IKEA's Swedish Meatball Recipe (Knock-Off).....Delicious!! (2024)

I haven’t quite caught the IKEA bug, yet. I know, I’m crazy…from what I hear. However, I’ve only been there one time, for about 15 minutes, and I was with the husband. Shopping with the man is one of my least favorite things to do. I don’t know why. Dan is totally sweet, but I clam up when I shop with him (or anyone, really.) It offends him, but I just can’t do it. I like to shop alone, that’s when magic happens, I find awesome things, and I can move super fast. I have this nerdy method, where I walk past everything really quickly, and I won’t stop until something grabs my attention. I figure, if I have to carefully browse to find something I might like, I don’t like it enough. I’m one of those ladies at the store who speed walks, freaking people out, because I’m zooming all around them. It’s my shopping-mode, can’t help it. Watch out for the crazy-lady.

IKEA's Swedish Meatball Recipe (Knock-Off).....Delicious!! (1)

So, I should probably give IKEA another chance (alone, next time.) If not for the ultra-cheap/cool knick-knacks, but for the food court. I keep hearing about these amazing Swedish Meatballs, so when I saw a “perfect knock-off” recipe in the latest Food Network Magazine, I had to try them. Although, I can’t attest to their authenticity (since I’ve never eaten at IKEA), I can tell you that my family loved them. Dan asked me to save this recipe in the keep-pile, because he wanted more…we all did. Luckily, I doubled my batch of meatballs, to freeze half of them. So, next time around, all I have to do is make the sauce!

‘Get on with it’, I hear ya. So, to make the meatballs, you will need: breadcrumbs, butter, minced onion (fresh or dry), minced garlic, ground allspice, salt, white pepper, milk, Worcestershire sauce, lean ground beef, lean ground pork, and an egg.

* Again, I doubled the meatball recipe, to have an extra batch of meatballs to freeze. Also, I tripled the sauce recipe…not to freeze, but because I wanted plenty of sauce to serve over noodles. I’m not sure, but I don’t think IKEA serves their meatballs with noodles, just plain. Don’t quote me.

Heat the butter, in a skillet, over medium heat. Saute the onion, garlic, allspice, salt, and white pepper, for about 5 minutes, or until garlic and onions are soft. I just used dry minced onion, so I just cooked it for about a minute. Add the milk and Worcestershire sauce to the mixture, and bring to a simmer.

Dump the breadcrumbs in a bowl. Pour the hot skillet mixture over the breadcrumbs and stir together.

Add the beef, pork, 1 egg and 1 egg white to the bowl, and mix until combined. It’s easiest to use your hands and squish everything together for about 5 minutes. I’m scared of raw meat, so this is where I pull out my plastic doctor gloves.

Spray a sheet pan to grease, and roll the meat into 1 inch balls, and place on a baking sheet. One recipe makes about 35-40 meatballs. Make sure you don’t roll them much bigger than 1 inch, or they take a lot longer to cook through…unless, you’re cool with that. Cover your sheet with plastic wrap and refrigerate the meatballs for about an hour. I didn’t have an hour, so I stuck them in the freezer for about 25 minutes. Worked for me. Heat the oven to 400 degrees and bake the meatballs for about 20 minutes, or until cooked through.

Next up, the gravy. For the gravy, you will need: butter, flour, beef broth, Worcestershire sauce, heavy cream, salt, pepper, and parsley (optional, for garnish).

If you are going to serve this with noodles, this is about the time you get the water boiling.

To make the gravy, melt the butter in a skillet and add the flour. Cook for a few minutes while whisking. Pour in the beef broth and Worcestershire sauce, bring to a simmer. Finally, add the heavy cream and the cooked meatballs. Let simmer, until the gravy thickens. Season with salt and pepper, to taste.

Serve plain, or over a bed of noodles, rice, or potatoes. (Remember, make extra sauce if you’re going to be serving on top of something…again, I tripled the sauce recipe.)

IKEA’s Swedish Meatball Recipe (Knock-Off)
Food Network Magazine

IKEA’s Swedish Meatball Recipe (Knock-Off)…..Delicious!!

Ingredients

  • Meatballs
  • Makes about 35-40 1" meatballs. Make double to freeze a batch for later!
  • 1cupbreadcrumbs
  • 2TBSbutter
  • 1/3cupwhite onionmince (or a couple TBS. of dry minced onion)
  • 2clovesgarlicminced (or 2 tsp. pre-minced garlic)
  • 1/4tsp.ground allspice
  • 1tsp.salt
  • 1/4tsp.white pepper
  • 1/2cupmilk
  • 1tsp.Worcestershire sauce
  • 3/4lb.lean ground beef
  • 1/2lb.lean ground pork
  • 1large eggplus 1 egg white, beaten
  • Gravy
  • Makes just enough to cover the meatballs, if you want extra to serve over noodles, double/triple gravy recipe.
  • 2TBSbutter
  • 2TBSflour
  • 1 1/2cupsbeef broth
  • 1tsp.Worcestershire sauce
  • 1/4cupheavy cream
  • Salt & Pepperto taste
  • Parsleyoptional - garnish

Instructions

  1. To make the meatballs, heat the butter, in a skillet, over medium heat.

  2. Saute the onion, garlic, allspice, salt, and white pepper, for about 5 minutes, or until garlic and onions are soft. (I just used dry minced onion, so I just cooked it for about a minute.)

  3. Add the milk and Worcestershire sauce to the mixture, and bring to a simmer.

  4. Dump the breadcrumbs in a bowl.

  5. Pour the hot skillet mixture over the breadcrumbs and stir together.

  6. Add the beef, pork, 1 egg and 1 egg white to the bowl, and mix until combined. (It's easiest to use your hands and squish everything together for about 5 minutes.)

  7. Spray a sheet pan to grease, and roll the meat into 1 inch balls, and place on a baking sheet. One recipe makes about 35-40 meatballs.

  8. Cover your sheet with plastic wrap and refrigerate the meatballs for about an hour. (I stuck them in the freezer for about 25 minutes.) Heat the oven to 400 degrees and bake the meatballs for about 20 minutes, or until cooked through.

  9. To make the gravy, melt the butter in a skillet and add the flour.

  10. Cook for a few minutes while whisking.

  11. Pour in the beef broth and Worcestershire sauce, bring to

  12. a simmer.

  13. Finally, add the he

  14. avy cream and the cooked meatballs. Let simmer, until the gravy thickens, about 10 minutes Season with salt and pepper, to taste.

  15. Serve as is, or on top of a bed of rice, noodles, or potatoes.

  16. Garnish with parsley.

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IKEA’s Swedish Meatball Recipe (Knock-Off)…..Delicious!!

Ingredients

  • Meatballs
  • (Makes about 35-40 1″ meatballs. Make double to freeze a batch for later!)
  • 1 cup breadcrumbs
  • 2 TBS butter
  • 1/3 cup white onion, mince (or a couple TBS. of dry minced onion)
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced (or 2 tsp. pre-minced garlic)
  • 1/4 tsp. ground allspice
  • 1 tsp. salt
  • 1/4 tsp. white pepper
  • 1/2 cup milk
  • 1 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
  • 3/4 lb. lean ground beef
  • 1/2 lb. lean ground pork
  • 1 large egg, plus 1 egg white, beaten
  • Gravy
  • (Makes just enough to cover the meatballs, if you want extra to serve over noodles, double/triple gravy recipe.)
  • 2 TBS butter
  • 2 TBS flour
  • 1 1/2 cups beef broth
  • 1 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
  • 1/4 cup heavy cream
  • Salt & Pepper (to taste)
  • Parsley (optional – garnish)

Instructions

  1. To make the meatballs, heat the butter, in a skillet, over medium heat.
  2. Saute the onion, garlic, allspice, salt, and white pepper, for about 5 minutes, or until garlic and onions are soft. (I just used dry minced onion, so I just cooked it for about a minute.)
  3. Add the milk and Worcestershire sauce to the mixture, and bring to a simmer.
  4. Dump the breadcrumbs in a bowl.
  5. Pour the hot skillet mixture over the breadcrumbs and stir together.
  6. Add the beef, pork, 1 egg and 1 egg white to the bowl, and mix until combined. (It’s easiest to use your hands and squish everything together for about 5 minutes.)
  7. Spray a sheet pan to grease, and roll the meat into 1 inch balls, and place on a baking sheet. One recipe makes about 35-40 meatballs.
  8. Cover your sheet with plastic wrap and refrigerate the meatballs for about an hour. (I stuck them in the freezer for about 25 minutes.) Heat the oven to 400 degrees and bake the meatballs for about 20 minutes, or until cooked through.
  9. To make the gravy, melt the butter in a skillet and add the flour.
  10. Cook for a few minutes while whisking.
  11. Pour in the beef broth and Worcestershire sauce, bring to
  12. a simmer.
  13. Finally, add the he
  14. avy cream and the cooked meatballs. Let simmer, until the gravy thickens, about 10 minutes Season with salt and pepper, to taste.
  15. Serve as is, or on top of a bed of rice, noodles, or potatoes.
  16. Garnish with parsley.

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IKEA's Swedish Meatball Recipe (Knock-Off).....Delicious!! (2024)

FAQs

What is Ikea meatball sauce made of? ›

Iconic Swedish cream sauce: Melt 40g of butter in a pan. Whisk in 40g of plain flour and stir for 2 mins. Add 300ml of bouillon (or consommé) and continue to stir. Add 150ml double cream, 2 tsp of soy sauce and 1 tsp of (Dijon) mustard.

Why are Ikea meatballs so cheap? ›

They know that many customers are coming with the children and they will get hungry. Children love meatballs and meatballs are very cheap to buy for the parents. IKEA is selling them cheap as well to attract people.

What is Swedish meatball sauce made of? ›

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.

Are IKEA meatballs made of horses? ›

In a statement later in the day, Anders Lennartsson, a spokesman for Ikea Food Services, said, “We take seriously the test result from the Czech Republic authorities, indicating presence of horse meat in one batch of our meatballs.”

What is the jam they put on IKEA meatballs? ›

There is probably no other dish that is so connected to Swedish cuisine, as meatballs with cream sauce and lingonberry jam.

Are IKEA meatballs unhealthy? ›

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 is the difference between Swedish meatballs and Danish meatballs? ›

The Danish meatball is a little rugged in texture and can be served in multiple ways – with a lightly spiced curry sauce, for example, or a rich gravy. A Swedish meatball, in comparison to the crispy, pan-fried Danish version, is often a little smaller, with a very smooth, even texture and a rounder shape.

Why does IKEA sell Swedish meatballs? ›

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.

Has IKEA stopped selling meatballs? ›

Frozen meatballs are available for you to take home! We know that there is great demand for our meatballs - what's a visit to IKEA without them? Although our collection point may not have a hot meatball offer available, we have made sure that there are frozen meatballs available for you to take home and cook yourself.

How many meatballs do IKEA serve a day? ›

The furniture giant sells two million meatballs every day. But some of the romantic Swedishness of the meatballs, which are served with mash, light gravy and lingonberry jam, has been forever lost. Ikea's iconic meatballs originated in what is now modern day Turkey, according to the Mirror.

Why IKEA is suddenly 3D printing meatballs? ›

Seeking sustainability-focused recruits. The 3D-printed meatballs illustrate Ikea's goal to explore new, more sustainable technologies—and that is why it needs to find more talent to help fulfill its aim.

What makes Swedish meatballs different? ›

Italian Meatballs vs Swedish Meatballs: Swedish Meatballs are typically smaller in size than Italian meatballs and they are usually made with a 50-50 ratio of ground pork and ground beef.

What do you eat with Swedish meatballs? ›

Mashed Potatoes - The creamy gravy on Swedish Meatballs is perfect with potatoes! Egg Noodles - Spaghetti isn't a bad idea either. Green veggies - I love to serve green peas with Swedish meatballs. Roasted Vegetables - Skip the starch and serve the meatballs with a combination of roasted vegetables.

How do Swedes eat 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.

Why do Swedish meatballs taste different? ›

The Seasoning

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.

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.

How many IKEA meatballs are eaten each day? ›

An astounding two million meatballs are eaten in IKEA's 340 stores worldwide every day. Now that's a lot of meatballs!

How good are Swedish meatballs at IKEA? ›

What makes IKEA meatballs different is that they're made out of beef AND pork. The beef (most commonly used in regular food shops) gives them their flavour but the pork gives them their soft and juicy texture. They're small, full of flavour, and go great with a slathering of lingonberry jam alongside scoops of mash.

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