Classic Swedish meatballs

Classic Swedish meatballs

Now you can recreate the meatballs you've enjoyed on furniture shopping trips at home...

Difficulty and servings

Easy

Serves 4

Easily doubled

Preparation and cooking times

Preparation time

Prep 15 mins

Cook time

Cook 20 mins

Freezable

Method

  1. In a bowl, mix the mince with the egg, onion, breadcrumbs, dill and seasoning. Form into small meatballs about the size of walnuts - you should get about 20.
  2. Heat the olive oil in a large non-stick frying pan and brown the meatballs. You may have to do this in 2 batches. Remove from pan, melt the butter, then sprinkle over the flour and stir well. Cook for 2 mins, then slowly whisk in the stock. Keep whisking until it is a thick gravy, then return the meatballs to the pan and heat through. Sprinkle with dill and serve with cranberry jelly, greens and mash.
Try

Use up leftover dill - Warm potato salad

Cook 750g halved new potatoes for 10-15 mins in boiling water just until soft. Drain and leave to cool a little. Mix together 100ml soured cream with 1 tbsp finely chopped dill and 2 chopped spring onions. Toss through the warm potatoes and serve.

Lemon & dill salmon

Mix together the zest 1 lemon with 1 tbsp chopped dill and 2 tbsp olive oil. Drizzle over 4 salmon fillets, season well, then bake at 200C/fan 180C/gas 6 for 10-15 mins until the fish flakes easily.

Dill & pea rice

Gently fry 1 finely chopped onion in a little butter. Stir through 200g long-grain rice, then pour in 400ml hot vegetable stock. Bring to the boil, then cover and simmer for 15 mins. Add 100g peas to the pan and cook for 5 mins more until the rice is tender. Stir through a handful of dill to serve.

PER SERVING

301 kcalories, protein 26g, carbohydrate 22g, fat 13 g, saturated fat 4g, fibre 1g, sugar 2g, salt 1.73 g

Recipe from Good Food magazine, May 2009.

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Latest comments and suggestions

Results 1-20

  • 22 April 2009

    Vivienne commented on this recipe

    Excellent. We have been to Sweden many times and they tatsed authentic, even my fussy son complained that there wasn't enough. I did make the sauce in a separate pan and then added it as in the wide saucepan i couldn't get the sauce smooth.

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  • 22 April 2009

    recipes rated and commented on this recipe

    2 stars

    Meatballs are only OK, the sauce is quite authentic, but I would recommend Bill Granger's recipe for spicy meatballs in curry sauce ( search the internet!)

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  • 22 April 2009

    nouchi888 commented on this recipe

    i dont eat pork this sounds delicious what other meat can i use?

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  • 22 April 2009

    vickyhinde commented on this recipe

    nouchi888....i use ground turkey...or u could try chicken...

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  • 22 April 2009

    stamos rated and commented on this recipe

    3 stars

    in greece we make the meetballs from veal,generally we use pork for other dishes. So first we make the meat balls like the receipe and without fry them we make a soup using an aromatic stock[veal] and when it,s cooked we make a liaison of 4 whole fresh eggs lemon juice and some boiled stock using the mixer or by hand. The result is a very aromatic soup w/meatballs and potatoes inside if you like.Serve hot. We call it giouvarlakia classic greek kitchen

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  • 26 April 2009

    Linn commented on this recipe

    Dill?!? Never heard of, or eaten, "authentic" Swedish meatballs containing dill. And I am from Sweden! A pinch or so of allspice would be a better idea if you want to keep it authentic. And better use half pork half beef. Or you could even go all beef.

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  • 03 May 2009

    PoshPaws commented on this recipe

    Authentic or not, we thought they were very tasty. I loved the Dill flavour, although I couldn't help but think that the sauce might be helped along with a little garlic (if we're going away from the authenticity!). I agree the sauce was difficult to get smooth in the frying pan, but if you stir like crazy with a small whisk, you get there in the end. I served the meatballs with potato/celeriac mash, savoy cabbage and carrots. Yummy - and would definitely do it again.

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  • Binder photo TJ

    05 May 2009

    TJ commented on this recipe

    I have learned how to cook meatballs by my mother in sweden who learned it from her mother. I have never eaten meatballs with dill in. And I was taught to always use 50% pork and 50% beef. You can use 100% beef but they will be tougher. Also, some people like to fry the onion beforehand, its then easier to get them to stick together when frying them. If you dont want to go all out swedish authentic, i would definitely add some garlic and basil.

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  • 07 May 2009

    Gayns rated and commented on this recipe

    2 stars

    wasn't overly impressed with this recipe - did have probelms with lumpy sauce but put it through a sieve at the end - prefer a more spicy sauce

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  • 15 May 2009

    Jeanie rated and commented on this recipe

    5 stars

    I loved this recipe, authentic or otherwise. I'll definately be making it again.

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  • 18 May 2009

    Frantic Flapjack rated and commented on this recipe

    3 stars

    Not a good start as I forgot to put the egg in the mixture! However, they turned out okay and went well with the gravy. Good comfort food with mashed potato and broccoli. I will say though, that I cooked the onion beforehand but it did start to burn before the pork was cooked. Maybe part cooking the onion would be the answer.

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  • 19 May 2009

    laura rated and commented on this recipe

    3 stars

    Not bad bit bland think i made meatballs a bit big

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  • 30 June 2009

    Barton commented on this recipe

    Try adding a large tbsp of redcurrant jelly to this sauce when you add the stock - it works for me.

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  • 03 July 2009

    emma commented on this recipe

    Really tasty! I added a pureed apple and a splash of cream to the sauce so it tastes more like the sauce from the furniture store...perfect. I also made twice as many meatballs and froze them for another time.

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  • 20 July 2009

    Katy rated and commented on this recipe

    4 stars

    Really like this recipe. It may not be authentic Swedish but it tastes authentic Ikea! Found that there may have been a bit too much flour though.

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  • 04 September 2009

    Rachel commented on this recipe

    Agree with Katy... this may not be authentic Swedish but if you want something similar to what you get in Ikea then this ticks all the boxes.

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  • 04 September 2009

    Rachel rated this recipe

    4 stars

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  • 27 October 2009

    Jo-Jo commented on this recipe

    Made these with trepidation for some Ikea meatball lovers!! I made it exactly to the recipe but uesd beef and added garlic to the sauce - and they told me they were better than the real thing!! Phew! Thanx!!

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  • 25 March 2010

    bevscows1 rated this recipe

    5 stars

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  • 21 April 2010

    Cynthia Ellwood commented on this recipe

    Absolutely delicious and so easy to make! Always a winner for our family!!!

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Difficulty and servings

Easy

Serves 4

Easily doubled

Preparation and cooking times

Preparation time

Prep 15 mins

Cook time

Cook 20 mins

Freezable

Ingredients

  • 400g lean pork mince
  • 1 egg , beaten
  • 1 small onion , finely chopped or grated
  • 85g fresh white breadcrumbs
  • 1 tbsp finely chopped dill , plus extra to serve
  • 1 tbsp each olive oil and butter
  • 2 tbsp plain flour
  • 400ml hot beef stock (from a cube is fine)
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PER SERVING

301 kcalories, protein 26g, carbohydrate 22g, fat 13 g, saturated fat 4g, fibre 1g, sugar 2g, salt 1.73 g

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