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Creamy and decadent, this easy Swedish Meatballs Sauce comes together in under 30 minutes. It's simple to make in the same pan as your meatballs, and pairs beautifully with egg noodles, mashed potatoes, or even spaghetti squash for a lower carb meal. This is the best sauce for Swedish meatballs you can make easily from scratch!
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Swedish Meatball Gravy
Recently, I overhauled my entire kitchen to make it into a space I'd love cooking in. This meant figuring out new ways to decorate, and of course a trip to the furniture store... I bet you know where I'm going with this! It's no question Ikea meatballs are delicious, but I don't plan on making the trip just for them.
Especially when homemade Swedish meatballs sauce is this fantastic! It's easy to make, too, and the best part is you can make it in the same pot as the meatballs. The added flavor from the browned meat is incredible.
What makes this Swedish meatball gravy truly special is how customizable it is. You can make it a little spicy, add a zing with sour cream, and thicken or thin the sauce out to your liking. That way, you can make it just how your family likes it.
Give this sauce for Swedish meatballs a try, and I guarantee you will love the results. If you do, leave a comment and let me know!
Swedish Meatball Sauce Ingredients
- Beef broth
- Milk
- Salt
- Pepper
- Worcestershire sauce
- Optional: Parmesan
- Optional: Parsley
How to Make Swedish Meatball Sauce
- Heat a pan over medium-high heat. If you're preparing the sauce with the meatballs, add canola oil and the meatballs to the pan and cook them now for 1 minute on each side until browned all over. If they're larger meatballs, cook them for a bit longer. I usually make mine golfball sized for this recipe.
- Slowly add beef broth, milk or heavy cream, salt, pepper, and Worcestershire sauce.
- Bring the liquid to a boil. If you're making the dish with egg noodles, you can add them to the pot and cook them in the sauce.
- Stir until the sauce thickens (enough to cook the noodles, if cooked together); about 7 to 8 minutes.
- If using, mix through parmesan and parsley until the cheese melts. Serve, and enjoy!
Swedish Meatball Sauce Recipe Tips
- If you don't already have a Swedish meatball recipe you love, try making your meatballs with a mixture of ground beef or turkey, Italian breadcrumbs mixed with a light amount of grated nutmeg, minced onion, salt, pepper, and an egg. Roll them into golfball size or smaller, and cook in the same pan as the sauce.
- Avoid using ground turkey breast meat exclusively, or the meatballs will turn out dry.
- Use half the amount of milk or heavy cream and substitute the other half for sour cream to add a zing to the sauce.
- If you like, you can add mushrooms. Saute them in the pan and let them brown and soften before adding the sauce ingredients.
- Add a slightly spicy flavor by mixing in a Tablespoon of spicy brown mustard.
- Use less salt and a low sodium beef broth if you need a lower sodium meal.
- Reduce the pepper to a teaspoon if you're sensitive to pepper.
How to Thicken Swedish Meatball Sauce
If you want to thicken Swedish meatball sauce, add a bit of flour or cornstarch and mix through. If you're cooking pasta with the sauce, the starch from the pasta should help thicken it.
How to Thin Sauce for Swedish Meatballs
For a less thick sauce, be sure to cook the pasta separately from the sauce. To thin it out even further, add slightly more broth.
Swedish Meatball Sauce Recipe FAQs
Swedish meatball sauce is a mixture of cream or milk, beef stock or broth, seasonings such as salt and pepper, and additional add-ins if desired for flavor, such as Worcestershire sauce.
Because it uses milk/heavy cream, Swedish meatball sauce should not be frozen, as it will separate and become watery when thawed. However, the sauce will last for up to 4 days or so in the refrigerator, so it can be made ahead of time.
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📖 Recipe
Swedish Meatballs Sauce
Equipment
- 1 large bowl if preparing meatballs with the sauce
Ingredients
If making meatballs with sauce:
- 2 tablespoons canola oil
- 1 lb. ground beef or ground turkey; don't use ground turkey breast exclusively or the meatballs will be dry
- 1 cup Italian breadcrumbs
- ½ teaspoon grated nutmeg mix together with breadcrumbs
- ½ onion finely minced
- 1 egg
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon pepper
Swedish meatballs sauce:
- 2 cups beef broth
- 2 cups whole milk or heavy cream; 1 cup sour cream may also be used in place of half of the milk or cream
- 1 Tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- 4 cups egg noodles if making with sauce
- 1 cup shredded parmesan cheese optional
- ½ cup fresh parsley chopped (optional)
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon pepper
Instructions
- If making meatballs with the sauce, combine ground beef, Italian breadcrumbs mixed with nutmeg, onion, egg, salt, and pepper together in a large bowl and mix until just combined. Be careful not to over-mix.1 lb. ground beef, 1 cup Italian breadcrumbs, ½ teaspoon grated nutmeg, ½ onion, 1 egg, ½ teaspoon kosher salt, ½ teaspoon pepper
- Heat a pan over medium-high heat. If you're preparing the sauce with the meatballs, add canola oil. Roll meatballs into golfball-sized balls and cook them until browned, about 1 minute on both sides.2 tablespoons canola oil
- Slowly add beef broth, milk or heavy cream, salt, pepper, and Worcestershire sauce.2 cups beef broth, 2 cups whole milk, 1 Tablespoon Worcestershire sauce, ½ teaspoon kosher salt, ½ teaspoon pepper
- Bring the liquid to a boil. If you're making the dish with egg noodles, you can add them to the pot now to cook them in the sauce, or start them in a separate pot if preferred.4 cups egg noodles
- Stir until the sauce thickens (enough to cook the noodles, if cooked together); about 7 to 8 minutes. If using, mix through parmesan and parsley until the cheese melts.
- Serve, and enjoy!1 cup shredded parmesan cheese, ½ cup fresh parsley
Video
Notes
- Note: Nutrition does not include meatballs or pasta, only the sauce.
- If you don't already have a Swedish meatball recipe you love, try making your meatballs with a mixture of ground beef or turkey, Italian breadcrumbs mixed with a light amount of grated nutmeg, minced onion, salt, pepper, and an egg. Roll them into golfball size or smaller, and cook in the same pan as the sauce.
- Avoid using ground turkey breast meat exclusively, or the meatballs will turn out dry.
- Use half the amount of milk or heavy cream and substitute the other half for sour cream to add a zing to the sauce.
- If you like, you can add mushrooms. Saute them in the pan and let them brown and soften before adding the sauce ingredients.
- Add a slightly spicy flavor by mixing in a Tablespoon of spicy brown mustard.
- Use less salt and a low sodium beef broth if you need a lower sodium meal.
- Reduce the pepper to a teaspoon if you're sensitive to pepper.
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