Norwegian Meatballs with Lefse are my grandmother's incredibly delicious recipe! Homemade meatballs with brown gravy, rolled up in traditional lefse, are tender and amazing, kid-friendly and loved by all. Double the recipe to stock your freezer, this basic meatball recipe without the gravy is versatile and can be used in any meatball sauce!
Why We Love Them!
- Homemade Norwegian Meatballs in Brown Gravy are AMAZING! - Homemade meatballs are just so so good! The flavor, the texture, there is just nothing like it sold in the freezer section! Rolled up in lefse, think of it as the Scandinavian version of the tortilla, they are the perfect comfort food!
- These are Just Really Good Basic Meatballs, Versatile with Different Sauces! - You are going to want to double the recipe and do some meatball meal prep! These meatballs are classic in flavor, and freezing meatballs is a great way to stretch your efforts! Freezing the meatballs raw or cooked without sauce means you can use them in different ways! Try them as Meatball Subs, Spaghetti and Meatballs or Sweet & Sticky Appetizer Meatballs! Yes, the exact same homemade meatballs, different sauces, lots of possibilities!
Jump to:
My Norwegian Grandmother
My Grandmother was Norwegian. Being tall, blonde, and blue-eyed, when people ask, I always say "I'm Norwegian," even though I'm only a quarter. My grandparents are all gone and I miss them all the time. My grandmothers especially, they were both incredibly strong women and good cooks!
We have a few relics left behind by my grandma the Norwegian. A few gnomes, trolls, Norway's flag, and two painted ceramic tiles reading "Takk for Maten" and "Velkommen." I wish I had childhood memories of sitting on the kitchen counter while grandma cooked, but I don't.
I know they were great home cooks, but my culinary interest came much later in life for me. Still, my grandma served lefse with every Thanksgiving dinner. I thought lefse was as much of a Thanksgiving staple as the turkey, mashed potatoes and green bean casserole! As a kid, I rolled my whole meal up in lefse with butter, sort of a Norwegian taco.
The Norwegian meatball recipe is carried on by my Dad. He is a master meatball maker, and an excellent cook! After making his recipe myself for the first time, he sent me this email (I'm assuming all his information is accurate).
"You might mention that Norwegians are some of the best meatball makers in the world. I actually prefer their meatballs to the Italian variety. They do not normally put cheese in their meatballs, which makes them firmer and less moist. But, they are always served with pan gravy which provides moisture and flavor.
Swedish meatballs are a slight variation from the Norwegian variety. The Swedes use milk rather than water for their gravy which makes the gravy a milkier color and richer if you use whole milk (which I'm sure they did in the glory days). I'm glad that you are carrying on the tradition. The kids love those meatballs and I'm sure yours will too."
The older we get, I think we all wish we got more time with our grandparents generation. They gave us a tremendous childhood, more ice cream bars than our parents would have approved of, and recipes that we will pass down to our kids and grandkids.
Ingredients
For the Meatballs
- Onion - The onion is caramelized, slowly cooked over low heat until golden brown, bringing out its natural sugars and flavor before getting mixed in with the meatballs. It can be a tedious step but the flavor it brings really is worth it.
- Ground Beef and Pork - A combination of ground beef and ground pork is a great mix for meatballs.
- Eggs - Serve as a binder for the meatballs, holding their shape.
- Breadcrumbs - Helps the texture of the meatballs, making them not too dense. You can use store bought, or search your freezer for a few scrapes of bread or a hamburger bun. Chop it up, crumble it with your fingers and you've got homemade breadcrumbs.
- Milk - Combines with the breadcrumbs to keep the meatballs tender and juicy.
- Garlic - Use real garlic if you have it, but garlic powder or jarred garlic (1 teaspoon of either) are fine too.
- Salt and Pepper - Enhances the flavor of all ingredients, do not skip!
- Parmesan Cheese - Really important for texture! The Parmesan cheese gives the meatballs a soft delicate bite, making them juicy and delicious! Without it, your meatballs will be dense and tough. I've forgotten it before and realized how important it is!
For the Brown Gravy
- Butter & Flour - Butter and flour cooked together form a roux, the thickener for the gravy.
- Beef Stock - Stock is added to the roux to thicken into a gravy.
Instructions
Step 1 - Caramelize the onion. In a large pan over medium low heat, add olive oil and lightly saute the onion until golden brown, bringing out its natural sugars and flavors, about 20 minutes.
Step 2 - While the onion caramelizes, add all ingredients for the meatballs to a large bowl, including the onions when they are done.
Mix very well to combine, clean hands are the best mixing tool!
Step 3 - Portion the meatballs into ping pong to golf ball size meatballs using a portion scoop or an ice cream scoop to get them all the same size.
Roll them in your hands and place on a sheet pan.
You will get about 30 to 36 meatballs, depending on the size. At this point you can freeze any amount of meatballs you don't plan to use, or cover and refrigerate a day in advance.
Step 4 - Preheat the oven to 400°. Over medium high heat, reheat the pan from the onions, and add 1 Tablespoon olive oil. Brown the meatballs on one side, then flip and do the other side (about 2 minutes per side).
A metal or wooden spatula works best to flip them. Don't try to move them around in the pan while they are searing. Let them sit 2 minutes to get a nice brown crust before flipping.
Cook about 8 to 10 at a time in batches so you do not crowd the pan. When done browning the outside, return them to the sheet pan (don’t worry that it had the raw meatballs on them, you will be baking the whole thing).
Step 5 - Bake the browned meatballs in the oven for 10 to 20 minutes, depending on size, to finish cooking them through. Cut one open to make sure it's done.
Some of the meatballs could also be frozen at this point.
Step 6 - Make the gravy. While the meatballs bake, reheat the pan you seared them in over medium low heat (a pot large enough to hold the meatballs in gravy).
Melt 3 tablespoons of butter, and make a roux by mixing in the flour. Let it cook for about a minute while whisking, scraping up the browned bits from searing the meatballs.
Slowly whisk in beef stock, it will thicken with the roux into a gravy as it heats. Keep whisking it occasionally.
Step 7 - When baked, add the meatballs to the gravy and simmer on low until ready to serve. Roll meatballs and gravy in lefse.
Storage, Freezer, and Make Ahead Instructions
- Storage - Leftover meatballs in gravy can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. Store lefse in a bag in the fridge or on the counter. Reheat meatballs on the stovetop or in the microwave.
- Make Ahead - There are a handful of options for making these homemade meatballs in gravy ahead of time. First, consider doubling the recipe, extra meatballs to freeze can be used in different sauces for Meatball Subs, Grandpa's Spaghetti and Meatballs, or Sweet & Sticky Appetizer Meatballs. Meatballs in gravy are a great party food to feed a crowd and can be made ahead. You can either make up the entire pot of meatballs with the gravy, cool and keep in the fridge a day or two in advance. Then just reheat over low heat on the stovetop. You could also do a portion of the work in advance, such as making the meatballs, and then make up the gravy the day of.
- Freezer - You also have options for freezing the meatballs in different stages. You can freeze homemade meatballs when they are raw, or store the raw meatballs in the fridge a day or two ahead. Second, you can sear and bake the meatballs, and then freeze them or store them in the fridge a day or two in advance. Third, leftover meatballs can also be frozen in the sauce. With whatever stage you freeze them, just thaw overnight in the fridge and cook or reheat. You should freeze meatballs in the appropriate sized containers that your family will use for a meal. Lefse can also be frozen in the bag.
What to Serve with Meatballs and Lefse
Meatballs and Lefse are a hearty and comforting anchor meal, perfect for parties, holidays, Sunday dinner, or weeknights at home with extras to freeze.
- We love to serve them with Rosemary Garlic Mashed Potatoes and a simple vegetable like Green Beans and Carrots with Butter, Green Bean Au Gratin or Broccoli Au Gratin.
- Norwegian Meatballs are also delicious with Mashed Sweet Potatoes or Mashed Butternut Squash. Simple Blanched Green Beans are also nice!
- Add a big fresh salad such as this Pear and Blue Cheese Salad with Glazed Honey Walnuts or an Italian Mixed Greens Salad with Crispy Prosciutto and you have quite a feast!
Recipe FAQs
Yes, and you should! Homemade meatballs are a bit of work, but so much better than the frozen store-bought kind. I always double the recipe and freeze extras, raw or cooked to use in any meatball recipe with any type of sauce. They are a great meal prep recipe for easy weeknight dinners, and are a great freezer meal for new moms! Thaw them overnight in the fridge and use them in any way!
Yes! Meatballs can be frozen raw or cooked! If freezing them cooked, all you need to do is thaw them overnight in the fridge and warm them through in your choice of sauce.
Yes you can, but I like the combination of both. I often double this recipe making 4 pounds of meatballs and do a combination of 3 pounds beef to 1 pound pork. Really, any combination of beef, pork, or veal is fine for these meatballs.
More Favorite Comfort Foods!
If you made this recipe, I'd love to hear how you liked it! Be sure to leave a star rating by clicking the stars in the recipe card, or leave a comment below!
Follow Sungrown Kitchen on Pinterest, Instagram, and Facebook for loads of garden recipes! Subscribe Here for new recipes delivered straight to your inbox!
Norwegian Meatballs with Lefse
Hit the stars to rate this recipe!
Print Pin RateIngredients
For the Meatballs
- 1 small onion small dice (olive oil, salt, pepper)
- 1 pound ground beef
- 1 pound ground pork
- 2 eggs
- 1 cup breadcrumbs (panko or a finely chopped and crumbled frozen burger bun work great!)
- 2 Tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
- ½ cup milk
- 1 clove garlic minced
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 6 grinds fresh black pepper
- ½ cup Parmesan cheese grated
For the Gravy
- 1 Tablespoon olive oil
- 3 Tablespoons butter
- 6 Tablespoons flour
- 1 quart beef stock (or less, enough to reach desired thickness)
- 8 to 16 lefse for serving
Instructions
- In a large pot over low heat, caramelize the onion until golden brown in a little olive oil, and season with salt and pepper. Stir occasionally, about 20 minutes.
- Meanwhile, mix all other meatball ingredients in a large bowl, including the onions when they are done. Form into meatballs and set on a sheet pan. They should be about ping pong to golf ball size, use a small portion scoop or ice cream scoop to make them equal in size. About 30 to 36 meatballs. (At this point you can freeze or refrigerate meatballs, some or all, for later use, or try doubling the meatball recipe to really stock the freezer!)
- Preheat oven to 400° F. Over medium high heat, reheat the pan from the onions or use a clean large pan, and add 1 Tablespoon of olive oil. Brown the meatballs on one side, then flip and do the other side (about 2 minutes per side). Cook about 8 to 12 at a time in batches so you do not crowd the pan. When done browning the outside, return them to the sheet pan (don’t worry that it had the raw meatballs on them, you will be baking the whole thing).
- Bake in the oven at 400° for about 10-20 minutes to finish cooking the meatballs through, cut one open to check.
- Meanwhile over medium low heat, melt 3T butter in the same large pot you browned the meatballs. Make a roux by mixing in the flour and letting it cook for about a minute while whisking, scraping up the browned bits from searing the meatballs.
- Slowly whisk in the beef stock, use enough for a gravy-like consistency, you may not need the full quart. As the stock and roux mixture heat it will start to thicken into a gravy, whisk it occasionally.
- When the meatballs are baked, add them to the gravy and simmer on low until ready to serve. Serve meatballs and gravy rolled in lefse.
Notes
- Double the recipe to meal prep meatballs for the freezer. Meatballs can be frozen raw, cooked, or cooked and in the sauce. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before cooking or reheating.
- Browning the meatballs in the pan just adds flavor, it does not cook the meatballs all the way through. Finish them in the oven. To save time, you can skip the sear and just bake them directly in the oven, about 20 minutes but cut one open to be sure they are cooked through before adding them to your sauce.
- When searing the meatballs, don't try to move them around in the pan, let them sear! After a couple minutes, use a metal or wooden spatula to gently release them from the pan to flip. If they do break apart a little, don't worry, this will become part of your gravy sauce.
- These basic homemade meatballs are versatile and can be used in different sauces such as Meatball Subs with Marinara, Spaghetti and Meatballs, or Sweet and Sticky Appetizer Meatballs!
Linda says
Easy and delicious. I just made the small (2lb) batch. Next time I'll probably make the double batch and freeze some .
Meryl Downing says
So happy you liked them Linda! Yes, freezing some for later is a great option!
Katarina says
Hello!:) The recipe for the balls is excellent, but I was also attracted by the mention of Lefse in the title, but I see that there are no instructions for making it.
Will you be posting it soon?... please?:)
Meryl Downing says
Hi Katarina,
So glad you liked the meatballs! My grandmother did have an old lefse maker that is somewhere in the family still, but I have not gotten into making it myself, or recipe writing! I wish she were still here to teach me! Perhaps someday I will!
Tyler Snortum-Phelps says
How wonderful to see someone who wraps the meatballs in the lefse! We hadn't found anyone doing that except a food truck called "Viking Soul Food" in Portland. My wife's father was the Norwegian in the family and he always served a "Norwegian Burrito" as we called it, on Christmas Eve. He wrapped the meatballs and gravy in the lefse, but ALSO added chunks of plain, cooked potato, red cabbage cooked with brown sugar and vinegar, and lingonberries. And yes, the meatballs had cardamom, cloves, allspice and spices like that added, perhaps more of a Swedish style. It's so delicious we carry on this tradition every year!
Meryl Downing says
Wow that sounds really interesting with the cabbage and lingonberries, I've never had anything like that! My grandmother was Norwegian, my dad taught me the meatballs and gravy wrapped in lefse. I think it's absolutely delicious, but you're right, not very common!
Mark says
My mother made the best! Looking forward to trying your recipe! It’s been years The last time I had homemade meatballs!
Meryl Downing says
There's nothing like mom's old recipes! Hope you like them! They were my grandmothers, perfected by my dad.
Drice says
Just like my mother used to make. Do you have any gluten free options?
Meryl Downing says
You could substitute a gluten free breadcrumb in the meatballs or pulse regular rolled oats in the food processor to replace the breadcrumbs. For the gravy, you could try a gluten free flour although I have never tried it. You could also thicken the gravy with corn starch, just mix a tablespoon or so with a bit of water and whisk it into the stock a bit at a time until it reaches the right consistency, you may need to use more or less. I'm not sure about gluten free lefse but maybe it exists, you could also serve the meatballs with gravy over mashed potatoes. Hope that helps!
Ann Rice says
These are just the best meatballs ever!!! Our family loves them with lefse.
Rumrunner says
While in Juperland and Skudeneshaven I am sure I don't remember seeing any Olive Trees. Lots of Torsk but not olives.
Laura says
Scandinavian meatballs usually have nutmeg in them, also. And are in cooked in water/broth which makes them a lighter meatball.
Meryl says
Hi Laura, I will have to try them with the addition of nutmeg. I like getting the caramelized crust on the meatballs by searing them first in the pan. I think it adds a lot of flavor, then finishing the cooking in the gravy. Although I've had some delicious meatballs cooked in broth too!
Meryl says
Hi Laura, I'd like to give the nutmeg a try, I love nutmeg. I think the caramelized crust on the meatballs from searing them first gives them a lot of flavor. Although I have had meatballs cooked in broth that are delicious too!
Susan says
My husband is Norwegian and we make lefse every year and serve it with our Christmas Eve dinner. I'd like to try your meatball recipe but my young granddaughter is allergic to egg and soy. What would you suggest as a substitute for the breadcrumbs and egg?
Meryl says
Hi Susan, I am not very familiar with allergies but I have a couple suggestions. A company called Ian's Natural Foods makes soy free breadcrumbs. Try mixing the breadcrumbs with a few tablespoons of milk to act as a binder for the meatballs and leave the eggs out completely. If your granddaughter is able to eat a certain kind of bread you could also make your own breadcrumbs from that bread, again mix them with a little milk instead of the eggs. Also, a fattier meat will bind together better, making it easier to leave the eggs out. I hope this helps, I think the overall flavor of the meatballs will still be delicious with the substitutes. Good luck!