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.
Servings: 6
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.
