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Three meatballs on top of pile of mashed potatoes smothered in thick brown gravy.

Skillet Swedish Meatballs

Yield: 6 servings
Prep Time: 25 minutes
Cook Time: 25 minutes
Total Time: 50 minutes

Ingredients

Meatballs:

  • 1 ½ pounds ground pork, ground beef or ground turkey (see note)
  • 1 large egg
  • ¼ cup milk
  • ⅓ cup bread crumbs (see note)
  • ¼ cup finely minced or grated onion
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon brown sugar
  • ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg (see note)
  • ¼ teaspoon ground allspice (see note)
  • ¼ teaspoon black pepper
  • 1-2 tablespoons oil for cooking

Sauce:

  • 1 tablespoon butter
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • ¼ cup all-purpose flour
  • 3 cups low-sodium beef broth
  • 1 teaspoon brown sugar
  • ½ cup sour cream
  • Chopped fresh parsley or dried parsley
  • Cooked egg noodles, mashed potatoes, or rice, for serving

Instructions 

  • For the meatballs, in a large bowl, combine all the meatball ingredients except for the oil and mix until evenly combined.
  • Scoop the meat mixture into meatballs about 1 1/2 inches in diameter.
  • Heat the oil in a 12-inch, nonstick skillet or electric skillet over medium heat until hot and rippling.
  • Add the meatballs to the pan in a single layer an inch or so apart. You may need to cook in batches, depending on the size of your pan. (*See note for oven-baked method.)
  • Brown the meatballs on all sides. They'll finish cooking in a later step. Remove the meatballs to a pan or plate. Repeat with remaining meatballs adding a bit more oil to the skillet, if needed. Remove them from the skillet once browned.
  • For the sauce, return the skillet to medium heat and add 1 tablespoon butter and 1 tablespoon oil. If the skillet was mostly dry before adding the butter and oil, you may want to add another tablespoon or two of either butter or oil so the sauce isn't lumpy. Heat until melted. Add the flour and cook, stirring constantly, for 1-2 minutes.
  • Slowly add the broth, just 1/2 cup at a time, whisking quickly to remove any lumps. Let each addition of broth cook until thick and smooth before adding the next bit. Once you've added about 2 cups, add the remaining broth and whisk until combined.
  • Stir in the brown sugar and bring the sauce to a simmer, whisking constantly.
  • Add the meatballs back to the skillet and cook 10 to 12 minutes until the meatballs are cooked through, turning them once or twice while cooking.
  • Off the heat, stir in the sour cream to the sauce (just whisk it in around the meatballs). To help it blend in easier, you can ladle out a bit of the warm sauce into a bowl and whisk the sour cream in before adding it all back in to the skillet.
  • Garnish with fresh or dried parsley and serve over hot, cooked egg noodles, potatoes, or rice.

Notes

Meat: a combination of ground beef and ground pork is what traditional Swedish meatball recipes often use; however, ground turkey works great for a lighter meatball.
Bread Crumbs: you can use any variety of bread crumbs here: panko, storebought, homemade, etc.
Nutmeg and Allspice: the nutmeg and allspice add a delicious flavor to the meatballs; however, they can be reduced to a pinch of each or omitted completely.
Sauce: if you want the sauce slightly thicker, increase the flour by another tablespoon. 
Oven Method: place the rolled meatballs on a foil-lined greased baking sheet and bake at 400 degrees for 10 to 15 minutes until cooked through. While the meatballs cook, make the sauce in a saucepan on the stove. Add the cooked meatballs to the sauce immediately out of the oven and serve (or keep warm until serving).