IKEA style Swedish Meatballs are so easy to make at home! My Easy Homemade Swedish Meatballs recipe can be ready in just 30 minutes… Serve with creamy gravy, mash and lingonberry jam for the full IKEA experience at home!
My favourite bit about visiting IKEA
Are you an IKEA lover or an IKEA hater? I am 100% an IKEA lover… (Take one look at my house and that much is obvious) I’m a big lover of their simple Scandi style furniture, the whole room set layout of their shop (I know it drives some people mad… but I absolutely love it!), the cute names of the furniture and even down to the fun of racing round the self service area trying to find the right code!
But hands down my favourite part about a trip to IKEA is the meatballs! No trip to IKEA is complete without the full meatballs (topped with that amazing creamy gravy), mashed potatoes and lingonberry jam experience IMHO!
Real Swedish Meatballs in Sweden
Well you can imagine my excitement this year when we decided to actually go to Sweden as part of our summer holiday! We ended up doing bit of a random road trip from Berlin to Hamburg to Copenhagen and back to Berlin. And while we were in Copenhagen… well it seemed rude not to hop over to Sweden on that amazing bridge!
Once I knew that we’d be going to Sweden… well you can guess what I did next… some serious research into the best place to eat real actual Swedish meatballs in Malmö (the Swedish town on the other side of the bridge…lovely place to visit – I’d definitely recommend it!). Turns out THE BEST place to eat meatballs in Malmö is a place called Bullen…
Meatballs at Bullen
Bullen is a wonderful restaurant in central Malmö and I’d hands down recommend it to anyone who wants to eat really good Swedish food in a lovely cosy restaurant with fab service and a great atmosphere. It’s especially good if it’s absolutely tipping it down outside and you have a table reserved! (Note – whatever you do, make sure you reserve a table!).
The menu is fab and I could have happily eaten most of the dishes on the menu, but since we only had one day in Sweden, there was only one thing I wanted… actual proper Swedish meatballs in actual proper Sweden. And I was not disappointed…
The meatballs were insanely delicious… the creamy gravy had the added loveliness of a splash of whisky (oh yeah!), and it was served with the traditional accompaniments of lingonberry jam and pickled cucumbers…
It was even better than IKEA (sorry IKEA – I love your meatballs… but Bullen’s meatballs were next level… however they were, I hasten to point out, also considerably more expensive than IKEA meatballs!)
Homemade IKEA meatballs
Well… I’m sure you can imagine how much I wanted to make proper Swedish style meatballs when I came home! It took me a few goes to get it just right… but I am really pleased with the results.
To get the right flavour to the meatballs, I’ve combined beef and pork mince then added onion, nutmeg, allspice, dill, salt, pepper and just a touch of garlic.
I then shape the mixture into meatballs and, to keep things easy peasy, grill (broil) them until they are nicely browned all over.
White the meatballs are browning I get going with the creamy gravy – combining beef stock, a little cornflour and double cream (and you can totally add a small splash of whisky here too if you fancy!)
What to serve with Swedish Meatballs
I like to serve my Easy Swedish Meatballs with the traditional accompaniments of buttery mashed potatoes, lingonberry jam and my homemade Quick Cucumber Pickle.
HOWEVER, if you can’t get hold of lingonberry jam, cranberry sauce works just as well and right now that’s definitely easy to get hold of (or you can make your own using my Easy Peasy Cranberry Sauce recipe!)
What to drink with Swedish Meatballs
My favourite match for Swedish Meatballs is Pinot Noir – either from Burgundy in France, New Zealand or the USA (California, Oregon and Washington State all make good Pinot Noirs) – which works really well with the lightly spiced meatballs, the creamy sauce AND the accompaniments.
If you really want to be adventurous, why not try a German Pinot Noir (usually called Spätburgunder) or even an English one!
Other wines that would work well with Swedish Meatballs include Barbera and Dolcetto from Northern Italy or a decent Beaujolais from France.
I don’t personally think this dish works very well with white wine, but I guess an oaked chardonnay from somewhere like Australia or California would be OK.
Can you reheat Swedish Meatballs?
Yes – very successfully. Pop any leftover meatballs and gravy in a plastic lidded container and place in the fridge. They will keep for up to 3 days.
To reheat, simply place the meatballs and gravy in a small saucepan and add a splash of water. Reheat until the meatballs are piping hot and the gravy has thickened to your liking. Add a splash more water if the sauce gets too think before the meatballs have cooked through properly.
Can you freeze Swedish Meatballs?
Absolutely! And this is a great one to stock up the freezer with. Pop your cooked meatballs and gravy into a plastic lidded container and, when cool, place in the freezer (ensuring you get the meatballs into the freezer within 2 hours). They will keep for 1 month.
When you want to eat them, defrost overnight in the fridge and then reheat as above.
If you like my Easy Swedish Meatballs…
…then you might like:
- Easy Homemade Meatballs with Tomato Sauce
- Persian Jewelled Rice and Spicy Lamb Meatballs
- Lamb Meatballs in Tomato Sauce
- Quick Pickled Cucumber
Easy Homemade Meatballs with Tomato Sauce
Easy Swedish Meatballs (IKEA Copycat)
Ingredients
Easy Swedish Meatballs
- 250 g beef mince (see note 1)
- 250 g pork mince (see note 1)
- 1 small onion grated
- 1 garlic clove grated or crushed
- ¼ teaspoon nutmeg (ground)
- ¼ teaspoon allspice (ground)
- 1 tablespoon dill chopped finely (plus extra for garnish)
- Salt and pepper to taste
Creamy Gravy for Swedish Meatballs
- 2 tablespoons cornflour
- 550 ml beef stock (From a cube is fine – I used 2 Kallo organic beef stock cubes)
- 50 ml double (heavy) cream
To serve
- Mashed potatoes
- Lingonberry Jam (or Cranberry Sauce)
- Pickled Cucumbers
Instructions
- Start by placing all the ingredients for the meatballs into a large bowl and mixing together with your hands until well combined.
- Divide the mixture into quarters and then make 5 meatballs from each quarter (so 20 meatballs in total). Each meatball will weigh approximately 25g (I like to weigh my first meatball as a guide and then try to make the others about the same size).
- Put the meatballs on an oiled grill rack over a tray covered in foil and place under a medium hot grill (broiler) for 7 minutes on each side, or until golden brown and cooked all the way through.
- While the meatballs are cooking, get your creamy gravy started... In a large jug, mix the cornflour with a small amount of cold water to make a paste, then add the beef stock. Pour into a large wide saucepan or frying pan and cook over a medium heat until nicely thickened. Add the double cream and mix together thoroughly.
- Finally add the meatballs to the creamy gravy. Cook the meatballs in the cream sauce for 1 more minute and then serve with the mashed potatoes, lingonberry jam (or cranberry sauce) and picked cucumber. Garnish with dill.
Notes
- You can make these meatballs with just beef mince, but I prefer the flavour you get from mixing beef and pork mince.
- Suitable for freezing.
- Nutrition information is approximate and meant as a guideline only.
Pin Easy Swedish Meatballs for later
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Lou Gunstone says
I have to admit, I love Swedish Meatballs, I love Pinot Noir BUT… I can’t say I love IKEA. I’ve had too many flat pack disasters… admittedly because we never read the instructions. lol
Definitely going to cook these up, they look delish!
Chloe Edges says
Amazing! I am also a huge Ikea fan! And that includes the meatball stop! I always get a bread roll and stuff everything into that, butter and gravy included… So good!
Your version looks great, I’ll definitely have to get onto trying them. In the meantime you’ve just given me an excellent idea for a very quick late lunch… Pretty sure i have some Ikea chicken meatballs in the freezer…
Lesley Garden says
Altogether too spooky, I was talking about Swedish meatballs yesterday, as I’d just popped a bag in the freezer from IKEA! Keith and I were reminiscing about a bowl of Swedish meatballs he had eaten in Stockholm, the best he’s ever tried! I was vegetarian at the time – I vividly remember staring with great want at that plate of food! I was wondering about a recipe for the real thing and now today, here it is. So thank you very much Eb, that’s save be looking any further, great recipe!
Eb Gargano says
Haha – I do seem to have some crazy mind-reading ability, don’t I? Let me know what you think if you try it 😀 Eb x
Jacqui Bellefontaine says
I nearly always make Italin Style meatballs and have only had them Swedish style once (i Loved them) and not at IKEA. So Ive printed the recipe and will be trying them this week. will ahve to forgo the lingonberry jam until I do the annual trip to IKEA. Thanks for linking to #CookBlogShare
Eb Gargano says
Oh yay – so pleased you like the recipe… I’d love to hear how you get on! Eb x
Jo Allison says
I don’t often buy pre-prepared meatballs but IKEA ones somehow always make their way to my trolley whenever we’re there. Our trips used to be much more frequent and now it is pretty much once a year if that 🙁 I do love their meatballs and Lingonberry Jam too! At home I make my Swedish meatballs with pork mince only but the mixture of pork and beef is definitely more authentic! Your copycat recipe sound super delicious! And how cool that you got to eat the real deal in Sweden too! Fab! x
Eb Gargano says
Oooh yes, I’d definitely recommend you try a mix of pork and beef… it works really well! Eb x
Donna says
Sweden is like my favourite place on earth. We had a week in Malmo last year, and loved it. We’re also huge ikea fans, and must visit at least once a month. These look fab!
Eb Gargano says
It’s a really great place, isn’t it? I’ve so far only been to Malmo, but I’d really like to see more of Sweden… Stockholm for starters! Eb x
Cat | Curly's Cooking says
I was very late to the IKEA meatball party but they are tasty! But if I can make them myself with your recipe I might not be able to make so many excuses to go to IKEA!
Eb Gargano says
I know what you mean – they are super tasty! Have fun making them yourself at home 😀 Eb x
Veronica says
Yummy – I always stock up on the meatballs when I manage to get to IKEA – definitely going to have a shot at making my own now. There’s something very reassuring about having a freezer packed with easy home-cooked meals for those days when you just can’t face standing over the stove. Conversations about meals in our house tend to be – Me – ‘What do you fancy for supper tonight?’ Him – ‘Oh I don’t know – let’s have a ready-made out of the freezer’. 🙂
Eb Gargano says
Thanks Veronica! Oh I so agree about having a freezer full of homecooked meals. I am always cooking an extra portion or two for the freezer… it takes almost no extra time to make extra, but saves so much time in the long run – a lifesaver on busy days! Eb x
Monika Dabrowski says
I am a fan of all things Swedish and that includes IKEA and meatballs of course! When the kids were younger we’d buy all their furniture in IKEA and never missed a chance to visit the restaurant and have some ‘kotbulars’. Always with lingonberry jam. So your lovely recipe has brought back good memories!
Eb Gargano says
Aw, so pleased to have brought back good memories. My kids are also huge fans of IKEA meatballs – no trip to IKEA would be complete without them! Eb x
Midge @ Peachicks' Bakery says
I don’t understand why people do not LOVE IKEA!! Its just the best shop bar none! The Peas love it to but Im never sure if thats because of the shop itself or the hotdogs on the way out??!! Definitely Pinned these for later & Off to ikea for some ligonberry jam to go with!! #cookblogshare
Eb Gargano says
Haha – no me neither. I LOVE that shop! Eb x
Ali says
Made these tonight and they were delicious. Thank you for the recipe
Eb Gargano says
Yay! I am so happy to hear that. Thanks so much for taking the time to let me know. I love hearing that my recipes are being made and enjoyed! Eb 🙂
Kate - Gluten Free Alchemist says
Can’t say I’ve ever had an Ikea meatball! But if they are anything like these, then I’m sure they are yummy.
Actually… I can’t recall ever eating at Ikea either! I usually grab my stash of Marabou chocolate (which takes me straight back to childhood as my Dad worked for a Swedish company) and then battle my way out of the car park xx
Eb Gargano says
Not had an Ikea meatball??? How is that possible??? Hope you get to try them soon – they are worth it 😀 Eb x
Candace says
The meatballs are always the highlight of a trip to Ikea. Will certainly be giving this recipe a go
Eb Gargano says
Same here! Let me know what you think if you try them 😀 Eb x