These homemade venison meatballs are extremely good. Perfect as a mid week meal as well as a weekend dinner, part of a shared meal, buffet or cocktail bites
Swedish meatballs, or köttbullar in Swedish, is comfort food at it's best. A crowd favorite for both young and old that always satisfies.
This recipe has been in my family for generations. Both my mum and grandmother made their Swedish meatballs with venison mince and this is their recipe
Meatballs are a staple food in Swedish cuisine and a must have on special holidays buffet (smorgasbord) such as Christmas and Easter.
Wild venison meat is healthy, natural, sustainable and it taste delicious! Using Venison meat instead of beef makes these meatballs extra tasty and luxurious.
You can read about hunting for food here and more ideas on how to cook venison here.
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Ingredients for venison Swedish meatballs
I'm using Venison mince instead of beef mince for this recipe because we always have that on hand and I think they turn out superior compared with standard beef meatballs
Ground venison meatballs
- ground venison meat
- ground pork meat
- breadcrumbs
- milk
- eggs
- onion
- garlic
- fresh thyme leaves
- allspice
- salt and pepper
Venison meatballs sauce
- beef stock
- flour
- cream
- sour cream
- bayleaves
See recipe card for quantities.
How to make venison meatballs
- Step 1: Saute diced onion and chopped garlic in butter until soft and fragrant.
- Step 2: Soak the breadcrumbs in milk for 10 minutes.
- Step 3: Add the ground meats, egg, seasoning, sauteed onion and garlic to the soaked breadcrumbs.
- Step 4: Mix well with your hands. Let the mixture rest in the fridge for 15-20 minutes to firm up.
5. Step 5: Form the meatball mixture into balls. Heat a frying pan to medium heat
6. Step 6: Cooking venison meatballs in batches in a frying pan until golden brown and caramelized.
7. Step 7: Transfer the seared meatballs over to an oven proof pan or dish.
Place in the oven for 10 minutes or until cooked through.
Hint: Before frying all the meatballs, cook one test ball to make sure the seasoning is correct. Adjust if needed before cooking them all.
Pan sauce for venison meatballs
Make the creamy pan sauce while the meatballs are in the oven.
- Using the same frying pan and keeping the pan juices in it.
- Add the flour and mix to a thick paste.
- Add hot beef stock and bay leaves. Turn the heat to medium-high let it cook down for a few minutes.
- Add the cream and cook for a few more minutes.
- Turn the heat down to low. Add sour cream and whisk until the sour cream has fully dissolved. Simmer on low heat for 2-3 minutes.
- Strain, taste and adjust seasoning
Serve your venison Swedish meatballs with this creamy pan sauce, potatoes and lingonberry jam. Enjoy!
Substitutions
You can substitute the Venison mince with beef mince.
Substitute the creamy pan sauce for a creamy mushroom sauce or creamy gravy.
Variations
You can use lamb mince instead of Venison mince.
Use different herbs. Rosemary, parsley and oregano goes well too
Equipment
Frying pan
oven proof tray or pan
chopping board
knife
Mixing bowl
Storage
Uncooked meatballs will keep in the fridge for 2-3 days.
Cooked meatballs can be kept covered in the fridge for 3-4 days. They also freeze well, up to 6 months.
Top Tip
Let the meatball mixture rest in the fridge for 15-20 minutes to firm up before shaping them into balls.
Keep a bowl of cold water next to you and wet your hands in the water in between rolling the meatballs. They turn out more round and smooth that way and are easier to roll.
FAQ
Traditionally Swedish meatballs are served with potatoes, a creamy sauce and lingonberry jam
To keep these simple venison meatballs extra moist and tender, I add in breadcrumbs soaked in milk and mix pork mince with the Venison mince
If you cannot find lingonberry jam, you can replace it with cranberry sauce instead.
Eggs is the binding agent in meatballs so make sure you add enough egg to the mix. If the mixture has too much milk in it or if you shape the meatballs straight after mixing it, they can be too loose and fall apart. Let the meatball mixture rest in the fridge for 15-20 minutes to firm up before shaping into balls.
Impress your family or guests by serving these delicious venison pork meatballs that everyone will love!
Related
Looking for other venison recipes like this? Try these:
Kåldolmar - Swedish stuffed cabbage rolls
Did you try this venison meatballs recipe? Please leave me a comment below. I love to hear from you!
Swedish venison meatballs
Ingredients
Swedish venison meatballs
- 400 grams venison mince
- 200 grams pork mince
- ½ cup breadcrumbs
- 2 cups milk full fat
- 2 eggs free ranged
- 1 onion finely diced
- 3 cloves garlic finely chopped
- 2 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves
- 1 teaspoon allspice
- salt and pepper to taste
Venison meatballs cream sauce
- 500 ml beef stock hot
- 2 ½ tablespoon flour plain
- 100 ml cream
- 3 tablespoon sour cream
- 3 bay leaves
Instructions
Swedish venison meatballs
- Saute diced onion and chopped garlic in butter until soft and fragrant.
- Soak the breadcrumbs in milk for 10 minutes.
- Add the ground meats, eggs, seasoning, sauteed onion and garlic to the soaked breadcrumbs. Mix well with your hands.
- Form mixture into balls.
- Cooking venison meatballs in batches in a frying pan until golden brown and caramelized. Transfer the fried meatballs over to an oven proof pan or tray.
- Place in the oven for 10 minutes or until cooked through.
- Serve with potatoes and lingon berry jam
Pan sauce for venison meatballs
- Using the same pan and keeping the pan juices in it.
- Add hot stock and bay leaves, let it cook down for a few minutes.
- Add the cream and cook for a few minutes.
- Turn the heat down to low. Add sour cream and whisk until the sour cream has fully dissolved.
- Simmer on low heat for 2-3 minutes. Strain
Notes
- Before frying all the meatballs, cook one test ball to make sure the seasoning is correct. Adjust if needed before cooking them all.
- Let the meatball mixture rest in the fridge for 15-20 minutes to firm up before shaping them into balls.
- Keep a bowl of cold water next to you and wet your hands in the water in between rolling the meatballs. They turn out more round and smooth that way and are easier to roll.
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