Incredibly Easy Gluten-free Swedish Meatballs

Ikea may have made these popular, but I'm telling you, these gluten-free Swedish meatballs are even better than they serve!

Jump to:

• Are Ikea Swedish meatballs gluten-free?
• Ingredients
• How to Make Swedish Meatballs?
• Cooking Gluten-Free Meatballs
• Tips and Tricks
• Make Ahead
• Storing and Reheating Meatballs
• Serving Suggestions
• More Gluten-Free Dinners
• 📖 Recipe

Are Ikea Swedish meatballs gluten-free?

Swedish meatballs are one of those recipes that almost everyone knows from the famous Ikea. I mean, really, if you've been there, then you know that's probably their most famous dish at their cafeteria.

Of course, if you're gluten-free, you know those meatballs are off-limits because Ikea meatballs are not gluten-free. I am here to tell you that you can have those little delicious bites and all the creamy gluten-free sauce with my gluten-free Swedish meatballs that are incredibly easy to make.

Ingredients

These gluten-free Swedish meatballs have a combination of not only meats but flavors that really make them so full of flavor you'll want to make them over and over again.

• Ground Beef and Pork - The combination of the two types of meat not only adds flavor but also helps to keep the moisture in the meatballs. You don't have to use a mixture of meats if you don't want to. For example, you can make these completely out of ground beef.
• Egg - Adding egg provides richness and acts as a binder in the meatballs. You can leave them out, but the texture of the final meatball will be slightly off.
• GF Breadcrumbs - You can buy gluten-free breadcrumbs, or you can easily make your own gluten-free breadcrumbs. Keeping these meatballs totally grain-free, I've had luck subbing in equal parts almond meal instead of gluten-free breadcrumbs.
• Onion - Grating the onion into the meatballs adds flavor and keeps the meatballs moist. I like the flavor of yellow onion in these gluten-free meatballs.
• Milk or Heavy Cream - If you want to keep your Swedish meatballs dairy-free, you can use dairy-free milk.
• Spices - Swedish meatballs are unique in their spices, which include spices like allspice, nutmeg, garlic, parsley, salt, and pepper.
• Butter - Butter is used both in the meatballs and making the gluten-free gravy. Just like with the milk, you can use a dairy-free alternative like Earth Balance sticks. You can even use ghee to make these meatballs.
• Arrowroot starch - Arrowroot starch works as a thickener in the gravy. I also like using potato starch, or you can use cornstarch if you are not worried about grains.
• Beef Broth - The beef broth is used in the gravy to help bring out the richness of the beef in the meatballs.
• Dijon Mustard - Be sure to make sure the Dijon mustard you use is gluten-free. I always have the Primal Kitchens dijon on hand since it is gluten-free.
• Coconut Aminos - I prefer the flavor of coconut aminos in these gluten-free Swedish meatballs. If you can't find it, you can also use gluten-free soy sauce or Worcestershire sauce; just make sure the one you have is gluten-free.

How to Make Swedish Meatballs?

Step 1. Mix the meatballs.

1. Mix the gluten-free breadcrumbs, milk, and spices in a bowl and let it sit to moisten the bread.
2. Add the egg and grated onion to the breadcrumbs.
3. Next, add the found beef and pork to the wet bread mixture.
4. Mix the meat into the bread mixture until it's evenly combined.

Step 2. Shape and cook the meatballs.

Step 3. Make the gluten-free gravy and serve it over the meatballs.

Cooking Gluten-Free Meatballs

When it comes to cooking these gluten-free Swedish meatballs, it really comes down to preference. You can cook them on the stove, in the oven, or even in the air fryer. Yes, you can cook meatballs in the air fryer.

Meatballs on the stove.

1. In a skillet over medium-high, melt some butter and a little bit of olive oil.
2. Place the meatballs into the skillet and let them cook. Be sure to rotate the meatballs as needed to get browned on all sides and fully cooked through.
3. Remove the meatballs from the skillet and make the gravy.
4. Once you have the gravy made, add the meatballs back to the skillet and serve warm.

Meatballs in the oven.

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
2. Place the meatballs onto a baking sheet and bake them for about 25-30 minutes or until they are cooked through.
3. While the meatballs are baking, make the gluten-free gravy in a skillet.
4. Toss the cooked meatballs into the gravy and serve warm.

Meatballs in the air fryer.

1. Preheat your air fryer to 400 degrees.
2. Place your meatballs into your air fryer in a single layer.
3. Cook the meatballs for about 15 minutes or until they are browned and cooked through.
4. While the meatballs cook, make the gluten-free Swedish gravy in a skillet on the stove.
5. Add the cooked meatballs to the gravy and serve warm.

Tips and Tricks

• Finely grate your onion. - I like to use my fine grater to grate the onion into the breadcrumbs. This leaves the onion very fine, almost like onion water. This ensures smoother meatballs without larger pieces of onion.
• Let the breadcrumb mixture fully saturate. - Letting the gluten-free breadcrumbs become soft and mushy is what you want. This will help it incorporate better without leaving little hard pieces of bread in your meatballs
• Mix by hand. - Meatballs need to be mixed gently to help keep them from stiffening up from overworking the meat. Using your hands is messy, but you'll easily be able to tell once the meats have combined with the rest of the ingredients, which is much better than using a fork or other utensil.
• Thicker or thinner gravy. - The gluten-free gravy that goes with these Swedish meatballs can be thickened or thinned to your liking. If you like a thicker gravy, be sure to use arrowroot starch or cornstarch to thicken it. I prefer the texture using potato starch, but it can take longer for potato starch to thicken the sauce.

Make Ahead

These gluten-free Swedish meatballs can easily be made ahead of time. Just mix the meatballs together, then they can either be frozen raw or cooked and then frozen and warmed up later.

1. The best way to freeze them is to lay the meatballs on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and flash-freeze them till they are solid.
2. Once they are solid, transfer them to a freezer-safe container until ready to cook.
3. Cook the meatballs as desired from frozen. Note: these make the best air fryer frozen meatballs!

Wait to make the sauce when you are ready to eat it, as the sauce can separate if it is frozen.

Storing and Reheating Meatballs

• Keep leftover meatballs in an airtight container in the fridge for up to four days. You can also freeze them for up to a month.
• Reheat your meatballs in the microwave for about a minute at a time until warmed through. Or you can place them on a baking sheet and place them under the broiler until they warm and the outer crust is slightly crips again.

Serving Suggestions

Serve these gluten-free Swedish meatballs over some easy mashed potatoes, rice, or even your favorite gluten-free pasta. You really can't go wrong here.

More Gluten-Free Dinners

If you love meatballs and want more, then you need to try my classic gluten-free meatballs. Want something else? Check out these other quick and easy gluten-free dinner ideas to try next.

📖 Recipe