Authentic Swedish Meatball Recipe – Köttbullar
Servings: 4 people
Calories: 571kcal
My twenty years in Sweden have given me a genuine appreciation for the humble meatball. It is a firm favorite on the Christmas table (Jul Bord ) but equally popular as a midweek meal served with potatoes, gravy, and Lingonberry Jam.
Print Recipe
Equipment
- A large frying pan or cast iron skillet
- Lrge Bowl
- Optional: Food processor
Ingredients
- 1 Pound Ground beef You can also use a mixture of ground beef and ground pork or even game meats like ground elk or boar. The flavor of the meatballs may vary depending on the type of meat used.
- 1 Small Yellow onion (about 1/2 cup finely chopped or grated. Large pieces of onion can cause your meatballs to fall apart when cooking.
- 2 Small Boiled potatoes Potatoes help create a soft tender, and flavourful meatball. If you're in a hurry, you can substitute with 1/2 cup gluten-free oats.
- ⅔ Cup Cream Or Milk
- ½ Teaspoon Sea Salt
- ¼ Teaspoon Freshly ground pepper Both black and white pepper work fine
- 4 Tablespoons Butter Or cooking oil for frying.
Optional: 2 Teaspoons of dried thyme
Instructions
- 1. Add a tablespoon of butter or oil to a hot skillet and saute over medium heat until translucent ( approx 10minutes). Remove from the heat and allow to cool.(Cooking the onions first adds a sweet, aromatic flavor to the meatballs.
- Peel and mash the boiled potatoes in a large bowl.
- Add the cooled onions, salt, pepper, milk,( and any herbs if using). Mix together thoroughly.
- Add the ground beef to the bowl and use your hands or a wooden spoon to incorporate the ingredients into an even batter.(You can also use a food processor for this step.)
- Use your hands to roll small, even-sized meatballs; using about 2 tablespoons of meat mixture per meatball will make meatballs about 1-1.5 inches in diameter.
- Preheat a large skillet and add a knob of butter or olive oil to the pan. Fry the meatballs over medium-high heat and cook in batches, turning them often. Overcrowding the pan will make it difficult to turn the meatballs. Cook until they are browned on all sides and no longer pink in the center.
Notes
My Top Tips For Forming Meatballs
-Small meatballs are preferred as they are cooked evenly and quickly and remain juicy. Use about 1 tablespoon of meatball mixture per meatball.
-Wetting your hands with a little water can help prevent the mixture from sticking to your hands.
-You can also form the meatballs using two spoons; oil them lightly occasionally to prevent sticking.
-If you’re making a large batch of meatballs, consider using a spritzer to pump out small amounts of meatball batter. You can also use a freezer bag and cut a small hole in one corner.
To make these meatballs in the oven: Use a lightly oiled baking sheet or parchment paper and place the meatballs well apart. Cook in a preheated oven at 200°C / 390°F for 15 minutes.
Serving suggestions:
Traditionally, in Sweden, meatballs are served simply with boiled or mashed potatoes, gravy made with heavy cream, and Swedish Lingonberry Jam or Raw Lingonberry Sauce. The creamy sauce is served on the side, and they’re occasionally served with peas ( Ikea is famous for this) or salty pickles.
You’ll often find homemade meatballs served on a Swedish meatball sandwich—an open-faced sandwich with beetroot salad. Perfect for picnics or a quick lunch.
Meatballs are a must-have on any Swedish Christmas Table (Swedish Jul Bord is a traditional Christmas buffet), Easter buffet AND at Midsummer. They're served as along with small sausages, Beetroot Salad, pickled herring, Christmas ham, brown beans, boiled eggs with caviar, Jansson’s Potato Gratin, and often Red Cabbage Salad.
Storage:
Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
They can also be easily frozen. For best results, line a cookie sheet with parchment paper and place the chilled meatballs in rows on the sheet. Flash freeze for 1 hour before transferring to an airtight container and returning to the freezer. This way, they hold their shape.
Defrost in the refrigerator overnight and reheat in a hot oven for 10-15 minutes or fry on low heat in a little melted butter until heated through.
Variaions:
-Finely chopped anchovies are occasionally added to meatballs for special occasions to add depth of flavor.
-Oats can be used instead of potatoes. Use just under 1/4 cup
-Some traditional variations of this Swedish meatball recipe use breadcrumbs, either store-bought, homemade from stale bread, or made with fresh white bread. To replace the boiled potatoes in this recipe, use about two slices of bread or about 1/4 cup of. breadcrumbs
Nutrition
Serving: 150g | Calories: 571kcal | Carbohydrates: 12g | Protein: 22g | Fat: 48g | Saturated Fat: 25g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 16g | Trans Fat: 2g | Cholesterol: 155mg | Sodium: 471mg | Potassium: 594mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 934IU | Vitamin C: 12mg | Calcium: 60mg | Iron: 3mg
Please note:
This nutritional information is an estimate and values may vary. It is for guidance only and should not be considered dietary advice.
