She Strengthens

Comfort Food at Its Finest: Swedish Meatballs with Sour Cream Sauce

Swedish meatballs are a culinary delight that can be savored in various ways – as an appetizer, part of a smorgasbord, or as the main attraction. These bite-sized treats, paired with a rich sour cream sauce and served over egg noodles, epitomize comfort food.

The Secret to Tender Meatballs

To achieve a delicate texture, use a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment to combine the meatball ingredients. If you don’t have a stand mixer, simply mix the ingredients by hand in a large bowl, being gentle to avoid compacting the mixture.

Exploring Meatball Variations

If you’re looking for more meatball inspiration, check out our recipes for Lamb Meatballs with Lemon-Cumin Yogurt, Meatballs Braised with Kale, and Baked Ziti with Meatballs. And for fans of Swedish furniture, the IKEA meatball recipe is another great option.

Recipe Details

Yield: About 38 meatballs
Difficulty: Easy
Total Time: 1 hour
Active Time: 1 hour

Ingredients

• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1/2 cup finely chopped yellow onion
• 1 slice white bread, torn into 4 pieces
• 1/2 cup whole milk
• 1/2 pound ground chuck (15% fat content)
• 1/2 pound ground veal
• 1 large egg
• 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
• 3/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg
• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 2 cups beef broth
• 1/2 cup sour cream
• 3 tablespoons finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

Preparing the Meatballs

Melt 1 tablespoon of butter in a large frying pan over medium heat. Add the chopped onion and cook until softened, about 4 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool slightly. Meanwhile, soak the bread in milk in a stand mixer bowl, then add the cooled onion, ground meats, egg, salt, pepper, and nutmeg. Beat until the mixture is light in color and appears sticky.

Forming and Cooking the Meatballs

Form the meat mixture into 1-inch balls, wetting your hands as needed to prevent sticking. Place the meatballs on a baking sheet. Melt the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter in the pan over medium heat. Add half of the meatballs and fry until browned on all sides and cooked through, about 8-10 minutes. Repeat with the remaining meatballs.

Creating the Sour Cream Sauce

Sprinkle flour over the pan drippings and whisk until the flour is no longer raw tasting. Slowly pour in the beef broth, whisking to smooth out any lumps. Cook until the mixture thickens, about 3 minutes. Strain the sauce into a heatproof bowl, discarding the solids. Return the sauce to the pan, whisk in sour cream, and season with salt and pepper as needed.

Serving

Return the meatballs to the pan until heated through, about 5 minutes. Transfer the meatballs and sauce to a serving dish, sprinkle with parsley, and serve over egg noodles. Enjoy!