Homemade Swedish Meatball Recipe (Crockpot or Stove Top)

This homemade Swedish meatball recipe is a delicious, one-pot comfort meal! Tender homemade meatballs made with a mixture of ground beef and pork in a creamy beef gravy. These meatballs go great over mashed potatoes or egg noodles with extra gravy and fresh parsley. This recipe can be made on the stove top or in a crockpot making it perfect for busy weeknights!

This is a delicious meal and easy recipe, a great way to use up that tube of ground beef. With a short cooking time and simple prep, this will be your new go to. Use shortcuts to make this dish even more simple, use pre-made frozen meatball or instant mashed potatoes in a pinch.

Highlights of The Swedish Meatballs

• Stove top or crockpot friendly: this easy meal can be made in a crockpot or on the stove making this perfect for busy weeknights or large Sunday gatherings. If making these in the crockpot I like to brown the meatballs first to they stay together and have a bit of a crust on them.
• Simple ingredients: these meatballs are a mix of pork, beef, breadcrumbs, egg, and seasoning – make them custom to your liking, or in a rush, use frozen meatballs. The sauce is made from the pan drippings, beef stock. heavy cream, butter, and flour! Serve the meatballs and the pan gravy over homemade mashed potatoes, egg noodles, or on their own!
• Family favorite: kids and adults will love these meatballs, for picky eaters you can omit the shallot or onion from the meatballs. The flavor is mild, making these a great meal for the whole family. Plus whole doesn’t love a big bowl of mashed potatoes topped with meatballs and gravy!
• One-pot recipe: sear the meatballs and make the gravy all in one pan. Not only is this convenient for clean up but using the drippings from the meatballs adds so much extra flavor to the sauce and really creates the base for a nice thick sauce. Not quite ready to eat? Cover your skillet with a lid and simmer on low heat for 30-45 minutes, stirring often. When ready to eat, thin the sauce with a bit more cream as needed and enjoy – this is a fairly forgiving meal!

Find all of my Entrée Recipes here for more weeknight recipe inspiration! You might also like these One-Pot Chicken Piccata Meatballs or these Sbarro Mama’s Meatball Recipe with Spaghetti & Sauce!

Ingredient List & Substitutions for The Meatballs

• Ground beef: I typically keep an 80/20 blend on hand as it works for most recipes. Any blend of ground beef will work for this recipe or you can grind your own. Make your own meatballs or use pre-made frozen beef meatballs can be a substitute if needed.
• Ground pork: this adds a nice bit of fat and rich flavor to the meatballs. It also helps the meatballs from drying out due to the higher fat content compared to beef alone.
• Bread crumbs: panko bread crumbs, Italian breadcrumbs, and plain breadcrumbs all work in this recipe. Gluten free crumbs are an option as well or grind your own from a leftover loaf of bread.
• Whole eggs:  I like fresh pasture raised farm eggs if available, but any kind will work for this recipe. Eggs help bind the meatball mixture together.
• Garlic: add as many fresh garlic cloves as desired, I use upwards of around 4 or 5 cloves. Jarred minced garlic can be a substitute. Use garlic powder in a pinch.
• Shallot: or use a red onion, white onion, or yellow onion. If you do not like onion, omit it.
• Ground nutmeg: this adds the perfect amount of spice to the meatballs, it’s a surprising addition.
• Butter: I prefer unsalted butter so I can control the salt better, we also have salt coming from the meatballs.

Ingredient List & Substitutions for The Gravy

• All-purpose flour: gluten-free flour can be a substitute if needed.
• Beef stock: any stock works for this recipe. Use beef stock, beef bone broth, chicken bone broth, or vegetable broth. Homemade stock is a great option as well.
• Half and half: or heavy whipping cream turn the beefy pan sauce into a smooth, creamy gravy. A non-dairy milk can be a substitute if making this dairy-free or if you have sour cream on hand, that can be a substitute to make a smooth sauce. Skim milk also works.
• Fresh parsley: this is a classic garnish for Swedish meatballs. Fresh thyme or oregano can also be a good option to use as a garnish.
• Mashed potatoes: these are great to soak up all that creamy pan sauce and go great with the meatballs. Egg noodles also make a good addition.

More Drool-Worthy Recipes

• BBQ and Grape Jelly Meatballs – a great meatball for a party!
• Instant Pot Teriyaki Meatballs Recipe – homemade meatballs in a homemade teriyaki sauce.
• Easy Instant Pot Sweet and Sour Meatballs – a great finger food made with short cut items.
• Quick and Easy Instant Pot Cocktail Meatballs Recipe – a classic cocktail meatball.

Some great side dish dishes to go alongside these meatballs are Green Bean Almondine with Bacon, Easy Potato Au Gratin (in lieu of mashed potatoes), Scalloped Sweet Potatoes, Shaved Brussel Sprout Salad, BLT Salad Recipe, or this Kale and Brussel Sprout Salad! I like to serve these along side a vegetable with a baguette for a filling meal!

How to make the Homemade Swedish Meatballs

Let’s talk a little about how to make the Homemade Swedish Meatball Recipe (Crockpot or Stove Top) (The printable instructions are in the recipe card below.)

Quick Overview:

• In a mixing bowl combine all ingredients for the meatballs.
• Scoop and roll meatballs.
• Sear until all sides are lightly brown.
• Remove meatballs from pan and stir in flour.
• Mix in beef stock.
• Add meatballs back into the pan and simmer to finish cooking.
• Mix in the heavy cream and serve!

Stove top method:

1: Firstly, in a medium bowl combine ground beef, ground pork, panko breadcrumbs, shallot, egg, garlic, salt, pepper, and nutmeg. Use your hands to fully combine, make sure breadcrumbs and shallot mix in evenly.

2: Secondly, use a portion scoop or a tablespoon measure to measure about 1 oz. scoops of the meatball mixture. Using a portion scoop helps ensure meatballs are the same size so they cook evenly. Use your hand to roll them into balls, squeezing together lightly to they are compact. Place on a sheet pan.

3. Thirdly, heat a large skillet over medium-high heat, add in the butter. Place meatballs in a single layer in the heat skillet, sear on all sides until golden brown, 8-10 minutes. Once browned, remove from the pan and set aside. If you need, cook meatballs in batches so the pan is not overcrowded.

4. Fourthly, keeping the heat on medium-high, sprinkle in the flour and mix in until it begins to absorb the fat. Scrap the bottom of the pan to release the browned bits from the meatballs. Once all the flour is absorbed, add in the beef stock and black pepper, whisk to combine. A smooth sauce will begin to form.

Stove top method cont.:

5. Add the meatballs back into the pan, snuggle them into the sauce. Then, reduce the heat to medium and simmer for 8-10 minutes or until the sauce begins to thicken and the meatballs have cooked through. Stir often so nothing sticks to the pan.

6. Lastly, remove pan from the heat and add in the half and half, gently stir to mix the cream into the sauce. At this point if the sauce is to thin, simmer for a little longer. If it is to thick, thin with a bit more half and half or stock. Garnish with fresh parsley and serve over mashed potatoes or egg noodles.

Crockpot Method:

If looking to make this a slow cooker recipe, the steps are fairly similar for the easy crockpot Swedish meatballs.

1. Prepare meatballs according to recipe instructions, use frozen meatballs if desired. Sear meatballs in butter prior to adding to the crockpot, add any pan drippings to the crockpot bowl.
2. To the pan drippings, add in the beef stock, flour, and black pepper. Whisk to combine. Add the browned meatballs in and cover. Cook on low for 3-4 hours.
3. Once cooked turn off the crock pot and stir in the heavy cream. Serve over mashed potatoes (or spaghetti squash for a low carb option) with fresh parsley.

Tools I Use For The Easy Swedish Meatballs

• Shallow Bowls – I love this matching set, it is perfect for serving the meatballs and sauce over mashed potatoes or pasta.
• Tongs – A must kitchen utensil, perfect for cooking the meatballs. I love these locking tongs for saving space and the different sizes are useful for different recipe needs.
• Sauté pan: I love this non-stick sauté pan for several things, it is large enough to sauté all the meatballs in one batch and the gravy does not stick to the pan. I also love the high sides to keep messes in the pan and avoid splashing sauce all over while simmering.
• Stainless steel whisk: I have two good whisks on hand and I use them all the time! I like a whisk that won’t retain water in the handle and one that has large, sturdy wires!

Traditional meatballs in a creamy gravy sauce serve over mashed potatoes, can you think of a more comforting meal! This is a total comfort meal great for fall or winter. Some other hearty meals we love are this Easy Tater Tot Casserole with Ground Turkey Recipe, Slow Cooker Italian Pork Roast with Wine Recipe, Red Wine Braised Short Ribs with Cauliflower Mash, or Instant Pot Turkey and Bean Chili Recipe! This will be your new favorite recipe.

Recipe FAQs

What is Swedish meatball sauce made of?

This pan gravy is made from the drippings of the cooked meatballs along with flour, beef stock, black pepper, and half and half. The flavorful meatballs are smothered in this cream sauce.

Do Swedish meatballs contain sour cream?

Swedish meatballs can contain sour cream but this recipe uses half and half or heavy cream. Either ingredient can be used to create a rich, creamy sauce.

Why are my Swedish meatballs falling apart?

Meatballs can fall apart for a handful of reasons, it usually has to do with the binding agents used. One issue can be that the meatball mixture had too many or too few breadcrumbs. Breadcrumbs help keep the mixture together, but to many can make the mixture to dry and it will begin to wall apart. Adding an egg to the meatball mixture also helps keep everything together.

How to store leftover Swedish meatballs?

Leftover Swedish meatballs can be cooled completely and store in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days. Sauce can be stored with the meatballs or separately. Uncooked meatballs can be stored in a freezer bag in the freezer for 2-3 months.

How do you cook Swedish meatballs in the crockpot?

Swedish meatballs in the crockpot cook for 3-4 hours on low or 1-2 hours on high.

How long are leftover Swedish meatballs good?

Leftover Swedish meatballs can be store for 3-4 days in the refrigerator.