A simple and easy recipe for Keto Swedish Meatballs, also known as Ikea Meatballs. It needs 7 fresh ingredients, a couple of spices and only 40 minutes to prepare! Gluten-free. Low-carb.
Making those classic Ikea Meatballs keto is easier than you’d think. Focusing on using fresh and whole ingredients, these gluten-free Swedish meatballs are the perfect alternative.
This recipe uses eggs to thicken the sauce, allowing you to skip any carb-heavy thickeners that are usually needed for these kinds of recipes, while still getting that rich, creamy texture.
🥘 ingredients
You will need:
- ground beef
- ground pork
- onion
- eggs
- parmesan cheese
- minced garlic
- beef broth
- sour cream
- dijon mustard
- worchestershire sauce
- herbs and spices (fresh parsley, allspice, nutmeg)
🔪 instructions
- Add all the ingredients for the meatballs into a large mixing bowl. (Photo 1)
- Mix until well combined using a spoon or your hands. (Photo 2)
- Roll the meatball mix into balls, using about 3 tablespoons per meatballs. (Photo 3)
- Cook the meatballs for approximately 3 minutes per side in a skillet on medium high heat. (Photo 4)
- Add the beef broth to the pan once the meatballs are all cooked and put aside and scrape off the bits from the bottom of the pan. (Photo 5)
- Add the sour cream, dijon mustard, and Worcestershire sauce and mix until combined. (Photo 6)
- While whisking the eggs in a bowl, add small amount of gravy to temper them – this avoid curdling. (Photo 7)
- Add the meatballs to the gravy and mix until coated. Garnish with fresh parsley. (Photo 8)
💭 faq
can i eat meatballs on a keto diet?
Yes. If the ingredients are keto compliant, then the meatballs can be a part of your keto diet.
Regular meatball recipes usually contain breadcrumbs, but these can be substituted with parmesan or pork rinds to make it keto-friendly.
what’s the difference between swedish meatballs and regular meatballs?
Swedish meatballs are usually smaller in size, use distinctive spice blends, and are usually served in a creamy gravy (compared to the popular tomato sauce regular meatballs are usually served with).
what cream do you add to ikea meatball sauce?
To make that classic Swedish meatball sauce, you’ll need heavy cream or sour cream.
📋 recipe
Keto Swedish Meatballs
Ingredients
For The Meatballs
- 1 lb ground beef (500g)
- 1 lb ground pork (500g)
- 1 small onion (finely diced)
- 2 egg yolks
- ¼ cup parmesan cheese (can sub pork rinds)
- 1 tbsp minced garlic
- ¼ cup fresh parsley (finely chopped)
- ½ tsp all spice
- ½ tsp nutmeg
- 1 tsp salt
- ½ tsp ground black pepper
For The Gravy:
- 2 cups beef broth
- 1 cup sour cream
- ½ tbsp dijon mustard
- ½ tbsp worchestershire sauce (optional – can also sub coconut aminos)
- to taste salt and white pepper
- 2 eggs (to thicken the gravy)
Instructions
Meatballs:
- Add all the ingredients for the meatballs into a large mixing bowl and mix until well combined. You can use a spoon, but it definitely works better to just get your hands in there!
- Once mixed, roll the meatball mix into balls. We probably use about 3 tablespoons per meatball, and this makes about 40 meatballs.
- Heat up a skillet to a medium high heat. Add about a tablespoon of oil and a tablespoon of butter.
- Use tongs to carefully add the meatballs to the pan. We make this recipe in two batches, but it it might be three depending on the size of your pan.
- Let the meatballs cook for approximately 3 minutes per side. They’re ready to flip when they’ve got a nice sear and loosens from the pan easily. You can add a little bit of oil to the pan between batches if neccessary.
- Once all the meatballs are cooked, remove them from the pan and set aside.
Gravy:
- Add the beef broth to the pan and use a wooden spoon to scrape off the bits off the bottom of the pan. Once done, lower the heat to barely a simmer.
- Add the sour cream, dijon mustard and worchestershire and mix until completely combined. A whisk can make this easier.
- Now, in a small bowl, whisk the two eggs together. Now you have to temper them: While whisking the eggs, add little bits of the gravy to the egg bowl. This is to bring the eggs up to temperature and avoid curdling.
- Now, slowly pour the egg mixture back into the pan and continuously stir until the gravy thickens. You want it to heat thoroughly, but not boil. So, if it starts boiling, turn down the temperature or remove from the heat.
- The gravy should thicken in no more than 3-5 minutes.
For Serving:
- Add the meatballs back into gravy and mix until coated.
- Garnish with fresh parsley and serve with side dishes of choice.
Emily says
Turned out delicious!