These succulent, juicy, slightly spiced balls are cradled in a rich, buttery, savory gravy. This is seriously something that’s quite high on the indulgent level. That sauce is the BOSS here. Do it like natives of Scandinavia, serve Köttbullar on a bed of mashed potatoes with plenty of sauce. Don’t forget their beloved lingonberry jam and a sprinkling of parsley. And say Köttbullar correctly, like this: Yup, we teach you a thing or two… 🙂
About meatballs
Meatballs have been around for ages and transcend cultures, known and devoured in different names. Most of the time they are basically ground meat (one or more varieties) rolled into balls or oblong shapes. They’re bound together with a little egg, milk, and maybe some bread crumbs and seasoned with some herbs and spices. They can be fried, sautéed or baked. They can be served straight or doused in sauces, soups and gravies. Simple and delicious! They have different names and variations around the world, from kofte to bitterballen to albondigas to lions head… and so many more. They are enjoyed and celebrated all over the world. GypsyPlate is looking forward to bringing many varieties straight to your kitchen. All in good time… let’s talk about the Scandinavian favorite today.
What are Köttbullar, AKA Swedish Meatballs?
Every Swede has fond memories of these roundels, growing up with their mom’s homestyle meatballs. They’re the ultimate comfort food, from everyday nights to celebrations and festival times. People take pride stating how their family recipe is the Best, with little nuances passed from one generation to the next. Simplified, it’s ground meat, mostly beef and pork together (though sometimes veal and venison finds their way in too), seasoned with mild Nordic spices. They’re browned up for a crispy exterior, retaining a juicy and tender inside. They can be served stand alone or as part of their famous smorgasbord, which is like a Swedish charcuterie board. They are often served as Köttbullar med graddsas, meaning meatballs with cream sauce. We absolutely love them all soaked in one of the best tasting gravies in the world. They are a One-Pot Genius!
What you need is regular meatball stuff and some more…
For meatballs
Ground meat – The most common mix is a 50-50 ratio of ground beef and pork. Saying that some recipes have more beef than pork. You can also make them with ground chicken for a lighter dish. Binders – Breadcrumbs and eggs (we just used egg yolks). Onion – Finely chopped. Spices – Garlic powder, allspice & nutmeg. Parsley – Finely chopped Salt & pepper Butter & Olive oil – For frying.
For that out of this world Yummy Sauce
Butter Flour Beef Broth Cream Worcestershire sauce Mustard Salt & Pepper
Get those meatballs rolling… A few tips and tricks
Can I use a crock pot?
Absolutely, slow cooking makes for extra tender and succulent meatballs. This is also a great way to prepare them ahead of time for a party. You can first brown your meatballs as you normally would in a skillet to give them a little color. Or for a faster prep, they can be added raw to the crock pot. Rather than making a roux, make a slurry by slowly stirring the beef broth into the flour. Once this is done add all ingredients into your slow cooker. Cook 2 hours on high or 4-5 hours on low, until internal temperature of the meatballs is 165°F. You can keep them on the warm setting until ready to devour.
How to cook them in the Instant Pot
Start by browning the meatballs. Set your Instant Pot to Saute mode. Brown up your meatballs in butter and olive oil and then set aside. Build up your sauce just as you would on the stovetop, omitting the cream. Add meatballs back in, seal the lid and set on Manual for 8 minutes. Let pressure release naturally for 10 minutes. Stir in the cream and you are ready for a feast!
How do I make them Keto friendly?
Simple! For the meatballs, replace the breadcrumbs with 1/4 cup almond flour. For the sauce, replace the flour and butter with 1 cup of sour cream. Rather than making a roux, first stir in the beef broth and get all those bits from the bottom of the pan mixed in. Then just mix in the remaining ingredients.
Some variations
Storing Leftovers
The cooked meatballs can be refrigerated in an airtight container for 3-4 days. You can freeze for a couple of months, but afterwards the quality of the sauce begins to diminish. A great option is to make a giant batch, doubling the recipe, and freezing the uncooked meatballs. After forming them, first freeze the meatballs on a tray lined with parchment paper. Once they are completely frozen, store them in freezer friendly ziploc bags. They last frozen this way for 3-4 months. Whenever you are in the mood for meatballs, you are in for a very quick and easy meal night. Just thaw them in the fridge for several hours before cooking. This is a great meal prep option!
Fun Facts about Swedish Meatballs
- A few years back, a confession from Sweden hit the world when they announced that Swedish Meatballs are not actually Swedish. They have their origins in Turkey, where they are known as “kofte”. The version we call “Swedish” are actually based on a recipe King Charless XII brought home from his exile in Istanbul in 1713. Some felt heartbroken about this surprise, while others celebrated the truth coming to light.
- IKEA believed that their customers shouldn’t have empty stomachs while doing their furniture hunting. Keeping that in mind, they wanted to offer a quintessential Swedish food with a budget friendly price in their stores. The IKEA Swedish meatballs debuted in stores in the 1980s. Today they sell for just $5.99 per plate, which comes loaded with mashed potatoes and lingonberry jam. Along with the standard meatball, IKEA also offers vegan and chicken options.
- What is lingonberry jam, you may ask? It’s Köttbullar’s favorite condiment. Please don’t skip it. Its tart sweetness is a perfect compliment to the savory gravy. Besides IKEA stores, you get this in specialty food stores like Whole Foods (that’s where we got our bottle) or you can order online. Lingonberries are a wild berry that grow in the cold northern climates of Scandinavian countries. They are similar to cranberries, but more bitter and tart. That’s why they are typically not eaten raw, but turned into jam or a sugared form for the perfect combination of bitter + tart + sweet. Besides meatballs, it is often served with other savory Swedish dishes like stuffed cabbage rolls, potato pancakes or fried herring.
- The Swedish word “Köttbullar” first appeared in print around 1754 in Cajsa Warg’s cookbook. She is one of the famous and legendary cooks in the Swedish history. Well, well… I’m sure many of you might have jumped straight to the recipe after seeing how amazing and delicious these meatballs look in my bowl. I don’t blame ya… As long as you keep on coming back to GypsyPlate. That’s the only thing I want out of you besides trying our food and letting us know how you like it. Give this a try once and you are going to end up just like us… whenever you think of meatballs, you are going to go the Swedish way… 🙂 … Köttbullar way!!
Köttbullar, on my Gypsy Plate… enjoy!
Try these other great comfort foods from around the world!Cajun Shrimp and GritsLoaded Cauliflower SoupFasolada (Greek Bean Soup)Johnny MarzettiZuppa ToscanaGrillades & GritsDublin CoddleEggplant ParmesanJägerschnitzel
