Gluten-Free Swedish Meatballs

This post may contain affiliate links. Full disclosure policy

The finished and plated

These gluten-Free Swedish Meatballs are just as yummy as the IKEA version we all know and love. Tender meatballs with mild, warming spices in a rich creamy sauce. A gluten-free dinner the whole family will love! 

Gluten-Free Swedish Meatballs – A Family-Friendly Dinner for the Whole Family

Though I have no problem with it, quite a few of my family members and friends can’t tolerate gluten. So, I’ve become more aware of the challenges of eating gluten-free, especially when you’re trying to make family meals (find some of my other gluten-free recipes here!). That’s why I decided to try adapting a traditional Swedish Meatball recipe to make it gluten-free.

The end result was even better than I had hoped!

The finished and plated

When I make a gluten-free recipe, I can usually taste the difference. But not this time. These gluten-free Swedish Meatballs taste just as good as their gluten-full cousins, and just as yummy as the meatballs I’ve been buying from IKEA for years.

(Sorry, IKEA. I won’t be buying your meatballs in the future. But I still love your Billy Bookcases!)

But what I really love about this recipe is how family-friendly it is. Swedish Meatballs are one of those dishes that everybody in the family, kids as well as adults, love to eat.

Thanks to a mixture of warming spices in the meatballs and the wonderful creamy sauce brightened by a bit of mustard, this is a dish that has plenty of flavor, which adult will appreciate. But the spices flavors are subtle enough that kids will gobble it down too, especially if you serve it with a side of the optional, sweet and tart lingonberry sauce. 

I took this recipe to a family who just welcomed a new baby. It was a big hit with the parents and the three kids. 

What Do You Need to Make Gluten-Free Swedish Meatballs?

The list of ingredients for gluten-free Swedish meatballs might look a little long, but don’t let that intimidate you. You probably have most of the ingredients in your pantry, and the others are easy to find at the supermarket, including…

• Ground chicken and ground pork
• Onion – any type will do. I grate the onion on a box grater for this recipe. You could also also chop them into very, very small pieces.
• Parsley
• Egg
• Spices – allspice, nutmeg, garlic powder, salt, pepper
• Gluten-Free Panko Breadcrumbs – these are like regular panko breadcrumbs, light and crispy, but made with rice. Look for them in the supermarket, alongside regular panko breadcrumbs. My favorite brand is Kikkoman. If you’re not concerned about gluten, you can sub regular panko breadcrumbs.
• Butter
• Gluten-Free Flour – I used Bob’s One-to-One Baking Flour, but any brand will do, as long as the measurements are equal. If you’re not concerned about gluten, you can use regular, all-purpose flour.
• Beef broth – if you’re buying rather than using homemade, check the label to make sure it’s gluten free. If it doesn’t say gluten free, read the ingredients to make sure there’s no wheat or wheat products. I prefer low sodium broth; none of us needs that extra salt!
• Worcestershire sauce – again, make sure the brand you use is gluten free. I used Kroger brand.
• Dijon mustard – I use a little more mustard in my sauce than some recipes call for because it some extra punch to sauce that has quite a subtle flavor. If you’re cooking for kids who might balk at a more flavorful sauce, you can reduce the mustard by half. It will still taste good.
• Sour cream – I don’t use a lot, just enough to add a little extra richness to the sauce.
• Lingonberry sauce – This is served alongside the dish as a condiment. It’s optional, but the sweet-tart lingonberries are SO good with Swedish meatballs! You should be able to find them in the jam section at the market. In a pinch, you could substitute cranberry sauce.

How to Make Gluten-Free Swedish Meatballs – Or Make Them Ahead!

Making the meatballs is super easy. You just smoosh the ingredients together in a mixing bowl, roll them into balls, and bake them in the oven. Couldn’t be simpler.

But one of the things I adore about this recipe is that fact that the cooked meatballs can be cooled and stored in a plastic zipper bag in the freezer for 3-4 months. It’s so convenient to have a big bag of Swedish Meatballs on hand for busy days, unexpected guests, or when you want to bring a meal to a friend.

The gluten-free Swedish meatballs I made for that family with the new baby came from my freezer stash. I also like to keep them on hand to use in other recipes, such as my Slow Cooker Cranberry Meatballs. They were a ginormous hit at our last party!

Please note: this meatball recipe makes far more than I would use for my two-person family. So, I generally freeze half at least half to use later. The ingredient amounts in the sauce recipe reflect that. If you’re going to serve all the meatballs at once, you may want to double the sauce.

Making the sauce is simple too. If you’ve ever made any kind of white sauce, the process will be familiar.

The

Just melt some butter in a skillet, then sift in the flour a little at a time, whisking to create a thick, smooth roux. Adding the flour through a sifter or fine mesh sieve is the best method. In a pinch, you can just sprinkle in the flour with your hands, but be sure to whisk the mixture thoroughly to get rid of any lumps.

It’s important to let the butter and flour roux cook for at least three minutes, whisking it constantly to prevent sticking. Otherwise, your sauce will have a raw flour taste. The color will deepen, turning darker and golden brown. That’s how you’ll know it’s time to add the broth.

Adding the broth in a little at a time, whisking it smooth before you add more, is important to prevent lumps. Once the broth is incorporated, you’ll whisk in the remaining ingredients, including the sour cream.

After tasting and adjusting the seasonings, you’ll put the meatballs in the pan, stirring to coat with the sauce. They’ll warm as the sauce simmers and thickens. 

What to Serve with Gluten-Free Swedish Meatballs?

The meatballs and sauce are good on their own, but serving them with lingonberry sauce as a condiment takes them from good to great. You should be able to find lingonberry sauce in most grocery stores. However, as I said above, cranberry sauce will work in a pinch.

Serve the meatballs and a nice helping of sauce over rice, mashed potatoes, or a portion of gluten-free pasta, sprinkled with a little extra parsley for color.  Add a fresh green salad and dinner is served!

Whether you make my gluten-free version or substitute regular flour and breadcrumbs for a gluten-full preparation, Swedish Meatballs are a great choice for weeknight meals.

Give them a try soon!

Gluten-Free Swedish Meatballs

---

• Author: Marie Bostwick
• Yield: Makes 30-36 meatballs, approximately 8 servings. Cooked meatballs can be frozen for 3-4 months 1x

Print Recipe

Pin Recipe

Ingredients

Scale 1x2x3x

For the Meatballs:

• 1 lb ground pork
• 1 lb ground chicken
• 1 cup gluten free panko bread crumbs (Kikkoman brand is my favorite)
• ½ medium onion, grated
• 2 T chopped fresh parsley, plus more for garnish
• 1 egg
• 1 tsp ground allspice
• 1 tsp ground nutmeg
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 1 tsp kosher salt
• ½ tsp fresh ground pepper

For the Sauce: (Note: if serving all the meatballs at one time, double the sauce)

• 4 T butter
• 4 T Bob’s 1 to 1 Baking Flour (or other gluten free flour)
• 2 C beef broth (check label to make sure it’s gluten free)
• 1 T Worcestershire sauce (make sure it’s gluten free. I used Kroger brand)
• 2 tsp Dijon mustard
• ½ cup sour cream
• Salt and pepper to taste
• *Lingonberry sauce – Optional for serving

Cook Mode Prevent your screen from going dark

---

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Line a large rimmed baking sheet with foil.
2. Add all the meatball ingredients – ground chicken, ground pork, bread crumbs, onion, parsley, egg, allspice, nutmeg, garlic powder, salt, pepper — to a large mixing bowl. Stir to combine and evenly distribute ingredients.
3. Use your hands to form the mixture into balls of approximately 1 ounce, about the size of a ping pong ball. Place the meatballs onto the baking sheet, leaving some space between.
4. Bake in the preheated oven for 20 minutes. Remove from oven. (If freezing any or all of the meatballs, allow to cool completely before placing in plastic zipper bags and freezing. Frozen meatballs will keep for 3-4 months. If serving all the meatballs at once, double the sauce recipe.)
5. Make the sauce. Melt butter in a large, heavy bottomed skillet over medium heat. Sift or sprinkle flour into melted butter, whisking vigorously to create a thick roux. Whisk roux continuously for 3-5 minutes, until perfectly smooth and beginning to turn golden brown.
6. Whisk the broth into the roux, a little at a time, creating a smooth sauce. Whisk in Worcestershire sauce, mustard, and sour cream. Add the cooked meatballs to the pan and stir to coat with sauce. Lower the heat. Allow the meatballs to simmer for about 3-5 minutes, as the sauce thickens slightly.
7. Serve meatballs and sauce over rice, mashed potatoes, or gluten-free pasta, garnished with a sprinkle of chopped parsley, and with a generous spoonful of lingonberry sauce if using.