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Not My Mother’s Swedish Meatballs
Prep Time
20 mins
Cook Time
40 mins
Total Time
1 hr
 
Delicately flavored Swedish meatballs with a welcome tang from sour cream combined with a bright taste of fresh dill. Deep frying the meatballs creates a light and crispy exterior that protects the tender and juicy meat inside. Serve Swedish meatballs with buttered egg noodles and a dark green vegetable.
Servings: 52 small meatballs
Author: Ginger
Ingredients
  • ½ cup whole milk
  • ½ cup panko bread crumbs
  • 4 Tbs butter divided
  • 1 small onion minced
  • 1 lb ground beef
  • 1 lb ground pork
  • 1 egg
  • 1 tsp Kosher Salt
  • Fresh ground pepper to taste
  • ¼ tsp ground nutmeg
  • Handful of chopped parsley
  • Vegetable oil for frying
  • 2-3 Tbs flour
  • 1 Tbs oil used for frying
  • 2 cups beef broth plus extra
  • 2 tsp apple cider vinegar
  • 1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
  • Kosher or Flakey Sea Salt to taste
  • Fresh Ground pepper to taste
  • 1 cup sour cream
  • 5 sprigs of fresh dill minced
Instructions
  1. Put the milk and the bread crumbs in a small bowl and let them soak for a few minutes.
  2. Add 2 Tbs butter to a small skillet and add the minced onions. Cook on medium heat until the onions are translucent and softened. Turn off heat and slightly cool the onions.
  3. Add the ground beef, ground pork, milk soaked bread crumbs including the milk, the egg, nutmeg, minced parsley, Kosher salt, and ground pepper to the bowl of a stand mixer or food processor.
  4. Mix on low speed until all the ingredients are just combined. Turn the speed to medium high and mix for about one minute.
  5. Roll the ground meat mixture into small meatballs the size of a walnut, about 1 inch in diameter. Place the rolled meatballs on a rimmed baking sheet that is lined with parchment paper. Wet your hands with water to keep the ground meat from sticking to your hands while you are working.
  6. Turn the oven on to 200˚F and place a rimmed baking sheet in the oven on the middle rack.
  7. Use a 12-inch skillet and pour in vegetable oil until the oil reaches a depth of ½ inch. Heat the oil to 350˚F.
  8. Fry the meatballs until they are evenly golden brown and have the internal temperature of 160˚F. This will take about 3-4 minutes depending on the size of your meatballs. While frying the meatballs, turn the meatballs over so they get evenly browned. A fish spatula is perfect tool to guide the meatballs over. You will need to fry the meatballs in batches, and being careful not to crowd the pan. I cooked 9-10 meatballs at a time in my 12-inch skillet.
  9. When done, remove the meatballs with a slotted spoon, or spider, and place on the baking sheet in the pre-heated oven. I found it easier to transfer the meatballs to the oven in two steps. First, I removed the meatballs from the skillet and placed onto a dinner plate. Then I used the plate to transfer the meatballs into the oven and roll them off the plate and onto the rimmed baking sheet. (The plate was also useful as a staging area to check the internal temperature of the meatballs. Additionally, if red juices dripped out of the meatballs I knew more cooking time was needed.)
  10. Repeat frying the meatballs in batches until all the meatballs are cooked. Make sure the oil in the skillet reaches close to 350˚F each time you start a new batch.
  11. Keep the meatballs warm in the oven while you are making the sauce.
  12. In another skillet or Dutch oven, add 1 -2 Tbs of the oil used to fry the meatballs with. Add 2 Tbs of butter and turn the heat up to medium. When the butter is melted add 3 Tbs flour and stir into the butter with a wire whisk. Cook the flour and butter until the mixture is a nice light brown color and you do not smell the flour, about 2-3 minutes. Pour 2 cups of the beef broth into the butter and flour and whisk the ingredients until it is smooth and incorporated, do not let it boil.
  13. Add the vinegar and Worcestershire sauce and mix together. Taste for salt and add Kosher salt, a small pinch at a time, to correct the seasoning.
  14. Remove the pan from the heat and whisk in the sour cream. Taste and correct the seasoning if needed. Add more beef broth if it is too thick for your taste. Place the pan back on the burner and turn the heat on low. Add the minced dill and stir.
  15. Add the meatballs and mix together with the sauce. Correct your seasoning to taste and serve.
Recipe Notes

The meatballs can be made a head in two ways.
1- Cook the meatballs and refrigerate them until you are ready to serve them. When ready, make the sauce 30 minutes before you want to serve them, and heat up the meatballs in the sauce.
2: Prepare the meatballs and the sauce in a Dutch oven. Cool the Swedish meatballs, cover with the lid, then refrigerate until needed. Preheat the oven to 325˚F. Put the covered meatballs in the oven and warm up. About 30 minutes. Check the warming meatballs to make sure they are not drying up. Add more beef stock if needed.