If you ask our 11-year-old daughter, she'll tell you that these Venison Swedish meatballs are the best you'll ever eat. Gently warmed with allspice and nutmeg and covered in a heavenly creamy sauce, then served with fluffy mashed potatoes.

Venison Swedish Meatballs over Mashed Potatoes with fresh dill

This Swedish meatball recipe is beginner home cook friendly, well-seasoned, and totally drool worthy! You will want to make this easy meatball recipe again and again.

Swedish Meatball Ingredients

To make these Swedish meatballs, start with ground venison and ground pork. You’ll also need yellow onion, panko breadcrumbs, eggs, fresh spinach, allspice, nutmeg, kosher salt, black pepper, olive oil, beef broth, Minute Tapioca, and heavy whipping cream.

For serving, you’ll also need some fluffy mashed potatoes or egg noodles (or your other choice of starch).

How To Make Swedish Meatballs

Make the Meatballs: In a large mixing bowl, combine the venison, pork, spinach, onion, breadcrumbs, eggs, garlic, Worcestershire sauce, kosher salt, black pepper, allspice, nutmeg, and 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Gently fold everything together with your hands just until no streaks of pork or spinach remain. Resist the temptation to overwork the mixture; the lighter your touch now, the more tender the finished meatballs will be.

Measure about 2 tablespoons of the meat mixture into the palm of your hand, then gently roll it between your palms to form smooth meatballs about 1½ inches in diameter. You should have about 24 meatballs.

Jeff Benda making Swedish meatballs into 1-inch balls

Cook Meatballs: Heat 2 tablespoons of the olive oil in a Dutch oven or large (6-quart) saucepan over medium-high heat until shimmering. Arrange half of the meatballs in a single layer, leaving a little space between each one. Brown them for about 5 minutes, gently turning every minute or two with tongs until every side develops a rich golden crust fragrant with garlic and warm spices. Don't worry that they aren't cooked through yet; they'll finish gently in the gravy. Transfer the browned meatballs to a large plate and repeat with the remaining meatballs.

How to Make Swedish Meatball Gravy

Make the Swedish Meatball Gravy: Lower the heat to medium and add the butter. As soon as it melts, pour in a splash of the broth and scrape the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon to release every flavorful browned bit. Pour in the remaining broth and let it come to a gentle simmer for 1 minute.

Whisk in the Minute Tapioca, Worcestershire sauce, Dijon mustard, lemon juice, black pepper, allspice, and nutmeg. Whisk until the gravy bubbles gently and turns velvety. I love using Minute Tapioca here because it thickens the gravy without requiring a flour-and-butter roux, allowing the rich flavors of the broth, butter, and cream to shine through instead of adding the subtle flour flavor a traditional roux can sometimes leave behind. Slowly stir in the heavy cream and simmer for about 3 minutes, until the gravy coats the back of a spoon. Stir in the fresh dill, then taste. A pinch of kosher salt or another squeeze of lemon juice may be all it needs to brighten the entire pan.

Nestle the browned meatballs, along with every drop of the juices collected on the plate, back into the gravy. Spoon the sauce over each one and simmer gently for about 5 minutes, or until the meatballs reach an internal temperature of 160 degrees F on an instant-read thermometer and the gravy blankets every meatball in a silky coating.

Swedish meatballs and sauce made with beef broth and heavy whipping cream

Spoon the meatballs generously over fluffy mashed potatoes, buttered egg noodles, or steamed rice, making sure every serving receives plenty of the gravy. Scatter with fresh dill and serve immediately while the gravy is still wonderfully warm.

How Do Swedish Meatballs Taste?

Swedish meatballs are tender and juicy, with the flavor of the allspice and nutmeg in the background, and the freshness of the baby spinach coming through. The gravy sauce is creamy and shiny with a rich consistency.

Swedish Meatballs with Lingonberries

Swedish meatballs are traditionally served with lingonberries, but my wife and daughter aren't fans so I opted to leave it out. But by all means, if you want to serve a jar of lingonberries with these meatballs to impress family, friends, and co-workers GO FOR IT!

Make Ahead And Freezing Instructions for Meatballs

To Make Ahead: These venison meatballs can be made ahead of time (cook them until they reach internal temperature of at least 150 degrees F) and kept in the fridge for up to 4 days or freezer for up to 6 months until ready to use.

Swedish Meatballs For The Holidays

This time of year, I always search for recipes that bring people together, suitable for various occasions, and taste great. I love making dishes like my Deer Sausage Balls and Buffalo Pheasant Dip. When people gather around delicious food, like these Swedish meatballs, they create great memories with family, friends, and co-workers. Even during the busy and chaotic holiday season, good food helps make those moments special.

Swedish Meatballs For An Easy Weeknight Or Potluck Appetizer

I transformed this classic Swedish meatball recipe, filled with wintery spices like allspice and nutmeg, into an easy dish. You can serve it tonight for family dinner, as an appetizer at your next potluck, or for a special occasion like Christmas Day! It's one of my absolute favorite dishes to whip up when my wife is trying to figure out what to bring to a potluck at work. If a co-worker is going to try wild game for the first time, these Venison Swedish meatballs are a great choice.

You can also check out all my venison recipes for more inspiration when planning your holiday menu.

Venison Swedish Meatballs with Mashed Potatoes and Fresh Dill scattered on top

Come Deer Hunting in North Dakota

If you are headed our way for North Dakota deer season, check out the North Dakota Game & Fish Department website. And if you want me to come along with you as your camp cook, photographer, or butcher, you can find out more details here.

Join Our Wild Game Cooking Community

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Venison Swedish Meatballs over Mashed Potatoes

The Best Venison Swedish Meatballs Recipe

These Venison Swedish meatballs are the best you'll ever eat. Gently warmed with allspice and nutmeg and covered in a heavenly creamy sauce, then served with fluffy mashed potatoes.

5 from 39 votes

Print Rate

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Swedish

Keyword: christmas, dinner, ground venison recipes, kid friendly recipes, thanksgiving, venison

Prep Time: 15

Cook Time: 20

Total Time: 35

Servings:

Author: Jeff Benda

Ingredients

Meatball Ingredients

1 pound ground venison
½ pound ground pork
1 cup fresh baby spinach, finely chopped
1 small yellow onion, finely minced (about ½ cup)
¾ cup Italian style breadcrumbs
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
2 tablespoons minced garlic
2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
1 ½ teaspoons kosher salt
¾ teaspoon black pepper
½ teaspoon ground allspice
½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
3 tablespoons olive oil, divided

Gravy Ingredients

6 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into 1-tablespoon pieces
3 cups venison or beef broth
¼ cup Minute tapioca
1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice, plus more to taste
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
¼ teaspoon black pepper
¼ teaspoon ground allspice
¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
½ cup heavy whipping cream
1 tablespoon chopped fresh dill, plus more for garnish
kosher salt, to taste

Instructions

In a large mixing bowl, combine the venison, pork, spinach, onion, breadcrumbs, eggs, garlic, Worcestershire sauce, kosher salt, black pepper, allspice, nutmeg, and 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Gently fold everything together with your hands just until no streaks of pork or spinach remain. Resist the temptation to overwork the mixture; the lighter your touch now, the more tender the finished meatballs will be.
Measure about 2 tablespoons of the meat mixture into the palm of your hand, then gently roll it between your palms to form smooth meatballs about 1½ inches in diameter. You should have about 24 meatballs.
Heat 2 tablespoons of the olive oil in a Dutch oven or large (6-quart) saucepan over medium-high heat until shimmering. Arrange half of the meatballs in a single layer, leaving a little space between each one. Brown them for about 5 minutes, gently turning every minute or two with tongs until every side develops a rich golden crust fragrant with garlic and warm spices. Don't worry that they aren't cooked through yet; they'll finish gently in the gravy. Transfer the browned meatballs to a large plate and repeat with the remaining meatballs.
Lower the heat to medium and add the butter. As soon as it melts, pour in a splash of the broth and scrape the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon to release every flavorful browned bit. Pour in the remaining broth and let it come to a gentle simmer for 1 minute.
Whisk in the Minute Tapioca, Worcestershire sauce, Dijon mustard, lemon juice, black pepper, allspice, and nutmeg. Whisk until the gravy bubbles gently and turns velvety. I love using Minute Tapioca here because it thickens the gravy without requiring a flour-and-butter roux, allowing the rich flavors of the broth, butter, and cream to shine through instead of adding the subtle flour flavor a traditional roux can sometimes leave behind. Slowly stir in the heavy cream and simmer for about 3 minutes, until the gravy coats the back of a spoon. Stir in the fresh dill, then taste. A pinch of kosher salt or another squeeze of lemon juice may be all it needs to brighten the entire pan.
Nestle the browned meatballs, along with every drop of the juices collected on the plate, back into the gravy. Spoon the sauce over each one and simmer gently for about 5 minutes, or until the meatballs reach an internal temperature of 160 degrees F on an instant-read thermometer and the gravy blankets every meatball in a silky coating.
Spoon the meatballs generously over fluffy mashed potatoes, buttered egg noodles, or steamed rice, making sure every serving receives plenty of the gravy. Scatter with fresh dill and serve immediately while the gravy is still wonderfully warm.

Comments

5 from 39 votes (26 ratings without comment)