Swedish Meatballs Sauce

Recently, I overhauled my entire kitchen to make it into a space I'd love to cook 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 that Ikea meatballs are delicious, but I don't plan on making the trip just for them.

Especially when homemade Swedish meatballs are this fantastic! This sauce is 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 adds so much depth.

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.

I know you're going to love this dish - so let's get cooking!

swedish meatballs topped with parmesan and parsley over noodles

Swedish Meatballs Sauce Ingredients

Beef broth
Milk
Salt
Pepper
Worcestershire sauce
Optional: Parmesan
Optional: Parsley

Swedish Meatballs Ingredients

ground beef
Italian breadcrumbs
nutmeg
onion
egg
kosher salt
pepper
canola oil

How to Make Swedish Meatballs

In a large mixing bowl, mix ground beef with breadcrumbs, nutmeg, onion, egg, salt, and pepper. Combine, but don't over-mix.
Add canola oil to a large pot over medium-high heat.
In the meantime, roll the meatball mixture into golf-ball sized balls.
Once the pot is hot, add the meatballs. Cook 1 minute, then flip and cook another minute.
From here, you can continue with the steps to make the sauce.

swedish meatballs cooking in a pan up close

How to Make Swedish Meatball Sauce

Slowly add beef broth, milk or heavy cream, salt, pepper, and Worcestershire sauce to the pot. Stir carefully to avoid breaking the meatballs.
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.
Whisk until the sauce thickens (enough to cook the noodles, if cooked together); about 7 to 8 minutes.
If using, mix through parmesan and parsley to taste until the cheese melts. Serve, and enjoy!

Sauce for Swedish Meatballs Tips

If you're not making the meatballs in the same pan, I recommend adding a little butter to the pan before you start cooking the sauce. This will add additional fat and flavor.
You can use your favorite meatballs recipe, my Swedish meatballs recipe outlined above, or even frozen meatballs. Thaw the meatballs before using them and stir them into the sauce.
You can use any protein you like to make Swedish meatballs - ground pork, ground beef, or ground turkey will work. But, I recommend using a mix of meats if you're using pork or turkey, so the meatballs don't 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. See: sauteed mushrooms.
Add a slightly spicy flavor by mixing in a Tablespoon of spicy brown mustard or Dijon 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.
You can use allspice instead of nutmeg if you desire.

swedish meatballs in a dish with egg noodles and parsley

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 creamy gravy, 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

What is Swedish meatball sauce made of?

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 or soy sauce.

Can Swedish meatball sauce be frozen?

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 in the refrigerator, so it can be made ahead of time.

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📖 Recipe

swedish meatballs over noodles with parsley and parmesan

Swedish Meatball Sauce

Isabel Laessig

Creamy and decadent, this easy Swedish Meatballs Sauce comes together in under 30 minutes. This is the best sauce for Swedish meatballs you can make easily from scratch!

5 from 2 votes

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 12

Cook Time 20

Total Time 32

Course Sauce

Cuisine American, Swedish

Servings servings

Calories 193 kcal

Equipment

1 large pan
1 large bowl if preparing meatballs with the sauce

Ingredients

Swedish meatballs

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 and 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.

Nutrition

Serving: 1servingCalories: 193kcalCarbohydrates: 10gProtein: 13gFat: 11gSaturated Fat: 6gPolyunsaturated Fat: 0.5gMonounsaturated Fat: 3gCholesterol: 36mgSodium: 1280mgPotassium: 373mgFiber: 0.3gSugar: 6gVitamin A: 1050IUVitamin C: 11mgCalcium: 394mgIron: 1mg

Keyword swedish meatball sauce, swedish meatball sauce recipe, swedish meatballs sauce, swedish meatballs sauce recipe

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