Finnish Meatballs Recipe (2024)

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Stephen

I have made these several times and they beat Swedish meatballs hands down. I have a friend who lives in Kuopio, Finland, so I asked her about this recipe. She told me Finland is the largest consumer of meatballs in Europe and that this recipe, when used in Finland, is called "Sunday meatballs" because of the quality ingredients and time involved in making them. She told me she serves them with mashed potatoes though egg noodles are also often used. Definitely worth trying.

pat

I folliwed the recipe exactly the first time, and though wonderfully delicious, the meatballs fell apart. Today, I used panko bread crumbs instead of bread. Perfect! Half are in the freezer on a cookie sheet.

Fredericktibbetts@gmail.com

This is a holiday favorite in my home. Consider using, as we do, ground turkey in place of the pork. The result is still incredibly rich, but lighter in texture.

Annie V

Outstanding flavors! I halved the recipe, but otherwise followed it almost exactly (didn't have white pepper). The 1 1/2 inch meatballs looked big, but they shrunk down while browning.

I had some problems with the meat sticking to the pan; next time will use a REALLY hot nonstick pan. Also, I mixed everything together in the same pan I used for simmering later (instead of in a bowl) so that the little leftover bits could become part of the sauce.

For those wondering, 1/2 recipe = 22 meatballs.

charlotte

I substituted 1/4 c. panko for every one slice white bread and 3-4 tbsp milk for every 2 T milk - worked perfectly). Try another mild cheese next time (used Gouda). I fried up a sample to check for salt, under-salting a bit per comments of others. At the end, it is still slightly salty but no one complained (salted cheese melting into sauce?). My family called them "amaze-balls."

Randy

Meh! Retro 60's results and unnecessarily tedious methods.Use Panko, cold milk, no cheese and chill the mix 1 hour before rolling.The meatballs don't need to be floured and fried; they are much better if you simply poach them (in 3 cups stock) like dumplings--when they are done they will float to the surface. Strain liquid, skim off fat, reduce, thicken with a flour/water slurry. Use sour cream, not heavy cream, and a good squeeze of lemon to lighten the sauce. Add 4 TBL capers.

LisaP

Very tasty and moist. Perhaps a bit salty once the cheese, the broth are added even though I shorted the salt a bit.

For those of us who don't buy sliced bread, volume or, even better, weight measurements would be helpful.

Dayan Anderson

My most favorite meatball ever! I set the balls aside as they browned then poured the grease from the skillet and put the meatballs and stock in the skillet, no sense wasting all that great fond...also doubled the stock and cream. I made the meatballs in the morning and they sat all day in the warmed chicken stock, just reheated and simmered about 15 minutes before adding cream and serving....

Joanne Peterson

My husband is 1/2 Swedish, and his family has a cabin in the U.P. in a Scandinavian area. Many there make a Finnish meatball from 'The Finnish Cookbook' by Beatrice Ojakangas. This recipe looks more special than other Finnish versions I've eaten. I've had Norwegian, Finnish, and Swedish meatballs that were wonderful, and other recipes that were NOT good. I've made meatballs from all three countries. Each family, country/region is slightly different. This version is one I will certainly make!

Christine

These are lovely meatballs. They were very tender and flavorful. They were a bit of work to make, but they were well worth the time spent. I ended up freezing about half of the meat mixture because the recipe makes a TON of meatballs. These would be great for a gathering of friends and family.

Outi

Your husband is right; as a matter of fact, in my Finnish family cheese was not used at all. When I was growing up some decades ago the only cheeses available were Edam and Emmental and blue cheese. But yes, if you want to add cheese I think Emmental would be fine.

Bryan

This dish was terrific, but the all spice could probably be cut in half.

JK

Wow. Decadent. Succulent. We followed the recipe, but tripled the cream & stock. Deglased the pan with a little chicken stock & added that to the stock & cream as well. Brought it to a roiling boil, stirring constantly. Added a touch of the egg noodle water to tighten it up. Make sure your oil is hot before adding the meatballs. This should fix any breakage problems. Loved this recipe! Comfort food at its best.

Hopbell

That's my experience in Finland. I had these with a gouda Mornay Sauce that was really great!

Wendy

I made these last night and they were absolutely delicious. They have a lovely tender texture and the addition of the allspice gives then a fabulously unusual flavor. Kids loved them too.

Di Anderson

this weekend I made these for the 4th time! As it was for a dinner party I doubled the recipe and it made 97 meatballs. I used an entire carton of chicken broth added about 3/4 cup of heavy cream then a cornstarch slurry - amazing! Definitely will try with mashed potatoes next time as I've been doing buttered noodles and I think with as much "jus" as I had, mashed potatoes would have been great. Dinner party didn't work out so I am freezing half the meatballs. Worth the trouble!

M.J. in Seattle

This is one of my favorite recipes to make in the holiday season. The meatballs are tender and very flavorful. I like to serve with spaetzle (sometimes homemade, sometimes not), sauteed spinach and cranberry sauce. Crowd pleaser!

Sue

Didn't have gouda, used some sheep cheese - came out fine. Used 1 cup panko, 3/4 c almond milk. Less salt - 1/2 tsp. Less onion, maybe 1/2 or 2/3 cup. Use half & half. No need to butter noodles! Delicious comfort food.

Beverly

Followed the tips in the comments. Used 1/4 cup panko with 3-4 tbsp. milk and doubled the broth mixture. The meatballs are very delicate and prone to breakage so use a light hand when stirring. I made these overnight which imparted more flavor by the next day and served with creamy mashed potatoes and lingonberry jam. The guests loved them.

Amy

This was the best meatballs i ever had! i just couldn't stop eating them they were so good

margaret

1 1/2 teaspoons saltFreeze half cooked meatballsMake 11/2 times sauce for 1/2 recipe of meatballs Serve over egg noodles

me

To make this gluten free, I subbed dehydrated potatoes for the bread (a trick I learned from ATK) and lightly dusted them in cornstarch instead of flour. Delicious!!! Will definitely make these again~~

meltellott

Excellent recipe with a few tweaks: use Panko instead of bread. I baked my meatballs in 400 degree oven for 25 minutes. I made Melissa Clark’s Swedish Meatballs sauce (without brandy but with Dijon) while meatballs cooked. I then added meatballs to sauce and kept on low heat while I prepared egg noodles and roasted asparagus. Outstanding meal, we are calling it “Swinnish Meatballs.” Try it!

Gwen

Really good recipe. Served with egg noodle, which I cooked al dente then strained and let them finish cooking in the broth cream. This thickened the sauce a bit, which I liked. The second time I made this, also sauted about 6 ounces of sliced mushrooms and added them the meatball-sauce-egg noodle pan.

Richard Corcoran

Oddly enough, my Finnish mother always made Swedish meatballs. Now my wife and I live in a heavily Swedish and Norwegian part of Minnesota, and after we've used this recipe many times, we and our local friends have come to love this version. Go figure!

Meg

I’m at best meh about these; they’re extremely bland and way too rich. Even 1/2 recipe makes a ton, so I now have A LOT of very bland leftovers. Tbf, the allspice is very nice, and they’re quite tender. Sadly, everything I can think of as a fix will bury the allspice flavor, which is definitely the most interesting part of the recipe. Other issues: not enough sauce; the gouda seems to add little except calories; definitely use beef not chicken broth; DON’T undersalt.

CC

This was a bust. Unlike so many others, neither of us liked this dish. Oh well.

bex

These fell apart completely in the broth step :( any tips for why that could be?

Josie

Delicious! My meatballs were a little loose so I’ll cut down on the milk a bit next time. I used whole milk instead of cream in the last step. Doubled the broth and cream and brought to a boil before simmering for a few minutes which helped to make a bit more of a sauce.

Rachel W.

These meatballs are stellar! My husband doesn’t eat pork, so I made them with 2 Lbs of 92/8 ground beef and they were great. I didn’t have any issues with them breaking or falling apart, and they were perfectly moist. Next time I will definitely triple the stock and use a pan with a wider base. Once I had all my meatballs in the stock, they didn’t sit flat so that added extra cooking time. Overall, I would make these again.

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Finnish Meatballs Recipe (2024)

FAQs

What's the difference between Swedish and Finnish meatballs? ›

"Finnish meatballs are meatier and bigger than Swedish meatballs. They are also served with lingonberry jam and boiled/mashed potatoes, and a gravy, but they are juicier and yummier.

What is the difference between Swedish meatballs and regular meatballs? ›

While Italian meatballs can be made from a blend of meats, Swedish meatballs are usually made with ground pork or an equal amount of blended pork and beef and are mixed together with breadcrumbs and bound with eggs. Once they're shaped into the desired diameter, they're browned in a skillet.

Why do Swedish meatballs taste so good? ›

If you're wondering what's so special about Swedish Meatballs, or what they taste like, close your eyes and imagine this: incredibly soft meatballs, made extra juicy by using a combination of both pork and beef and soaked bread instead of breadcrumbs, lightly spiced with just a touch of nutmeg and all spice that gives ...

Which country has the best meatballs? ›

Meatballs are as quintessentially Swedish as it gets. In their most traditional form Swedish meatballs ('köttbullar') are made of ground pork and beef, cream, egg and onion, and are served with creamy mashed potatoes, a thick, brown gravy, lingonberry jam and pickled cucumber.

What is the main meat in Finland? ›

Horse meat, lamb and reindeer make up a small portion of the total meat consumption, but they are widely available. In addition to domesticated animals, there are long traditions of hunting and fishing in Finland. The hunters focus on deer, moose and bear, but small game such as hare, duck and grouse are popular.

What are Icelandic meatballs made of? ›

So, we all know meatballs are made with minced beef. However, there's another version in Iceland that Icelanders swear by meatballs made with sausage meat. The sausage meat is basically the same as in the famous Icelandic hot dogs.

What is Finnish meat substitute? ›

Another revolutionary plant protein from Finland, which comes from local fava beans [Härkäpapu in Finnish]. Härkis is the name of the products made out of processed fava beans and they most often also contain pea protein. The main product – Beanit chunks are very meaty and dense and extremely high in protein.

Are Ikea meatballs horse meat? ›

LONDON — The furniture giant Ikea joined a growing list of brands that have been touched by Europe's food scandal on Monday and withdrew its signature Swedish meatballs from its markets and cafeterias across most of Europe after one batch was found to contain traces of horse meat.

How do you keep Swedish meatballs from falling apart? ›

Eggs: Eggs help bind the meatballs together so they don't fall apart. They also help keep the meatballs soft and tender. Bread crumbs: Bread crumbs are almost always used in meatball recipes because they absorb the fat and, along with the eggs, serve as a binder.

What is the sauce for Swedish meatballs made from? ›

Whisk together stock, cream, flour, soy sauce, 1/2 teaspoon pepper, and 1/2 teaspoon rosemary in a large saucepan over low heat until smooth. Cook, stirring occasionally, until thickened, about 10 minutes. Stir in thawed meatballs, and continue cooking until meatballs are heated through, about 5 more minutes.

What is the Swedish meatball scandal? ›

Czech authorities alerted the discount furniture maker that they had found horsemeat in a sample of meatballs, and Ikea subsequently pulled the product from stores in 14 countries.

Why do my meatballs taste rubbery? ›

If the meatballs are packed together too tightly, they will cook up rubbery, chewy, and tough. If the meatballs are different sizes, they will cook unevenly. The smaller meatballs may end up dry and overcooked, while the larger ones may end up undercooked.

What do Swedish people eat with meatballs? ›

Traditional Swedish way: Do not make the cream sauce at all. Serve meatballs over plain or stewed macaroni, plain or mashed potatoes, and lingenberry jam (optional)

What are traditional Swedish meatballs made of? ›

If you like to do OAMC cooking, these freeze beautifully, in fact, I never make less than 100 meatballs at a time, lightly brown them, then flash freeze to finish later. The traditional recipe calls for a mix of beef, pork, and veal- if you object to veal, they work equally well with an even mix of beef and pork.

Why are some meatballs called Swedish meatballs? ›

When it comes to the Swedish meatball it is thought that it was brought to Sweden by King Charles XII when he returned from Istanbul in 1713. The first recipe for meatballs in print was in the Cajsa Warg Cookbook in 1754.

Are Swedish meatballs pink inside? ›

Form the meat mix into 2 inch diameter meatballs, rolling them lightly between your palms to form them, then place them about an inch apart on the cookie sheets. Bake for about 20 minutes, until the outside of each ball is a nice light brown, but the center is still a rosy pink.

What meat are Ikea Swedish meatballs made of? ›

Steps for the meatballs

Combine beef and pork mince until all lumps are smoothed. Add finely chopped onion, garlic, breadcrumbs, egg and mix. Then add milk and salt and pepper to taste. Grab small handfuls and roll into a ball shape.

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