🇸🇪 Swedish Meatballs & Noodles
Tender, juicy meatballs simmered in a rich, creamy beef gravy and served over buttery egg noodles. This comforting one-pan-style dinner brings together savory beef and pork, grated onion, and breadcrumbs with a silky sour-cream sauce.
It’s an easy family meal that’s hearty, satisfying, and perfect for a cozy night at home.
⏱ Recipe Information
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Total Time: About 50 minutes
Servings: 4–6
Difficulty: Easy
🛒 Ingredients
For the Meatballs
- 1 lb (450 g) ground beef
- ½ lb (225 g) ground pork
- ½ cup (50 g) breadcrumbs
- 1 small onion, finely grated
- 1 large egg
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon ground allspice, optional but recommended
- ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg, optional
For the Gravy & Noodles
- 2 cups (480 ml) beef broth
- ½ cup (120 g) sour cream
- 12 oz (340 g) egg noodles
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce, optional
- Salt and black pepper, to taste
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley, for garnish
Instructions
🧅 1. Prepare the Onion
Finely grate the onion.
Place it in a clean kitchen towel or paper towel and gently squeeze out some of the excess moisture.
Grated onion melts into the meat mixture as it cooks, giving the meatballs plenty of flavor without large pieces of onion.
🥩 2. Make the Meatball Mixture
In a large bowl, combine:
- Ground beef
- Ground pork
- Breadcrumbs
- Grated onion
- Egg
- Salt
- Black pepper
- Garlic powder
- Allspice
- Nutmeg
Mix gently with your hands or a fork until just combined.
Don’t overmix. Overworking the meat can make the meatballs dense.
🧆 3. Shape the Meatballs
Scoop out approximately 1 tablespoon of mixture for each meatball.
Roll gently between your palms to form balls about 1–1½ inches (2.5–4 cm) wide.
You should get approximately 25–30 meatballs.
Place them on a plate or baking sheet as you work.
🍳 4. Brown the Meatballs
Heat a large deep skillet over medium heat.
Add 1 tablespoon butter.
Working in batches, add the meatballs and brown them on several sides for approximately 6–8 minutes total.
They don’t need to be fully cooked yet—the meatballs will finish cooking in the gravy.
Transfer the browned meatballs to a plate.
Repeat with the remaining meatballs.
Don’t overcrowd the skillet. Giving the meatballs space helps them brown instead of steam.
🍜 5. Cook the Egg Noodles
While the meatballs are cooking, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.
Add the egg noodles and cook according to the package directions until al dente.
Drain well.
Toss with the remaining 1 tablespoon butter to prevent sticking.
Set aside.
🥣 6. Make the Gravy
Reduce the skillet heat to medium-low.
Add the remaining tablespoon of butter if needed.
Sprinkle in the flour and whisk for approximately 1 minute to cook out the raw flour taste.
Gradually pour in the beef broth while whisking continuously.
Add the Worcestershire sauce, if using.
Scrape the browned bits from the bottom of the skillet—they add wonderful flavor to the gravy.
🧆 7. Return the Meatballs
Return the browned meatballs to the skillet.
Bring the gravy to a gentle simmer.
Cover partially and cook for approximately 10–12 minutes, turning the meatballs occasionally.
The meatballs should be cooked through, and the gravy should begin to thicken.
The center of the meatballs should reach 160°F (71°C).
🥛 8. Add the Sour Cream
Reduce the heat to low.
In a small bowl, stir the sour cream with a few spoonfuls of the hot gravy to gently warm it.
Then stir the sour cream mixture back into the skillet.
This helps prevent the sour cream from curdling.
Warm gently for 2–3 minutes.
Do not bring the sauce to a hard boil.
Taste and adjust with salt and black pepper.
🍜 9. Add the Noodles
Add the cooked egg noodles directly to the skillet.
Gently toss until the noodles are coated in the creamy gravy.
Alternatively, spoon the noodles onto plates and arrange the meatballs and gravy over the top.
🌿 10. Garnish and Serve
Sprinkle generously with fresh chopped parsley.
Serve immediately while the meatballs and noodles are hot.
For a traditional Swedish-inspired touch, serve with lingonberry jam on the side if available. Its tart sweetness pairs beautifully with the rich gravy.
⭐ Chef’s Tips
Grate the Onion
Grated onion distributes moisture and flavor throughout the meatballs and helps keep them tender.
Don’t Overmix
Mix only until the ingredients are combined. Gentle handling produces softer meatballs.
Brown Before Simmering
Browning creates flavorful caramelized bits that become part of the gravy.
Temper the Sour Cream
Adding hot gravy gradually to the sour cream helps keep the sauce smooth.
Don’t Boil After Adding Sour Cream
Keep the heat low once the sour cream goes in to prevent the sauce from separating.
Use Freshly Cooked Noodles
Egg noodles absorb the creamy gravy beautifully, making every bite rich and comforting.
🍄 Easy Variations
Mushroom Swedish Meatballs
Sauté 8 oz sliced mushrooms after browning the meatballs, then continue with the gravy.
Garlic Herb Meatballs
Add 1 minced garlic clove and 1 tablespoon chopped parsley to the meatball mixture.
Creamier Gravy
Replace ¼ cup of the beef broth with heavy cream.
Chicken Meatballs
Use ground chicken or turkey in place of the beef and pork.
Extra-Cheesy Noodles
Stir ¼ cup grated Parmesan into the finished noodles.
Spicy Version
Add a pinch of crushed red pepper flakes to the gravy.
🍽️ What to Serve With Swedish Meatballs
Because the meatballs and noodles are already hearty, simple sides work best:
- Steamed green beans
- Roasted carrots
- Peas
- Cucumber salad
- Green salad
- Roasted Brussels sprouts
- Crusty bread
And if you can find it, lingonberry jam is an excellent accompaniment.
🧊 Storage
Allow leftovers to cool before transferring them to an airtight container.
Refrigerate for up to 3–4 days.
The sauce will thicken considerably when chilled.
🔥 Reheating
Place the meatballs and noodles in a skillet over low to medium-low heat.
Add a splash of beef broth, milk, or water.
Cover and heat gently, stirring occasionally, until warmed through.
Avoid boiling the sauce.
Individual portions can also be microwaved in short intervals, stirring between each.
❄️ Freezing
The meatballs freeze very well, although the sour-cream sauce and noodles may change texture slightly after freezing.
For best results, freeze the cooked meatballs separately from the noodles and gravy.
Store in freezer-safe containers for up to 2–3 months.
Thaw overnight in the refrigerator and reheat gently.
🇸🇪🧆🍜 Recipe Summary
These Swedish Meatballs & Noodles combine tender meatballs made with ground beef, pork, breadcrumbs, grated onion, and warm spices with a rich beef-broth gravy finished with tangy sour cream.
Toss everything with buttery egg noodles and finish with fresh parsley for a cozy dinner that’s creamy, savory, hearty, and incredibly satisfying.
One skillet of meatballs, one creamy gravy, and plenty of noodles—comfort food doesn’t get much better than this. 🇸🇪🧆🧀🍜