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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!

plate of Swedish meatballs in creamy white sauce over egg noodles

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.

frozen meatballs, cream soup, sour cream, beef broth, Worcestershire sauce and spices

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.

mix sauce ingredients in slow cooker

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.

frozen meatballs with cream sauce in slow cooker

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.

Swedish meatballs and gravy in crock pot

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.

plate of slow cooker Swedish meatballs and gravy over egg noodles

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

What to serve with Swedish meatballs?

Traditionally, they are served with boiled potatoes, mashed potatoes or buttered noodles. Noodles and mashed potatoes go well with the creamy sauce. Try a light salad or cucumber salad and a green vegetable like green beans, asparagus or broccoli on the side. Lingonberry jam also pairs well with these easy Swedish meatballs.

What’s the difference between Swedish meatballs and regular meatballs?

Swedish meatballs have a different flavor profile from Italian meatballs or other meatballs. They typically have spices like nutmeg and allspice and are served with white sauce or brown gravy instead of tomato sauce.

5 from 11 votes

Slow Cooker Swedish Meatballs

By: Dee
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!
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 4 hours
Servings: 10

Equipment

Ingredients  

  • 80 small frozen meatballs
  • 1 can cream of onion soup
  • 2 ½ cups low sodium beef broth
  • 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
  • 1 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1 teaspoon dried parsley flakes
  • ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
  • ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
  • ¼ cup sour cream
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Instructions 

  • Add the cream of onion soup, beef broth, Worcestershire sauce, garlic powder, parsley, pepper and nutmeg to the slow cooker, and stir well
  • Place the frozen meatballs into the slow cooker
  • Cover, and cook for 2 to 3 hours on high or 4 to 6 hours on low, or until heated through. Stir once or twice during cooking process
  • Stir in the sour cream about 30 minutes before serving. If cooking on high, reduce temperature to low

Notes

You can use a smaller amount of meatballs without reducing amount of sauce.
Sub cream of mushroom soup or cream of celery for the onion flavor.
The sauce thickens as it cooks. To thicken it even more, stir in a cornstarch slurry before adding sour cream. Use 1 tbsp cornstarch with 1 tbsp cold water.

Nutrition

Calories: 330kcal, Carbohydrates: 2g, Protein: 22g, Fat: 26g, Saturated Fat: 10g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g, Monounsaturated Fat: 11g, Cholesterol: 86mg, Sodium: 399mg, Potassium: 497mg, Fiber: 0.1g, Sugar: 0.3g, Vitamin A: 45IU, Vitamin C: 1mg, Calcium: 24mg, Iron: 1mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

Additional Info

Course: Main
Cuisine: American, European American
Like this? Leave a comment below!

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!

For more easy recipes and crockpot recipes, please follow me on social media and subscribe to my newsletter!

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Recipe Rating




8 Comments

  1. Ellen says:

    Such a fantastic meal! The family loved it so adding onto our weeknight rotation!5 stars

  2. Addison says:

    These meatballs are so easy and inexpensive to make. Turned out perfect and I cannot wait to make this again!5 stars

  3. Cheryl says:

    I love Swedish meatballs! It’s even better to make them in the slow cooker — super easy and they were delicious!5 stars

  4. Juliane says:

    These meatballs are SO good! My whole family loved these!5 stars

  5. Sandra says:

    This is my new favorite dish to make on busy weeknights! So good!5 stars

  6. Beth says:

    Oh, yes. Semi-homemade meals like this are my bread and butter, especially during the week. Love it.5 stars

  7. Patrick says:

    Wow, this was easy! Makes it look like I cooked forever! Will do this one more often!5 stars

    1. Dee says:

      So glad you enjoyed the meatballs. Thanks!