Köttbullar (Swedish Meatballs)

Name: Köttbullar (Swedish Meatballs)
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 25 min
Total time: 45 min
Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: Sweden
Ingredients: 1/2 lb ground beef; 1/2 lb ground pork; 1/2 cup breadcrumbs; 1/3 cup milk; 1 egg; 1/2 onion, finely grated; 1/2 tsp allspice; 3 tbsp butter; 2 tbsp flour; 2 cups beef stock; 1/2 cup heavy cream; Lingonberry jam, for serving

4 servings20 min prep25 min cookEasy Sweden

♡ Sign in to save Print / Save as PDFPro

The Story Behind It

The Tale of Köttbullar (Swedish Meatballs)

Story updated September 17, 2026

Swedish meatballs became globally famous largely through IKEA's in-store restaurants, but the dish's own history has a twist: in 2018, Sweden's official national Twitter account acknowledged that the recipe was likely brought back from the Ottoman Empire by King Charles XII in the early 18th century, adapted from a Turkish dish rather than invented in Sweden.

Ingredients

Scale:· 4 servings

1/2 lb ground beef
1/2 lb ground pork
1/2 cup breadcrumbs
1/3 cup milk
1 egg
1/2 onion, finely grated
1/2 tsp allspice
3 tbsp butter
2 tbsp flour
2 cups beef stock
1/2 cup heavy cream
Lingonberry jam, for serving

Instructions

1Soak breadcrumbs in milk, then mix with ground beef, pork, egg, onion, and allspice.
2Roll the mixture into small, evenly sized meatballs.
3Brown meatballs in batches in butter until cooked through, then remove.
4Whisk flour into the pan drippings, then gradually whisk in stock and cream.
5Simmer the gravy until thickened, then return the meatballs to warm through.
6Serve with mashed potatoes and lingonberry jam.

Want Cook Mode, your own recipe photos, and unlimited calculators?

Get Home Cooking Pro

Comments

Loading comments…