Slow Cooker Swedish Meatballs

This Slow Cooker Swedish Meatballs recipe is an easy Swedish meatball recipe with frozen meatballs in a simple creamy sauce. This delicious meal comes together quickly and is perfect for busy weeknights!

This may not be a traditional Swedish meatball recipe, but it’s a very easy recipe and a family favorite. Even my picky eaters approve!

I got the idea for this easy dinner after my husband made Crockpot Swedish meatballs for a work potluck. His version uses just frozen meatballs and cream of celery soup — and he’s Swedish!

I jazzed up his basic recipe a little for more flavor. It’s still easy, very budget friendly, and the whole family loves it!

Plus, it’s a great recipe for when you don’t have much time on your hands.

We serve these slow-cooker Swedish meatballs with buttered egg noodles and broccoli or green beans. They’re also good with cucumber salad and mashed potatoes.

Ingredients

You only need a handful of simple ingredients for my slow cooker Swedish meatballs recipe. You can find them in your grocery store or online.

• Frozen meatballs — I love the small precooked meatballs from Cooked Perfect or Kirkland’s but any kind works. Look for them in the freeze section.
• Cream of onion soup — Adds great flavor, but you can use cream of mushroom soup or cream of celery.
• Beef broth — We use low sodium
• Worcestershire sauce
• Sour cream
• Seasonings — garlic powder, black pepper, parsley, nutmeg

How to Make Crock Pot Swedish Meatballs

First, you make the sauce right in the slow cooker. I usually use non stick cooking spray first, but this is optional.

Just add the beef broth, cream of onion soup, garlic powder, pepper, parsley and nutmeg in the bottom of the crock pot.

Stir everything together until the sauce is well blended.

Next, place the frozen meatballs into the sauce. I have a 7 quart Crock Pot, and I was able to get 80 small meatballs in the slow cooker.

You don’t need to place meatballs in a single layer. Just stir them during the cooking process.

Cook Time

Cook the Swedish meatballs on high for 2 to 3 hours or low for 4 to 6 hours. The exact cooking time will depend on the size and model of your slow cooker.

I cooked them for 3 hours on high, and they were tender meatballs and perfectly cooked.

Stir the meatballs once or twice during the cooking process so that they cook evenly.

During the last 30 minutes, stir in the sour cream. I used 1/4 cup of sour cream, which was perfect for us. You can use more for a thicker sauce.

If you’re cooking on the high heat setting, turn the heat to low after adding the sour cream. You can also use the warm setting after the meatballs are done.

Before serving, I love to sprinkle some fresh parsley on top of these delicious meatballs. It’s an easy way to add more flavor, but this step is optional.

How to Store and Reheat

Store leftover Swedish meatballs and sauce in an airtight container in the refrigerator. They should keep well for 3 to 4 days.

For longer storage, you can freeze the meatballs by placing them in a freezer bag. They will keep for up to 3 months for best taste.

Reheat leftover meatballs in the microwave or on the stove top.

Substitutions

You can use cream of mushroom soup, cream of chicken or celery in place of cream of onion.

If you’re not using cream of onion, try adding onion soup mix or onion powder for extra flavor.

Use plain Greek yogurt in place of sour cream, and your favorite flavor of frozen meatballs.

You can use homemade meatballs with fresh ground beef for these slow-cooker meatballs instead of premade frozen meatballs, but I would cook them first.

For a thicker sauce, make a cornstarch slurry by mixing 1 tbsp cornstarch and 1 tbsp cold water together in a small bowl. Stir into the bubbling sauce before adding the sour cream.

Frequently Asked Questions

For more easy meatball recipes and tips on how to cook frozen meatballs, try Instant Pot meatballs, Instant Pot Grape Jelly Meatballs or Crock Pot Cranberry Meatballs. Also, check out my Crock Pot recipes archive for more slow cooker recipes!

I hope you love this crockpot Swedish meatballs recipe as much as we do. They’re the ultimate comfort food!

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