What are Swedish Meatballs?

If you’ve never had Swedish Meatballs before, let me clarify one thing right away: these are NOT just Italian meatballs served with a different sauce.

Aside from the fact that they are both made from ground beef or pork and held together with eggs, they’re pretty diffferent from one another as far as flavor is concerned.

Traditional Swedish Meatballs are flavored with all-spice which gives them a distinct aroma and sweet-and-spicy flavor.

And then, there’s the sauce.

The creamy, savory sauce made with beef broth, heavy cream and butter with a sprinkle of parsley for freshness. In Sweden, I ate these served with a side of pureed potatoes and cucumber dill salad, along with lingonberry preserves.

When I make them at home I often swap the mashed potatoes for egg noodles. They’re a hit with the family however I serve them!

Since my love affair with Instant Pot cooking has grown, and in the height of summer, I had a serious craving for Swedish Meatballs. But I also had zero desire to stand over a hot skillet to make them.

Enter: the Instant Pot! I tested a few different ways of making these meatballs in the pressure cooker and the recipe I’m sharing with you today is the result, baked off my original recipe!

Tender, flavorful meatballs in a creamy sauce, all without turning on the stove!

Ingredient Notes