Homemade Swedish meatballs are so simple with this delicious slow cooker recipe! With just a few tweaks to this traditional dish, you can make a filling meal with a sweet and savory sauce that will leave everyone scraping their bowls for more!

Slow Cooker Swedish Meatballs served on plate

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What’s To Love About This Recipe

I used to think I needed a trip to Ikea to warrant an order of Swedish meatballs. (Anyone else??) Now, I no longer have to take on furniture projects to try this amazing dish; this homemade recipe is so tasty and easy enough to make any day of the week.
If you’re stuck in a recipe rut but want to try something you know everyone will love, this one would be perfect! Use everyday ingredients to make the meatballs and add a little extra sweetness by adding blackberry preserves to the gravy.
This recipe is written to incorporate your own meatballs made from scratch. However, you can also use a store-bought option in a similar flavor profile to save a few steps!
The rich, creamy gravy is reason enough to make the whole meal! Choose your favorite noodles, rice, or potatoes to serve alongside the meatballs and enjoy every last spoonful.

What are Swedish Meatballs?

A traditional Swedish meatball dish includes meatballs made from mixed ground pork and beef, a creamy gravy, sweet lingonberry jam, and allspice seasoning.

There is some debate about the recipe’s origin, but the sweet meatballs-and-gravy combination was most likely discovered in Turkey centuries ago. Swedish meatballs differ from other meatball dishes because of the signature cream-based gravy and the addition of lingonberries or preserves.

To make classic Swedish meatballs slow-cooker-friendly, I’ve made a few adaptations for both taste and convenience. I’m confident you will love the results!

Ingredients Needed

Mix up your own Swedish meatballs at home with a list of simple ingredients and serve with made-from-scratch gravy and frozen noodles.

To save even more time, you could use a store-bought frozen or refrigerated meatball instead, but it is important to select a flavor that works with the overall recipe. Skip Italian meatballs due to the seasoning differences, but a homestyle or plain chicken meatball will do.

Add these ingredients to your list!

Meatballs

Ground chicken and ground pork – Use ground chicken for a lighter flavor and texture, or substitute ground beef if you prefer a more traditional recipe. Ground pork combines well with either meat. Whichever meat combination you choose, ensure the meat is lean to prevent added grease once it is in the slow cooker.
Panko bread crumbs – I prefer using panko bread crumbs so that the meatball doesn’t become too “cakey.” Some recipes use regular breadcrumbs, which results in a lighter texture. If you need to, you can also use gluten-free panko.
Half and half – Soak the panko bread crumbs in half and half for extra richness. This also keeps the meatballs from drying out!
Egg – Add an egg to bind the meatball ingredients together and keep them from breaking apart during cooking.
Seasonings – You probably already have each of these in your pantry! Just a bit of garlic powder, dried minced onion, salt, nutmeg, and allspice results in a deliciously seasoned meatball.
Beef broth – Cook the meatballs in beef broth, which will also be used to make the creamy gravy at the end.

Noodles and Gravy

Butter – Divide up the butter to brown the meatballs and also to create a nice roux for the gravy base.
Flour – Use a regular all-purpose flour or swap out a gluten-free all-purpose flour if needed.
Sour cream – This adds a creamy thickness to the gravy and a bit of a tangy flavor.
Seedless blackberry preserves – Blackberry preserves are a close alternative to the traditional lingonberry jam used in many Swedish meatball recipes. A jar of seedless preserves is an easy addition, and I like to add them both for a slight sweetness and to thicken up the gravy without using too much flour.
Reames Frozen Egg Noodles – I love keeping a package of frozen egg noodles in the freezer to serve with slow cooker comfort foods. These are the perfect size and texture to serve with a generous amount of creamy gravy. If this brand is unavailable near you, look for traditional Amish egg noodles for similar taste and texture.

multiple ingredients including ground chicken and pork, spices, cheeses, butter, and butter displayed on table

How To Make Swedish Meatballs In The Slow Cooker

With a little prep on the front end, you can get the meatballs into the slow cooker early in the day, freeing you up to focus on other things around mealtime. Whisk the gravy and cook the noodles, and you will be minutes away from dinner on the table!

Add the ground meat to a large bowl.
Mix together panko bread crumbs and half and half and let it soak for 5 minutes.
Add the soaked bread crumbs, egg, and seasonings to the ground meat, and mix with your hand until just combined.

ground chicken and ground pork in bowl next to wooden spoon

Heat 1 tablespoon of butter or olive oil in a skillet or multi-cooker.
Form the meat mixture into ping-pong-sized balls and place them in a single layer in the skillet or multi-cooker.

Brown meatballs on each side for about 2 minutes, then transfer them to the slow cooker.
Add the beef broth, cover the slow cooker, and cook on low for about 6 hours or high for about 3 hours.

cooked swedish meatballs in sauce in slow cooker

cooked swedish meatballs in sauce in slow cooker with broth being poured on top

To make the gravy, heat the remaining 4 tablespoons of butter in a skillet.
Whisk in the flour until smooth.
Slowly pour in the broth from the slow cooker and continue to whisk the mixture.
Next, add in blackberry preserves and sour cream and bring the gravy to a simmer while continuing to whisk until the sauce thickens (about 5 minutes). If the sauce is too thin, whisk in a slurry of 1 or 2 tablespoons of cornstarch mixed with an equal amount of water.

butter and panko crumbs mixed together in pan

Cook the noodles according to the package directions.
Serve meatballs with sauce over the noodles and garnish with parsley, if desired.

Slow Cooker Swedish Meatballs cooked in slow cooker with wooden spoon picking up 4 meatballs

What To Serve With Swedish Meatballs

Since creamy gravy is an essential component of any Swedish meatball recipe, you must have some delicious carbs to soak up every last bit! Besides frozen egg noodles, other yummy options include fettuccine pasta, fluffy white rice or Mashed Potatoes.

Choose a veggie like Oven Roasted Carrots or Sautéed Green Beans with Garlic and you’ll have a complete, delicious meal to serve those you love.

Slow Cooker Swedish Meatballs in slow cooker next to pasta

Storing and Reheating

Store leftover meatballs and gravy in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. You can freeze them in a sealed container for up to 3 months, however, the gravy will not preserve well in the freezer. I recommend mixing up a new gravy with fresh broth for any meatballs that have been stored in the freezer.

To reheat, defrost in the fridge and add to a skillet on the stove or use the microwave.