Norwegian Meatballs are a favorite traditional meal served in Norway. These meatballs are packed with a variety of flavorful spices and served with a creamy brown gravy. They are great with a side of mashed potatoes, seasonal veggies, and lingonberry jam.
If you're looking for more comfort food recipes to try, make my Cottage Pie with Cheese or New England Clam Chowder next!
This recipe for Norwegian Meatballs was inspired by my trip to Norway. If you love the oh-so-popular Swedish Meatballs, then I can guarantee you'll love these ones too! Plus, this recipe can be in 30 minutes. It's the perfect meal when you want to get some tasty comfort food on the table fast.
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🍴 What is the Difference Between Swedish and Norwegian Meatballs?
The main difference between Swedish Meatballs and Norwegian Meatballs (or "kjøttkaker") is that Norwegian Meatballs are typically larger and flatter than their meatball cousin. The seasonings are also slightly different from what you would normally find in Swedish Meatballs.
🥘 Ingredients
- Milk
- Bread crumbs
- Eggs
- Salt and pepper
- Nutmeg
- Ginger
- Allspice or cinnamon
- Ground beef
- Ground pork
- Butter
- All-purpose flour
- Beef broth
- Sour cream
- Heavy whipping cream
🔪 Instructions
- In a large bowl, add the milk and bread crumbs.
- Let the bread crumbs soak for a minute, and then whisk in the eggs and spices.
- Add the ground beef and pork to the mixture, and use your fingertips to incorporate them.
- Roll the meat into golf balls, then slightly flatten each ball.
- Heat a skillet over medium heat, and melt 4 tablespoons of the butter.
- Add the meatballs to the hot skillet and fry until browned on all sides and cooked through. Set aside.
- Melt the rest of the butter over medium-low heat. Stir in the flour and cook for a minute. Slowly whisk in the beef broth.
- Once the broth has been incorporated, return the heat to medium. Allow the gravy to come to a boil. Continue boiling the gravy until it reaches the desired consistency.
- Remove the pan from the heat. Whisk in the sour cream. Add up to ¼ cup of whipping cream if desired to thin the gravy.
💭 Faqs
Meatballs AKA Italian meatballs are made with the same base as Norwegian meatballs (i.e. breadcrumbs, beef/pork, milk, etc.) However these meatballs are flavored with seasonings more unique to Italian cooking like oregano, marjoram, garlic, etc. These meatballs are also served with a tangy, chunky tomato sauce unlike Norwegian which are flavored with cinnamon and nutmeg and served with a creamy gravy.
Norwegian meatballs are traditionally served with potatoes, lingonberry, and steamed veggies. Although, they'd be equally delicious served with a side of rice or egg noodles.
Norwegian Meatballs are divine, served with mashed potatoes, seasonal veggies, and lingonberry jam. And that gravy...oh my goodness. I can't even...
🍲 More Comfort Food Recipes
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📋 Recipe
Norwegian Meatballs
Equipment
Ingredients
Meatballs
- 1 cup milk
- 1 ½ cups bread crumbs
- 2 eggs
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 1 teaspoon pepper
- ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- ½ teaspoon ground ginger
- ¼ teaspoon allspice or cinnamon
- 1 pound ground beef
- ½ pound ground pork
Sauce
- 8 tablespoon unsalted butter
- ½ cup flour
- 4 cups beef broth
- ¼ cup sour cream
- ¼ cup heavy whipping cream
- salt and pepper
Instructions
- In a large bowl, add the milk and bread crumbs.
- Let the bread crumbs soak for a minute, and then whisk in the eggs and spices.
- Add the ground beef and pork to the mixture, and use your fingertips to incorporate them.
- Roll the meat into golf ball-sized balls (or scoop them with a cookie scoop), and then slightly flatten each ball. This should make about 46 meatballs.
- Heat a skillet over medium heat, and melt 4 tablespoons of the butter.
- Add the meatballs to the hot skillet and fry until browned on all sides and cooked through about 2-3 minutes. Place cooked meatballs on a paper towel-lined plate and set aside.
- Melt the rest of the butter (4 tablespoons) in the same skillet over medium-low heat.
- Stir in the flour and cook for a minute; the roux will be golden in color.
- Slowly whisk in the beef broth. Once the broth has been incorporated, return the heat to medium.
- Allow the gravy to come to a boil. The gravy will thicken as it boils. Continue boiling the gravy until it reaches the desired consistency.
- Once the desired consistency has been reached, remove the pan from the heat. Whisk in the sour cream. At this point, you can add up to ¼ cup of whipping cream if desired to thin the gravy.
Notes
- Adapted from Kitchen Dreaming.
- Meatballs make great leftovers! Refrigerate any leftovers for up to one week. Warm them up in the microwave for a minute or two, and enjoy them for a tasty lunch.
- This recipe makes around 46 meatballs, which was way more than my husband and I could eat. I cooked up all of the meatballs and froze half of them, without the sauce, in the freezer for later use.
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