Caramelized Onion Meatballs in Sauce
Caramelized Onion Meatballs in Sauce are juicy and tender little things that are also known as Swedish Meatballs. They are deliciously homemade meatballs bathing in the amazingly flavorful creamy meatball sauce. You may have tried these many times in IKEA, only this version is much better.
In Sweden, IKEA Meatballs are called “köttbullar” and they are traditionally made with ground beef or a mix of ground beef, pork and veal, breadcrumbs soaked in milk, caramelized onions, broth and cream. You can also use only ground beef for your IKEA Meatballs in Sauce, but a mix of ground pork and beef (and veal) will definitely produce a very tender version of them.
How do you make these Caramelized Onion Meatballs in Sauce:
To make these Swedish meatballs in sauce, I sauteed onions before adding the to the meatballs and let me tell you – the sweetness of the caramelized onions is mouthwatering!
Adding sauteed onions should be a requirement for all meatballs, not just Swedish meatballs! It is also this yellowish sauce/gravy that makes them so tasty. It’s creamy and flavorful and really easy to make.
Use Worcestershire sauce for Caramelized Onion Meatballs!
I used Worcestershire sauce in this IKEA Meatballs in Sauce recipe. It’s a sauce that comes in a dark bottle with a beige label and wrapped in a nice paper. And in Denmark, this sauce bears a different name – it’s commonly known as Engelsk Sauce. Love the sauce, but can’t pronounce it. Anyone else out there having same trouble?
Can you make these Caramelized Onion Meatballs in Sauce ahead and freeze them?
To make these Swedish meatballs ahead, you will need to prepare them for the freezer. First of all, make sure to use a baking sheet. Next, make sure there is enough space in your freezer to accommodate it – I usually fit it on top of other items in the freezer – so it ends up being closer to the ceiling of the freezer.
Finally, you want to freeze the Swedish meatballs individually so they don’t stick together. After 30 minutes, you can transfer them to a freezer-safe container. Now these köttbullar are ready for you any time you need them.
I just can’t get enough of these Swedish meatballs! I know I mentioned the magic of sauteed onions. But I can’t skip garlic here – I added 3 cloves of minced garlic, even though I could’ve gone as far as adding 5, cooked them only for a minute and it just boosted the flavor even more.
Garlic burns easily so you need to watch carefully, but I’ve found smell to be the best indicator that it’s done–as soon as you smell that strong garlic scent it’s ready. I usually let it cook for a few seconds longer until it’s slightly brown. Can’t wait to make pasta with these Ikea Meatballs in Sauce or even better, mashed potatoes!
Super delicious köttbullar!
To start making the Swedish meatballs in sauce:
Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in large pan (I used cast iron one) on medium high. Add chopped onions and sauté until translucent, about 5 minutes. Next add garlic and oregano and sauté for another minute.
Combine 1/2 cup panko bread crumbs and milk and allow bread crumbs to soak up milk.
In a medium bowl, combine ground beef, ground pork, soaked bread crumbs and sautéed onion/garlic/oregano mixture. Mix in with salt and pepper. Add 1 egg and combine using a wooden spoon until the entire egg is mixed in.
Using a tablespoon for measuring and your hands for rolling, start making those Ikea meatballs! I just rolled them between my palms and got 18 average size meatballs.
On medium high heat, brown meatballs on all sides, carefully turning so they don’t break apart. Cook them for about 10 minutes, making sure they are not raw inside. I didn’t cook them all at once to avoid overcrowding the pan: I cooked 2/3 of them first and then remaining 1/3.
To make sauce for IKEA Meatballs in Sauce:
Reduce heat to low and add 4 tablespoons butter to hot pan. Once butter is melted, whisk in 3 tablespoons flour and cook for 1-2 minutes until golden brown and bubbly.
Add in 2 cups beef broth and simmer for 2 minutes. Next, add in 1 cup heavy cream.
Add 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce and 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard. Simmer until sauce thickens just a bit. Taste it and add salt and pepper if necessary (depends on whether your broth is sodium free or not).
Add your kottbullar into sauce, cover and simmer on low heat for about 10 minutes.
To make IKEA Meatballs in Sauce Gluten Free:
Substitute regular flour for rice flour and bread crumbs for gluten-free bread crumbs in same proportions. Rice flour will create a beautifully smooth sauce for these meatballs – I highly recommend it for a gluten-free Swedish meatball version.
What is a good side dish for IKEA Meatballs in Sauce?
I love eating Swedish Meatballs with either mashed potatoes, such as these : Irish Mashed Potatoes with Bacon or pasta, such as parapdelle in this recipe: Creamy Meatballs with Pasta.
You can also enjoy a tasty salad with them, such as: Italian Salad (Olive Garden Copycat) or Brussels Sprout Cranberry Salad in Honey Mustard Vinaigrette
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IKEA Meatballs in Sauce (Swedish Meatballs)
Ingredients
Ikea Meatballs:
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 10 oz ground beef
- 10 oz ground pork
- 2 tbsp milk
- 1/2 cup panko bread crumbs
- 1/2 large onion chopped
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- ½ tsp sea salt
- ½ tsp pepper
- 1 egg
Creamy Swedish Meatball Sauce:
- 5 tbsp butter
- 3 tbsp flour
- 2 cups beef broth
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
- 1 tsp Dijon mustard
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
TO MAKE MEATBALLS:
- Combine 1/2 cup panko bread crumbs and milk and allow bread crumbs to soak up milk.
- Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in large pan (I used cast iron one) on medium high. Add chopped onions and sauté until translucent, about 5 minutes. Add garlic and oregano and sauté for another minute. Turn off heat.
- In a medium bowl, combine ground beef, ground pork, soaked bread crumbs and sautéed onion/garlic/oregano mixture. Mix in with salt and pepper. Add 1 egg and combine using a wooden spoon until the entire egg is mixed in.
- Using a tablespoon for measuring and your hands for rolling, start making those meatballs. I just rolled them between my palms and got 18 average size meatballs.
- On medium high heat, brown meat balls on all sides, carefully turning so they don't break apart. Cook them for about 10 minutes, making sure they are not raw inside. Remove meatballs and put them on a large plate.
TO MAKE SAUCE:
- Reduce heat to low and add 4 tablespoons butter to hot pan. Once butter is melted, whisk in 3 tablespoons flour and cook for 1-2 minutes until golden brown.
- Add in 2 cups beef broth and simmer for 2 minutes. Next add in 1 cup heavy cream, 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce and 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard. Simmer until sauce thickens just a bit. Taste it and add salt and pepper if necessary (depends on whether your broth is sodium free or not).
COMBINING MEATBALLS WITH SAUCE:
- Add meatballs into sauce, cover and simmer on low heat for about 10 minutes.
