Looking for a way to elevate your Swedish meatballs? Look no further than this creamy, rich sauce recipe that incorporates the tangy taste of sour cream.
Perfect for a cozy night in, and easy to prep ahead, this sauce for Swedish meatballs is sure to impress.
I got this recipe for Swedish meatball sauce with sour cream from a friend that had lived in Sweden for 2 years. The sour cream, onion, and worcestershire sauce make for a rich sauce that creates a flavor explosion in every bite!
The meatballs have crushed Fritos corn chips in them, which is pretty unique, but actually quite tasty. Of course, if you are completely opposed to corn chips, you can use about 1/2 cup of panko crumbs, bread crumbs, or even oats.
I’m not sure how authentic this recipe is, but back then my roommates all loved them, and now so does my entire family. Give it a try and I bet you’ll be hooked!
FAQ
Typically it starts with some type of beef broth that is thickened with flour or cornstarch. To make the meatballs sauce nice and creamy, sour cream or heavy cream is also stirred in.
In addition, each recipe has additional seasonings, herbs, or spices to add a unique flavor. It’s some of the best gravy ever!
You definitely want a starch like mashed potatoes, pasta, or rice to soak up all that tasty gravy! If you want to be traditional, serve some lingonberry jam on the side.
To balance out the meal, add some green vegetables like green beans, asparagus, or peas. And of course you can’t go wrong with a nice green salad.
Can I make this meal ahead of time?
Absolutely! You can whip up the sauce a day or two in advance and just store it in the refrigerator.
You can also make the meatballs ahead of time. After cooking, you can store them in the refrigerator for 2-3 days.
And they also freeze well! I like to make double batches of meatballs and freeze them for quick meals later on. I recommend storing the in heavy duty ziplock bags.
When ready to serve them, simply thaw in the refrigerator. You can heat them in the oven for a few minutes, or simply add them to the hot sauce and let them simmer until heated through.
HOW TO MAKE MEATBALLS
- PREP – Crush the corn chips. Spray a baking sheet with cooking spray, and preheat your oven to 375 degrees.
- COMBINE – In a large bowl, stir together the crushed corn chips, milk, garlic, parsley, salt, and pepper. Add the ground beef and mix until thoroughly combined.
- FORM – Roll into 1 1/2″ balls and place on the prepared pan.
- BAKE – Bake at 375° for about 20 minutes or until browned. For more even browning, shake the pan occasionally.
HOW TO MAKE SAUCE FOR SWEDISH MEATBALLS
- MAKE ROUX – In a large soup pot, melt the butter butter over medium heat. Whisk in the flour until smooth.
- ADDITIONAL SAUCE INGREDIENTS – Stir in the water, bouillon, salt, worcestershire sauce, and minced onion. Cook and stir over medium heat till bubbly and thickened. Stir in the sour cream.
- COMBINE – Add the meatballs. Heat through, but don’t boil.
- SERVE – After everything is heated, serve over hot pasta, mashed potatoes, or rice. Enjoy!
Can I cook the meatballs in a skillet instead?
If you don’t want to heat up your oven, you can use your stove top instead. Heat a large skillet with a tablespoon of oil over medium high.
Cook half of the meatballs until browned and cooked through. It should take about 5-7 minutes. Repeat with the remaining meatballs.
LEFTOVERS:
You can store leftover meatballs and sauce in the refrigerator for up to four days. You can reheat in the microwave, or in a saucepan over medium low heat.
I don’t recommend freezing the sauce, it tends to separate when it thaws.
VARIATIONS:
- To make this recipe even faster, you can use frozen meatballs. I like to make up homemade meatballs and keep them in the freezer for quick meals.
- Allspice and nutmeg add a warm, earthy flavor.
- For even more tang, you can add a teaspoon or so of dijon mustard.
- If you don’t have worcestershire sauce for the meatballs, you can use a teaspoon of soy sauce instead.
- You can use a pound each of both beef and pork. Or substitute ground turkey or chicken for the beef.
MORE COMFORT FOODS:
- Chicken and Potatoes
- Beef Stroganoff with Hamburger
- Creamy Garlic Chicken
- Butter Swim Biscuit Recipe
- Hamburger Mac and Cheese
- Chicken and Mashed Potatoes
- Crock Pot Chicken Pot Pie with Biscuits
Sauce for Swedish Meatballs
Swedish Meatball Sauce with Sour Cream
Ingredients
Sauce:
- ¼ cup butter
- 5 Tbsp flour
- 2 ½ cups water
- 1 Tbsp beef bouillon
- ¼ tsp salt
- 2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
- 1 Tbsp dry minced onion
- 1 cup sour cream
Meatballs:
- 1 cup Fritos corn chips finely crushed
- 1 cup milk
- 1 clove garlic minced
- 1 Tbsp dried parsley
- 1 tsp salt
- ⅛ tsp pepper
- 2 pounds lean ground beef
Instructions
- For the meatballs: Combine all ingredients and shape into 1 1/2" balls. (I use a cookie scoop so they will be the same size and cook evenly.)
- Place on foil lined cookie sheets and bake at 375° for about 20 minutes or till brown.
- For the gravy: In a large, heavy pan, melt the butter over medium heat. Whisk in the flour and cook till bubbly.
- Add the water, bouillon, salt, worcestershire sauce, and minced onion.
- Cook till bubbly and thick, whisking constantly.
- Stir in the sour cream. (At this point I do a taste test and add more bouillon granules or Worcestershire if I think it needs it.)
- Gently stir in the meatballs and heat through, but don’t boil.
- Serve meatballs and sauce over mashed potatoes, egg noodles, or rice.
Notes
Nutrition
If you make this sauce for swedish meatballs with sour cream, please leave a comment letting me know how you liked it. And of course five star reviews are always appreciated. 🙂
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Best meatball sauce I’ve ever had!!
I’m so happy to hear that Jody! 🙂
This was another hit in my house, so good! It was totally worth trying, highly recommended!
So happy to hear that Natasha!
These meatballs were so delish! My family loved them, and will definitely be making them again!
Yay! I hope they make an appearance often at your dinner table. 🙂
I always make a massive batch of the meatballs and freeze them for later use. My kids love the soup I make with them! This sauce is so incredible though. My family goes crazy for this dinner with mashed potatoes and a cucumber and tomato salad.
Meatball soup sounds delish – I need to try that! So glad your family loves the recipe. 🙂