Ikea shares famous Swedish meatballs recipe: here's how to make them at home

The closure of many cafes and restaurants has left people pining for their favourite foods. But, with people now having more time to spend in the kitchen, brands around the world are offering people the chance to replicate their favourite dishes at home, releasing the recipes for their most coveted menu items.

With many of its stores around the world closed, including its branches in Dubai, Ikea is the latest company to share its secrets. It has revealed exactly what goes into its world famous Swedish meatballs - and the accompanying creamy sauce.

On Monday, the furniture giant published the previously secret recipe, alongside a step-by-step guide.

“We know that some people might be missing our meatballs, which is why we’ve released an at-home alternative which, using easily accessible ingredients, will help those looking for some inspiration in the kitchen,” says Lorena Lourido, country food manager at Ikea. “Staying at home can be hard, but we want to help make everyone’s lives that little bit easier and more enjoyable. Bon appetit or, smaklig maltid, as we say in Sweden!”

So, if you are missing your regular visits to your local Ikea foodhall, why not try to make the dish at home. Here’s how to do so…

Ingredients

For the meatballs:

750g beef mince* (or 500g beef mince, 250g lamb mince)

1 onion, finely chopped

1 clove of garlic (crushed or minced)

100g breadcrumbs

1 egg

5 tablespoons of milk (whole milk)

Generous salt and pepper

*original recipe calls for 250g pork mince

For the cream sauce:

Dash of oil

40g butter

40g plain flour

150ml vegetable stock

150ml beef stock

150ml thick double cream

2 teaspoons soy sauce

1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

Method

Meatballs

Combine beef mince and mix well with your fingers, breaking up any lumps. Add the finely chopped onion, garlic, breadcrumbs, egg and mix. Add the milk and season well with salt and pepper.

Next shape mixture into small, round balls. Place on a clean plate, cover and store in the fridge for two hours (this will help them hold their shape whilst cooking).

In a frying pan, heat oil on medium heat. When hot, gently add meatballs and brown on all sides.

When browned, add to an ovenproof dish and cover. Place in a hot oven (180°C conventional or 160°C fan) and cook for a further 30 minutes.

Swedish cream sauce

Melt 40g butter in a pan. Whisk in 40g of plain flour and stir for two minutes. Add 150ml of veg stock and 150ml of beef stock and continue to stir. Next, add 150ml of double cream, 2 tsp of soy sauce and 1 tsp of Dijon mustard. Bring it to simmer and allow sauce to thicken.

When ready to eat, serve with your favourite potatoes - either creamy mash or mini new boiled potatoes. Enjoy.