Easy Slow Cooker Swedish Meatballs (From Frozen)
47 Comments Jan 19, 2022
Updated Jun 13, 2024
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Make easy Slow Cooker Swedish Meatballs for dinner tonight! This is a classic recipe with plenty of thick and creamy gravy and cinch to throw together with the help of frozen cooked meatballs.
Easy Swedish meatballs are a main course dish, not usually served as an appetizer like grape jelly meatballs or barbecue meatballs.
Table of Contents
If you want to try something new in your kitchen, this recipe will be perfect for you! It only takes about 10 minutes to prepare, and then just let the crockpot do all the work while you go about your day.
What are Swedish Meatballs?
Swedish meatballs are slightly creamy in a brown gravy sauce. The sauce also has a different seasoning than traditional meatballs, adding a rich flavor. They are sometimes made with onion soup mix, instead of gravy.
What is the difference between Italian meatballs and Swedish meatballs?
Spices are the difference. These meatballs are made with different spices and are topped with a creamy brown sauce rather than a red sauce. The seasonings for the Swedish Meatballs are a little more intense than a traditional meatball, and the cream sauce adds to them. The creamy sauce is what makes them Swedish.
Recipe Ingredients
- Meatballs – I am using frozen meatballs to save time, but you can make homemade meatballs. My favorite is Costco Italian meatballs, but any homestyle or Italian style will work great. These are usually made from ground beef.
- Cornstarch – This helps to thicken the sauce.
- The Gravy – Water, beef broth, cream of mushroom soup, brown gravy mix and Worcestershire sauce. Sour cream is added just before serving (or heavy cream). Plain greek yogurt can be substituted for the sour cream if desired.
- Seasonings – Use dried parsley, garlic powder, onion powder and fresh parsley for garnishing
- Egg noodles – Serve the meatballs over egg noodles.
Step by Step Directions
Step One – Combine the cornstarch and the water until smooth, then add the beef broth and stir. Add the meatballs.
Step Two -Add the seasonings, Worcestershire sauce, cream of mushroom soup, and gravy mix. Wait to add the sour cream.
Step Three – Stir together well; it’s ok if the cream of mushroom soup is chunky, it will melt during the cooking time.
Step Four – Place the lid on the slow cooker—cook on high for 3 hours or low for 5 hours. Stir occasionally during the last hour of cooking.
Step Five- Once the meatballs are done, stir in the sour cream (or heavy cream) and serve the meatballs over egg noodles and garnish with parsley.
What do I serve with this?
- Wide egg noodles are the most poplular choice with crockpot Swedish meatballs, don’t mix them into the slow cooker, let each guest choose how much noodles and meatballs they want.
- Crockpot Mashed Potatoes are a great side dish for anything with gravy!
- Rice is one of my favorite ways to serve this. It soaks up more gravy than any of the other options.
Recipes FAQs
They will last for a few days in the refrigerator, up to 4 days. Once the meatballs have cooled, you can place them in the fridge. Make sure you have them in an airtight container not to spoil sooner.
The frozen Swedish meatballs will last for about three months in the freezer. Ensure they are cooled and stored in an airtight container or freezer bag.
The quickest way to reheat a small serving of these meatballs is in the microwave. You can also reheat it on the stovetop in a saucepan.
You can use different noodles, but it will change the flavor. Egg noodles have a taste and shape that is traditional with egg noodles. You can also skip the noodles and use rice or mashed potatoes with them.
Frozen meatballs only get better with time, they stay very moist and soak up the flavors of the sauce while cooking. Though there is a point when the entire dish will overcook and burn, don’t let this cook too much longer than the suggested cooking time.
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Slow Cooker Swedish Meatballs Recipe
Ingredients
- 3 cups beef broth
- 2 Tbsp. cornstarch
- 2 Tbsp. cold water
- 32 oz. frozen cooked meatballs, Italian or home style works fine.
- 10.5 oz. can cream of mushroom soup
- .87 oz. package of brown gravy mix
- 2 Tbsp. worcestershire sauce
- 1 1/2 Tbsp. dried parsley
- 1 tsp. garlic powder
- 1/2 tsp. onion powder
- 1/2 cup sour cream OR heavy cream, (WAIT TO ADD) – Can use plain greek yogurt
- fresh parsley for garnishing
- large egg noodles for serving
Instructions
- In a small bowl add the cold water and corn starch, whisk with a fork until smooth. Add to the slow cooker along with the broth. Mix the broth with the cornstarch slurry.
- Add meatballs to the bottom of the slow cooker.
- Top with cream of mushroom soup, brown gravy mix, Worcestershire sauce, dried parsley, garlic powder, and onion powder. Stir well to mix all ingredients. It's ok if the cream of mushrooms doesn't dissolve, it will melt with the cooking time.
- Place the lid on the slow cooker and cook on high for 3 hours or low for 5 hours. Stir occasionally towards the end of the cooking time.
- When cooking time is complete, add the sour cream and stir. Serve the meatballs and gravy over large egg noodles or rice.
How to Video
Sarah’s Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition info is auto-generated. This information is an estimate; if you are on a special diet, please use your own calculations.
This was pretty good but next time I’m going to use half the meatballs and pour in the whole beef stock so it’ll be more creamier
Wonderfully delicious and easy
Can you use flour instead of cornstarch? If you don’t have corn starch?
I would skip it if you don’t have it. The only option with flour is to mix it into something fatty (like heavy cream or sour cream). You could try it at the end with the sour cream, but I fear it would taste very raw added at the end.
I use flour every time and it turns out perfect!
Family favorite and in our rotation the past year!
In my area, we have ‘Kroger’ grocery stores … I know they have different names in different areas. My point, under their ‘brand’, they offer a frozen ‘Swedish meatball’ … ~26 oz bag, I think.
Just printed this recipe, planning to use their Swedish meatballs. Just an idea, for anyone else that has a ‘Kroger’ grocery in their area
Thanks for the tip!
Thanks for this tip! I saw those at my Kroger after reading this and used them to make this recipe, too. Absolutely delicious! Followed the recipe, used sour cream at the end and served over egg noodles. My hubby said these were an 11 out of 10! 🙂
If I’m going to freeze, should I add the sour cream before freezing or leave it out until I reheat them?
I personally would leave it out.
Do I cook the egg pasta seperate?
Yes, for sure want to cook seperate.
This is delicious & very easy to make.
My husband LOVES this recipe. I’ve served them over mashed potatoes and noodles, but his favorite is all by themselves. Today he requested extra mushrooms so I added a large can of stems and pieces.
Absolutely delicious, this is my only go to recipe for Swedish meatballs
Omg 10/10 such a good recipe!!! So easy and delicious this recipe is for sure a keeper! Didn’t change anything and it was absolutely perfect! I seasoned with additional salt and pepper to taste!
Made this tonight and it was DELICIOUS and I mean like super good and EASY!