Swedish Meatball Sauce Recipe - Sauce Fanatic (2024)

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This rich and creamy Swedish meatball sauce recipe is one you must add to your repertoire. It comes together in about 10 minutes and will be the perfect accompaniment to Swedish meatballs.

Swedish Meatball Sauce Recipe - Sauce Fanatic (1)

Table of Contents

  • 1 Swedish Meatball Sauce
  • 2 Swedish Meatball Sauce Ingredients:
  • 3 How to Make Swedish Meatball Sauce:
  • 4 Swedish Meatball Sauce Variations:
  • 5 How to Store Swedish Meatball Sauce:
  • 6 Swedish Meatball Sauce

Swedish Meatball Sauce

Traditionally Swedish meatballs are served with lingonberry jam but here in the U.S., we enjoy them swimming in a rich brown gravy.

There are several different variations of the gravy also. Some use cream of mushroom while others use sour cream. Some call for sherry or cooking wine.

We settled on a simpler recipe that you can modify to your liking. That’s a theme we have around here – Make it simple and give you variations to try.

We like this version best because it’s flavorful but uses ingredients that are simple and that are probably already in your kitchen.

So whip up your favorite Swedish meatball recipe and drown them in our sauce!

Learn all about how to make a roux sauce and use it for all my gravy recipes, my Hawaiian brown gravy and country white gravy.

Swedish Meatball Sauce Ingredients:

To make this Swedish meatball sauce recipe, you will need:

  • Butter: Use unsalted butter because the beef broth is pretty salty.
  • Flour: Combine with the butter to make a roux that will thicken the sauce.
  • Beef broth: You can use low sodium if you wish.
  • Brown Sugar: Just a couple of teaspoons.
  • Heavy cream:We like to use all heavy cream instead of sour cream.
  • Blackpepper:Freshly cracked is best but use what you have.
Swedish Meatball Sauce Recipe - Sauce Fanatic (3)

How to Make Swedish Meatball Sauce:

To make this homemade Swedish meatball sauce, simply…

  1. Make a roux.Whisk flour into melted butter and cook until it turns light brown.
  2. Add broth and brown sugar. Slowly whisk in the broth and brown sugar then simmer for about 5 minutes.
  3. Stir in the cream and black pepper. Slowly stir in the cream and pepper then simmer for another 5 minutes.
  4. Use immediately or let cool and refrigerate for later use.
Swedish Meatball Sauce Recipe - Sauce Fanatic (4)

Swedish Meatball Sauce Variations:

There are quite a few ways you can doctor up this Swedish meatball sauce recipe.

  • Add Worcestershire sauce: 2 teaspoons will make the sauce more flavorful
  • Add soy sauce: 2 teaspoons will add more flavor
  • Add dijon mustard: 1 teaspoon will spice up the sauce nicely
  • Add coconut aminos: 2 teaspoons will enhance the sauce the way Worcestershire sauce does
  • Add sour cream: Add ½ cup in addition to the heavy cream or use 1 cup of sour cream in place of the heavy cream.
  • Add shallots: Sauté a minced shallot before making the roux.
  • Add cream of mushroom soup: Whiskin in a can of cream of mushroom in step 3.
Swedish Meatball Sauce Recipe - Sauce Fanatic (5)

How to Store Swedish Meatball Sauce:

Refrigerate– Cool for 1 hour then transfer to an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 4 days. Reheat over low heat and add a little cream if the sauce is too thick.

Freeze– Cool for 2 hours then transfer to a freezer-safe container and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator. Reheat over low heat and add a little cream if the sauce is too thick.

You might also want to try our grape jelly chili sauce for meatballs, onion gravy, chicken marsala sauce, butter chicken sauce, and copycat mumbo sauce. Enjoy!

Swedish Meatball Sauce

4.43 from 182 votes

This rich and creamy Swedish meatball sauce recipe is one you must add to your repertoire. It comes together in about 10 minutes and will be the perfect accompaniment to Swedish meatballs.

Sauce Fanatic

Prep Time 5 minutes minutes

Cook Time 15 minutes minutes

Total Time 20 minutes minutes

Serving Size 6

Ingredients

  • 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
  • 1 ¾ cups beef broth
  • 2 teaspoons light brown sugar
  • ½ cup heavy cream
  • ½ teaspoon black pepper

Instructions

  • Melt butter in a 10-inch skillet over medium-high heat.

  • When the foaming subsides, add the flour and cook, whisking constantly, until flour turns light brown, about 30 seconds.

  • Slowly whisk in the broth followed by the brown sugar and bring to simmer.

  • Reduce the heat to medium and cook until the sauce is reduced to 1 cup, about 5 minutes.

  • Stir in the cream and pepper then return to a simmer and let cook for 5 minutes.

  • Server over freshly cooked meatballs.

Make ahead tip

  • Refrigerate – Cool for 1 hour then transfer to an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 4 days.

  • Freeze – Cool for 2 hours then transfer to a freezer-safe container and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator.

  • Reheat over low heat and add a little cream if the sauce is too thick.

Notes

Try these variations:

  • Add Worcestershire sauce: 2 teaspoons will make the sauce more flavorful
  • Add soy sauce: 2 teaspoons will add more flavor
  • Add dijon mustard: 1 teaspoon will spice up the sauce nicely
  • Add coconut aminos: 2 teaspoons will enhance the sauce the way Worcestershire sauce does
  • Add sour cream: Add ½ cup in addition to the heavy cream or use 1 cup of sour cream in place of the heavy cream.
  • Add shallots: Sauté a minced shallot before making the roux.
  • Add cream of mushroom soup: Whiskin in a can of cream of mushroom in step 3.

Nutrition

Serving: 0.25cup | Calories: 118kcal | Carbohydrates: 4g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 11g | Saturated Fat: 7g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Cholesterol: 33mg | Sodium: 118mg | Sugar: 2g

CourseCourse: Dinner

CuisineCuisine: American

Swedish Meatball Sauce Recipe - Sauce Fanatic (2024)

FAQs

What is the sauce for Swedish meatballs made from? ›

The sauce for Swedish Meatballs is a creamy gravy that is made with butter, beef broth/stock, thickened with flour and made creamy with cream. But the most important flavour for the a really good creamy gravy is the pan drippings after searing the meatballs.

What is Ikea meatball sauce made of? ›

Iconic Swedish cream sauce: Melt 40g of butter in a pan. Whisk in 40g of plain flour and stir for 2 mins. Add 300ml of bouillon (or consommé) and continue to stir. Add 150ml double cream, 2 tsp of soy sauce and 1 tsp of (Dijon) mustard.

Why is my Swedish meatball sauce not thickening? ›

How to Thicken Swedish Meatball Sauce. The all-purpose flour in this recipe should do the trick to thicken your Swedish meatball sauce to the right consistency. But if it doesn't, you can add a cornstarch slurry (1 tablespoon of cornstarch to 2 tablespoons of water) to thicken it up.

Why do Swedish meatballs taste different? ›

The Seasoning

While both varieties include ingredients such as grated onion and panade (milk-soaked bread) or bread crumbs, plus the usual salt and pepper, Swedish meatballs traditionally use spices like allspice, nutmeg, white pepper, and sometimes ground ginger as flavoring.

Why do IKEA meatballs taste so good? ›

They're loaded with salt (and salt is delicious)

According to Ikea's website, the 12-meatball version of their KÖTTBULLAR plate packs a pretty serious amount of salt into your bloodstream, to the tune of 1,520 milligrams.

Why are IKEA meatballs so cheap? ›

The meatballs - along with all the dishes in IKEA restaurants - are priced so competitively to attract people to the store. The hope is, that once there, customers will also spend money on household items. The restaurants also reinforce the IKEA brand image of being 'low price' and 'good value'.

How are IKEA meatballs so cheap? ›

If the meatballs are so delicious and so popular, why are they so inexpensive? Like many other things in business, selling inexpensive meatballs is a strategy for the company to turn more profit. To sell their products, they need to get people in the door. To do that, they entice people with cheap meatballs.

Why are my Swedish meatballs falling apart? ›

ANSWER: Usually when meatballs fall apart, it's the binder that is the problem. Most meatball recipes call for using bread crumbs and eggs. But too much bread crumbs make them too loose, and not enough bread crumbs won't help them hold together either.

Does Swedish meatballs contain sour cream? ›

It's All About the Sauce

Flavored with nutmeg and cardamom, these little beef-and-pork meatballs are best served with a Swedish meatball sauce—a rich roux-based and beef stock gravy, spiked with sour cream and a little lingonberry jelly.

Do meatballs get more tender the longer they cook in sauce? ›

You want the oil to be about half a fingernail deep in the pan. Usually, I'm making meatballs with Sunday sauce. I simmer them in the sauce for 2-3 hours. The longer you simmer them, the softer they will be.

What's the difference between meatballs and Swedish meatballs? ›

Swedish meatballs are slightly smaller than traditional meatballs — think the size of a golf ball — so that they can be easily picked up by a toothpick and popped into your mouth. As for the sauce, Swedish meatballs are cooked in a rich, creamy gravy that is most often created from bone broth and cream.

What alcohol goes with Swedish meatballs? ›

Swedish meatballs

The cream sauce for these lightly spiced meatballs makes them especially delicious with silky-textured Pinot Noir (like those from Burgundy or Oregon). If you prefer white wine, a lightly oaked Chardonnay or a richer-style Austrian Riesling is a great choice.

How are Swedish meatballs different from Italian? ›

The major difference between Swedish and Italian meatballs is what they're accompanied with. Swedish meatballs are traditionally topped with a creamy gravy and served with mashed potatoes and lingonberry sauce to cut through the richness, similar to how they're cooked at the two-Michelin-starred restaurant, Aquavit.

Is bolognese sauce the same as meatball sauce? ›

Meatballs are not a sauce, they are balls of meat. A sauce has to be runny, or at least flowing. Done correctly, a bolognese sauce isn't particularly meaty. The meat is meant to be finely ground and incorporated into a standard spaghetti sauce, and the meat so fine it should stick onto the pasta in little specks.

What are Ikea Swedish meatballs made of? ›

Ingredients for Meatballs
  • 500g beef mince.
  • 250g pork mince.
  • 1 onion finely chopped.
  • 1 clove of garlic (crushed or minced)
  • 100g breadcrumbs.
  • 1 egg.
  • 5 tablespoons of milk.
  • salt and pepper to taste.

What is the difference between Swedish style and Italian style meatballs? ›

American meatballs are the biggest in size, with Italian and Swedish meatballs following on the depth chart. Italian meatballs call for seasonings like grated parmesan and oregano, while Swedish ones use seasonings like nutmeg and allspice. While it doesn't sound like a huge distinction, you'll notice it in the taste!

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