Swedish Meatballs
Beef and pork meatballs seasoned with allspice and nutmeg, simmered in a rich, creamy gravy. A comforting dinner ready in about an hour, best served over mashed potatoes.
- 1 pound 80/20 ground beef
- 1 pound ground pork
- 1/4 cup fresh flat-leaf parsley, minced
- 1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
- 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1/3 cup grated yellow onion
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 3/4 cup panko breadcrumbs
- 2 large eggs
- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter
- 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
- 4 cups beef stock
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/4 teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice (from 1 lemon)
- 1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
- 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1 cup heavy cream
- In a large bowl, combine the ground beef, ground pork, parsley, allspice, nutmeg, grated onion, salt, pepper, garlic, panko, and eggs. Mix well, then, with wet hands, form the mixture into golf ball-sized meatballs, about 2 tablespoons each. You should end up with about 30 to 35 meatballs.
- Heat the olive oil in a large skillet or braiser over medium-high heat. Once the oil is glistening, add half of the meatballs in a single layer. Cook undisturbed until browned on the bottom, about 3 minutes, then carefully turn and brown the other side, another 3 minutes. Transfer to a plate and repeat with the remaining meatballs. Pour off any excess grease from the skillet into a heatproof container.
- In the same skillet, reduce the heat to medium and add the butter, stirring until melted. Once the butter begins to bubble, sprinkle in the flour and cook, whisking constantly, until fully incorporated, about 1 minute. Whisk in the beef stock, salt, pepper, lemon juice, allspice, and nutmeg, along with the cream, until smooth. Bring to a simmer, whisking, until the gravy is smooth and slightly thickened.
- Add the meatballs back to the pan and turn to coat in the gravy. Cover, reduce the heat to low, and simmer until the gravy has thickened further and the meatballs reach an internal temperature of 165°F, about 10 minutes.
- Serve warm over mashed potatoes or egg noodles, with lingonberry jam on the side if using.
Chef's Note: Browning the meatballs in batches rather than crowding the pan is what gives them real color on the outside — too many at once drops the pan's temperature and steams them instead. That browned fond left in the skillet afterward becomes the foundation of the gravy, so building the roux directly in the same pan (rather than starting fresh) captures all of that flavor rather than leaving it behind.
Allspice and nutmeg appear in both the meatballs and the gravy, which ties the two components together rather than layering on two separate flavor profiles. A small splash of lemon juice in the gravy might seem unusual for a cream sauce, but it cuts the richness just enough to keep the dish from feeling heavy. Lingonberry jam alongside is a classic pairing if you can find it — its tartness plays well against the rich gravy.
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