Swedish elk meatballs with mushrooms are the ultimate cozy, flavor-packed dish. Earthy mushrooms deepen the flavor of the velvety gravy, wrapping each tender, spiced meatball in layers of warmth and richness. Whether served over buttery mashed potatoes or twirled into egg noodles, this hearty, Nordic-inspired meal is pure comfort in every bite.
Recipe Highlights
Perfectly Tender Meatballs: The right blend of ingredients keeps them moist and flavorful. For more tasty meatball recipes, try French onion elk meatballs, venison porcupine meatballs, or Mediterranean venison meatballs with tzatziki sauce.
Rich, Savory Flavor: The bold taste of wild elk pairs perfectly with warm spices and a creamy gravy. If you love the flavor of mushrooms, you'll love my mushroom Swiss venison burgers!
Comforting & Hearty: Served over mashed potatoes or egg noodles, this dish is pure comfort food. For more elk comfort food, try classic elk meatloaf or elk stroganoff.
Ingredients
- Ground Elk: Any ground wild game meat (venison, moose, etc.) or ground beef can be used in place of ground elk.
- Sauce: This Swedish meatball sauce is a simple blend of flavorful stock and sour cream, thickened with a simple roux.
- Mushrooms: Typically Swedish meatballs do not have mushrooms in the sauce. But, I love the extra rich flavor they add. Feel free to skip them if you'd like!
See recipe card for quantities.
How to Prepare Elk Meatballs
These elk meatballs are a variation of my popular venison meatballs that use homemade sourdough breadcrumbs. Read below for how to make them!
- Step 1: Preheat oven to 425°F. Line a sheet pan with parchment paper. To a medium bowl add egg, milk, bread crumbs, and olive oil.
- Step 2: Mix together with a whisk. Let mixture sit while you prepare other ingredients (onions, garlic, spices, etc.), about 5 minutes. The breadcrumbs will absorb the wet ingredients which helps the meatballs stick together.
- Step 3: Add meat, onion, garlic, and spices to the bowl.
- Step 4: Gently mix together with your hands until well combined.
- Step 5: Use a cookie scoop to divide the meat into 24 equal portions, about 2 tablespoons each.
- Step 6: Gently form each portion into a ball. Place meatballs on a parchment paper-lined pan, evenly spaced.
- Step 7: Bake for 12-15 minutes or until internal temperature reaches 165°F and the outsides are golden brown.
- Step 8: If you'd like to brown your meatballs a little more, you can broil them on high for 3-5 minutes after the initial cooking time.
Pro Tip
Gently mix the meatball ingredients just until combined to keep the meatballs tender. Overmixing can make them dense and tough.
How to Make Swedish Elk Meatballs
Swedish meatball sauce comes together in a few simple steps. Read below for how to make it!
- Step 1: While the meatballs are baking, prepare the sauce. Heat a large cast iron skillet over medium-high heat. Add the mushrooms to the pan
- Step 2: Cook for 8-10 minutes, or until the mushrooms have released their liquid and reabsorbed it, stirring occasionally. This process is called dry sauteing and results in super flavorful mushrooms.
- Step 3: Season the mushrooms with salt and pepper. Add butter to the pan and let it melt. Reduce the heat to medium.
- Step 4: Add flour to the pan and stir to coat the mushrooms. Cook for 1-2 minutes.
- Step 5: Add stock, Worcestershire sauce, mustard, and thyme sprigs to the pan. Stir to combine. Bring to a simmer and simmer for 2-3 minutes.
- Step 6: Add sour cream to the pan and bring to a simmer. Simmer for 1-2 minutes. Taste the sauce and add salt and pepper, if needed.
- Step 7: Add the cooked meatballs to the pan and spoon the sauce over the meatballs. Simmer for 3-4 minutes.
- Step 8: Serve over egg noodles, mashed potatoes, or rice. Top with chopped parsley. Enjoy!
Storage
To store leftover Swedish elk meatballs with mushrooms, place them in an airtight container and refrigerate for up to four days. When reheating, warm them gently on the stove over low heat or in the microwave. For longer storage, freeze the cooled meatballs and sauce in a freezer-safe container or vacuum-sealed bag for up to three months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before reheating.
Serving Suggestions
Swedish elk meatballs with mushrooms pair beautifully with buttery mashed potatoes or tender egg noodles, allowing the rich, velvety sauce to soak into every bite. Top with fresh parsley for a pop of color. Complete the meal with warm Dutch oven sourdough bread to scoop up every last drop of the creamy sauce.
Recipe FAQs
The key to tender meatballs is using the right balance of moisture and binding ingredients. Adding breadcrumbs soaked in milk (a panade) helps keep them soft, while eggs provide structure without making them dense. Avoid overmixing the meat, as this can result in tough meatballs.
Meatballs often fall apart due to a lack of proper binders, such as eggs or breadcrumbs, or if there isn’t enough moisture in the mixture. Overhandling the meat can also lead to a crumbly texture. Additionally, if meatballs aren’t seared properly before simmering in sauce, they can break apart during cooking.
When making dishes like venison meatballs or elk meatloaf, incorporating moisture-rich ingredients like onions, eggs, or breadcrumbs helps retain tenderness.
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Thank you!
Annie
Swedish Elk Meatballs with Mushrooms
Ingredients
Meatballs
- 1 lb ground elk
- 1 large egg
- ½ cup milk
- ½ cup breadcrumbs
- 2 tablespoon olive oil
- ½ cup yellow onion, grated
- 1 tablespoon garlic, minced
- ½ teaspoon table salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- ¼ teaspoon nutmeg
- ¼ teaspoon allspice
Sauce
- 1 lb cremini mushrooms, sliced
- 4 tablespoon salted butter
- 4 tablespoon all-purpose flour
- 2 cups stock (wild game, beef, etc.)
- 1 tablespoon worcestershire sauce
- 1 tablespoon spicy brown mustard
- 3-4 thyme sprigs
- 1 cup sour cream
- salt and pepper, to taste
- Italian parsley, chopped (for garnish)
Instructions
Meatballs
- Preheat oven to 425°F. Line a sheet pan with parchment paper.
- To a medium bowl add egg, milk, bread crumbs, and olive oil. Mix together with a whisk. Let mixture sit while you prepare other ingredients (onions, garlic, spices, etc.), about 5 minutes. The breadcrumbs will absorb the wet ingredients which helps the meatballs stick together.
- Add meat, onion, garlic, and spices to the bowl. Gently mix together with your hands until well combined.
- Use a cookie scoop to divide the meat into 24 equal portions, about 2 tablespoons each.
- Gently form each portion into a ball. Place meatballs on a parchment paper-lined pan, evenly spaced. Bake for 12-15 minutes or until internal temperature reaches 165°F and the outsides are golden brown.
- If you'd like to brown your meatballs a little more, you can broil them on high for 3-5 minutes after the initial cooking time.
Sauce
- While the meatballs are baking, prepare the sauce.
- Heat a large cast iron skillet over medium-high heat. Add the mushrooms to the pan and cook for 8-10 minutes, or until the mushrooms have released their liquid and reabsorbed it, stirring occasionally. This process is called dry sauteing and results in super flavorful mushrooms.
- Season the mushrooms with salt and pepper. Add butter to the pan and let it melt.
- Reduce the heat to medium. Add flour to the pan and stir to coat the mushrooms. Cook for 1-2 minutes.
- Add stock, Worcestershire sauce, mustard, and thyme sprigs to the pan. Stir to combine. Bring to a simmer and simmer for 2-3 minutes.
- Add sour cream to the pan and bring to a simmer. Simmer for 1-2 minutes. Taste the sauce and add salt and pepper, if needed.
- Add the cooked meatballs to the pan and spoon the sauce over the meatballs. Simmer for 3-4 minutes.
- Serve over egg noodles, mashed potatoes, or rice. Top with chopped parsley. Enjoy!
Notes
- Any ground wild game meat (venison, moose, etc.) or ground beef can be used in place of ground elk.
- This Swedish meatball sauce is a simple blend of flavorful stock and sour cream, thickened with a simple roux.
- Typically Swedish meatballs do not have mushrooms in the sauce. But, I love the extra rich flavor they add. Feel free to skip them if you'd like!
- Gently mix the meatball ingredients just until combined to keep the meatballs tender. Overmixing can make them dense and tough.
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