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These Crock Pot Swedish Meatballs are the ultimate comfort food. Tender and juicy meatballs cooked in a rich, creamy gravy that’s packed with flavor. Serve over egg noodles, mashed potatoes, or straight out of the crock pot with a spoon!
If you love a good slow cooker recipe, try my slow cooker chicken enchiladas and slow cooker BBQ pulled pork!
One of my favorite things to make on busy weeknights are easy slow cooker recipes! I can prep it in the morning and have a delicious dinner that the whole family will love on the table by dinner! I’ve been making this crock pot swedish meatballs recipe for the past month and every time, my hubby and kids both devour it in minutes (to my delight). 😊
The meatballs are shaped into bite-sized balls and gently broiled to golden perfection, sealing in their juiciness and intensifying their flavor. Then they’re slow cooked in a rich, velvety sauce that that simply melts in your mouth.
Serve atop a bed of buttery mashed potatoes with a side of lingonberry jam (or cranberry sauce if you can’t find it at your local grocery store).
Table of Contents
Why These Are The Best Swedish Meatballs
- If you’re looking for a comforting dinner recipe, this is IT. Saucy, rich, flavorful – just utterly delicious and beyond easy to make.
- Ideal for a busy day when you don’t feel like cooking! Set it and forget it! It’s one of those easy recipes that you’ll be making over and over again.
- Simple ingredients but tons of flavor! This recipe calls for nothing but pantry staples and yields the most hearty meal!
Key Ingredients
(Exact amounts in the recipe card)
Homemade Meatballs
- Ground Beef – I used 80/20 ground beef, it has the best flavor (in my humble opinion). You can also substitute a 1/2 lb of the ground beef and use ground pork for added flavor.
- Buttermilk – the acid in buttermilk tenderizes the meat to make nice and tender meatballs that melt in your mouth. Buttermilk is key in a homemade meatball recipe. You can use regular milk if that’s what you have on hand. If you don’t have any, make your own homemade buttermilk with 1 cup of whole milk and 1 tbsp of lemon juice.
- Bread Crumbs help to bind the meatballs together.
- Fresh Parsley adds both color and flavor!
- To season the meatballs, we’ll be using onion powder, allspice, nutmeg, black pepper, and kosher salt. The allspice and nutmeg give this crockpot swedish meatballs recipe that signature spiced taste without overpowering them!
Sauce Ingredients
- Half and Half – if you don’t have half and half, you can use 3/4 cup of milk and 1/4 cup of heavy cream. Mix it together and you’ve got half and half!
- Worcestershire sauce – this adds so much savory flavor to the creamy sauce. Soy sauce or steak sauce are great substitutes for worcestershire sauce.
- Dijon Mustard adds a little tang
- Beef Bouillon Paste adds A LOT of flavor to the sauce as it cooks in the slow cooker. It’s one of my favorite ingredients to enhance the overall taste of the dish.
- Cornstarch helps to thicken the gravy as it cooks.
- Sour cream is added at the end to make the gravy extra creamy and velvety smooth. You can also use plain Greek yogurt for a lighter option.
Recipe Variations
- To save time, you can use frozen meatballs. Broil them and plop them into the slow cooker along with the gravy ingredients and cook.
- If you prefer turkey meatballs, you can use ground turkey instead of ground beef.
How to make Crockpot Swedish Meatballs
Prep: Set oven to the broil setting. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or aluminum foil.
Step 1: Combine ground beef, buttermilk, egg, breadcrumbs, garlic, parsley, onion powder, allspice, nutmeg, black pepper, and salt in a large bowl. Mix until all of the ingredients are combined.
Step 2: Use an ice cream scoop (or Spoon out 3 tbsps) to scoop out ground beef mixture and roll into a meatball. Repeat until ground beef is used up. Place meatballs onto the prepared baking sheet and broil on the middle oven rack for for 10 minutes, until browned.
Step 3: Add all of the gravy ingredients (except the sour cream) to the bottom of the slow cooker – half and half, cornstarch, dijon mustard, worcestershire sauce, beef broth, thyme, and beef bouillon paste. Whisk together until combined.
Step 4: Place meatballs in a slow cooker and add the onions. Cover with the lid and Cook on high for 3-4 hours (or on low for 4-6 hours), until the meatballs are cooked all the way through, stirring occasionally. Remove the lid and continue to cook for 60 minutes to allow the sauce to thicken. Add in the sour cream and stir until combined. Serve with mashed potatoes or noodles.
Pro Tips For The Perfect Crockpot Meatballs
- For a thicker sauce, after the meatballs are cooked all the way through, remove the lid and continue to cook until the sauce is at your desired consistency.
- Don’t overwork the meat mixture: Mix gently just until combined—overmixing leads to tough meatballs.
- Stir in sour cream at the end – Adding sour cream too early can cause it to curdle. Stir it in during the last 15–30 minutes so the sauce stays smooth, rich, and luscious.
- Brown the meatballs first. Even though the crockpot does the slow cooking, quickly searing the meatballs in a pan first adds that golden crust and deep umami flavor. Totally worth the extra step.
What to serve with Swedish Meatballs
This is a great recipe to serve with a multitude of sides! My favorites are frozen roasted green beans, Garlic Mashed Potatoes, and top with Cranberry Raspberry Sauce. I have a hard time finding the lingonberry jam so my cranberry sauce works here with this recipe. You can also serve with a Side Salad, Buttery Dinner Rolls, and garlic butter noodles.
Storing Leftovers, Reheating, and Making Ahead
Storing Leftovers: store your leftover meatballs in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
Reheating: when you’re ready to reheat, simply microwave until warm.
Making ahead: this easy recipe can be made up to 2 days in advance. Prepare as instructed and store in the refrigerator until you’re ready to serve.
Recipe FAQs
Swedish meatballs are a traditional Swedish dish made from a mixture of ground meats, typically a combination of beef and pork. They are seasoned with herbs and warm spices and cooked in a rich and creamy sauce served alongside mashed potatoes or egg noodles with a topping of Lingonberry sauce.
Yes, you can absolutely use frozen meatballs for Crockpot Swedish Meatballs—just make sure they’re homestyle or plain (not Italian-style). While homemade meatballs give you more control over the flavor and texture, frozen ones are a great shortcut and still turn out delicious in that creamy gravy.
You can add the meatballs straight to the crockpot, but browning them first adds a ton of flavor and helps them hold their shape better. That quick sear gives the meatballs a golden crust and deep, savory taste that takes the dish to the next level.
Cook the meatballs on low for 4-6 hours or on high for 3-4 hours, until they’re fully cooked through and tender. If you’re using frozen meatballs, stick closer to the longer end of the range to ensure they heat evenly and soak up all that delicious sauce.
Because we’re browning/broiling them in the oven prior to adding to the crockpot, this will prevent them from falling apart. However, as a rule of thumb, avoid stirring too often/too vigorously while they simmer so they stay tender and intact.
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Crock Pot Swedish Meatballs
Equipment
- Slow Cooker
- Baking Sheet
Ingredients
Swedish Meatballs
- 2 lbs Ground Beef, (80/20)
- 1 Large Egg
- 1/2 cup Buttermilk
- 1/2 cup Breadcrumbs
- 3 cloves Garlice, (diced)
- 3 tbsp Fresh Parsley, (chopped)
- 2 tsp Onion Powder
- 1/2 tsp Allspice
- 1/4 tsp Ground Nutmeg
- 1 tsp Kosher Salt
- 1/2 tsp Black Pepper
- 1 Yellow Onion, (sliced)
Gravy
- 1 cup Half and Half
- 3 tbsps Cornstarch
- 1 tbsp Beef Bouillon Paste
- 1 tbsp Worcestershire Sauce
- 1 tbsp Dijon Mustard
- 1 1/2 cups Beef Broth
- 4 sprigs Thyme, (stems removed)
- 1/2 cup Sour Cream
Instructions
- Set oven to the broil setting. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or aluminum foil.
- Combine ground beef, buttermilk, egg, breadcrumbs, garlic, parsley, onion powder, allspice, nutmeg, black pepper, and salt in a large bowl. Mix until all of the ingredients are combined.
- Use an ice cream scoop (or Spoon out 3 tbsps) to scoop out ground beef mixture and roll into a meatball. Repeat until ground beef is used up. Place meatballs onto the prepared baking sheet and broil on the middle oven rack for for 10 minutes, until browned.
- Whisk together half and half, cornstarch, and beef bouillon paste together in the bottom of the slow cooker, then add the remainder of the gravy ingredients (except the sour cream) – dijon mustard, worcestershire sauce, beef broth, and thyme. Whisk together until combined.
- Place meatballs in a slow cooker and add the onions. Cover with the lid and Cook on high for 3 hours, until the meatballs are cooked all the way through, stirring occasionally. Remove the lid and continue to cook for 60 minutes to allow the sauce to thicken. Add in the sour cream and stir until combined.
- Serve with mashed potatoes or noodles.
Notes
- For a thicker sauce, after the meatballs are cooked all the way through, remove the lid and continue to cook until the sauce is at your desired consistency.
- Don’t overwork the meat mixture: Mix gently just until combined—overmixing leads to tough meatballs.
- Stir in sour cream at the end – Adding sour cream too early can cause it to curdle. Stir it in during the last 15–30 minutes so the sauce stays smooth, rich, and luscious.
- Brown the meatballs first. Even though the crockpot does the slow cooking, quickly searing the meatballs in a pan first adds that golden crust and deep umami flavor. Totally worth the extra step.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
This was such a delicious meal and great to feed a crowd as I sent some over to my Mom and she loved it also!
I love the flavors of the meatballs and the sauce was so tangy, it was perfect for the rice noodles! Thanks for the recipe!
These meatballs were SO delicious and full of flavor. I subbed in kale for the bok choy since that’s what I had, and it was great! I can’t wait to make them again.
I made this last week and it was a huge hit in my house! It was super simple to throw together in all the flavors were on point thanks for sharing the recipe.
Come thru flavor!!!!!!! These are delicious enough and have guests over and quick enough to prepare when you have no energy for a weeknight elaborate meal but still want something delicious
These meatballs are full of flavor! I just bought a bunch of rice noodles for pad thai and now I can use them for this recipe, too!
Delish! I love any excuse to use rice noodles!
Hi there. I’m hoping to try out this recipe this week. Looking at the recipe card, the exact quantities of the ketchup & beef broth are unclear to me. Are those quantities in cups? Or another measurement?
Hi! The quantities are in cups! Thanks for giving this recipe a try, I hope that you love it 🙂
Great recipe! I love that you use balsamic vinegar in your recipe. People will be pleasantly surprised, or not, how much flavour it brings to so many recipes.
This noodle and meatball dish was outstanding. The tangy, savory sauce was the real winner here.