With this simple recipe for baked Chicken Swedish Meatballs, you'll enjoy the flavors of the classic meatballs served with a creamy mushroom gravy. Serve them over egg noodles with a vegetable on the side for a complete dinner or make them smaller and serve as an appetizer.
When I was younger, I thought Swedish meatballs were actually an American food. I knew they were called Swedish meatballs, but I didn't believe that to be true for some reason. At the very least, they seemed to me like an Americanized version of a meatball—kind of like French fries. Even though they eat plenty of fries in France, you can't think of American fast food culture without thinking of fries. We seem to have claimed them as our own, as we unfortunately have a tendency to do.
Although I have yet to visit Sweden (though it's near the top of my list), I was happy to learn that they do eat these delicious nutmeg and allspice flavored meatballs. We didn't make them up. It wasn't just the Swedish Chef. In fact, they're kind of a big deal over there. That makes me appreciate them even more, and I look forward to a time when I can enjoy them in their home country.
Until then, I'll have to make my own.
😍 Why You'll Love These Meatballs
- There's just one step to cooking these meatballs. There's no need to brown them on the stove first. Just go ahead and bake them in one pan.
- Made with chicken, these Swedish meatballs are leaner and lighter than pork or beef meatballs. Some might even say they're a healthier version of the classic dish.
- Instead of commonly used breadcrumbs, fresh bread keeps the meatballs moist and tender.
For more comfort food recipes, try these:
- Pumpkin and Sage Risotto
- Zucchini Mushroom Pasta
- Beef and Stout Hotpot
- Creamy Garlic Parmesan Chicken Pasta
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🐔 Ingredients
Here's everything you need to make
Key Ingredients
- Ground chicken: Ground chicken may not be the most common meat for making Swedish meatballs, but it works surprisingly well. It's lighter (both in taste and fat) and milder in flavor compared to other options, allowing the seasonings and sauce to shine.
- Bread: Using bread rather than breadcrumbs is a great way to keep the meatballs moist.
- Mushrooms: Mushrooms flavor the cream sauce to serve over the meatballs.
- Broth: You'll need 2 ½ cups chicken broth (or vegetable) for the base of the sauce to serve over the meatballs.
- Nutmeg and allspice: Give the meatballs their distinctive Swedish meatball taste.
- Cream: To add rich creaminess to the meatball gravy, you can use either heavy cream or half and half.
- Worcestershire sauce: For a boost of umami in the meatballs and sauce.
See the recipe card below for the complete list of ingredients and quantities.
🐄 Substitutions & Variations
- Make appetizer-sized Swedish meatballs: Use about half as much of the meat mixture per meatball, aiming for 24 small balls rather than 12 large ones.
- Pork and/or beef meatballs: In place of the ground chicken, use pork, beef, or a combination of both meats.
- Make the gravy sauce even creamier: Whisk in two tablespoons of sour cream when you add the cream. Or add a little tang with a tablespoon of Dijon mustard. Whisk this in after incorporating the broth.
🥣 Instructions
How to make Chicken Swedish Meatballs.
- Step 1: Saute the onions in butter over medium heat for 3 minutes or until golden. Remove from the pan and allow to cool.
- Step 2: Slice the bread into cubes, add them to a large bowl, then pour over the milk. Let sit a couple of minutes to absorb.
- Step 3: Add the remaining meatball ingredients to the bowl and stir to combine.
- Step 4: Scoop the meat mixture onto a parchment lined baking sheet. It will be a wet mixture and that's ok.
- Step 5: Bake on a rack in the lower third of the oven for 25 minutes or until browned on top and the meatballs reach 165 degrees F.
- Step 6: While the meatballs bake, melt the butter in the pan, then add the chopped mushrooms. Cook until the mushrooms are soft and cooked down, about 4-5 minutes.
- Step 7: Stir in the flour and cook for a couple of minutes. The pan will be dry.
- Step 8: Slowly pour in the broth and whisk to incorporate it with the flour and mushroom mixture. Simmer the sauce on medium-low for 5-6 minutes or until it has thickened slightly.
- Step 9: Whisk in the cream, Worcestershire, nutmeg, and parsley. Simmer for another couple of minutes.
- Step 10: Pour the sauce over the baked chicken meatballs and serve over egg noodles, potatoes, or your choice of starch. If you like, top with more parsley.
🥄 Helpful Tips
- An ice cream scoop makes scooping out the meat mixture easy. It'll be too soft to do this part by hand.
- The meatball mixture will be soft and that's fine (it's why they stay moist). Scoop it out on the baking sheet and use wet hands to help shape into a round balls.
- If the meat mixture really is too soft you can pop it in the fridge for 15 minutes to firm up or stir in 2 tablespoons of breadcrumbs.
🥡 Storage
Store the meatballs in an airtight container in the fridge for up to four days.
🙋🏼♂️ FAQ
One of the easiest and best ways to cook Swedish meatballs is on a baking sheet in the oven. You can skip the common step of first browning them on the stove and instead brown and bake them all at once in the oven.
Both meatballs tend to use a mix of ground beef and pork. But as for the seasoning, one difference is the omission of grated cheese in Swedish meatballs, which is common in Italian ones. What makes the flavor of Swedish meatballs unique is the inclusion of allspice and nutmeg. The other differing component is the sauce. Italian meatballs are often served with a tomato sauce, while Swedish ones use a cream sauce.
You can serve Swedish meatballs with rice, egg noodles, mashed potatoes, or anything else that will absorb the sauce. Lingonberry jam is a common accompaniment to Swedish meatballs, but it’s not commonly found in stores in the United States. So any tart jam, such as cherry or cranberry is good.
🥔 Pairing
Wondering what to serve with these baked chicken Swedish meatballs? Try these recipes:
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📖 Recipe
The Best Chicken Swedish Meatballs
- Total Time: 55 minutes
- Yield: Serves 4
Description
With this simple recipe for baked chicken Swedish meatballs, you'll enjoy the flavors of the classic meatballs served with a creamy mushroom gravy. Serve them over egg noodles with vegetables on the side for a complete dinner or make them smaller and serve as an appetizer.
Ingredients
For the meatballs:
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 small onion, chopped
- 2 large slices of bread
- ¼ cup milk
- 1 pound ground chicken
- 1 large egg
- 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
- ¼ cup chopped parsley
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
- ½ teaspoon allspice
- ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
For the sauce:
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 cup finely chopped mushrooms (about 4 ounces)
- ¼ cup flour
- 2 ½ cups vegetable or chicken broth
- ¼ cup heavy cream or half and half
- ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
- ¼ cup chopped parsley
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375 °F. In a medium sauté pan, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Add the onion and cook until just softened and golden, about 3 minutes. Remove the onion from the pan and allow to cool.
- While the onion cooks, slice the bread into small cubes. Add the cubes to a large mixing bowl and pour over the milk. Toss the bread and milk, then let sit to absorb for a couple of minutes before adding the chicken, egg, Worcestershire sauce, parsley, salt, pepper, allspice, and nutmeg to the bowl. When the onions are cooled, add them to the bowl and stir well to combine.
- Line a baking sheet with parchment and set it next to your bowl. Scoop the meat into 12 even balls and place them on the baking sheet. Wet your hands and use them to help shape the meat into balls after scooping. Place the tray on a rack in the lower third of the oven and bake for about 25 minutes or until cooked through and the meatballs are lightly browned on top.
- While the meatballs bake, make the sauce. Melt the butter over medium heat in the same pan you used to cook the onions. Add the mushrooms and sauté for 3-4 minutes until softened and cooked down. Add the flour and stir to combine it with the mushrooms and butter. Cook for a couple of minutes until golden. Slowly whisk in the broth until incorporated with the mushrooms and flour.
- When combined, let simmer for 6-7 minutes or until the sauce thickens. Then add the cream, nutmeg, Worcestershire sauce, and parsley. Simmer another couple of minutes so the flavors have a chance to meld. Toss the baked meatballs with the creamy gravy sauce and serve over mashed potatoes, egg noodles, or rice.
Notes
The meatball mixture will be softer than typical meatballs. That's why I suggest scooping it onto your tray rather than trying to form balls. After scooping, wet your hands and use them to shape the meatballs into more of a round shape.
If the meat mix is too wet to work with, you can put the bowl in the fridge for about 15 minutes to firm up or stir in a couple of tablespoons of breadcrumbs.
- Prep Time: 30
- Cook Time: 25
- Category: Main Course
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: Swedish
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