Homemade Crockpot Swedish Meatballs Recipe (2024)

You are going to love these Crockpot Swedish Meatballs! Spiced meatballs in a luscious sour cream sauce, great for an easy and tasty weeknight meal!

Crockpot Swedish Meatballs are a classic homey dish. Making them in the crockpot just makes them even easier to prepare! And you know around here we love easy.

I just love how easy crockpot meals are to put together, and then I barely have to think about them during the day. It’s fix it and forget it, and I adore that.

My little trick I have been doing to make them even easier is prepping everything the night before, throwing it all in the pot, covering it, and placing it in the refrigerator.

The next morning, I can place the pot in the slow cooker base, set it, and forget it! In love. SO EASY, and you have a hearty homemade meal waiting for you later!

That’s exactly what I did for this Crockpot Swedish Meatball Recipe. I mixed the meatballs the night before and fried them off to golden brown deliciousness, put them in the slow cooker pot, topped them with beef stock and a few other ingredients, covered it, and placed the whole thing in the refrigerator.

I love homemade meatballs, and these are extra special. It’s a great recipe that you can use to make one delicious meal after another. And with such an easy recipe, it’s just a no-brainer!

Anything that I can prepare ahead of time I love to do, so not only was this ready for me to go in the morning, it was cooked and was ready for me when it was time to eat. Let’s get even more into these Crockpot Swedish Meatballs!

Some of my other favorite crockpot/slow cooker recipes we have on our site include: Slow Cooker Chili, Crock Pot French Dip Sandwiches and Slow Cooker Chicken and Dumplings.

WHY THIS RECIPE WORKS:

1. These can easily be prepared ahead of time (see above).
2. They are a fix it and forget it meal that you don’t have to worry about keeping an eye on.
3. It has the perfect amount of creamy sauce to gravy ratio. That’s the key to delicious meatballs!

INGREDIENTS NEEDED (SCROLL TO THE BOTTOM OF THIS POST FOR THE FULL RECIPE CARD):

• Ground beef
• Ground pork
• Panko breadcrumbs
• Egg
• Garlic powder
• Onion powder
• Kosher salt
• Pepper
• Allspice
• Nutmeg
• Ground cinnamon
• Vegetable oil, for frying
• Beef broth or stock
• Worcestershire sauce
• Dijon mustard
• Sour cream
• Heavy cream
• Cornstarch
• Water
• Parsley for garnish, optional

HOW TO MAKE CROCKPOT SWEDISH MEATBALLS:

1. In a large bowl, place all of the ground beef, breadcrumbs, egg, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, pepper, all spice, nutmeg, and cinnamon. Mix together well, roll into 2 tablespoons-sized balls.
2. In a large skillet over medium heat, fry the meatballs in the vegetable oil until golden brown on all sides. You will need to do this in batches, do not crowd to pan. Place the meatballs on a paper-towel lined plate to drain any excess oil.
3. Place the browned meatballs in the slow cooker.
4. Whisk together the beef stock, Worcestershire sauce, dijon, salt, and pepper in a small bowl.
5. Pour the sauce over the meatballs. Cook on low for 4-6 hours or high 2-3 hours, until meatballs are cooked through or until the desired tenderness is reached.
6. Take meatballs out and set them aside.
7. Add the sour cream and heavy cream directly to the slow cooker, whisk to combine. In a small bowl mix together the cornstarch and water. Whisk the cornstarch slurry into the sauce. Cook on high uncovered for 15 minutes until thickened. Taste, adjust seasoning if necessary.
8. Place meatballs back in the sauce to keep warm. Serve over mashed potatoes or egg noodles. Garnish with parsley, optional.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS ABOUT THIS RECIPE:

WHAT DO SWEDISH MEATBALLS TASTE LIKE?

What makes Swedish Meatballs different is the addition of unexpected spices to the meat mixture.

Everyone puts a little something different in theirs, but traditional Swedish Meatballs have allspice and nutmeg.

They are a nice spiced meatball that has a delicious sour cream sauce that goes over it, which really makes for the perfect pairing.

WHAT TO SERVE ALONGSIDE THESE?

They are great on their own, but you really want something that can absorb all that luscious sauce!

They are wonderful with mashed potatoes, any kind of pasta, over rice, or even riced cauliflower!

These also make the perfect appetizer! I mean who can go wrong with the perfect appetizer? I

love that this can be a main dish or an appetizer, making them so versatile.

ANY ADDITIONS?

Absolutely! Swedish meatballs go well with a variety of flavors.

• Green Beans: Add green beans to the slow cooker for a veggie twist.
• Bowl of Toothpicks: Turn these into a party appetizer by serving with toothpicks.
• Warm Spices: Experiment with adding more warm spices like cloves or ginger for extra flavor.
• Side Dishes: Pair with additional side dishes like roasted vegetables or a fresh salad.
• Rich Cream Sauce: Add a touch of cream cheese to the sauce for extra richness.
• Second Layer of Flavor: Introduce a second layer of flavor with a splash of white wine in the sauce.
• Traditional Meatballs Twist: Incorporate a bit of grated parmesan cheese into the meatball mix.
• Main Course or Appetizer: Serve over rice or pasta for a main course, or with a dipping sauce as an appetizer.

ANY SUBSTITUTIONS?

As always, I like to have plenty of options for you here.

• Skim Milk: Replace heavy cream with skim milk for a lighter sauce.
• Olive Oil for Vegetable Oil: Use olive oil for frying instead of vegetable oil for a healthier option.
• Different Type of Meatballs: Try using chicken or turkey meat for a lighter version of beef meatballs.
• Different Spices: Swap out allspice, nutmeg, and cinnamon with different spices like Italian seasoning for a different taste.
• Cornstarch Substitute: Use flour as a thickener if you don’t have cornstarch.

HOW TO STORE:

Stored in an airtight container or ziptop bag these easy Swedish Meatballs will last in the refrigerator for up to 3-4 days, you can reheat in a pot on the stove or in the microwave.

These can also be frozen, to do that place them in an airtight container or freezer bag, place them in the freezer and they will keep for 3-4 months.

Let defrost in the refrigerator overnight and reheat in a pot on the stove or in the microwave until heated through.

These Crockpot Swedish Meatballs are sooooo flavorful, they got rave reviews! Don’t let the spices in them intimidateyou or leave them out, they add a layer of flavor you can’t beat.

If you’ve tried these CROCKPOT SWEDISH MEATBALLS let me know in the comments how it turned out! You can follow me over on PINTEREST, INSTAGRAM OR FACEBOOK to find some more of our mouthwatering recipes!