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    Home » Recipes » Main Dishes

    published: Aug 15, 2021 · by Kris · This post may contain affiliate links

    Vegan Swedish Meatballs

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    vegan swedish meatballs on a plate
    vegan swedish meatballs
    vegan swedish meatballs close up
    vegan swedish meatballs in a pan

    These vegan Swedish meatballs make a delicious and simple weeknight dinner. Tender meatballs in a perfectly seasoned sauce can be served over mashed potatoes or noodles. This is what comfort food dreams are made of!

    Less expensive (and much quicker) than a trip to Ikea and everything cooks up in one pan so there's minimal cleanup.

    vegan swedish meatballs in a cast iron pan
    Table of Contents
    • Ingredient Notes
    • Step By Step Instructions
    • Frequently Asked Questions
    • Storing and Freezing
    • Related Recipes
    • Recipe

    Ingredient Notes

    vegan swedish meatball ingredients
    • vegan ground beef - we prefer Beyond Beef, but any ground style 'meat' should work.
    • panko breadcrumbs - these can be substituted with any breadcrumb
    • white pepper - this is milder and earthier that black pepper. If you don't have it you can substitute with black pepper.
    • vegan butter - I used Earth Balance, but any vegan butter would work.
    • broth - for this recipe I used vegan beef broth cubes. This can be substituted with any broth.
    • mustard - I prefer a Dijon mustard in this recipe for a milder flavor.
    • Worcestershire sauce - this isn't traditionally vegan, but there are vegan brands and I found that the store brand at Fred Meyer is vegan as well. If you don't have any, check out this page for some great Worcestershire sauce substitutes

    Step By Step Instructions

    This is an overview of the steps - for the detailed instructions please refer to the recipe at the bottom of the post.

    To make these Swedish meatballs, mix together all the meatball ingredients - vegan ground beef, minced garlic, breadcrumbs, salt, pepper, parsley, onion, nutmeg, and white pepper in a large bowl. To mix properly you'll need to get in there with your hands.

    vegan swedish meatball ingredients in bowl

    Use a small cookies scoop or spoon to divide this mixture into 20 meatballs. Roll into uninform balls and then heat olive in pan over medium heat. Cook them for 8-10 minutes turning to cook on all sides. Then remove them from the pan and set aside.

    vegan swedish meatballs on parchment paper

    Now let's make the gravy in the same pan. Over medium heat, melt the vegan butter and then make a roux by whisking in the flour and cooking 3-4 minutes until it turns brown and smells nutty.

    Slowly stream in the broth whisking constantly until it's smooth.

    Stir in the mustard, Worcestershire sauce, pepper, garlic powder, and onion powder and bring to a low simmer. Cook 5-7 minutes until the sauce thickens.

    Then toss your meatballs back into the pan and cook in the sauce for 5 minutes until they're warmed through.

    We love these served over mashed potatoes, but you can also serve with noodles.

    vegan swedish meatballs close up

    Frequently Asked Questions

    How similar is this to a traditional Swedish meatball recipe?

    Aside from not using beef, pork or cream the flavors are pretty spot on. Even in Sweden, there isn't truly one set recipe for Swedish meatballs and everyone has their own interpretation of it. I incorporated many of the iconic flavors in this recipe and we tend to serve it with mashed potatoes like they do in Sweden.

    What if I don't have Worcestershire sauce?

    Worcestershire sauce is a shortcut that provides a very savory, umami flavor. However, if you don't have any on hand check out one of these resources that list some easy substitutes using common ingredients

    vegan swedish meatballs on a plate with mashed potatoes

    Storing and Freezing

    These Swedish meatballs can be stored in air-tight container in the fridge for up to 3 days and then warmed up on the stove or in a microwave.

    These meatballs keep best if they are frozen before they're cooked. After forming them into balls, lay them out on a baking pan and freeze until solid. Then store in an airtight container for up to three months. When ready to make, thaw completely and then cook per the recipe instructions.

    You can also use this same method to freeze fully cooked meatballs, but will want to allow them to cool completely before freezing.

    Sauces that have been thickened with flour don't freeze well, so I wouldn't bother freezing the sauce since it comes together rather quickly.

    Related Recipes

    Vegan Stuffed Shells

    Garbanzos Fritos

    Easy Vegan Swedish Chocolate Balls

    Print

    Recipe

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    vegan swedish meatballs in a pan

    Vegan Swedish Meatballs


    ★★★★★

    5 from 1 reviews

    • Author: Kris
    • Total Time: 30 minutes
    • Yield: 20 meatballs 1x
    • Diet: Vegan
    Print Recipe
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    Description

    These vegan Swedish meatballs make a delicious and simple weeknight dinner. Tender meatballs in a perfectly seasoned sauce can be served over mashed potatoes or noodles. This is what comfort food dreams are made of!


    Ingredients

    Units Scale

    Meatballs

    • 1 lb vegan ground beef
    • 2 cloves garlic, minced
    • ¼ cup panko breadcrumbs
    • ½ tsp salt
    • ¼ tsp pepper
    • 3 Tbs fresh parsley, minced
    • ½ cup onion, finely minced
    • ⅛ tsp ground nutmeg
    • ⅛ tsp white pepper
    • 1 Tbs olive oil, for cooking

    Sauce

    • ½ cup vegan butter
    • ½ cup flour
    • 4 cups vegan beef broth (or veggie)
    • 1 ½ tsp Dijon mustard
    • 3 Tbs Worcestershire sauce
    • ⅛ tsp black pepper
    • ½ tsp garlic powder
    • ½ tsp onion powder

    Instructions

    1. Mix Meatballs:  Add all the meatball ingredients except the olive oil to a large bowl and mix well.  I find it's best to get in there with my hand to ensure that everything is well mixed.  Then form them into small balls using a cookie scoop or a spoon.  You want them to be uniform in size so they cook well and should get about 20 meatballs.
    2. Cook Meatballs:  Heat the olive oil in a pan over medium heat.  Then add the meatballs to the pan and cook for 8-10 minutes turning to cook on all sides.  Remove from the pan and set aside.
    3. Sauce:  In the same pan, melt the vegan butter and then sprinkle the flour over the butter.  Whisk this butter flour mixture as it cooks for 3-4 minutes.  It should start to lightly brown and smell nutty.  This step helps to get rid of that raw flour taste.  Then slowly stream in the broth whisking constantly to ensure a smooth sauce.  Stir in the mustard, Worcestershire sauce, pepper, garlic powder, and onion powder until well incorporated.  Bring to a low simmer and cook for 5-7 minutes to thicken.
    4. Finish:  When your sauce has achieved the desired consistency, add the meatballs back into the pan and cook in the sauce for 5 minutes until they're warmed through.
    5. Serve: over mashed potatoes or noodles and garnish with parsley.
    • Prep Time: 10 minutes
    • Cook Time: 20 minutes
    • Category: Dinner
    • Method: Stove
    • Cuisine: Swedish

    Nutrition

    • Serving Size: 5 meatballs
    • Calories: 547

    Keywords: vegan, Swedish meatballs, meatballs, dinner, sauce, gravy

    Did you make this recipe?

    Share a photo and tag us @paperandheartblog

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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Kris says

      December 29, 2021 at 11:12 pm

      Yes!

      ★★★★★

      Reply

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