Description
This Instant Pot Swedish Meatballs recipe offers a delicious and comforting dish featuring tender meatballs in a creamy, savory gravy. The recipe combines ground pork and lean beef with classic spices, then uses the Instant Pot to brown, pressure cook, and simmer the meatballs in a rich gravy made with butter, flour, beef broth, and sour cream. It’s an easy, flavorful meal perfect for weeknight dinners, serving 8 with a total time of about 1 hour.
Ingredients
Scale
Meatballs
- 1 pound ground pork
- 1 pound lean ground beef
- ½ cup breadcrumbs (Panko recommended)
- 1 medium onion, finely chopped or shredded
- 2 large egg yolks
- ½ teaspoon salt, or to taste
- ½ teaspoon black pepper, or to taste
- ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- ¼ teaspoon ground allspice
- ⅓ cup milk
- 2 tablespoons olive oil, for frying
Gravy
- 6 tablespoons unsalted butter
- ⅓ cup all-purpose flour
- 3 cups low-sodium beef broth
- ¼ teaspoon salt, or to taste
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper, or to taste
- ¾ cup sour cream
- 1 tablespoon fresh dill, chopped
- 1 tablespoon fresh parsley, chopped
Instructions
- Make Meatballs: In a large bowl, combine ground pork, lean ground beef, breadcrumbs, finely chopped onion, egg yolks, salt, black pepper, nutmeg, allspice, and milk. Mix thoroughly with your hands or a spoon until well combined, then shape into 1-inch meatballs, aiming for about 40 meatballs.
- Brown Meatballs: Select the “Sauté” function on your Instant Pot and heat the olive oil. In batches, brown the meatballs on all sides, carefully turning to ensure an even golden crust. Once browned, remove the meatballs from the pot and set aside.
- Make Gravy: Melt the unsalted butter in the Instant Pot using the “Sauté” function. Whisk in the all-purpose flour and continue to cook for about 1 minute to create a roux. Gradually whisk in the low-sodium beef broth, ensuring no lumps form. Season the gravy with salt and black pepper to taste. Add the browned meatballs back into the pot, stirring gently to coat them in the gravy.
- Pressure Cook: Secure the Instant Pot lid and set it to “Manual” or “Pressure Cook” mode on high pressure for 8 minutes. After the cooking cycle completes, perform a quick release of the pressure carefully.
- Finish: Remove the meatballs from the pot and set them aside. Select the “Sauté” function again and simmer the gravy for 4 to 5 minutes to thicken and reduce slightly. Stir in the sour cream until the gravy is creamy and smooth. Pour the gravy over the meatballs and garnish with freshly chopped dill and parsley before serving.
Notes
- For best flavor, use fresh herbs for garnish but dried herbs can be used if fresh are unavailable.
- You can substitute sour cream with Greek yogurt for a lighter option, but add after removing from heat to prevent curdling.
- Ensure the meatballs are browned but not fully cooked during the sauté step, as they will finish cooking under pressure.
- If you prefer thicker gravy, you can whisk an additional 1 tablespoon of flour into the gravy during the finishing step and cook until desired consistency is reached.
- Leftover meatballs can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days or frozen for up to 2 months.
