Homemade Ikea Meatballs (Printable Version)
Tender Swedish-style beef and pork meatballs, pan-seared and finished in a creamy mustard gravy.
# What You'll Need:
→ Meatball Mixture
01 - 9 ounces ground beef
02 - 9 ounces ground pork
03 - 1 small onion, finely chopped
04 - 2 cloves garlic, minced
05 - 1/4 cup whole milk
06 - 1/3 cup breadcrumbs
07 - 1 large egg
08 - 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
09 - 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
10 - 1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
11 - 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
→ For Frying
12 - 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
13 - 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
→ Cream Sauce
14 - 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
15 - 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
16 - 1 1/4 cups beef or vegetable stock
17 - 1/2 cup heavy cream
18 - 2 teaspoons soy sauce
19 - 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
20 - Salt, to taste
21 - Black pepper, to taste
# How To Make:
01 - Combine breadcrumbs and milk in a large bowl; allow to soak for 5 minutes.
02 - Add ground beef, ground pork, onion, garlic, egg, salt, pepper, allspice, and nutmeg to the soaked breadcrumbs. Mix gently until just incorporated.
03 - Shape mixture into small balls about 1 1/4 inch in diameter, roughly the size of a walnut.
04 - Heat butter and oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Fry meatballs in batches, turning occasionally, until browned on all sides, about 8 minutes. Set aside.
05 - In the same skillet, melt butter over medium heat. Whisk in flour and cook, stirring constantly, for 1 minute.
06 - Gradually add stock, whisking to prevent lumps. Stir in heavy cream, soy sauce, and mustard. Simmer until thickened, about 5–7 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
07 - Return browned meatballs to the skillet, coating with the sauce. Simmer gently for 5–10 minutes until heated through.
08 - Present hot, ideally alongside mashed potatoes, lingonberry jam, and steamed vegetables.
# Expert Tips:
01 -
- The mix of beef and pork gives you a tenderness that all beef meatballs just cannot match.
- That cream sauce comes together in minutes and tastes like something from a proper Swedish grandmother.
- You can shape and freeze the meatballs ahead so weeknight dinners feel effortless.
02 -
- Overmixing the meat makes the meatballs dense and rubbery so stop as soon as everything is incorporated.
- Adding soy sauce to the cream sauce was a game changer for depth of flavor without anyone being able to identify why it tastes so good.
- Fry in batches and do not crowd the pan or you will steam the meatballs instead of browning them.
03 -
- Chill the shaped meatballs for 15 minutes before frying and they hold their shape much better in the pan.
- Deglaze the skillet with a splash of stock before making the sauce to capture every bit of browned flavor from frying.