Swedish Meatballs
Small, fine-textured meatballs in a creamy pan gravy — the opposite mixing approach from meatloaf.
Makes 4 servings · Prep 25 min · Bake 20 min
Ingredients
Meatballs
- 0.75 lb Ground beef
- 0.5 lb Ground pork — or all beef if pork isn't available
- 1/2 cup Breadcrumbs
- 1/3 cup Milk
- 1 Egg
- 0.25 Onion, finely grated
- 1 tsp Salt
- 1/4 tsp Allspice
- 2 tbsp Neutral oil
Gravy
- 3 tbsp Butter
- 3 tbsp All-purpose flour
- 1 1/2 cups Beef stock
- 1/2 cup Heavy cream
- 1/8 tsp Nutmeg
Instructions
Meatballs
- Soak the breadcrumbs in the milk until soft, then combine with the beef, pork, egg, onion, salt, and allspice, mixing thoroughly until smooth and cohesive. (Tip: Mix this more than you would meatloaf — the goal here is a tight, springy bind that holds together in gravy, the opposite texture goal.)
- Roll into small, even balls, about an inch across.
Sear
- Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat and brown the meatballs on all sides, working in batches. Remove to a plate — they don't need to be fully cooked through yet.
Gravy
- In the same pan, melt the butter, whisk in the flour, and cook a minute to form a roux.
- Whisk in the stock gradually, then the cream and nutmeg, and simmer until thickened.
Finish
- Return the meatballs to the gravy and simmer until they reach 71°C (160°F) in the centre.
Tips
- Meatballs fell apart in the gravy: Undermixed. Unlike meatloaf, these want the meat worked until smooth and cohesive — mix until it holds together firmly before rolling.
- Keep them small and even: Uniform, bite-sized balls cook through at the same rate and finish the simmer together — a mix of large and small meatballs means the biggest ones are still unsafe while the smallest overcook.