Pioneer Woman Swedish Meatballs

Pioneer Woman Swedish Meatballs recipe is the ultimate comfort food dinner. While traditional Swedish meatballs (Köttbullar) are famous for their specific spice blend, Ree Drummond’s take amps up the comfort factor with a rich, velvety cream sauce that is impossible to resist. These bite-sized meatballs are tender, juicy, and seasoned with a hint of allspice and nutmeg, then smothered in a savory beef gravy finished with heavy cream. Whether served over fluffy mashed potatoes or buttered egg noodles, this dish is a family favorite that feels like a warm hug on a plate.

Try More Appetizers Recipes:

• Pioneer Woman Sausage Balls
• Pioneer Woman Potato Balls
• Pioneer Woman Potato Skins

🧡 Why You Will Love This Swedish Meatballs Recipes:

• The Sauce: The gravy is incredibly rich, creamy, and savory. It transforms simple meatballs into a gourmet meal.
• The Texture: By soaking the breadcrumbs in milk (a technique called a panade) before mixing, the meatballs stay incredibly moist and tender.
• Family Friendly: Kids love the bite-sized shape and the creamy sauce. It’s a great way to introduce them to new spices like nutmeg.
• Freezer Friendly: You can make a double batch and freeze half for a busy weeknight.
• Classic Pairing: The savory meat pairs perfectly with the sweet tartness of lingonberry jam.

🍖 Pioneer Woman Swedish Meatballs Ingredients

The Meatballs

• 1 lb ground beef (85% lean is best)
• ½ lb ground pork (adds tenderness and fat)
• ½ cup Panko breadcrumbs (or fine dry breadcrumbs)
• ¼ cup milk (to soak crumbs)
• 1 large egg
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• ¼ cup finely minced onion (or 1 tsp onion powder for a smoother texture)
• ½ tsp salt
• ½ tsp freshly ground black pepper
• ¼ tsp ground allspice
• ¼ tsp ground nutmeg

The Gravy

• 4 tbsp butter
• 3 tbsp all-purpose flour
• 2 ½ cups beef broth (low sodium is best so you can control salt)
• ½ cup heavy cream (don’t swap for milk, you want the richness!)
• 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
• 1 tsp Dijon mustard (optional, but adds great tang)
• Salt and pepper to taste
• Fresh parsley (chopped, for garnish)

🧆 How To Make Pioneer Woman Swedish Meatballs

1. Make the Panade: In a large mixing bowl, combine the breadcrumbs and milk. Stir and let sit for 5 minutes until the milk is absorbed. This paste keeps the meatballs moist.
2. Mix Meatballs: To the breadcrumb mixture, add the ground beef, ground pork, egg, minced garlic, onion, salt, pepper, allspice, and nutmeg.
   • Technique: Mix gently with your hands just until combined. Do not overmix, or the meatballs will be tough.
3. Form: Roll the meat mixture into small balls, about 1 inch in diameter (slightly smaller than a golf ball). You should get about 20-25 meatballs.
4. Brown: Heat 1 tablespoon of oil (or butter) in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the meatballs in batches (don’t crowd the pan). Sear them until browned on all sides, about 4-5 minutes. They don’t need to be fully cooked through yet. Remove meatballs to a plate.
5. Make Roux: In the same skillet (don’t clean it!), lower the heat to medium. Melt the 4 tablespoons of butter. Whisk in the flour and cook for 1-2 minutes until golden brown.
6. Make Gravy: Slowly pour in the beef broth while whisking constantly to prevent lumps. Add the Worcestershire sauce and Dijon mustard. Bring to a simmer and let thicken for 2-3 minutes.
7. Add Cream: Stir in the heavy cream. Taste and adjust salt and pepper.
8. Simmer: Return the browned meatballs (and any juices on the plate) to the skillet. Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer for 10 minutes until the meatballs are cooked through and the sauce is thick.
9. Serve: Garnish with fresh parsley and serve hot.

💡 Recipe Tips

• The Meat Mix: Using a 50/50 blend of beef and pork is the secret to the best texture. Beef provides the flavor, pork provides the soft tenderness.
• Don’t Skip the Spices: Allspice and nutmeg are what differentiate Swedish meatballs from Italian meatballs. They add a warm, aromatic background note that pairs beautifully with the cream sauce.
• Uniform Size: Use a small cookie scoop to portion the meat so all the meatballs cook at the same rate.
• Sauce Thickness: If the sauce gets too thick while simmering, splash in a little extra beef broth or water to loosen it up.

🥙 What To Serve With Swedish Meatballs?

• Mashed Potatoes: The creamy gravy demands a bed of fluffy mashed potatoes to soak it up.
• Egg Noodles: Wide, buttered egg noodles are the traditional pasta pairing.
• Lingonberry Jam: This is the authentic Swedish side. The tart, sweet jam cuts through the richness of the heavy cream sauce. (Cranberry sauce is a good substitute).
• Cucumber Salad: A quick pickled cucumber salad adds a nice crunch and acid to balance the heavy meal.

🧊 How To Store Leftovers Swedish Meatballs?

• Refrigerator: Store meatballs and sauce together in an airtight container for up to 4 days.
• Freezer: You can freeze the cooked meatballs and sauce. Place in a freezer-safe container for up to 3 months. Thaw in the fridge overnight.

Reheating: Reheat gently on the stovetop over low heat. If you microwave them, the cream sauce may separate, so use 50% power and stir often. Add a splash of broth if the sauce has thickened too much in the fridge.

❓FAQs

More Appetizers Recipes:

• Pioneer Woman Sausage Rolls Recipe
• Pioneer Woman Texas Trash Recipe
• Pioneer Woman Slow Cooker Beef Enchilada Dip

📊 Swedish Meatballs Nutrition Facts

Serving Size: 4 Meatballs with Sauce

• Calories: 450 kcal
• Total Fat: 32g
• Saturated Fat: 16g
• Cholesterol: 110mg
• Sodium: 850mg
• Total Carbohydrate: 12g
• Dietary Fiber: 1g
• Sugars: 2g
• Protein: 24g

Pioneer Woman Swedish Meatballs

Recipe by Imen DridiCourse: Appetizers, Sides, Dinner, LunchCuisine: American, SwedishDifficulty: Easy

Servings

6

servings

Prep time

20

minutes

Cooking time

20

minutes

Calories

450

kcal

Pioneer Woman Swedish Meatballs recipe is the ultimate comfort food dinner. While traditional Swedish meatballs (Köttbullar) are famous for their specific spice blend, Ree Drummond’s take amps up the comfort factor with a rich, velvety cream sauce that is impossible to resist. These bite-sized meatballs are tender, juicy, and seasoned with a hint of allspice and nutmeg, then smothered in a savory beef gravy finished with heavy cream. Whether served over fluffy mashed potatoes or buttered egg noodles, this dish is a family favorite that feels like a warm hug on a plate.

Ingredients

• 1 lb ground beef (85% lean is best)

• ½ lb ground pork (adds tenderness and fat)

• ½ cup Panko breadcrumbs (or fine dry breadcrumbs)

• ¼ cup milk (to soak crumbs)

• 1 large egg

• 2 cloves garlic, minced

• ¼ cup finely minced onion (or 1 tsp onion powder for a smoother texture)

• ½ tsp salt

• ½ tsp freshly ground black pepper

• ¼ tsp ground allspice

• ¼ tsp ground nutmeg

• The Gravy

• 4 tbsp butter

• 3 tbsp all-purpose flour

• 2 ½ cups beef broth (low sodium is best so you can control salt)

• ½ cup heavy cream (don’t swap for milk, you want the richness!)

• 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce

• 1 tsp Dijon mustard (optional, but adds great tang)

• Salt and pepper to taste

• Fresh parsley (chopped, for garnish)

Directions

• Make the Panade: In a large mixing bowl, combine the breadcrumbs and milk. Stir and let sit for 5 minutes until the milk is absorbed. This paste keeps the meatballs moist.
• Mix Meatballs: To the breadcrumb mixture, add the ground beef, ground pork, egg, minced garlic, onion, salt, pepper, allspice, and nutmeg. Technique: Mix gently with your hands just until combined. Do not overmix, or the meatballs will be tough.
• Form: Roll the meat mixture into small balls, about 1 inch in diameter (slightly smaller than a golf ball). You should get about 20-25 meatballs.
• Brown: Heat 1 tablespoon of oil (or butter) in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the meatballs in batches (don’t crowd the pan). Sear them until browned on all sides, about 4-5 minutes. They don’t need to be fully cooked through yet. Remove meatballs to a plate.
• Make Roux: In the same skillet (don’t clean it!), lower the heat to medium. Melt the 4 tablespoons of butter. Whisk in the flour and cook for 1-2 minutes until golden brown.
• Make Gravy: Slowly pour in the beef broth while whisking constantly to prevent lumps. Add the Worcestershire sauce and Dijon mustard. Bring to a simmer and let thicken for 2-3 minutes.
• Add Cream: Stir in the heavy cream. Taste and adjust salt and pepper.
• Simmer: Return the browned meatballs (and any juices on the plate) to the skillet. Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer for 10 minutes until the meatballs are cooked through and the sauce is thick.
• Serve: Garnish with fresh parsley and serve hot.

Notes

• The Meat Mix: Using a 50/50 blend of beef and pork is the secret to the best texture. Beef provides the flavor, pork provides the soft tenderness.
  Don’t Skip the Spices: Allspice and nutmeg are what differentiate Swedish meatballs from Italian meatballs. They add a warm, aromatic background note that pairs beautifully with the cream sauce.
  Uniform Size: Use a small cookie scoop to portion the meat so all the meatballs cook at the same rate.
  Sauce Thickness: If the sauce gets too thick while simmering, splash in a little extra beef broth or water to loosen it up.