Swedish Meatball Sauce Recipe - Sauce Fanatic (2024)

BySauce Fanatic Posted on Updated on

4.44 from 179 votes

Jump to Recipe - Save Recipe

This post may contain affiliate links. Read the full disclosure here.

This rich and creamy Swedish meatball sauce recipe is one you must add to your repertoire. It comes together in about 10 minutes and will be the perfect accompaniment to Swedish meatballs.

Swedish Meatball Sauce Recipe - Sauce Fanatic (1)

Table of Contents

  • 1 Swedish Meatball Sauce
  • 2 Swedish Meatball Sauce Ingredients:
  • 3 How to Make Swedish Meatball Sauce:
  • 4 Swedish Meatball Sauce Variations:
  • 5 How to Store Swedish Meatball Sauce:
  • 6 Swedish Meatball Sauce

Swedish Meatball Sauce

Traditionally Swedish meatballs are served with lingonberry jam but here in the U.S. we enjoy them swimming in a rich brown gravy.

There are several different variations of the gravy also. Some use cream of mushroom while others use sour cream. Some call for sherry or cooking wine.

We settled on a simpler recipe that you can modify to your liking. That’s a theme we have around here.

Make it simple and give you variations to try.

We like this version best because it’s flavorful but uses ingredients that are simple and that are probably already in your kitchen.

So whip up your favorite Swedish meatball recipe and drown them in our sauce!

Learn all about how to make a roux sauce and use it for all my gravy recipes, my Hawaiian brown gravy and country white gravy.

Swedish Meatball Sauce Recipe - Sauce Fanatic (2)

Swedish Meatball Sauce Ingredients:

To make this Swedish meatball sauce recipe, you will need:

  • Butter: Use unsalted butter because the beef broth is pretty salty
  • Flour: Combines with the butter to make a roux that will thicken the sauce
  • Beef broth: You can use low sodium if you wish
  • Brown Sugar: Just a couple teaspoons
  • Heavy cream:We like to use all heavy cream instead of sour cream
  • Blackpepper:Freshly cracked is best but use what you have
Swedish Meatball Sauce Recipe - Sauce Fanatic (3)

How to Make Swedish Meatball Sauce:

To make this homemade Swedish meatball sauce, simply…

  1. Make a roux.Whisk flour into melted butter and cook until it turns light brown.
  2. Add broth and brown sugar. Slowly whisk in the broth and brown sugar then simmer for about 5 minutes.
  3. Stir in the cream and black pepper. Slowly stir in the cream and pepper then simmer for another 5 minutes.
  4. Use immediately or let cool and refrigerate for later use.
Swedish Meatball Sauce Recipe - Sauce Fanatic (4)

Swedish Meatball Sauce Variations:

There are quite a few ways you can doctor up this Swedish meatball sauce recipe.

  • Add Worcestershire sauce: 2 teaspoons will make the sauce more flavorful
  • Add soy sauce: 2 teaspoons will add more flavor
  • Add dijon mustard: 1 teaspoon will spice up the sauce nicely
  • Add coconut aminos: 2 teaspoons will enhance the sauce the way Worcestershire sauce does
  • Add sour cream: Add ½ cup in addition to the heavy cream or use 1 cup of sour cream in place of the heavy cream.
  • Add shallots: Sauté a minced shallot before making the roux.
  • Add cream of mushroom soup: Whiskin in a can of cream of mushroom in step 3.
Swedish Meatball Sauce Recipe - Sauce Fanatic (5)

How to Store Swedish Meatball Sauce:

Refrigerate– Cool for 1 hour then transfer to an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 4 days. Reheat over low heat and add a little cream if the sauce is too thick.

Freeze– Cool for 2 hours then transfer to a freezer-safe container and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator. Reheat over low heat and add a little cream if the sauce is too thick.

You might also want to try our onion gravy, chicken marsala sauce, butter chicken sauce, and copycat mumbo sauce. Enjoy!

Swedish Meatball Sauce Recipe - Sauce Fanatic (6)

Swedish Meatball Sauce

Sauce Fanatic

This rich and creamy Swedish meatball sauce recipe is one you must add to your repertoire. It comes together in about 10 minutes and will be the perfect accompaniment to Swedish meatballs.

Print Recipe Save

Prep Time 5 minutes mins

Cook Time 15 minutes mins

Total Time 20 minutes mins

Course Dinner

Cuisine American

Servings 6

Calories 118

Ingredients

  • 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
  • 1 ¾ cups beef broth
  • 2 teaspoons light brown sugar
  • ½ cup heavy cream
  • ½ teaspoon black pepper

Instructions

  • Melt butter in a 10-inch skillet over medium-high heat.

  • When the foaming subsides, add the flour and cook, whisking constantly, until flour turns light brown, about 30 seconds.

  • Slowly whisk in the broth followed by the brown sugar and bring to simmer.

  • Reduce the heat to medium and cook until the sauce is reduced to 1 cup, about 5 minutes.

  • Stir in the cream and pepper then return to a simmer and let cook for 5 minutes.

  • Server over freshly cooked meatballs.

Make ahead tip

  • Refrigerate – Cool for 1 hour then transfer to an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 4 days.

  • Freeze – Cool for 2 hours then transfer to a freezer-safe container and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator.

  • Reheat over low heat and add a little cream if the sauce is too thick.

Video

Notes

Try these variations:

  • Add Worcestershire sauce: 2 teaspoons will make the sauce more flavorful
  • Add soy sauce: 2 teaspoons will add more flavor
  • Add dijon mustard: 1 teaspoon will spice up the sauce nicely
  • Add coconut aminos: 2 teaspoons will enhance the sauce the way Worcestershire sauce does
  • Add sour cream: Add ½ cup in addition to the heavy cream or use 1 cup of sour cream in place of the heavy cream.
  • Add shallots: Sauté a minced shallot before making the roux.
  • Add cream of mushroom soup: Whiskin in a can of cream of mushroom in step 3.

Nutrition

Serving: 0.25cupCalories: 118kcalCarbohydrates: 4gProtein: 1gFat: 11gSaturated Fat: 7gPolyunsaturated Fat: 3gCholesterol: 33mgSodium: 118mgSugar: 2g

The nutrition information provided is for convenience and as a courtesy only. It is not guaranteed to be accurate because nutrition information can vary for a variety of reasons. For precise nutritional data use your preferred nutrition calculator and input the exact ingredients you used in the recipe.

Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

Swedish Meatball Sauce Recipe - Sauce Fanatic (2024)

References

Top Articles
Latest Posts
Recommended Articles
Article information

Author: Manual Maggio

Last Updated:

Views: 6334

Rating: 4.9 / 5 (49 voted)

Reviews: 80% of readers found this page helpful

Author information

Name: Manual Maggio

Birthday: 1998-01-20

Address: 359 Kelvin Stream, Lake Eldonview, MT 33517-1242

Phone: +577037762465

Job: Product Hospitality Supervisor

Hobby: Gardening, Web surfing, Video gaming, Amateur radio, Flag Football, Reading, Table tennis

Introduction: My name is Manual Maggio, I am a thankful, tender, adventurous, delightful, fantastic, proud, graceful person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.