Köttbullar (Swedish meatballs)
Ingredients
Method
- Crumble the bread into a bowl, pour over the milk and leave to soak for 5 minutes. Mash with a fork into a smooth paste.
- Add the beef, pork, grated onion, egg, salt, white pepper, allspice and nutmeg. Mix by hand just enough to get an even mixture, without overworking it.
- With wet hands, shape about 30 meatballs, 3 cm across. Place them on a tray and chill for 15 minutes so they firm up.
- Heat the butter and oil in a large frying pan over medium-high heat. Brown the meatballs in two batches, shaking the pan often, for 8 to 10 minutes, until well browned and cooked through. Keep warm.
- Make the gravy in the same pan: pour off the excess fat but keep the browned bits, melt the butter, add the flour and stir for 1 to 2 minutes to make a light roux.
- Gradually pour in the stock, whisking and scraping up the browned bits. Add the cream and soy sauce, then simmer gently for 3 to 4 minutes until thickened. Taste and season with salt and pepper.
- Return the meatballs to the gravy for 2 minutes to coat them well. Serve straight away with mashed potatoes, lingonberry jam and pickled cucumber.
Notes
Golden, tender meatballs, a creamy gravy, buttery mashed potatoes and a sweet touch of lingonberries: köttbullar are the comfort food of all Sweden. These Swedish meatballs are made with a mix of beef and pork, a few gentle spices and bread soaked in milk that keeps them meltingly soft. In this köttbullar recipe, we show you step by step how to shape the meatballs, cook them perfectly and make the famous brown gravy.
Köttbullar, Sweden’s meatball speciality
In Swedish, kött means “meat” and bullar means “balls” or “buns”. This Swedish meatball speciality is one of the oldest dishes in the country: a meatball recipe already appears in the cookbook of Cajsa Warg, published in the mid-18th century. A popular legend says King Charles XII brought the idea back from the Ottoman Empire in the early 18th century, but historians remain cautious. One thing is certain: köttbullar are everywhere today. They are served at Sunday family dinners, in school canteens and above all at the julbord, the big Christmas buffet, alongside ham, pickled herring and gravlax. You will also find them at midsommar, the midsummer celebration, and on the Easter table.
An easy Swedish meatball recipe
Good news: this is an easy Swedish meatball recipe that anyone can make. No special equipment needed, just a bowl, a frying pan and your hands. The mixture takes 10 minutes, the shaping takes a little longer but is fun with two people or with children. Allow less than an hour in total, gravy included. It is an ideal weeknight dinner that pleases kids and adults alike.
Which meat for köttbullar?
The most classic meat for köttbullar is half minced beef, half minced pork. The beef brings flavour, the pork brings tenderness and a little fat, essential for juicy meatballs. Choose beef with about 15% fat rather than very lean mince. In Sweden you will also find all-beef köttbullar, or versions made with elk and venison during the hunting season. If you don’t eat pork, use minced veal instead: the texture stays tender.
How to make perfect köttbullar
Wondering how to make perfect köttbullar every time? The first secret is the panade: bread soaked in milk, mashed into a paste and mixed into the meat. It holds the juices during cooking and gives ultra-tender meatballs. Many Swedes use fine breadcrumbs soaked in milk or cream, which works the same way. Second secret: don’t overwork the mixture, or the meatballs become dense. Third secret: shape small, even meatballs of about 3 cm, with slightly wet hands so they are nice and smooth. Fifteen minutes in the fridge helps them keep their shape in the pan.
Köttbullar in the oven or in a pan?
Should you cook köttbullar in the oven or in a pan? The traditional method is the pan, with a mix of butter and oil. The meatballs get a lovely golden crust and leave browned bits in the pan that will flavour the gravy. Shake the pan often so they stay round, and don’t overcrowd it: two batches are better than one. For large quantities, for a buffet for example, the oven is more practical: spread the meatballs on a tray, drizzle with oil and bake for 15 minutes at 200 °C, turning them halfway. They cook more evenly but brown a little less. In that case, make the gravy separately with a knob of butter.
The spices for Swedish meatballs
The spices for Swedish meatballs are subtle but essential. The classic trio is white pepper, allspice and nutmeg. White pepper, milder and more fragrant than black, leaves no dark specks in the mixture. Allspice, called kryddpeppar in Sweden, is not hot at all: its berries taste of cinnamon, clove and nutmeg at once. Finally, a pinch of grated nutmeg adds a warm, rounded note, just as in a béchamel. To discover more spices and how to use them, see our spice guide.
Köttbullar sauce with cream
Köttbullar are unthinkable without their sauce. Köttbullar sauce, called gräddsås (“cream sauce”), is a smooth brown gravy that coats the meatballs and the mash. It is made in the pan used to fry the meatballs, to make the most of the caramelised browned bits, a real concentrate of flavour.
Swedish brown gravy recipe
The Swedish brown gravy recipe is based on a roux. Melt butter, add flour and stir for one to two minutes to make a light roux. Then gradually pour in beef stock while whisking, followed by the cream. The little Swedish secret: a teaspoon of soy sauce, which gives the gravy its lovely brown colour and a savoury touch. Some families also add a spoonful of redcurrant jelly or lingonberry jam for a sweet and savoury note. If the gravy is too thick, loosen it with a little stock; if too thin, let it reduce for a few minutes.
What to serve with köttbullar
The side dishes for köttbullar are almost always the same in Sweden, and that is part of their charm. First, homemade mashed potatoes, smooth and buttery, or simply boiled potatoes. Then pickled cucumber, pressgurka: thin cucumber slices marinated in vinegar, sugar and dill, for freshness. Finally, the must-have: lingonberry jam. You can also add a few green beans or peas for a touch of colour. For a more festive version, swap the mash for our hasselback potatoes, Swedish accordion potatoes roasted in the oven.
Lingonberry jam with köttbullar
Lingonberry jam with köttbullar often surprises the first time, and then you can’t do without it. Lingonberries, lingon in Swedish, grow abundantly in Scandinavian forests. Their slightly tart jam cuts through the richness of the cream gravy and lifts the meat: it is the traditional sweet and savoury pairing. You will find it in Scandinavian shops and some supermarkets. Otherwise, redcurrant jelly or cranberry sauce will do.
IKEA-style köttbullar at home
For many people, their first köttbullar were the ones at the IKEA restaurant. Hence the many searches for an IKEA köttbullar recipe. In 2020, the company even shared its own version during lockdown, proof of their popularity. Our recipe is not the store’s, but it has everything people love about them: round beef and pork meatballs, a creamy brown gravy, mash and lingonberry jam. Made at home with good-quality meat and freshly ground spices, they have far more flavour. And for a truly Swedish moment, finish the meal with our kanelbullar, the cinnamon and cardamom buns.
Scandinavian meatballs, a great Nordic classic
Scandinavian meatballs exist in every Nordic country, with a few variations. In Denmark, frikadeller are larger and slightly flattened. In Norway, kjøttkaker look like small patties served with brown gravy. In Finland, lihapullat are very close to Swedish köttbullar. They all share the same philosophy: simple minced meat, gentle spices and a generous sauce.
Frequently asked questions about köttbullar
Can köttbullar be made ahead?
Yes. You can shape the meatballs the day before and keep them covered in the fridge. Cooked meatballs reheat very well in the gravy over low heat for 5 minutes.
Can köttbullar be frozen?
Yes, cooked or raw. Freeze them flat on a tray first, then in a bag, for up to 3 months. Make the gravy when you serve them.
Why do my meatballs fall apart when cooking?
The mixture is probably too wet or not cold enough. Add a spoonful of breadcrumbs, chill the meatballs for 15 minutes before cooking and don’t turn them too early: let them brown before shaking the pan.
