Chicken Swedish Meatballs Recipe - Easy Chicken Recipes (2024)

Home Chicken Dinners Chicken Swedish Meatballs

Becky Hardin

4.63 from 53 votes

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Served over mashed potatoes, noodles, or rice, these Chicken Swedish Meatballs are full of flavor and are sure to satisfy! The meatballs are made with ingredients like garlic powder and parmesan, while the sauce is deep with flavors from bone broth and dijon mustard. This is an easy dish you don’t want to miss out on!

Chicken Swedish Meatballs Recipe - Easy Chicken Recipes (1)

Easy Chicken Swedish Meatballs Recipe

Let’s be honest – we all love going to IKEA not just for the furniture, but for the Swedish meatballs! Those famous meatballs are the highlight of any trip to that store, and I’ve now mastered the easiest (and more delicious) at home version with chicken!

While there are an abundance of bases that you could serve these meatballs over, Mashed Potatoes are always my favorite! The way that they really soak up the sauce is heavenly. Really, once you try this savory sauce, you won’t want to miss any of it.

If you’re craving another chicken recipe that goes perfectly with mashed potatoes, you need to make my Crockpot Chicken Marsala!

Chicken Swedish Meatballs Recipe - Easy Chicken Recipes (2)

Chicken Swedish Meatballs Recipe - Easy Chicken Recipes (3)

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How to make Swedish Meatballs with Ground Chicken

Be sure to see the recipe card below for full ingredients & instructions!

  1. Combine the meatball ingredients.
  2. Roll the meatballs and place them on a prepared baking sheet.
  3. Bake the meatballs.
  4. Melt the butter and whisk in the flour.
  5. Add chicken broth, dijon mustard, sour cream, and parmesan cheese to the mix.
  6. Stir everything together to combine.
  7. Once the meatballs are cooked, move them to the saucepan and simmer them for 5 minutes.
  8. Garnish with parsley.
  9. Serve with mashed potatoes (or another base of your choice) and cranberry sauce on the side. Enjoy!
Chicken Swedish Meatballs Recipe - Easy Chicken Recipes (4)

Can I just use frozen meatballs with this sauce?

Sure, but you should know that frozen meatballs won’t be nearly as good as these homemade ones! Typically, frozen meatballs turn out dry and lackluster when it comes to flavor.

Avoid disappointing meatballs by making an easy batch of fresh ones!

Will other meats work with this recipe?

Yes! While I prefer chicken meatballs, you can follow this exact recipe with ground pork, ground beef, and ground turkey. Or even a combination of different meats!

How long will they stay fresh?

In an airtight container in the fridge, Swedish chicken meatballs will stay fresh for up to 3 days. Make sure to save all of that sauce, too!

Chicken Swedish Meatballs Recipe - Easy Chicken Recipes (5)

Recipe Tips and Notes

  • Use a scooper to make sure all of your meatballs are the exact same size. That way, they don’t just look the same when presented, but they’ll also cook evenly.
  • For a lighter fare, serve these chicken meatballs and sauce over zoodles instead of potatoes, rice or egg noodles.
  • Do you really love cheese? Sprinkle a little extra parmesan on the final product! It’ll melt wonderfully into the warm sauce.

These chicken Swedish meatballs are the ultimate comfort food when served over the base of your choice! If you love IKEA’s Swedish meatballs, you’re going to obsess over this super easy and delicious dinner recipe.

Chicken Swedish Meatballs Recipe - Easy Chicken Recipes (6)

4.63 from 53 votes

Chicken Swedish Meatballs

Served over mashed potatoes, noodles, or rice, these Chicken Swedish Meatballs are full of flavor and are sure to satisfy! The meatballs are made with ingredients like garlic powder and parmesan, while the sauce is deep with flavors from bone broth and dijon mustard. This is an easy dish you don't want to miss out on!

Prep: 10 minutes minutes

Cook: 35 minutes minutes

Total Time: 45 minutes minutes

Servings: 6 people

Chicken Swedish Meatballs Recipe - Easy Chicken Recipes (7)

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Ingredients

For the meatballs:

  • 2 pounds ground chicken
  • 1 cup Panko breadcrumbs
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 medium onion finely diced
  • 1 cup Parmesan cheese shredded
  • 1 teaspoon garlic powder
  • ½ teaspoon sea salt
  • ½ teaspoon black pepper
  • ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg

For the sauce:

  • 6 tablespoons salted butter
  • 1/3 cups all-purpose flour
  • 4 cups chicken bone broth
  • ¼ teaspoon black pepper
  • 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
  • ¾ cup sour cream
  • ¼ cup Parmesan cheese

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 400°F and line a baking sheet with a silicone mat

  • In a large bowl combine meatball ingredients by hand

  • Measure and roll approximately 40 (1 inch) meatballs and placed on your prepared baking sheet.

  • Place baking sheet into preheated oven and cook for 30 minutes.

  • In a large sauce pan over medium heat, melt butter and whisk in flour. Cook for about one minute until bubbly. Add chicken broth, pepper, Dijon mustard, sour cream, Parmesan cheese and stir to combine. Once a low boil is reached, reduce heat to low and continue to simmer until meatballs are done.

  • Once meatballs are cooked, immediately move them to the sauce pan to simmer for 5 minutes.

  • Garnish with parsley and serve with mashed potatoes and cranberry sauce.

Notes

  • I recommend a silicone baking mat instead of cooking spray to limit the amount of oil on the baking sheet. But if that’s all you have on hand cooking spray will work just fine.
  • Also make these meatballs with ground turkey or ground beef or ground pork or any combination of these!
  • These meatballs can be served over rice, mashed potatoes or noodles or even zoodles. Our favorite way to serve this is with mashed potatoes and cranberry sauce just like at Ikea.
  • Use a cookie scoop to measure out equal meatballs.
  • This dish can be frozen in a freezer bag once it has cooled to room temperature. To thaw, place in a bowl of water until the bag releases then transfer to a pot on the stove or heat them up in the slow cooker.

Nutrition Facts

Chicken Swedish Meatballs

Amount Per Serving

Calories 559Calories from Fat 333

% Daily Value*

Fat 37g57%

Saturated Fat 18g113%

Trans Fat 1g

Cholesterol 244mg81%

Sodium 1429mg62%

Potassium 1064mg30%

Carbohydrates 17g6%

Fiber 1g4%

Sugar 3g3%

Protein 39g78%

Vitamin A 777IU16%

Vitamin C 13mg16%

Calcium 335mg34%

Iron 3mg17%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Author: Becky Hardin

Course:Appetizer

Cuisine:American

Did You Make This?We love seeing what you’ve made! Tag us on social media at@easychickenrecipesfor a chance to be featured.

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Chicken Swedish Meatballs Recipe - Easy Chicken Recipes (14)

Meet Becky Hardin

Becky Hardin founded Easy Chicken Recipes in 2018. She has been creating trusted, easy, and delicious recipes on the web since 2012. Becky is known for simple dinner ideas, delicious crockpot recipes, creative chicken meals, and so much more. We have built a team of recipe developers, testers, and writers that love to create trust chicken recipes for every family.

Reader Interactions

Leave a Review

  1. Chicken Swedish Meatballs Recipe - Easy Chicken Recipes (15)Quest Ion says

    Hi, if I was grinding the chicken myself, what cut should I use? Breast, thigh, or tenderloin?

    Reply

    • Chicken Swedish Meatballs Recipe - Easy Chicken Recipes (16)Becky Hardin says

      Any would be good!

      Reply

      • Chicken Swedish Meatballs Recipe - Easy Chicken Recipes (17)Laverne Godwin says

        Thank you for your reply! God bless you!

        Reply

  2. Chicken Swedish Meatballs Recipe - Easy Chicken Recipes (18)Laverne Godwin says

    Can I use 1/2 grated Parmesan and 1/2 shredded Fiesta cheese?

    Reply

    • Chicken Swedish Meatballs Recipe - Easy Chicken Recipes (19)Becky Hardin says

      It could work!

      Reply

  3. Chicken Swedish Meatballs Recipe - Easy Chicken Recipes (20)Emma says

    Chicken Swedish Meatballs Recipe - Easy Chicken Recipes (21)
    I just made it! So good I’m eating the sauce before anything else lol

    Reply

    • Chicken Swedish Meatballs Recipe - Easy Chicken Recipes (22)Becky Hardin says

      The sauce is amazing!

      Reply

  4. Chicken Swedish Meatballs Recipe - Easy Chicken Recipes (23)CS says

    Chicken Swedish Meatballs Recipe - Easy Chicken Recipes (24)
    Wonderful just made this dish super easy and delicious. I agree with other reviews the sauce is very tasty. Thank you.

    Reply

    • Chicken Swedish Meatballs Recipe - Easy Chicken Recipes (25)Becky Hardin says

      I’m so glad you enjoyed it!!

      Reply

  5. Chicken Swedish Meatballs Recipe - Easy Chicken Recipes (26)Patty says

    Not enough flavor in the sauce! Boring . Recipe is too large. Needs something. Hopefully it tastes better tomorrow

    Reply

    • Chicken Swedish Meatballs Recipe - Easy Chicken Recipes (27)Becky Hardin says

      I’m sorry to hear you didn’t enjoy this recipe, Patty! You can adjust the number of serving with the slider on the recipe card!

      Reply

  6. Chicken Swedish Meatballs Recipe - Easy Chicken Recipes (28)Deborah Middaugh says

    Chicken Swedish Meatballs Recipe - Easy Chicken Recipes (29)
    I agree with another commenter they sauce was bland. I did not have fresh parmigiana. Just. I did add some shredded parm from store I added onion powder to the sauce which helped.

    Reply

    • Chicken Swedish Meatballs Recipe - Easy Chicken Recipes (30)Becky Hardin says

      I’m sorry to hear you didn’t enjoy this recipe, Deborah!

      Reply

  7. Chicken Swedish Meatballs Recipe - Easy Chicken Recipes (31)Caroline Faber says

    Love the meatballs

    Reply

    • Chicken Swedish Meatballs Recipe - Easy Chicken Recipes (32)Becky Hardin says

      Thanks so much for stopping by, Caroline!

      Reply

  8. Chicken Swedish Meatballs Recipe - Easy Chicken Recipes (33)CoachMichelle says

    Chicken Swedish Meatballs Recipe - Easy Chicken Recipes (34)
    Recipe was easy to follow- Mines came out AMAZING !

    Reply

    • Chicken Swedish Meatballs Recipe - Easy Chicken Recipes (35)Becky Hardin says

      I’m so happy to hear you loved this recipe, Michelle!!

      Reply

Chicken Swedish Meatballs Recipe - Easy Chicken Recipes (2024)

FAQs

Why are my chicken meatballs dense? ›

A small amount of breadcrumbs, no more than 1/4 cup of fine crumbs per pound of meat, hold in the juices. Adding, more bread crumbs makes for a heavy and dense meatball so keep the bread crumbs to a minimum.

Do you beat eggs before adding to meatballs? ›

Vincenzo's Top Tips To Make Italian Meatballs

You can whisk the egg separately before adding it to the bowl too if you prefer! The are the best utensil in the kitchen is none other than… Your HANDS! It can definitely massage and combine ingredients really well!

What is the difference between Swedish meatballs and regular meatballs? ›

Swedish meatballs have a delicate flavor and a soft, juicy texture. They tend to be moister than most other types of meatballs due to the pork and beef mixture they're made from. The sauce for Swedish meatballs has a creamy texture and is flavored with a mixture of beef broth and sour cream.

Where did the recipe for Swedish meatballs come from? ›

ikea restaurants made them famous all over the world: Köttbullar, or Swedish meatballs. Sweden has now revealed that the recipe for its iconic dish actually came from Turkey. It was brought to the Scandinavian country by King Charles XII, who lived in exile in the Ottoman Empire in the early 18th-century.

How do you keep chicken meatballs from falling apart? ›

Add a lightly beaten egg, but not too much. Egg acts as a binder for the ingredients, but you only need a small amount. One small egg will do for one pound of minced meat.

How do you know when chicken meatballs are done? ›

You'll know the meatballs are cooked when they register 165°F on an instant-read thermometer.

What not to do when making meatballs? ›

5 Mistakes to Avoid When Making Meatballs
  1. Not seasoning the meat.
  2. Not adding any moisture to the meat.
  3. Over-mixing the meat.
  4. Not shaping the meatballs correctly.
  5. Not forming evenly-sized meatballs.
May 1, 2019

Why do my meatballs fall apart when I cook them? ›

Because meat shrinks when cooked, mince proteins are likely to separate and crumble unless bound together. Whether it's breadcrumbs or egg (or both), or simply salt, binding the mince is a crucial step in maintaining the softness of your meatballs while preventing them from falling apart.

Can I use mayo instead of eggs in meatballs? ›

Yes. There are recipes that call for plain yogurt and mayonnaise instead of eggs. But keep in mind that mayonnaise is made with eggs. If someone has an egg allergy you should not use mayonnaise.

What is the sauce for Swedish meatballs made from? ›

The sauce for Swedish Meatballs is a creamy gravy that is made with butter, beef broth/stock, thickened with flour and made creamy with cream. But the most important flavour for the a really good creamy gravy is the pan drippings after searing the meatballs.

Why do Swedish meatballs taste so good? ›

The Seasoning

While both varieties include ingredients such as grated onion and panade (milk-soaked bread) or bread crumbs, plus the usual salt and pepper, Swedish meatballs traditionally use spices like allspice, nutmeg, white pepper, and sometimes ground ginger as flavoring.

How do you keep Swedish meatballs from falling apart? ›

Eggs: Eggs help bind the meatballs together so they don't fall apart. They also help keep the meatballs soft and tender. Bread crumbs: Bread crumbs are almost always used in meatball recipes because they absorb the fat and, along with the eggs, serve as a binder.

What are real Swedish meatballs made of? ›

Mix ground beef, ground pork, egg, brown sugar, salt, black pepper, nutmeg, allspice, and ginger with onion in the mixing bowl. Lightly mix in bread crumbs and cream. Melt 1 tablespoon butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Pinch off about 1 1/2 tablespoon meat mixture per meatball; form into balls.

What is a fact about Swedish meatballs? ›

When it comes to the Swedish meatball it is thought that it was brought to Sweden by King Charles XII when he returned from Istanbul in 1713. The first recipe for meatballs in print was in the Cajsa Warg Cookbook in 1754.

How to keep meatballs from being dense? ›

First, using a food processor to make meatballs is not advised unless it is to grind the meat, per Cuisinart. Bon Appétit mandates using your hands so you can feel the point when the ingredients are incorporated and not continue to work the mixture into a dense paste, which will equal heavy meatballs.

What makes meatballs firmer? ›

I add ground pork (around 30%) to my meatballs to create a more solid meatball. And don't over add bread crumbs, too much of a good thing can make it fall apart. Sometimes, I add Italian sausage in place of straight pork.

Why is my chicken breast dense? ›

Woody breast is a myopathy/muscle disease in the muscle of chicken. Essentially, it's a disorder where the chicken's muscle fibres don't function properly, leading to a hard, rubbery texture in the meat. The abnormal development of the muscle fibres is what leads to the hard consistency after death.

How do you make meatballs not rubbery? ›

You asked: What's the secret to tender meatballs?
  1. Don't overmix. When meatballs are tough, it's often because they've been overworked. ...
  2. Check the fat content. Leaner meat can easily result in dry meatballs, which need to be fully cooked to be served safely. ...
  3. Consider the other ingredients. ...
  4. Choose the right cooking method.
Mar 22, 2024

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