Authentic Venison Swedish Meatballs Recipe
These venison Swedish meatballs are soft, flavorful, and perfect for meal prep or gatherings. Made with ground venison and pork, they're seasoned with warm spices and served in a rich, creamy gravy. Great over mashed potatoes or egg noodles and easy to freeze for later.
Ingredients
For the Meatballs
- 1 tbsp unsalted butter for onions and garlic
- 1 cup plain breadcrumbs
- 1 tbsp olive oil for cooking meatballs
- ½ cup minced yellow onion
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- ¼ tsp ground allspice
- ½ tsp ground black pepper
- ½ cup milk
- 1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
- ¾ lb ground venison lean
- ½ lb ground pork
- 1 tsp kosher salt
- 1 large egg
- 2 egg yolks
For the Gravy
- 2 tbsp unsalted butter
- 2 tbsp all-purpose flour
- 1½ cups chicken or beef stock (or venison stock if you have it)
- 1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
- ¼ cup heavy cream
- Kosher salt and black pepper to taste
- Lingonberry jam for serving, (Optional)
Instructions
Preheat the Oven
- Preheat the oven to 350°F while preparing the meatballs.
Prep the Onions and Garlic
- In a skillet over medium heat, melt 1 tablespoon butter. Add the onions and garlic and cook until softened, 4-5 minutes. Set aside to cool completely before mixing into the meat.
Mix the Meatballs
- In a large mixing bowl, combine the breadcrumbs, milk, Worcestershire sauce, salt, allspice, and pepper. Let sit for 5 minutes. Add the cooled onion-garlic mixture, ground venison, pork, egg, and yolks. Mix gently until fully combined. Don't overwork the mixture.
Form the Meatballs
- Use wet hands or a cookie scoop to roll the meat into 1½-inch balls. Place on a parchment-lined tray. Refrigerate for 20-30 minutes to help them hold their shape.
Brown the Meatballs
- Heat one tablespoon of olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Brown the meatballs in batches, turning to brown all sides. Transfer them to a baking sheet pan, lined with aluminum foil or parchment paper.
Bake the Meatballs
- Place the sheet pan in the oven and bake the meatballs until they are just cooked through. This will take around 20 minutes.
Make the Gravy While the Meatballs Bake
- In the clean skillet, melt 2 tablespoons butter. Whisk in the flour and cook for 1-2 minutes until lightly golden. Slowly add the stock, whisking constantly. Stir in Worcestershire sauce and heavy cream. Simmer until slightly thickened.
Simmer the Meatballs
- Add the cooked meatballs to the gravy and simmer gently for around 10 minutes. If the sauce becomes too thick, thin it out with a little stock or cream. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
NOTES
- Do not skip the milk-soaked breadcrumbs. Let the breadcrumbs, milk, Worcestershire, and seasonings sit for about 5 minutes before mixing. That is what keeps the venison Swedish meatballs soft instead of dense.
- Cool the onions and garlic completely before adding them to the meat, and mix gently once the venison, pork, egg, and yolks go in. Overworking the mixture will make the meatballs tighter.
- After rolling, chill the meatballs for 20 to 30 minutes before browning. That helps them hold their shape in the skillet. A cookie scoop or wet hands makes shaping easier.
- Brown the meatballs in batches, then finish them in the oven until just cooked through. Do not try to fully cook them during the sear. They finish in the oven and then again in the gravy.
- Simmer the gravy only until it lightly thickens, then add the meatballs and simmer gently for about 10 minutes. If the sauce gets too thick, loosen it with a little more stock or cream.
- Slow cooker: After browning, transfer the meatballs and gravy to the slow cooker and cook on low for 2 to 3 hours.
- Broiler method: Brown meatballs under the oven broiler on a sheet pan if you're short on stovetop space.
- If you want to use all venison, make the meatballs a little larger and increase the yolks to 4 total so they stay moist.
- These freeze well raw or cooked. Reheat them gently in the gravy before serving.
Nutrition
Calories: 648kcal | Carbohydrates: 29g | Protein: 39g | Fat: 41g | Saturated Fat: 19g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 4g | Monounsaturated Fat: 15g | Trans Fat: 0.4g | Cholesterol: 290mg | Sodium: 1130mg | Potassium: 818mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 729IU | Vitamin C: 3mg | Calcium: 155mg | Iron: 5mg
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation. Nutrition is per serving.
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