml double cream, 2 tsp of soy sauce and 1 tsp of (Dijon) mustard.

Do meatballs get more tender the longer they cook in sauce? ›

The longer the simmer, the more tender and succulent the meatballs become. 3. Concentration of Flavors: Simmering at a low temperature for an extended period also encourages the sauce to reduce and thicken.

Do you drain meatballs before adding sauce? ›

5: Simmer the Meatballs

Drain and wipe out the skillet again. Return all the meatballs to the skillet and pour in the sauce. Bring to a boil, lower the heat, and simmer, covered, swirling the pan occasionally, until the meatballs are cooked through about 15 minutes.

Why do Swedish meatballs taste different? ›

The Seasoning

While both varieties include ingredients such as grated onion and panade (milk-soaked bread) or bread crumbs, plus the usual salt and pepper, Swedish meatballs traditionally use spices like allspice, nutmeg, white pepper, and sometimes ground ginger as flavoring.

What ethnicity is Swedish meatballs? ›

ikea restaurants made them famous all over the world: Köttbullar, or Swedish meatballs. Sweden has now revealed that the recipe for its iconic dish actually came from Turkey. It was brought to the Scandinavian country by King Charles XII, who lived in exile in the Ottoman Empire in the early 18th-century.

What is unique about Swedish meatballs? ›

Meatballs are as quintessentially Swedish as it gets. In their most traditional form Swedish meatballs ('köttbullar') are made of ground pork and beef, cream, egg and onion, and are served with creamy mashed potatoes, a thick, brown gravy, lingonberry jam and pickled cucumber.

What is the Swedish meatball scandal? ›

Czech authorities alerted the discount furniture maker that they had found horsemeat in a sample of meatballs, and Ikea subsequently pulled the product from stores in 14 countries.

Do Swedish meatballs have horse meat? ›

LONDON — The furniture giant Ikea joined a growing list of brands that have been touched by Europe's food scandal on Monday and withdrew its signature Swedish meatballs from its markets and cafeterias across most of Europe after one batch was found to contain traces of horse meat.

What do you eat with Swedish meatballs? ›

We usually serve these Meatballs plain, with either boiled potatoes, mashed potatoes OR pasta (Macaroni if I get to pick!) and with Tomato sauce (Ketchup). That's the kid version. If you want the more grown up version, we usually serve the meatballs with boiled potatoes, creamy sauce and lingonberry jam!

What is Ikea meatball gravy made of? ›

Iconic Swedish cream sauce: Melt 40g of butter in a pan. Whisk in 40g of plain flour and stir for 2 mins. Add 300ml of bouillon (or consommé) and continue to stir. Add 150ml double cream, 2 tsp of soy sauce and 1 tsp of (Dijon) mustard.

Why do Swedish meatballs taste so good? ›

The Seasoning

While both varieties include ingredients such as grated onion and panade (milk-soaked bread) or bread crumbs, plus the usual salt and pepper, Swedish meatballs traditionally use spices like allspice, nutmeg, white pepper, and sometimes ground ginger as flavoring.

What is served with Swedish meatballs? ›

Traditional Swedish way: Do not make the cream sauce at all. Serve meatballs over plain or stewed macaroni, plain or mashed potatoes, and lingenberry jam (optional)

What makes Swedish meatballs different? ›

Italian Meatballs vs Swedish Meatballs: Swedish Meatballs are typically smaller in size than Italian meatballs and they are usually made with a 50-50 ratio of ground pork and ground beef.

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