Low-FODMAP.
Swedish.
Meatballs.
#nokidding!
These are the BEST low-FODMAP Swedish Meatballs. And so easy! You will be thrilled to add this recipe to your ‘favorites’ box.
I won’t admit that my favorite Swedish store may have inspired this recipe…you know the one 😉
Low-FODMAP Swedish Meatballs are amazing served over low-FODMAP, gluten-free pasta (see my low-FODMAP Grocery Shopping List for tips), low-FODMAP Mashed Potatoes or low-FODMAP Rice Quinoa Medley. The gravy is to-die-for.
This low-FODMAP Swedish Meatball recipe can be modified for other types of meat such as ground turkey. You could also do a classic combination of beef and pork. Whatever is your preference!
You may also love:
- Low-FODMAP Turkey Taco Pie
- Low-FODMAP Slow-Cooker Chicken Enchilada Quinoa Casserole
- Low-FODMAP Italian Meatballs
- Low-FODMAP Cheeseburger Pie
- Low-FODMAP Meat and Quinoa One-Pot
- Low-FODMAP Sweet and Sour Meatballs
Or check out over 400 more low-FODMAP recipes on the blog. IBS-friendly!
Be healthy and happy,
Rachel Pauls, MD
P.S. Check out my new COOKBOOK for over 100 low-FODMAP recipes, low-FODMAP Meal Plan, FODMAP Tips and everything you need!! It’s the BEST!
Although this recipe has not been tested, a single serving should be low-FODMAP based on the ingredients (using available data at time of posting)
Serves: 4-6
*This recipe is rather rich and high in fat content. Adjust to personal tolerance if fat is a trigger for your IBS
Prep time: 20 mins (plus chilling 15-30 minutes)
Cook time: 20 mins
Total Time: 40 mins (plus chilling)
Ingredients
For meatballs:
- 1 pound uncooked ground beef (I like lean beef)
- 1/4 cup gluten-free, low-FODMAP bread crumbs (make your own!)
- Check to ensure your brand contains low-FODMAP ingredients
- 1 tablespoon (2 g) fresh parsley, chopped
- You can also use some extra as garnish
- 1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
- 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1/8 teaspoon pepper, plus to taste
- 1/2 teaspoon salt, plus to taste
- 1 large egg
- 2 tablespoons low-FODMAP milk (I like lactose-free whole milk, but for a dairy-free version use unsweetened almond milk or another low-FODMAP, dairy-free milk)
For sauce:
- 2 teaspoons garlic-infused olive oil; divided
- 2 teaspoons shallot or onion-infused olive oil; divided
- Infused oils have the flavor but NOT the FODMAPs! You can enjoy these on a low-FODMAP diet
- See my low-FODMAP Grocery Shopping Blog for tips on buying!
- 3 tablespoons butter (for dairy-free, substitute olive oil)
- 3 tablespoons low-FODMAP, gluten-free flour
- I select a brand without added Xanthan Gum, a plain rice flour also works well
- 2 cups low-FODMAP beef broth or stock
- My low-FODMAP Certified Happy Soup is perfect for this recipe!
- 3/4 cup heavy cream
- 1/4 cup of heavy whipping cream is low-FODMAP,
- For a dairy-free option use canned coconut cream (see my low-FODMAP grocery blog for brands and technique for using this. It is NOT the same as ‘cream of coconut’ which is sweetened and also found in cans at the supermarket)
- 1/4 cup is one low-FODMAP serving
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce (gluten-free if necessary)
- 2 tablespoon is one low-FODMAP serving
- Even though this product often contains onion and garlic, the amounts are so small that you can still use this for your cooking!
- You can also use soy sauce as a substitute
- 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
Directions
- In a medium sized bowl mix ground beef, panko, parsley, allspice, nutmeg, pepper, salt, egg and low-FODMAP milk (I used my hands)
- Scoop the meat mixture using a small cookie scoop or spoon, and using your hands, roll about 24 small meatballs. Place them on a baking sheet or large plate
- You want to roll these firmly so they don’t break apart, but not so dense that they aren’t moist and tender
- If you have time, at this point I recommend chilling the formed meatballs in the fridge for 30 minutes, or freezer for 15 minutes to help them maintain shape during cooking
- Once your meatballs are ready, in a large skillet heat 1 teaspoon each of the infused olive oils and 1 tablespoon butter over medium
- I prefer cast iron or an enameled cast iron for this
- Add the meatballs and brown on all sides, turning as needed (about 5-7 minutes)
- Do not crowd the pan. Shake them lightly, but do not turn excessively
- You may need to work in batches
- Transfer cooked meatballs to a plate and tent with foil to keep warm
- Add remaining 2 tablespoons butter, and teaspoon each of infused oils to skillet
- Adjust your heat as necessary to not burn this, you may want to shift to medium-low
- Stir in low-FODMAP flour and whisk until brown
- Slowly stir in low-FODMAP beef broth and heavy cream
- Add Worchestershire sauce and Dijon mustard and bring to a simmer until sauce starts to thicken
- Taste gravy, and add seasoning as needed
- Once thick, add the meatballs back to the skillet and simmer for another 1-2 minutes
- If you are concerned the meatballs aren’t fully cooked, then simmer longer as needed
- Serve over low-FODMAP, gluten-free egg noodles, GF farfalle pasta (I used Jovial brand), mashed potatoes or rice!
23 Responses
I don’t eat beef. Would this recipe work with ground turkey or chicken?
Hi Julie,
Yes! We actually mention that in the introduction paragraph.
Good luck ?
I made this tonight and everyone loved it! I used gluten free frozen meatballs to speed up the recipe, and coconut cream to make it dairy free. It was still rich and creamy- and my tummy feels great!!
Hi Riley,
Thanks for sharing! This sounds like a great shortcut, we would just want to ensure your commercial GF meatballs did not contain any high-FODMAP ingredients. It sounds like they agreed with you though! Stay in touch 🙂
Hi Riley,
Thank you so much for your kind review and stars! They made our day!!
Could this be made in advance and frozen?
Hi Dawn,
Thanks for the question. You could freeze the meatballs once formed, prior to cooking if you like. We do not think the sauce would freeze well due to the flour and cream it contains. Hope that helps!
just wondering if this can be cooked in a crockpot with the frozen meatballs that Riley used or does this have to be done on a skillet? Normally I like to slow cook the meatballs in the sauce to really soak up the flavor. Just put together all the sauce ingredients into the crockpot, stir it all up and then add the meatballs and slow cook for 6-8 hours.
Jim,
Thanks for your question. We would not recommend any brand of frozen meatballs as being low-FODMAP as they would likely contain onion and garlic. Also, if you used frozen meatballs then these would be different tasting as they would not have the ‘swedish meatball’ seasoning.
We feel the recipe can be made in the skillet, and slow-cooking is not necessary. We do have a slow-cooker meatball recipe if you want to try that instead! Have a great day and good luck!
This recipe was so easy to make, and I even had all the ingredients on hand. I used lactose free half and half for both the meatballs and gravy because I had it in my fridge, and it worked great. I used a low FODMAP miso mustard in place of the Dijon for the same reason. I served mine over mashed potatoes with a side salad. But then I had this genius idea… serve it over sticky white rice with a fried egg and you’ve got a low FODMAP Loco Moco.
THAT SOUNDS FANTASTIC! Thank you so much!!
So good!
I made this with ground turkey. I baked the meatballs in the oven.
They were a hit! My family loved them and there were no leftovers.
So happy to have found this recipe. Thanks!!
Thats AWESOME! Thank you so much for your comments and review JT. They made our day!!
Once I discovered the Low FODMAP diet was something I was going to have to commit to, I was depressed for a while. Me and my kids, love meals like this – rich and full of those good fats and utterly delicious. I was so sad I wouldn’t be able to enjoy something like that with them again! Or at least, be having to make two separate dinners every day! But NO! Everyone, including husband LOVED this dish and so did I! No one believed it had NO dairy in it. Utterly delicious, maybe even more so than the typical recipe followed! Thank you thank you for this! It made me SO happy!
Hi Jax,
So glad to hear from you!!
Amazing feedback.
Also, we highly suggest our bestselling Low-FODMAP IBS Solution Plan & Cookbook for great tips and recipes for those starting the low-FODMAP diet. Stay in touch with us 🙂
I’ve made this delicious recipe twice now. First with a mix of ground beef and pork, which was at that moment the only ground meat in the supermarket. The next time it was lean ground beef. Both were delicious but I prefer the beef variant.
Hi Hetty!
Thanks so much for your comments!
Please consider leaving a ‘star’ rating in the future as it helps with our google access for others.
Stay in touch!
Just added the stars, though a bit late.
Oh that is so nice! Thank you again!!
SO GOOD!
SO delicious! IKEA is one of my favorite places in the entire world and their Swedish meatballs instantly give me joy and nostalgia. Unfortunately, I live quite a long way from any of the IKEA locations, and, of course, the food wouldn’t be Low-FODMAP anyway. Sigh. I had this recipe in my Low-FODMAP recipe folder for a few months before making it and I can’t believe I didn’t try it sooner! It was so delicious, and gave me that good ole IKEA feeling! It was so tasty and heartwarming- all the flavor of Swedish meatballs without the side affects! I served them with mashed potatoes, a low-FODMAP portion of green beans, and some raspberry jam to try to imitate lingonberry jam (lol- it didn’t really taste the same, but I was still happy!). I will be making these much more often! Thank you so much for the amazing recipe! I think I might try your copycat Panda Express Orange Chicken next!
Hello and welcome!
This is such a lovely comment to read. We are thrilled you enjoyed the recipe!! Stay in touch with us!!
Love it!
Great taste ! The whole family loved it! The nutmeg and all spice give a nice touch to the meatballs and the Dijon mustard and worshestersire sauce add nice flavours to the beef broth and cream sauce. Served over quinoa with a side of edemame for vegetables. Doubled the recipe and my boys will have a thermos of this great dish in their lunches tomorrow. Thank you!
We love hearing this! Yes, the spices are what make these ‘swedish’ style, such a different flavor. Hope you stay in touch and thanks for your comments!!