Authentic Swedish Meatball Sauce (Gräddsås)
Make a rich, creamy, and savory brown cream sauce for your Swedish meatballs using this straightforward recipe. This classic gräddsås recipe delivers the perfect flavor and consistency.
- Prep Time: 5 min
- Cook Time: 10 min
- Total Time: 15 min
- Yield: About 1.5 cups 1x
- Category: Side Dish
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Swedish
- Diet: Vegetarian
Ingredients
Scale
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 1 cup beef broth, low sodium
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
- 1 teaspoon soy sauce
- 1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
- Pinch of ground nutmeg
- Salt and black pepper to taste
Instructions
- Melt the butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat.
- Whisk in the flour to create a roux. Cook, stirring constantly, for one minute until the mixture is smooth and lightly golden. Do not let it brown too much.
- Slowly whisk in the beef broth, ensuring no lumps form. Continue to whisk until the sauce begins to simmer and thickens slightly.
- Stir in the heavy cream, soy sauce, allspice, and nutmeg.
- Reduce the heat to low and let the sauce simmer gently for 3 to 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until it reaches your desired consistency. This is your rich brown sauce for meatballs.
- Season with salt and pepper to taste. If the sauce is too thick, add a splash more broth or water. If it is too thin, simmer a few more minutes.
- Serve immediately over your Swedish meatballs.
Notes
- For an even deeper umami flavor, substitute Worcestershire sauce for the soy sauce, or use both sparingly.
- If you are making a large batch of meatballs, plan for about 1/4 cup of sauce per serving.
- For the best flavor base, use high-quality beef broth.
- This sauce pairs perfectly with lingonberry jam.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1/4 cup
- Calories: 145
- Sugar: 1
- Sodium: 180
- Fat: 14
- Saturated Fat: 8
- Unsaturated Fat: 6
- Trans Fat: 0.5
- Carbohydrates: 3
- Fiber: 0.2
- Protein: 2
- Cholesterol: 45