Köttbullar: the Swedish national dish
Almost everyone who knows them loves them: Köttbullar are the small round meatballs from Sweden, which owe part of their success to the furniture manufacturer IKEA. They are traditionally served in a creamy sauce and with mashed potatoes as a side dish. Lingonberry compote adds a fruity flavour to this hearty dish.
Köttbullar Recipe
- 1 Onion
- 1 Clove Garlic
- 500 g Ground beef
- 250 g Minced pork
- 100 g Breadcrumbs
- 1 Egg
- 5 Tbsp. Milk
- Salt
- Pepper
- 40 g Butter
- 2 Tbsp. Wheat flour
- 150 ml Beaf tea
- 150 ml Vegetable stock
- Soya sauce
- 1 Tsp. Mustard
- 1 Glass Cranberry compote
- Garlic Press
- Pan
- Ingredients
- 1 Onion
- •1 Clove Garlic
- •500 g Ground beef
- •250 g Minced pork
- •100 g Breadcrumbs
- •1 Egg
- •5 Tbsp. Milk
- • Salt
- • Pepper
- Utils
- Garlic Press
- •Pan
Firstly, peel and finely dice the onion and crush or chop the garlic clove. Then mix with all the ingredients for the meatballs, i.e. meat, breadcrumbs, egg and milk. Season with salt and pepper. Shape the mixture into bite-sized balls and fry in a pan with oil. To ensure that the meatballs cook evenly, place them in the oven at 180 degrees for around 30 minutes.
- Ingredients
- 40 g Butter
- •2 Tbsp. Wheat flour
- •150 ml Beaf tea
- •150 ml Vegetable stock
- • Soya sauce
- •1 Tsp. Mustard
In the meantime, sauté the butter and flour for the sauce in a pan (or alternatively sauté in the previously used pan to use the frying fat from the meatballs for additional flavour). Then, stirring constantly and over a low heat, add the beef and vegetable stock. Finally, stir in the cream, a few dashes of soya sauce and the mustard.
Add the meatballs to the sauce and simmer briefly.
- Ingredients
- 1 Glass Cranberry compote
In Sweden, Köttbullar are traditionally served with mashed potatoes or, alternatively, boiled potatoes. Arrange the potatoes and the meatballs in sauce next to each other on the plate. Finish with a dollop of lingonberry compote.
| Energy | 790 kcal |
|---|---|
| Protein | 35,5 g |
| Fat | 48 g |
| Carbohydrates | 51,3 g |
| Vitamin C | 60 mg |
| Calcium | 132 mg |
There are delicious variations for anyone who would like an additional vegetable side dish or to replace the potatoes: For example, a typical Swedish cucumber salad with dill, honey and mustard goes very well with it or you can refine the sauce with a few mushrooms. Peas or broccoli are also very popular side dishes. Spätzle can also be used instead of potatoes.
Origin & provenance
What is Köttbullar? To be more precise, “Köttbullar” is the plural (Köttbulle would be the singular), as it consists of several small meatballs made from similar ingredients to a classic meatball.
“Kött” translates as meat, “bulle” actually means something like bread roll. However, in a broader sense, the term Köttbullar is often used for the entire dish, which consists of mashed potatoes or boiled potatoes, a cream sauce and lingonberries in addition to the mini meatballs. If you would like to order the dish in Sweden, you should pay attention to the correct pronunciation: “kött” is pronounced “schött” and “bullar” is pronounced like “büllar”.
The Swedish furniture store IKEA, or rather its restaurant, has contributed to the fact that Köttbullar is literally on everyone’s lips.
And where do Köttbullar come from? Although Köttbullar is considered the Swedish national dish par excellence, its origins lie elsewhere: according to tradition, the Swedish meatballs go back to the Turkish Köfte. Charles XII, King of Sweden, spent a few years in exile in the Ottoman Empire during his reign at the beginning of the 18th century and established the recipe in his homeland on his return.
However, this story is disputed among historians. What is certain, however, is that the term “Köttbulle” first appeared in a cookbook in Sweden in 1755.
Make your own Köttbullar
Pork, beef or vegetarian?
Köttbullar are a question of meat: the original recipe from the 18th century states that they can be made from veal, ox or sheep. Nowadays, however, the classic dish is made from a mixture of minced pork and minced beef – either in equal parts or with a little more beef, as desired.
If you want to avoid meat altogether but not the dish, you can of course make a vegetarian version. IKEA, for example, sells frozen“plantbullar” made from a mixture of peas, potatoes, onions, oatmeal and apples – no wonder, as the Swedes are increasingly focussing on sustainability and responsibility in the kitchen. Alternatively, you can make your own mixture and use almonds and cheese as the basic ingredients for the balls instead.
The quick preparation
You don’t need much skill to make Swedish meatballs yourself. Anyone who has made meatballs before will have no problems with the basic recipe. However, you can save yourself a little time and effort and use ready-made ingredients, such as frozen meatballs, mashed potatoes or sauce powder for mixing.
