Crockpot Swedish Meatballs (From Scratch!) Recipe
This Crockpot Swedish Meatballs recipe from scratch delivers tender, flavorful meatballs simmered in a rich and creamy sauce. The meatballs are first baked to form a crust, then slow-cooked in a luscious broth-based sauce enriched with heavy cream, Dijon mustard, and Worcestershire sauce. Finished with a swirl of sour cream and optional lingonberry jam, this comforting dish is perfect served over mashed potatoes, egg noodles, or rice for an authentic Swedish-inspired meal.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 2 hours 10 minutes
- Total Time: 2 hours 30 minutes
- Yield: Approximately 30 meatballs, serves 6-8 1x
- Category: Main Dish
- Method: Slow Cooking
- Cuisine: Swedish
Ingredients
Scale
Meatballs
- 2 lb ground beef
- ½ cup panko bread crumbs
- 2 tsp dried parsley
- 1½ tsp kosher salt
- 1 tsp onion powder
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- ½ tsp allspice
- ½ tsp nutmeg
- ½ tsp ground pepper
- 1 egg
- 1 egg yolk
Sauce
- 2 cups beef broth
- ½ cup heavy cream
- 2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
- 2 tsp Dijon mustard
- 3 tbsp cornstarch
- ½ cup sour cream
Instructions
- Preheat and Prepare: Heat the oven to 400°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper to prevent sticking and ease cleanup.
- Mix Meatball Ingredients: In a large mixing bowl, combine ground beef, panko bread crumbs, dried parsley, kosher salt, onion powder, garlic powder, allspice, nutmeg, ground pepper, egg, and egg yolk. Gently mix using clean hands until ingredients are evenly combined without overmixing to keep meatballs tender.
- Form Meatballs: Shape the mixture into 1-inch, two-tablespoon portions forming approximately 30 meatballs. Arrange them evenly spaced on the parchment-lined baking sheet.
- Bake Meatballs: Bake for about 10 minutes until the meatballs develop a solid crust and lightly brown. They will not be fully cooked at this stage but will finish cooking in the crockpot.
- Transfer to Crockpot: Move the baked meatballs into the crockpot, layering them evenly. It is okay to stack meatballs in several layers.
- Prepare Sauce: In a large bowl, whisk together beef broth, heavy cream, Worcestershire sauce, Dijon mustard, and cornstarch until smooth and fully combined.
- Cook in Crockpot: Pour the sauce over the meatballs in the crockpot. Seal and cook on high for 2 hours or low for 4 hours. For a thicker sauce, leave the lid cracked open for the last 30–60 minutes to allow steam to escape and the sauce to reduce.
- Add Sour Cream and Season: Stir in the sour cream gently using a rubber spatula. Taste and adjust seasoning with additional salt and pepper if needed.
- Garnish and Serve: Garnish with freshly chopped parsley, a dollop of sour cream, and optionally lingonberry jam. Serve warm over rice, egg noodles, or mashed potatoes.
Notes
- Do not overmix the meat mixture to avoid tough meatballs.
- Baking the meatballs before slow cooking helps them hold together and develop better texture.
- Adjust sauce thickness by controlling how long you reduce it in the crockpot with the lid cracked.
- Lingonberry jam is a traditional accompaniment but optional.
- For gluten-free, substitute panko with gluten-free breadcrumbs.
- Leftovers can be refrigerated for up to 3 days or frozen for up to 3 months.
Keywords: swedish meatballs, crockpot meatballs, slow cooker recipe, comfort food, creamy meatballs, homemade meatballs
