Creamy Gluten-Free Swedish Meatballs
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These Gluten-Free Swedish Meatballs are deliciously creamy and cosy, brightened up with a dash of lemon and fennel and topped with a pork crackling crunch.
Swedish Meatballs are pure comfort food. A simple gravy, imbued with the intense flavour of good stock, a bit of redcurrant (or cranberry) jelly for sweetness and then finished off with the creamy tang of crème fraiche. The gravy compliments the unctuous meatballs perfectly. To finish off the dish and add a bit of texture I often crumble over some pork crackling. If you have the time and the inclination you can make your own (as detailed below) but you can equally happily buy a good quality bag which are easy to find in any supermarket these days.
These meatballs can have the perfect accompaniment with a bowl of steamed greens, carrots and most importantly a prodigious mound of mashed potato.
I’ll show you how to make these delicious meatballs easily, with simple gluten-free breadcrumbs alternatives and the best gluten-free flour to use for a smooth creamy gravy.
Why You’ll Love These Gluten-Free Swedish Meatballs
- Cosy and comforting. Perfect dinner for when the evenings start drawing in.
- Lashings of rich creamy gravy. Our meatballs are sunk into this heavenly gravy.
- So much more flavour. If you find the Ikea meatballs a little lacklustre then you’ll love how these ones are bursting with bright flavour.
- Pork Crackling. Adds texture, flavour and umami crunch.
- Gluten-free. We are using sweet rice flour (glutinous rice flour) to thicken our gravy.
- Family friendly. Who doesn’t love these incredible meatballs.
Ingredients Needed
For the meatballs
We’re not using traditional breadcrumbs in this recipe as we’re making it gluten-free. Instead we are using ground almonds soaked in milk. We’re talking about the ground almonds sold in the baking aisle of UK supermarkets. There is a bit of labelling confusion over almond flour which is sold as ‘ground almonds’ in most major UK supermarkets and found in the baking aisle. If you want to know what exactly you are looking for then check out this post >>> Is Almond Flour The Same As Ground Almonds.
These meatballs are made with fresh pork mince. I prefer getting all my meat from the butcher rather than the supermarket. I also highly recommend Field & Flower which is an online meat delivery service and all their meat is free range from British farmers.
Into the pork mince we add white onions cooked and caramelised in butter, soaked ground almonds, crushed fennel seeds, lemon zest, garlic, parsley, thyme and egg to bind everything together. Plus a little salt and pepper but check your seasoning if you are using bought-in pork crackling.
For the gravy
To make the gravy we use the fat from cooking the pork crackling (substitute with olive oil if you are not making your pork crackling from scratch). Create a roux with sweet rice flour (glutinous rice flour) which you can substitute for cassava flour. Add chicken stock slowly to create a sauce. Sweeten the gravy with a little redcurrant jelly (or cranberry sauce if you have that in) and Dijon mustard then finally finish off with crème fraîche which adds such a lovely tang rather than double cream. I use crème fraiche in my creamy sauces a lot.
For the pork crackling
We top the dish with freshly made pork crackling for texture. You need fresh pork skin from the butcher for this.
If you don’t have the time then I won’t judge you at all for substituting for a bag of pork crackling bought from the supermarket – you can get some amazing brands these days. You can even buy very good pork crackling from some butchers.
How To Make Gluten-Free Swedish Meatballs
The full recipe method is in the recipe card at the bottom of the post.
Mix the pork mince with the cooled caramelised onions, ground almonds (having been soaked in the milk), fennel seeds, lemon zest, garlic, parsley, thyme and the egg to bind. Season well.
Shape into 50g meatballs.
Cook the meatballs for 3-4 minutes on each side. Remove from the pan.
Make the gravy by mixing the pork fat (or butter or olive oil) with sweet rice flour over a low heat to make a smooth roux.
Gradually whisk in the chicken stock, followed by the redcurrant jelly and crème fraiche. Season to taste.
Return the meatballs to the pan, coat in the gravy and simmer for 5-10 minutes, until piping hot and cooked through.
Serve topped with fresh parsley and the remaining pork crackling.
Making Your Own Pork Crackling
The pork crackling topping on these meatballs is a great crunchy contrast to the silky gravy and unctuous meatballs.
- Rub the pork skin generously with salt and pepper, then place in a saucepan, cover with water and simmer for 1 ½ hours.
- Remove, pat dry and leave to cool before refrigerating overnight.
- The next day, slice into strips and fry in hot oil for approximately 10 minutes on one side and 3-4 minutes on the other, until golden and crisp.
- Leave to dry before chopping finely.
Tips & Troubleshooting
The gravy is ready when its smooth, creamy and thick enough to coat the back of a spoon.
Only top the meatballs with the pork crackling right at the last minute to avoid the crispy bits softening in the gravy.
Make Ahead
You can make the caramelised onions and soak the ground almonds the day before you make the meatballs.
You can also pre-cook the meatballs themselves up to two days before making the gravy and re-heating them in the gravy.
Pork crackling tends to lose its crunch in the fridge. You can pre-cook the pork skin up to two days beforehand but I do recommend finishing the pork crackling in the oil the day you make the meatballs.
Freezing
I recommend freezing the pork meatballs without the gravy as crème fraiche based sauces can separate in the freezing process. Cook the meatballs as per the recipe and store in an airtight container in the freezer for up to two months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator. Make the gravy as per the recipe, you might need to cook the meatballs in the gravy a little longer to fully heat through.
FAQs
Current allergen information suggests that HUVUDROLL Swedish meatballs are made with wheat-based breadcrumbs and the gravy is made with wheat flour. So that means no, they are not gluten-free. Of course, recipes can always change so it’s always worth re-checking with IKEA. However, by making our meatballs at home we can guarantee that our meatballs are always gluten-free and actually much more tasty.
This recipe makes the meatballs with ground almonds rather than regular bread-based breadcrumbs.
Serving Suggestions
The classic way to serve Swedish meatballs is with a really creamy mashed potato. Why not try this Cheesy Mash for a real indulgence?
Try other potato accompaniments too – Crispy Potato Wedges or just buttered steamed new potatoes are also delicious.
I must admit I love plain boiled white rice which is a great bedrock to these very tasty meatballs.
You also need something a little sweet / sour to accompany. I actually like either homemade redcurrant jelly or homemade cranberry sauce.
Pickles also work well. Try these Bread and Butter Pickles or these Pickled Mirabelle Plums.
More Cosy Gluten-Free Dinners You’ll Love
Meatloaf is a great economical alternative to a joint of meat for your Sunday roast dinner and happily serves a huge crowd. This juicy gluten-free meatloaf is moist and incredibly flavourful whilst being packed with vegetables. It slices like a dream without crumbling and is an easy family friendly meal.
Gluten-Free Lasagne is an unbeatable comfort dinner. Rich beef and pork ragù is layered between gluten-free pasta and a rich béchamel sauce. Topped with mountains of grated gruyere and mozzarella then baked until golden. Here are all the tips and step by step advice to make your favourite lasagne perfectly gluten-free.
Gluten-Free Shepherd’s Pie is a deeply flavourful homely recipe that is a favourite with the whole family. Delicious lamb mince cooked in a rich gravy with plenty of vegetables and a crisp buttery potato topping for the ultimate comfort food.
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Gluten-Free Swedish Meatballs
Ingredients
Pork Crackling
- 150 g pork skin
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
Pork Meatballs
- 60 g ground almonds
- 60 g milk - or water or veg stock
- 1 onion - finely diced
- 2 teaspoons butter
- 500 g pork mince
- 1 teaspoon fennel seeds - crushed
- Zest ½ lemon
- 2 cloves garlic - crushed
- 25 g parsley leaves - finely chopped
- 1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves
- 1 egg - lightly beaten
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Creamy Gravy
- 3 tablespoons sweet rice flour - glutinous rice flour
- 675 g chicken stock
- 1 teaspoon redcurrant jelly
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- 250 g crème fraiche
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
Day before: pork crackling
- Rub the pork skin generously all over with the salt and pepper.
- Place the skin in a wide saucepan and just cover with water. Bring to a gentle boil, cover with a lid and simmer for approximately 1 ½ hours, until tender.
- Remove the pork skin from the water and pat thoroughly dry with kitchen paper. Allow to cool completely.
- Once cool, refrigerate overnight in an airtight container.
On the day: Prepare the meatballs and gravy
- Firstly prepare the ground almonds by placing in a small bowl and pouring the milk over, leaving to soak whilst you organise the rest of the ingredients.
- For the caramelised onions, place the diced onions and butter in a medium saucepan. Cook over a very low heat for 20-30 minutes, stirring occasionally, until soft, golden and melting. Set aside.
- Finish the pork crackling by removing the pork skin from the fridge and slice into strips.
- Heat the olive oil in a wide-bottomed saucepan. Once hot, carefully add the pork skin. Take care as it will spit considerably while crisping up.
- Fry for approximately 10 minutes on the first side and 3-4 minutes on the other side, until golden and crisp.
- Remove with a slotted spoon and leave to cool completely before chopping finely. Reserve the pork fat in the pan for cooking the meatballs.
- To make the meatballs, combine the pork mince, soaked almonds, caramelised onions, fennel seeds, lemon zest, garlic, parsley, thyme, egg, salt and pepper in a large mixing bowl.
- Mix the mixture thoroughly with your hands until completely combined.
- Shape the mixture into evenly sized balls, about 50g each.
- Re-heat the pan containing the pork fat. Once hot, add the meatballs in batches if necessary and cook for approximately 3-4 minutes on each side, until nicely browned and cooked through.
- Remove the meatballs and set aside.
- To make the gravy remove most of the remaining pork fat from the crackling pan, leaving about 3 tablespoons.
- Reduce the heat to low and add the sweet rice flour, stirring into the fat until you have a smooth roux.
- Gradually pour in the stock, whisking continuously to prevent lumps. Keep whisking as the sauce begins to bubble and begins to thicken.
- Add the redcurrant jelly and whisk until dissolved.
- Stir in the crème fraiche, whisking until the gravy is smooth and creamy. Taste and adjust the seasoning as needed.
- Return the meatballs to the pan and turn gently to coat them in the gravy. Simmer for about 5-10 minutes, until the meatballs are piping hot throughout.
- Spoon the meatballs and creamy gravy into a serving dish. Finish with plenty of fresh parsley and scatter over the remaining crispy pork crackling just before serving.
