Whether served over rice, mashed potatoes, or buttered egg noodles, Swedish Meatballs with Dill Sauce is a special, savory family meal! Served in a tangy homemade cream sauce that features fresh dill, this is comfort food at its finest!
This Swedish meatballs recipe has won my family over and that's no small feat--trust me.
The tender, soft baked meatballs in this version are seasoned with allspice. Not only does the allspice add a tremendous pop of flavor to the ground beef, it compliments the dill cream sauce quite nicely.
What sets this recipe apart from many others though is the sauce. Most recipes use a seasoned brown gravy with fresh cream (Ikea-style).
But this recipe is all about the tangy homemade dill sauce, which is made from sour cream and milk, and is super easy (and more affordable) to make.
We enjoy this recipe so much, I now have an appetizer version that I serve at parties.
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👪Why you'll love it
| Easy, make ahead meatball recipe- Swedish meatballs actually come out better when they've chilled for a bit in the fridge before baking, making this an excellent make ahead choice. Meatballs bake in 20 minutes- That's right. They're ready in less than a half hour, which is just the right amount of time to make the fantastic cream sauce. Keeps well- You can freeze the meatballs before or after baking them, provided they weren't in the sauce. They freeze well for up to 3 months! |
🥘Ingredients
For a complete list with measurements, see the printable recipe card below
For the Swedish Meatballs (makes about 30 mini meatballs):
- onion- adds flavor
- butter- provides a creamy accent
- panko bread crumbs- as a shortcut, we use panko instead of soaking white bread
- egg- binds ingredients
- salt & pepper- accentuates flavors
- allspice- provides a wonderful, savory, aromatic taste
- lean ground beef- 85% or higher works just fine in this and doesn't dry out in the oven
For the Dill Sauce (makes about 2 & ¼ cups sauce):
- butter
- flour
- salt & dry mustard
- 1 & ½ cups 1% milk- use either 1% or skim for a thin sauce (we use whole milk in the appetizer version of this recipe for a much thicker sauce)
- sour cream- I like to use reduced fat, but you may choose full fat if you prefer a slightly thicker sauce
- fresh dill, finely chopped- fresh dill provides a wonderful flavor; choose this over dried dill
🔪Instructions
For more detailed instructions, see the printable recipe card below
- Sauté the onion and butter in a small frying pan until tender.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine the bread crumbs, egg, salt, allspice and pepper; beat well.
- Stir in meat and onion; mix well--but DO NOT OVERMIX!
- Lightly grease your baking dish or shallow baking pan. Then use a melon baller/cookie scoop to form meatballs. Place meatballs in the prepared dish.
- Cover the baking dish/pan with plastic wrap and refrigerate for a minimum of 1 hour.
- When ready to bake, preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Remove plastic wrap and bake the meatballs in the preheated oven for 20 minutes.
- Dice the dill before you make the sauce. Set aside for the last step!
- In a small pan, melt the butter over low heat.
- Blend in the flour, salt and dry mustard. Then raise the heat to medium.
- Add the milk; cook and stir constantly until thickened.
- Reduce heat back to low and stir in sour cream and dill. Keep warm until ready to serve.
Hint: The best time to make the dill sauce is while the meatballs are baking. This is also when you should make the noodles, rice or potatoes that you're serving with this meal.
🥣Substitutions
Meat: You may use extra lean ground turkey or chicken instead of ground beef. You may also use a combination of ground beef and pork, which is found in many traditional Swedish meatball recipes.
Breadcrumbs: If you don't have panko, use crushed saltine crackers.
📖Variations
Swedish Meatball Sandwich: Put hot meatballs into a toasted hoagie or club roll, then drizzle with the dill sauce for a delicious sandwich. You may also choose to add sauteed sliced mushrooms and onions.
Skewers: Serve the meatballs on skewers, stacked in between grilled mushrooms or halved grilled baby potatoes (or both!). Provide the dill sauce on the side as a dipping sauce. You might also include Creamy Dijon Sauce for a variety.
🍽Equipment
- Cutting board
- Chef's knife
- Small frying pan
- Large mixing bowl
- Mixing spoons
- Measuring cups
- Measuring spoons
- Melon baller or cookie scoop
- 8x8 baking dish or shallow baking pan, greased
- Small pot with lid (for sauce)
- Medium pot with lid (for noodles, rice or mashed potatoes--prepare your choice when making the sauce)
🍶Storage
Store cooked meatballs and dill sauce together in an airtight container; refrigerate and enjoy within 3-5 days.
Reheating instructions: Reheat meatballs and sauce together in a covered dish at 300 degrees for 15-20 minutes.
Freezing options:
- You may choose to freeze any leftover meatballs that weren't in the sauce. Wrap them well in freezer-safe packaging and store for up to 3 months. Defrost overnight in the fridge; reheat covered in 300 degree oven for 15-20 minutes.
- You can freeze the meatballs before baking them. Store in your freezer for up to 3 months, defrost overnight in the fridge; then bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes.
Because of the sour cream, freezing is NOT recommended for the sauce or for any meatballs that were in the sauce.
💭Top tip
The more you handle the meat in shaping it, the less tender your Swedish meatballs will be. It's also helpful to chill the formed meatballs before baking them, which will help them to hold their shape.
🗨️FAQ
Yes you can, but know that there is a much different flavor profile between the two. The seasoned meatballs in this recipe pair better with the dill sauce. Because this recipe freezes well without the sauce, you can make an entire batch and freeze some for later for a quick meal.
Alfredo sauce is typically thicker and stronger in taste than the homemade cream sauce in this recipe. If you choose to use alfredo, buy plain and thin it with some white cooking wine, then add the fresh dill.
🥄Related
Looking for other recipes like this? Try these:
🍴Pairing
These are my favorite desserts to serve after enjoying Swedish Meatballs with Dill Sauce:
📋Recipe
Swedish Meatballs with Dill Sauce (Family Meal)
Ingredients
Swedish Meatballs (makes approx. 30 mini meatballs)
- ¼ cup onion finely chopped
- 1 tablespoon butter
- ¼ cup panko bread crumbs
- 1 egg beaten
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon allspice
- ¼ teaspoon pepper
- 1 pound lean ground beef
Dill Sauce (makes about 2 ¼ cups sauce)
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 3 tablespoons flour
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon dry mustard
- 1 ½ cups 1 % milk use 1% or skim for a thin sauce
- 1 cup sour cream I use reduced fat for a thin sauce
- 2 tablespoons fresh dill finely chopped
Instructions
Meatballs:
- Sautée the onion and butter in a small frying pan until tender.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine the bread crumbs, egg, salt, allspice and pepper; beat well.
- Stir in meat and onion; mix well--but DO NOT OVERMIX!
- Lightly grease your 8x8 baking dish or shallow pan. Then use a melon baller/cookie scoop to form meatballs. Place meatballs in the prepared dish.
- Cover the baking dish/pan with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1 hour.
- Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Remove plastic wrap and bake the meatballs in the preheated oven for 20 minutes.
Dill Sauce:
- Dice the dill. Set aside for last step.
- In a small pan, melt the butter over low heat.
- Blend in the flour, salt and dry mustard. Then raise the heat to medium.
- Add the milk; cook and stir constantly until thickened.
- Reduce heat back to low and stir in sour cream and dill. Keep warm unitl ready to serve.
Serving:
- Serve the baked meatballs over lightly buttered egg noodles (our favorite way), rice or mashed potatoes. Then pour on the dill sauce, which is used as a gravy here!
Storage and Reheating:
- Store cooked meatballs and dill sauce together in an airtight container; refrigerate and enjoy within 3-5 days. Reheat meatballs and sauce together in a covered dish at 300 degrees for 15-20 minutes.
- You may choose to freeze the leftover meatballs if they weren't in the sauce. Wrap them well in freezer-safe packaging and store for up to 3 months. Defrost overnight in the fridge; reheat covered in 300 degree oven for 15-20 minutes.
- You can also freeze the meatballs before baking them. Store in your freezer for up to 3 months, defrost overnight in the fridge; then bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes.
Nellie T. says
The dill cream sauce was really delicious with these meatballs. I have some leftover and will be trying the sandwich version listed above. Thanks for the great recipe.
Kitchen Ready Betty says
Excellent! The cream sauce really goes well with these Swedish meatballs. Come back and let us know how you enjoyed the sandwich!