Quick Swedish Meatball Sauce

Craving a quick and comforting meal? This Swedish meatball sauce recipe is the perfect solution — ready to serve over egg noodles or rice in just 20 minutes.

By using frozen meatballs as a shortcut, you'll have a tasty, family-friendly dinner ready in no time. What’s not to love?

What's Inside Swedish Meatball Sauce?

Swedish meatball sauce is crafted with just a few essential pantry ingredients:

Beef Broth
Beef broth gives the sauce its deep, savory flavor.

Heavy Cream
Heavy cream makes the sauce luxuriously smooth and creamy.

Flour
A touch of all-purpose flour helps thicken the sauce to the ideal consistency.

Soy Sauce
Soy sauce brings a rich umami taste and a bit of saltiness to the sauce.

Seasonings
All you need for this flavorful Swedish meatball sauce are black pepper and rosemary.

Meatballs
You'll need meatballs for this dish. This recipe calls for frozen cooked meatballs, though homemade ones work just as well.

How to Prepare Swedish Meatball Sauce

Making Swedish meatball sauce is incredibly simple — just two steps! Combine all ingredients in a saucepan and simmer until it thickens. Then, add the meatballs and cook until they’re heated through (and reach an internal temperature of 165°F).

How to Thicken Swedish Meatball Sauce

The all-purpose flour in this recipe should work perfectly to thicken your Swedish meatball sauce to the desired consistency. However, if it's still too thin, you can add a cornstarch slurry (mix 1 tablespoon of cornstarch with 2 tablespoons of water) to help it thicken.

What to Pair with Swedish Meatball Sauce

The classic way to enjoy Swedish meatballs is served over egg noodles or rice. Alternatively, you can serve them individually on toothpicks as a fun appetizer.

Looking for a side to go with Swedish meatballs on noodles or rice? Here are a few light side dish ideas.

Garlic Roasted Lemon Broccoli
Roasted Vegetables
Ultimate Caesar Salad

Alternatively, browse through our full selection of side dishes.

How to Store Swedish Meatballs

Store the Swedish meatball sauce in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to three to four days. Reheat in a saucepan or microwave when ready to serve.

Can You Freeze Swedish Meatball Sauce?

Unfortunately, this Swedish meatball sauce doesn't freeze well. The heavy cream tends to separate after freezing, which can ruin the smooth texture of the sauce.

Dinogo Community Feedback and Compliments

"I just whipped this up for dinner tonight. Absolutely amazing, and incredibly easy to make. I swapped rosemary for thyme, added a teaspoon of garlic powder, and a pinch of nutmeg. I kept going back for more, it was that good," says OODLES_OR.

"This recipe was a hit. It’s now my son’s favorite! We made a few tweaks, like omitting the rosemary and reducing the pepper. The second time we cooked the meatballs fully before adding them to the sauce, letting them simmer on low for 5 minutes, and they turned out perfect. We’ll definitely make this again," according to Connie.

"This was so simple and delicious! Even my 5-year-old gobbled it up! I used chicken stock since that’s what I had, and sautéed some onion. I ended up using a whole 20-ounce bag of meatballs to make sure I had leftovers. Such a fantastic and easy recipe," raves Hudson's Mama.

Editorial input by Bailey Fink

Ingredients List

• 1 cup beef stock

• 1 cup heavy cream

• 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour

• 1 tablespoon soy sauce

• ½ teaspoon ground black pepper, or more to taste

• ½ teaspoon dried rosemary, crushed, or more to taste

• 10 ounces frozen cooked meatballs, thawed

Instructions

Prepare all the ingredients.

In a large saucepan over low heat, whisk together stock, cream, flour, soy sauce, 1/2 teaspoon of pepper, and 1/2 teaspoon of rosemary until the mixture is smooth.

Cook, stirring occasionally, until the sauce has thickened, about 10 minutes.

Add the thawed meatballs and continue cooking for about 5 minutes, or until the meatballs are thoroughly heated. To check, insert an instant-read thermometer into the center of the meatballs — it should read at least 160°F (71°C).

Taste the sauce and adjust the seasonings as needed before serving.

Nutrition Information (per serving)