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Swedish Meatballs with Creamy Gravy

Swedish Meatballs with Creamy Gravy reads umami 7.1, richness 5.6 and salinity 3.9 on Palate's 0–10 flavor X-ray — a Scandinavian main, about 40 min. Measured from the recipe itself: ingredients and technique.

The flavor X-ray — six axes, 0–10

• Umami & Savory — 7.7 / 10
• Sweet & Fruity — 2.4 / 10
• Sour & Bright — 3.3 / 10
• Bitter & Earthy — 1.6 / 10
• Rich & Fat — 5.8 / 10
• Aromatic & Spice — 3.9 / 10

The measured notes (of 18)

Umami 7.1 · Richness 5.6 · Salinity 3.9 · Allium 3.5 · Sourness 3.1 · Funk & Ferment 2.8 · Herbaceous 2.3 · Sweetness 2.2 · Warm Spice 1.6 · Earthy 1.4 · Bitterness 1.1 · Floral 0.8 · Heat 0.8 · Nutty 0.7 · Citrus 0.6 · Fruity 0.6

What's in it (16)

• beef — 454 g
• pork — 227 g
• bread crumbs italian style — 118 g
• regular milk — 79 g
• yellow onion — 110 g
• egg — 100 g
• salt — 5 g
• allspice — 3 g
• black pepper — 3 g
• unsalted butter — 41 g
• all-purpose flour — 23 g
• low-sodium beef broth — 710 g
• sour cream — 118 g
• worcestershire sauce — 15 g
• hot cooked egg noodles — 340 g
• parsley — 7 g

Time & effort: about 40 min · effort: involved

Nutrition (per 100 g, engine-estimated): 114.8 kcal, 9.3 g protein, 5.7 g fat, 9.7 g carbs

Dietary: Contains meat · Contains dairy · Contains egg — engine-derived; double-check anything allergy-critical.

How it's cooked (10 steps)

1. In a large bowl, combine the panko and milk; let sit until the panko has absorbed the milk and turned pasty, about 3 minutes.
2. Add the ground beef, ground pork, minced onion, egg, 1 teaspoon of the salt, allspice, and pepper to the panade. Mix gently with your hands just until combined (overmixing makes tough meatballs), then roll into 24 meatballs, about 1 1/2 tablespoons each.
3. Melt 2 tablespoons of the butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Working in two batches to avoid crowding, sear the meatballs, turning occasionally, until deeply browned on all sides, 6-7 minutes per batch; transfer to a plate (they will finish cooking in the gravy).
4. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil for the noodles.
5. Reduce the skillet heat to medium and melt the remaining 1 tablespoon butter. Whisk in the flour and cook, whisking constantly, until golden and fragrant, about 1 minute.
6. Gradually whisk in the beef broth, scraping up the browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Bring to a simmer and cook, whisking occasionally, until thickened enough to coat the back of a spoon, about 4 minutes.
7. While the gravy simmers, cook the egg noodles in the boiling water according to package directions until al dente, about 7-8 minutes; drain.
8. Return the meatballs and any collected juices to the skillet. Cover and simmer gently until the meatballs reach 165°F at the center and are cooked through, 8-10 minutes.
9. Remove the skillet from the heat and stir in the sour cream and Worcestershire sauce until smooth; season with salt to taste. Do not let the gravy boil after adding the sour cream, or it may curdle.
10. Serve the meatballs and gravy over the egg noodles, scattered with parsley.

Dishes with a similar flavor shape

• Skillet Beef Stroganoff — American
• Beef Stroganoff with Egg Noodles — American
• Palócleves (Palóc Soup with Lamb, Green Beans and Dill) — Hungarian
• Manti (Turkish Dumplings) — Turkish
• Shepherd's Pie — British

Keep reading: what umami, richness, salinity mean in the flavor lexicon · the world's cuisines, by flavor.

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Every number above is Palate's engine-measured estimate, computed from this recipe's ingredients and techniques — not human-tasted ratings or reviews.