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Plate of Swedish meatballs with cream sauce over mashed potatoes and lingonberry jam

Swedish Meatballs

Tender beef and turkey meatballs in a from-scratch creamy pan sauce, built on a ten-minute panade rest that keeps the texture soft.
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Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes
Total Time 45 minutes
Servings: 4 about 24 meatballs
Course: Dinner, Main Course
Cuisine: Swedish
Calories: 520
Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Meatballs
  • 1/2 lb 225g ground beef
  • 1/2 lb 225g ground turkey
  • 1/3 cup 35g panko breadcrumbs
  • 1/3 cup 80ml heavy cream
  • 1 large egg
  • 1/4 cup 30g minced yellow onion
  • 1/2 tsp ground allspice
  • 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
  • 3/4 tsp salt
  • 1/4 tsp black pepper
  • 2 tbsp 28g butter
Sauce
  • 3 tbsp 42g butter
  • 3 tbsp 24g flour
  • 2 cups 480ml beef broth
  • 1/2 cup 120ml heavy cream
  • 1 tbsp soy sauce
  • 1 tsp Dijon mustard
  • salt and pepper to taste

Method
 

  1. Stir panko and cream together and let sit 10 to 15 minutes.
  2. Combine beef, turkey, panade, egg, onion, and seasonings; mix just until it holds together.
  3. Shape into 1.5 inch meatballs, about 24 total.
  4. Brown in butter, 3 minutes per side, in batches; hold on a tray.
  5. Make a roux with butter and flour in the same skillet, about 90 seconds.
  6. Whisk in beef broth in three additions, scraping up the fond; simmer 5 minutes.
  7. Stir in cream, soy sauce, and Dijon; return meatballs to the pan.
  8. Simmer 8 to 10 minutes until meatballs reach 165°F (74°C) internally.
  9. Rest 2 minutes, then serve over mashed potatoes with lingonberry jam.

Notes

The panade needs a full 10 to 15 minute rest before mixing; this is the step that decides texture.
Ground turkey can be swapped for all beef, but the blend keeps the meatballs lighter once cooled.
Yields about 24 meatballs; double the batch and freeze half raw if cooking for a crowd later.
Storage Notes:
Refrigerate cooked meatballs and sauce together for up to 4 days.
Freeze together (not separately) for up to 6 weeks in a freezer-safe container.
Reheat gently in a covered skillet with a splash of broth, about 8 minutes from the fridge.