The Real IKEA Swedish Meatballs Recipe (2024)

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Here’s the real IKEA Swedish Meatballs recipe – straight from IKEA stores.

The Real IKEA Swedish Meatballs Recipe (1)

Like a lot of companies these days, IKEA just shared their iconic Swedish Meatballs recipe with the world – so we had to give it a try!

Sure – we already have our own Swedish Meatballs recipe here (and it’s delicious) – but I have to admit that I really enjoy the version sold at IKEA restaurants inside their stores.

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The Real IKEA Swedish Meatballs Recipe (2)

What makes IKEA Swedish Meatballs so special?

IKEA Swedish Meatballs are tender and delicious with a wonderful, savory cream sauce on top.

They serve the meatballs with mashed potatoes and green beans, plus a spoonful of IKEA’s sweet lingonberry jam on the side. The sweet-tart jam is a wonderful complement to the savory meatballs, and it also helps cut through the richness of the sauce.

Finally, after a day of wandering the stores aisles – all of the meals at IKEA are surprisingly affordable and delicious, and a great way to feed a hungry family.

The Real IKEA Swedish Meatballs Recipe (3)

What did we think of the recipe?

Jack and I both thought that the taste of this homemade version of IKEA’s Swedish Meatballs was pretty spot on – and we’d totally make this recipe again! Like most great meatball recipes, it’s a mix of both beef and pork which gives them a wonderful flavor and soft texture.

Note that the recipe, as written, makes a lot of sauce (you could probably cut the sauce recipe in half and still have enough) and this homemade recipe seemed thicker, creamier and lighter in color than the sauce served over the meatballs at the stores.

But the flavor is very much the same (delicious!) and the meatballs are soft and tender – just like you’d order at IKEA restaurants.

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The Real IKEA Swedish Meatballs Recipe (4)

You can see the actual IKEA recipe here. We adapted our recipe slightly to reflect US Customary Measurements – only because that’s how we (and most of our US-based readers) cook.

Give this IKEA Swedish Meatballs recipe a try – then let us know what you think!

You may enjoy these other meatball recipes:

  • Swedish Meatballs (our own recipe) over Noodles
  • Porcupine Meatballs
  • Italian-Style Meatballs
  • Easy Freezer Meatballs
  • Keto Chicken Meatballs

We love seeing what you made! Tag us on Instagram at @afamilyfeast or hashtag #afamilyfeast so we can see your creations!

The Real IKEA Swedish Meatballs Recipe (5)

The Real IKEA Swedish Meatballs Recipe (6)

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The Real IKEA Swedish Meatballs Recipe

Yield: 8 servings 1x

Prep: 45 minutesCook: 30 minutesTotal: 1 hour 15 minutes

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Units:

Scale:

Ingredients

Meatballs

1 1/2 pounds ground beef 85/15

3/4 pound finely ground pork

1 cup onion, finely diced

1 tablespoon fresh garlic, finely minced

1 cup plain bread crumbs

2 whole eggs

3/4 cup whole milk

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

4 tablespoons olive oil, divided

Sauce

1 1/4 cups vegetable stock

1 1/4 cups beef stock

1 1/4 cups heavy cream

2 teaspoons soy sauce

2 teaspoons Dijon mustard

2 teaspoon olive oil

6 tablespoons butter

2/3 cup all-purpose flour (10 tablespoons or 2.9 ounces as weighed on a kitchen scale)

For Serving

Mashed potatoes

Green beans

Lingonberry Jam

Instructions

In a large bowl, mix ground beef, ground pork, onion, garlic, bread crumbs, eggs, milk, salt, pepper and one tablespoon of oil. Mix just enough to combine and try not to overmix.

Use a one-once scoop and scoop out 55 one-ounce meatballs. Line them up on your cutting board and run a knife through each one which will yield 110 half-ounce pieces.

Roll each into a ball and line up on a sheet tray covered in parchment. Keep your hands wet while rolling.

Refrigerate on the sheet tray for one hour to set.

After one hour, preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Line a second sheet tray with parchment paper.

Heat a large non-stick skillet over medium heat with one tablespoon of olive oil and once hot, gently place one third of the meatballs in the pan and cook on all sides for about 4-5 minutes. Use a small spatula or tongs to continually turn the meatballs to brown evenly. Remove these browned meatballs to the prepared sheet pan.

Repeat for the next two batches of oil and meatballs.

Once all the meatballs have browned and are now lined up on the sheet tray, place the sheet tray in the oven and cook for 15 minutes.

While the meatballs are cooking, heat the vegetable stock, beef stock, heavy cream, soy sauce and mustard in a small sauce pan. Mixture needs to be hot to prevent lumping in the sauce but does not need to boil. Set aside.

In a 4-5-quart pot, over medium heat melt butter in oil and add flour to make a roux. Cook and stir continually for 3-4 minutes until the raw flour smell is gone.

Gradually add the liquid to the roux while whisking. Heat this mixture to hot and bubbly. If the mixture gets too thick, thin down a little with milk or cream.

When the meatballs come out of the oven, add to the sauce and serve with mashed potatoes, green beans, and lingonberry jam.

Last Step! Please leave a review and rating letting us know how you liked this recipe! This helps our business thrive & continue providing free recipes.

© Author: A Family Feast (adapted from IKEA)

Cuisine:SwedishMethod:baked

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The Real IKEA Swedish Meatballs Recipe (7)
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The Real IKEA Swedish Meatballs Recipe (9)
The Real IKEA Swedish Meatballs Recipe (2024)

FAQs

What are Swedish meatballs made of in Ikea? ›

Ingredients for Meatballs
  • 500g beef mince.
  • 250g pork mince.
  • 1 onion finely chopped.
  • 1 clove of garlic (crushed or minced)
  • 100g breadcrumbs.
  • 1 egg.
  • 5 tablespoons of milk.
  • salt and pepper to taste.

What is the sauce for Swedish meatballs made from? ›

The sauce for Swedish Meatballs is a creamy gravy that is made with butter, beef broth/stock, thickened with flour and made creamy with cream. But the most important flavour for the a really good creamy gravy is the pan drippings after searing the meatballs.

What is the jam they put on Ikea meatballs? ›

It's lingonberry season and the small sour berries that thrive best in cold climates are ready to be picked. Swedes love eating the jam made from lingonberries with meatballs, mashed potatoes and cream sauce.

What are Ikea meatballs made of horse meat? ›

“Based on the results of our mapping, we can confirm that the contents of the meatballs follow the Ikea recipe and contain only beef and pork from animals raised in the U.S. and Canada,” Ikea North America spokeswoman Mona Astra Liss said in a statement.

Why did Ikea stop selling meatballs? ›

STOCKHOLM - Swedish furniture giant Ikea became entangled in Europe's widening meat scandal Monday, forced to withdraw meatballs from stores across Europe amid suspicions that they contained horse meat. Stores in the U.S. and Canada were not affected, Ikea said.

Why do Swedish meatballs taste different? ›

While both varieties include ingredients such as grated onion and panade (milk-soaked bread) or bread crumbs, plus the usual salt and pepper, Swedish meatballs traditionally use spices like allspice, nutmeg, white pepper, and sometimes ground ginger as flavoring.

Why are my Swedish meatballs falling apart? ›

ANSWER: Usually when meatballs fall apart, it's the binder that is the problem. Most meatball recipes call for using bread crumbs and eggs. But too much bread crumbs make them too loose, and not enough bread crumbs won't help them hold together either.

Why is my Swedish meatball sauce not thickening? ›

How to Thicken Swedish Meatball Sauce. The all-purpose flour in this recipe should do the trick to thicken your Swedish meatball sauce to the right consistency. But if it doesn't, you can add a cornstarch slurry (1 tablespoon of cornstarch to 2 tablespoons of water) to thicken it up.

Why are Ikea meatballs so cheap? ›

The meatballs - along with all the dishes in IKEA restaurants - are priced so competitively to attract people to the store. The hope is, that once there, customers will also spend money on household items. The restaurants also reinforce the IKEA brand image of being 'low price' and 'good value'.

What is IKEA jam called? ›

IKEA Sylt Lingon Lingonberry Organic Jam 14.1 oz (Super Fruit)

Why do Ikea meatballs have jam? ›

This classic combination offers a balance of savory and sweet flavors. Lingonberry jam provides a tart and slightly sweet contrast to the rich and savory taste of the meatballs, while gravy adds moisture and enhances the overall savory profile of the dish.

Do Swedes eat Swedish meatballs? ›

Meatballs are as quintessentially Swedish as it gets. In their most traditional form Swedish meatballs ('köttbullar') are made of ground pork and beef, cream, egg and onion, and are served with creamy mashed potatoes, a thick, brown gravy, lingonberry jam and pickled cucumber.

Are IKEA meatballs actually Swedish? ›

We've been serving food at IKEA stores since the 1960s, but in 1985 Swedish chef Severin Sjöstedt created a meatball that was delicious, affordable and easy to serve, based on the traditional Swedish meatball. After 10 months of tireless testing and tasting, the IKEA meatball was born.

What is unique about Swedish meatballs? ›

Although they can be a crowd favorite, the Swedish variety may not immediately come to mind when you think of meatballs. But this savory and somewhat rich dish is served with a creamy, gravy-like sauce, seasoned with a unique spice, and is typically enjoyed as a meal rather than an appetizer or on a sandwich.

Are IKEA Swedish meatballs healthy? ›

Are Ikea meatballs healthy? The meatballs are low in carbs but high in fat content, so while they're not healthy food, Ikea Swedish meatballs can be part of a healthy eating plan when enjoyed in moderation and as an occasional treat.

What are IKEA plant based meatballs made of? ›

Developed with meat lovers in mind, the plant ball is made from pea protein, oats, potato and apple. The meaty taste is achieved by adding umami flavors, such as mushroom, tomato and roasted vegetables.

Are IKEA Swedish meatballs vegetarian? ›

The meatless meatball – a Swedish classic that's entirely plant-based. What looks and tastes like meat, but contains no meat? Our plant ball of course! It has the look, taste and juicy bite of its meaty counterpart.

What's the difference between Swedish meatballs and regular meatballs? ›

The major difference between Swedish and Italian meatballs is what they're accompanied with. Swedish meatballs are traditionally topped with a creamy gravy and served with mashed potatoes and lingonberry sauce to cut through the richness, similar to how they're cooked at the two-Michelin-starred restaurant, Aquavit.

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