The closest IKEA store is about an hour away from my home. I’ve visited it many times, and every now and then my schedule is such that I’ll end up eating in their restaurant. And what do I choose when I dine there? Their (in)famous Swedish Meatballs, of course! So, when I came across a “copycat” recipe for them, I decided to give it a try.
The one thing that was somewhat off-putting, though, was the prospect of making all those miniature meatballs. I searched for some time to find a tool for making them that didn’t require hours of scooping and rolling them by hand. Eventually, I did find just such a tool. As you might guess, it’s called a Mini Meat Baller and is made by a company called Surfix. I purchased mine through Amazon. This very handy gadget is made from food-grade plastic and is super easy to use.
Just press the meat mixture into the holes until they are filled, scraping off the excess. Then place a dish or pan under it to catch the grease and cook in a microwave oven for 2 1/2 minutes. The result is 55 mini meatballs, 3/4″ in size – perfect for this recipe and others that call for miniature meatballs such as Italian Wedding Soup. They’re not perfectly round, but who’s going to complain?
Adapted from Go Go Go Gourmet
Copycat IKEA Swedish Meatballs
Description
A copycat recipe for the Swedish Meatballs and sauce served in IKEA store restaurants.
Adapted from Go Go Go Gourmet
Ingredients
Meatballs
Sauce
Instructions
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In a large bowl, combine all ingredients for the meatballs and mix thoroughly.
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If you have a Mini Meat Baller, make the meatballs by pressing the meat mixture into the holes until filled, place a dish or pan under it, and cook in a microwave oven for 2 1/2 minutes. Repeat until all the meat mixture has been cooked.
If you do not have a Mini Meat Baller, form roughly 1" sized meatballs by hand. Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat, then brown the meatballs on all sides in the skillet.
Meatballs do not have to be fully cooked at this step; they will finish cooking in the sauce.
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To make the sauce, melt butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Whisk in the flour and cook for 1-2 minutes.
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Slowly whisk in the beef broth, stirring until smooth. Add meatballs to the skillet and cook for 10 minutes.
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Gently add in sour cream and mustard, and stir until well combined. When serving, garnish with parsley if desired.
Servings 8
- Amount Per Serving
- Calories 471kcal
- % Daily Value *
- Total Fat 27g42%
- Saturated Fat 13g65%
- Cholesterol 167mg56%
- Sodium 784mg33%
- Potassium 573mg17%
- Total Carbohydrate 16g6%
- Dietary Fiber 1g4%
- Sugars 4g
- Protein 38g76%
- Calcium 7 mg
- Iron 23 mg
- Vitamin D 40 IU
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily value may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.
Notes
- Serving suggestions:
- Serve over egg noodles or mashed potatoes
- Add a spoonful of your favorite fruit compote on the side (IKEA serves it with Lingonberry preserves)
- When using the Mini Meat Baller, the meat mixture will produce a very large number of meatballs. Depending on your appetite, you may consider freezing some of them for a future meal.
