Yes! IKEA finally shared its famous meatballs recipe. Or did it?

Apart from flat packed furniture IKEA sells more than a billion of its meatballs every year. Frankly we’re not surprised, the succulent creamy snacks are famous for a reason. The only thing is, you have to go to an IKEA to get them. Well that’s not entirely true. Lately new articles have been popping up, rejoicing the fact that IKEA just shared its famous meatballs recipe. In truth the Swedish store shared its recipe back in 2020 to enjoy in the comfort of your own home. So what’s up with this “new realization”? No idea, but the balls are amazing, so if you haven’t made them yet now is the time.

IKEA meatballs recipe

Sometimes simple snacks can be way tastier than the most complicated fancy restaurant dinner. That is definitely the case with these Swedish meatballs. The recipe calls for 17 ingredients, that you basically mix together and throw into a frying pan and oven. So let’s get started.

Ingredients meatballs

  • 500 gr beef mince
  • 250 gr pork mince
  • 1 onion
  • 1 clove of garlic
  • 100 gr breadcrumbs
  • 1 egg
  • 5 tablespoons of whole milk
  • salt and pepper

Ingredients cream sauce

  • Dash of oil
  • 49 gr butter
  • 40 gr plain flour
  • 150 ml vegetable stock
  • 150 ml beef stock
  • 150 ml double cream
  • 2 teaspoons of soy sauce
  • 1 teaspoon of Dijon mustard

Making your IKEA meatballs

Step 1

Chop the onion and mince the garlic clove. Then add the minced pork and beef to a bowl and combine it with your fingers (IKEA says so, maybe wear gloves). Next add the onion, garlic, egg, and breadcrumbs to the bowl and mix further. Finally add the milk, salt and pepper and mix to get a homogenous mass.

IKEA meatballs recipe. It’s in Japanese, but hey it’s pretty straightforward.

Step 2

Next up it’s time to form the balls. So get your hands dirty again and shape the meatballs. Of course you can go as big as you want, but originally they’re pretty small. Place them on a clean plate and refrigerate for 2 hours. This will keep them from falling apart when you’re ready to cook them.

IKEA meatballs shape the balls
Shaping the meatballs / Screenshot: IKEA

Step 3

Preheat your oven to 180 degrees celsius (356 fahrenheit). Heat oil in a frying pan on medium heat and add your meatballs when the oil is nice and hot. Brown the meatballs on all sides and place them in an ovenproof dish. Cover the dish and add it to the oven. Cook for about 30 minutes.

IKEA meatballs recipe
Into the frying pan / Screenshot: IKEA

Step 4

In the meantime it’s time to start making the iconic Swedish cream sauce. First melt the butter in a pan and whisk in the plain flower. Stir for 2 minutes and add the vegetable and beef stock. Continue stirring for a bit, then add the double cream, soy sauce, and Dijon mustard. Bring the mixture to a simmer and let the sauce thicken.

Time to eat

When the meatballs and sauce are ready, it’s time to dig in. Place the meatballs on a plate and start drizzling with that sauce. What makes these meatballs so special? It’s probably the mixture of different meat minces and the two different stocks. Obviously the double cream also does wonders. Bon appétit!

IKEA swedish meatballs
Time to dig in / Screenshot: IKEA

Origin of the meatballs

Curious about the origins of the famous meatballs? The year was 1986, the time of mixtapes, The Color Purple, and the year that Boris Becker won Wimbledon. Check out the video below to find out why the meatballs were almost a necessity.

That’s it for the balls, we really don’t have anything more to say about them at this point. If you’re looking for more easy and tasty recipes, we have a great smoked trout with balsamic beetroot carpaccio appetizer for you.

Header image: IKEA

Ilona Braam

Ilona is a Digital Media Design graduate, content writer/creator and a whole bunch of other things. A few words that would describe her are jolly, creative, nerdy, curious and a bit dark.