These are the best ever Homemade Meatballs and Gravy - they're like the IKEA-style meatballs and gravy but made with ground beef and turkey. The gravy is so delicious, you'll want to drizzle it over everything!
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Why This Recipe Stands Out
This is one of my husband's favorite recipes! Here's why it stands out:
- Winning Combination: A combination of ground beef and ground turkey or chicken makes for a very juicy and flavorful meatball.
- Perfect Texture: The meatballs are fried, which allows for a beautiful toasty and crispy exterior while keeping the inside tender and juicy.
- Creamy Swedish Meatballs Sauce: Our Gravy has a ton of delicate flavor and complements the meatballs perfectly.
- Complete Meal: The meatballs and gravy can be served as an appetizer or a main course, making it a versatile dish for any occasion.
- Easy to Serve: These meatballs and the gravy are the perfect make-ahead dish for any party. Just cook and reheat before serving!
Key Ingredients
- Ground Beef and Ground Turkey - These are the stars of our meatballs. They are healthier and lighter than using only beef. They add a lot of moisture and flavor.
- White Bread - We use white bread soaked in milk as a soft, moist binder in our meatballs. It's a great trick for keeping meatballs tender and moist.
- Onion - Finely minced onion adds a nice flavor to the meatballs. It also adds moisture and helps keep the meatballs tender.
- Beef Broth - We use beef broth to make a simple and delicious gravy. It adds a lot of savory flavor to the dish.
- Half and Half - We use half and half to add creaminess to our gravy. If you don't have half and half, you can use a mixture of milk and heavy cream.
Substitutions and Variations
Here are some of our favorite substitutions and variations:
- Meat: While we use a combination of ground beef and ground turkey for the meatballs, feel free to use all beef or all turkey, depending on your preference.
- Herbs: We use thyme in our meatballs, but feel free to experiment with other herbs. Rosemary, oregano, or an Italian seasoning blend would all work beautifully.
- Paprika: Our gravy gets a flavor and color boost from paprika, but you could also use smoked paprika for a different flavor, or even a little bit of tomato paste to thicken and flavor the gravy.
How to Make Meatballs and Gravy
Step 1: Soak bread in water for 10 minutes. Meanwhile, sauté onion in a skillet.
Step 2: In a mixing bowl, combine ground beef, turkey, sautéedinion, thyme, salt, pepper, and soaked bread. Mix well and form 1-inch meatballs.
Step 3: Roll the meatballs in breadcrumbs. In a skillet, fry them in olive oil until cooked through.
Step 3: In the same skillet, melt butter and stir in flour. Gradually whisk in warmed broth. Add half and half, salt, pepper, paprika, and simmer.
Step 4: Add meatballs to the gravy and simmer for another 1-2 minutes. Garnish with parsley and serve with Lingonberry jam.
For full list of ingredients and instructions, see recipe card below.
What to Serve with Meatballs and Gravy
Potatoes
- My favorite dish to serve these meatballs is with my homemade mashed potatoes. You can drizzle the gravy all over the potatoes for an even more satisfying bite.
- In addition, I recommend serving meatballs with Lingonberry preserve. It has a sweet and tart profile and nicely compliments the meatballs.
- For an extra comforting meal, try serving the meatballs with a side of buttery egg noodles.
Rice and Grains
- For a lighter, healthier option, try serving the meatballs with a side of quinoa or brown rice.
- We love serving these meatballs over a bed of fluffy basmati rice. The rice soaks up the delicious gravy and makes for a super satisfying meal.
Frequently Asked Questions
Absolutely. Place shaped meatballs on a parchment lined baking tray. Bake in a preheat to 400 F oven for 25-30 minutes or until internal temperature reaches 160 F and meatballs are nice and brown.
If you don't have half and half, you can replace it with half milk and half heavy cream. For this recipe, you will need ¼ cup of milk and ¼ cup of cream to substitute for ½ cup of half and half.
Soaking the bread in water serves two purposes. First, it helps to keep the meatballs moist by adding extra moisture to the mixture. Second, it acts as a binding agent, helping the meatballs hold their shape and not fall apart during cooking.
The meatballs and gravy can be kept in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Make sure to store them in an airtight container to maintain their freshness.
If you make this recipe, please leave me a comment below and rate it. I always appreciate the feedback. Also, you can follow me on Facebook, Instagram, or Pinterest.
Recipe
Meatballs And Gravy Recipe
Ingredients
For the meatballs
For the gravy
- 2 teaspoon all-purpose flour
- 2 c beef broth
- ½ c half and half replace with ¼ c milk + ¼ c cream
- 1 tablespoon paprika
- 1 teaspoon butter
- ⅓ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon pepper
Instructions
To make meatballs
- Place bread in a medium bowl and pour 1 cup of water. Allow bread to soak for 10 minutes. (Soaked bread will help to bind the meat together)
- Meanwhile, heat olive oil in a medium skillet and over medium heat. Add onion and sauté for 5-7 minutes until translucent.
- In a large mixing bowl add ground beef and turkey, sautéed onion, thyme, salt, and pepper. Mash the soaked bread with your fingers and add in to a bowl as well. Gently mix all the ingredients with your hands or with a spoon until combined.
- Using a teaspoon to pinch off the meat, roll it into 1-inch meatballs. Wet your hands from time to time to make smoother meatballs.
- Dredge meatballs in breadcrumbs.
- Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a large non-stick skillet and over medium heat. Fry the meatballs in batches until they are browned on all sides and cooked through, about 10 minutes. Transfer the meatballs to a paper towel lined plate.
To make gravy
- Wipe off the pan and on a medium heat melt butter. Add 2 teaspoon of flour and stir until light beige, about 2 minutes.
- Whisking continuously, start adding slightly warmed broth, 1 ladle at a time. Make sure there are no lumps of flour remaining in the broth.
- Whisk in half and half, salt, pepper, paprika and simmer on a medium-low heat for 5 minutes.
- Add meatballs to the pan and simmer for another 1-2 minutes.
- Sprinkle with parsley and serve with a side of Lingonberry jam for an ultimate Ikea experience:)
Notes
Nutrition
More Meatball Recipes You'll Enjoy
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- Baked Mustard Chicken Meatballs - These baked mustard chicken meatballs feature lightly seared balls of ground chicken, rice, and spices baked in a creamy mustard sauce.
- Easy Baked Meatballs with Gruyere Fondue - These Easy Baked Meatballs with Gruyere Fondue are a true winter comfort food. They are loaded with comforting flavors.
- Vegan Meatballs - These easy Vegan Meatballs will give you the perfect meatless meatballs in a recipe that's both healthy and delicious!
Iryna Bychkiv is the founder and writer of the culinary website Lavender & Macarons, where she shares clean, European-inspired recipes that are delicious, easy to prepare, and made with wholesome ingredients. Iryna loves creating meals that are simple yet healthy and unique, including vegan and vegetarian recipes.
Iryna is also a freelance writer for MSN and Associated Press Wire.
Lilly says
The recipe says 2teaspns flour for thickening this isn't enough for 3cups of liquid. recipe needs to be adjusted
Veena Azmanovv says
Thanks for your awesome recipe. This looks divine and mouth melting and cheesy.
Iryna says
thanks Veena!
Morgan Eisenberg says
It has been way. too. long. since I had Ikea Swedish meatballs, making these and fixing that immediately!
Keeley says
Oh yum! I just love meatballs and these look delicious!
Kate says
Sounds so yummy and comforting! Thanks for the idea!
Whitney says
The gravy looks so good!! Can't wait to try this.