Swedish Pork Meatballs (Köttbullar)
Classic Ikea dish 🙂
Servings 4 people
Ingredients
Meatballs
- 500 g pork mince
- 1 small onion very finely chopped or grated
- 50 g fresh breadcrumbs
- 75 ml milk
- 1 egg
- ½ tsp ground allspice
- ¼ tsp ground nutmeg
- Salt & white pepper
- Butter + a little oil for frying
Sauce
- 2 tbsp Butter
- 2 tbsp Cornflour
- 400 ml Beef Stock traditional—even with pork
- 100 ml double cream
- 1 tsp Dijon mustard
- 1 tsp Soy Sauce yes—this is very Swedish for depth
- Optional: 1 tsp lingonberry jam or redcurrant jelly
- Salt & white pepper
Instructions
Make the Meatballs
- Soak the breadcrumbs : Mix breadcrumbs with milk and leave 5–10 mins until soft.
- Cook the onion (important for flavour) : Gently fry the onion in a little butter until soft and sweet—not browned. Cool.
- Combine pork mince, soaked breadcrumbs, onion, egg, spices, salt, and pepper.
- Mix thoroughly using stand mixer
- Roll into small balls (about walnut size). Oiled hands helps.
- Cook
- Fry in butter + a splash of oil over medium heat.
- Turn regularly until browned all over and cooked through (8–10 mins). Or you can start them in hte pan and then finish in the oven to 63 ℃
Make the Sauce
- In the same pan, melt butter, stir in flour, cook 1–2 mins.
- Whisk in the beef stock bit by bit to avoid lumps.
- Add cream, mustard, soy sauce, and optional lingonberry.
- Simmer gently until thickened and silky.
Bring it together
- Return meatballs to the pan and simmer 5 mins.


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