Traditional Swedish Meatball Recipe(Gluten Free)

One of the most important lessons I learned from my 16 years in Sweden is to appreciate the humble meatball. Swedes are notorious for their delicious, simple, and healthy cuisine, and this Traditional Swedish Meatball Recipe has been used for generations!

This recipe is naturally gluten-free and egg-free and easily be made dairy-free making it a great recipe for a crowd. It’s also easy to make in the oven or on the stovetop!

A firm favorite on the Christmas Table ( Jul Bord ) but equally popular as a midweek meal served with potatoes, gravy, and Lingonberry Jam. Not to mention the famous Swedish Meatball Sandwich!

Many meatball recipes call for breadcrumbs, and though there are many gluten-free breadcrumb options on the market nowadays, this recipe is naturally gluten-free and egg free. I've sampled countless meatball recipes through the years and always circle back to this one. These are the meatballs (köttbullar as they are called in Swedish) my husband was raised on and our go-to recipe. 

This recipe wouldn’t be complete without a clip of Swedens ‘Meatball anthem’ – Taken from Astrid Lindgrens ‘Madicken’

Traditional Swedish Meatball Ingredients

This recipe makes about 50 meatballs. 

500g Ground beef

1/2 tsp Sea Salt

1 Small yellow onion – finely chopped or grated. Large pieces of onion can cause your meatballs to fall apart when cooking.

150ml/ 2/3 cup Milk or cream

Freshly ground pepper

2 Small boiled potatoes – Potatoes help to create a soft meatball that is tender and flavourful. If time is an issue, you can substitute for 1/2 cup gluten-free oats.

Butter or cooking oil for frying.

method

1. Add a knob of butter to a hot skillet and saute over medium heat until translucent. Remove from the heat and allow to cool.

Cooking the onions first adds a sweet, aromatic flavor to the meatballs.
 

2. Peel and mash the boiled potatoes in a large bowl.
-Add the salt and black pepper, milk and any herbs that you are using.
-Add the cooled onions and mix together thoroughly.

3. Add the ground beef to the bowl and use your hands or a wooden spoon to incorporate all of the ingredients into an even batter.

4. Use your hands to roll small meatballs that are even in size, using about 1 tablespoon of mixture per meatball

Small meat balls are to be preferred as they are cooked evenly and quickly and remain juicy. Use about 1 tablespoon of mixture per meatball. 
You can also use two spoons to form the meatballs; oil them lightly every now and then to prevent sticking. 

If you're making a large batch or meatballs, you might consider using a spritzer to pump out small amounts of meatball batter. You can also use a freezer bag and cut a small hole in one corner. 

5. Preheat a large skillet and add a knob of butter or olive oil to the pan. Add only enough meatballs to half fill the pan. Overcrowding will make it difficult to turn the meatballs. Cook over a medium high heat, turning often.

You can also make these meatballs in the oven! Use a lightly oiled baking sheet or parchment paper and place the meatballs well apart. Cook in a preheated oven at 200°C / 390°F for 15 minutes. 

Serving tips

Traditionally in Sweden we serve meatballs with simple boiled or mashed potatoes, gravy and lingonberry jam or raw lingonberry sauce . It’s occasionally served with peas ( Ikea is famous for this) or pickles.

A Swedish Meatball Sandwich is nearly as famous as Zlatan Ibrahimovic! Swedish meatballs are served as an open sandwich together with Beetroot Salad. They’re popular all year round here in delis, supermarkets, and even gas stations! They’re easy to whip up and make great picnic food or lunch on the go!

Meatballs are a given on any Swedish Christmas Table ( or Jul Bord as we say here) and are served as part of a buffet together with small sausages, Beetroot Salad, herring, a Christmas ham, Brown Beans boiled eggs with caviar, Jansson’s Potato Gratin and often Red Cabbage Salad. Swedes are famous for their humble and bizarre Christmas meal traditions, but it might surprise you that these dishes are also served for Easter and Midsummer!

Variations to try

This is a really basic and traditional recipe that is easily adaptable to any occasion!

-If you wish to make dairy-free meatballs, then you can use plant-based milk or cream or simply substitute with water. It can be a little tricky to get the meatballs to brown nicely when using water, but it’s a great substitute if you realize that you’re out of milk!

-Using a combination of pork and beef is also quite common here; the higher fat content makes juicy meatballs, and it’s a budget-friendly option.

-Sweden is 70% covered by forest which means game is accessible and a common food source. You can use wild boar, venison or elk. These meats tend to have a lower fat content and I recommend that you add one or two egg yolks to compensate for this. Thyme is also a great addition to meatballs made with game meat.

-Finely chopped anchovies are occasionally added to meatballs for special occasions and adds depth of flavor.

-Many traditional variations of this Swedish meatball recipe contain breadcrumbs, either store-bought, homemade from stale bread, or, my personal favorite, breadcrumbs made with fresh white bread. If time is an issue, using breadcrumbs is a great alternative. Use about 2 slices of bread if you try this method or about 1/4 cup of store-bought breadcrumbs.

-You can also use oats, be sure to choose gluten-free oats, less than half a cup is needed.

If you enjoyed this recipe, I would love it if you would give it 5 stars and let me know in the comments below!