How many of you love to go to IKEA?
I could count quite a number of hands!!
Whenever I visit IKEA, I can’t help feeling that I see more people in the restaurant than the furniture department. Seriously guys, how many of you, in reality go to IKEA not to buy furniture but to eat the meatballs?
I have to admit that the Meatballs at IKEA are good enough and the gravy is good too, but these meatballs below are WAY better than those from IKEA.↓
I may sound biased here, but truthfully these Salisbury Meatballs and Mashed Potatoes were yummy and the gravy was SO delish! Well, at times you just can’t beat homemade stuff right?
Talking about home-made, I have been on a roll recently. Cooking almost every single day and the house smells delightful and I’ve probably pushed some of my neighbors nuts already. I have been posting a lot of food pictures on Facebook too. I question how many people would have already blocked me by now. ????
These meatballs used really basic ingredients, thus making it really simple to make. The sauce is also really easy. I served them with mashed potatoes. Well, meatballs and mash are just like best friends since birth. You need that mash to soak up all that gravy and nothing is more satisfying than a bowl of creamy mashed potatoes with delicious gravy. Pure comfort food right here! ????
I also steamed some broccoli to serve it by the side. Added nutrients plus having some greens on your plate is always visually appealing anyways! I love how each of the components go hand in hand with each other. The creaminess of the mash, the bite from the meatballs, the smooth and peppery gravy plus the crunchy broccoli. You have to serve ALL of these together cause this is not an arranged marriage where your mom brings four and you have to choose one!
Do try these Salisbury Meatballs and Mashed Potatoes a try. The gravy is really awesome that I can just drink up that gravy through a straw. Someone pass me a straw already!
- For The Meatballs
- 500g ground beef
- 1/4 cup breadcrumbs (I used Panko)
- 1 tbsp tomato ketchup
- 1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 tsp grounded black pepper
- 1 garlic, grated
- 1/2 onion, grated
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- For Gravy
- 2 tbsp butter
- 1 large onion, sliced
- 1 garlic, grated
- 2 cups beef stock
- 2 tbsp plain flour
- 1 tbsp tomato ketchup
- 1 tbsp bbq sauce
- 1 tsp smoked paprika
- 1/2 tsp freshly cracked black pepper
- Salt to taste
- For Mashed Potatoes
- 5 large potatoes, peeled and boiled till tender
- 4 tbsp salted butter
- 1/2 cup milk (I used low-fat milk)
- Salt and black pepper to taste
- Add all the meatball ingredients (excluding the olive oil) to a large bowl and mix well.
- Shape into 1-inch meatballs.
- Add the olive oil to a large skillet and heat over medium to high heat. Add meatballs and cook.
- Cook the meatballs on all sides, add more oil if needed. Remove meatballs from skillet and set aside.
- In the same pan, add butter. Once melted, add onion and cook until onion is soft and translucent.
- Add in 2 tbsp of flour and the grated garlic. Fry this for 1 minute.
- Slowly whisk in the beef broth. Cook for about 3 minutes till sauce thickens.
- Mix in the tomato ketchup, bbq sauce and paprika.
- Season with salt and black pepper.
- If sauce is too thick, add some beef broth or water.
- Add the meatballs back to the pan and let them toss in the sauce for about 1 minute.
- Mash the boiled potatoes and place it in a big bowl.
- Add milk, butter, salt and pepper.
- Place some mashed potatoes on a plate.
- Top with meatballs and gravy. Serve with a side of steamed broccoli.
- Garnish with some parsley if desired.
137 Comments
Katie
HI,
Made this last night for dinner. We both really liked it!!!! Wouldn’t change a thing. Thank you!!
Maya
Glad you liked it! Thank you for the feedback. 🙂
laure Vasquez
What does 1 garlic mean? Do you mean the entire head or just 1 clove. I want to make this soon but wanted the right amount of garlic! I feel the entire head is too much and a single clove will not be enough.
Maya
Hi Laure. I used 1 fat clove of garlic. You can easily use 2 cloves too. Do take note that since there is garlic in both the meatballs and the sauce, so should you decide to use more garlic. 2 cloves would suffice. 🙂
Dawn
Made this tonight for dinner. It was really good. I used lean ground turkey and it came out excellent. My husband loved it and had seconds. Thank you!
Maya
Glad you enjoyed it. Lean turkey is a very good idea btw! 🙂
Penny Steed
I just came across your site and this recipe. My family loves sweet and sour meatballs, and this recipe looks like it can easily become another favorite in our household. I can’t wait to try it this week.
Cyndi
Do you drain the grease from cooking the meatballs before adding the butter?
Maya
The meat that I used was pretty lean, thus there wasn’t much fat left in the pan. If there is much left, you can skim it off. 🙂
S Marie
DELISH!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Just made it for dinner and my family loved it!!!! Thank you 🙂
Maya
Thank you for trying! Glad you loved it 🙂
Gerrie
Hi! I must be the only one that my meatballs fell apart and not sure why! Any suggestions?
Maya
Hello Gerrie! You can try adding an egg. Alternatively, you can soak 2 slices of white bread in milk and add this to the meat. Hope this works for you!
Cyndie Hammers
How much is 500g of ground meat? We buy it by the pound.
Maya
Hi Cyndie. 1 Pound is about 450 grams, so feel free to use 1 pound of ground meat. The small difference would not matter. 🙂
Kay Eichler
Just made this for a friend. Delicious! I hope they like it as much as I do. Thanks
Maya
Glad you like it. Thank u for leaving a comment. Appreciate it 🙂
Alisha
Could you make the meatballs and gravy a day ahead?
Maya
Hi Alisha. Yes you can. 🙂
Caroline
I made this tonight and family loved it. This has fabulous flavor in meat & gravy. grilled 4 patties instead of meatballs for ease. I used panko crumbs and dried minced onion.
Maya
Yumz! The patties sounds good! I’m assuming that would be good on burger buns too!
Kristina
Question? could you cook the meet balls in the oven, and if so what would you recamind for temperature and time
Maya
Although i prefer to pan fry this coz it browns better, you can still bake these for about 18-25minutes (depending on the size) in a 400°F oven. 🙂
Anh Shaw
This was wonderful! A few changes I made (because I feel like my palate likes SUPER seasoned food) were added to the gravy:
-1 tsp worchestshire sauce
-1 tsp coarse dijon mustard
-1 extra tbsp ketchup
-1 extra tbsp bbq sauce
I also bought ground beef in bulk and just froze 2 more batches of the meatballs so will definitely make this again! Thank you for sharing your recipe!
Karen
This was a huge hit! I used spicy bbq sauce and hot paprika. A keeper!
Maya
Yeaaay! Good to hear that!
Sarita
Hello Maya…WOW!! I had to comment… I was looking for the perfect meatball recipe and I have found it!…every one in my house looked at each other when hey had the first bite…even granma said they were the best meatballs she ever had in her life! and she is pretty old.
I cant thank you enough!
All the best xx
Maya
I am glad that this recipe worked out well for you too. Thank u for the note 🙂
Ruthie
made this for dinner tonight.. mine did not look nearly as gorgeous as your pictures 😉 but it was absolutely delicious!! even my 2 year old loved it. definitely a new regular recipe to come back to again & again. i added some halved brussel sprouts to the gravy at the same time as the onion and that was delish!! thanks for sharing 🙂
Maya
Yum…brussel sprouts sounded good! Im glad you and you little one enjoyed this recipe! 🙂
Michelle
I usually don’t comment on blogs but I’ve been compelled. I have made this recipe twice now and my family just LOVES it. Thank you for a delicious recipe, it is perfect as it is.
Maya
Thank you for taking the time to comment. Made my day! 🙂
Susan
Good stuff! Made for dinner tonight. Comfort food at it’s best. Thanks for sharing!
Maya
Glad you enjoyed it 🙂
Erica
Could you use frozen meatballs and get close to the same results? I want to make this for a party but don’t have the time to hand make enough meatballs for 50 people!
Maya
Hi Erica,
I have pesonally not tried using frozen meatballs but I believe if you have cooked using frozen meatballs before and it taste good, this would work for this recipe too! Infact this is lovely with good quality cocktail sausages too! Hope this helps!
Amy
No egg and the meatballs stay together?
Maya
Hi Amy,
Yes it works without the egg too because of the breadcrumbs. Nevertheless, if you prefer to add an egg, by all means. 🙂
trisha
So yummy looking! Can I use minced chicken instead? We do not consume beef 🙂
Maya
Yes. It would work with both chicken and turkey. 🙂
Kristin
Delicious! We had a vow this week to only use items we had on hand to get our pantry and fridge under control (grocery shopping is a weakness for my husband and me). I had been eyeing this recipe for awhile, so we made it Thursday. We didn’t have an onion, but used shallots. Even the sweet and smokey BBQ sauce we had fit in VERY well. We halved this (only 2 of us) and not a single bite was left over. I guarantee this will be on rotation.
Maya
I am glad that you enjoyed the recipe. Was smiling, when I read your comment coz I can totally relate to you. When I’m in a supermarket, I behave like a 5 years old in Toys Rus,. A few months back, I remembered telling myself that I am going to clear my pantry before stocking up more items but it didn’t materialized. Now, you have inspired me to do the same, I am going to try and cook with the items I already have in hand and not purchase more. Thank you!
Leah
Made this tonight with beef, pork and veal mix I found at Aldi. It was very good. Loved the rich sauce.
Maya
Glad you enjoyed the recipe! 🙂
Connie
Maya, I made this for Easter dinner, for just my husband and myself. I followed the recipe with the exception of the BBQ sauce. No worries, it was wonderful! It looked beautiful plated similar to your photos. My husband did not speak until he was dishing up his second plate! It was a big hit! Thank you!
Maya
Glad you guys enjoyed it! Thank you for taking the time to drop me a comment. xX
Lisa Carson
I made this tonight for dinner. Was awesome.
Maya
Glad you enjoyed it! 🙂
Dave
This looks lovely! How well does it freeze? Thinking of cooking for dinner and freezing leftovers for another day.
Maya
Hello Dave!
I have personally not tried freezing these but I think it might work since there is no cream in the sauce, thus you won’t get the gritty texture that sometimes occurs in creamy sauces after you freeze them. Hope this helps!
Cynthia
Could I use something else to thicken sauce . I am very bad at getting flour taste out.
Maya
You can thicken it with some cornflour + water mixture instead. 🙂
Taylor
Hello!
In the list of ingredients, it says beef stock, but in the instructions it says broth. Which should I use?
Maya
Hi. Both works. I used beef granules diluted in hot water though. 🙂
Sandy
Could you use this recipe to make a nice meatloaf?
Maya
I think It would work. You just need a sauce to baste it with, so that it doesn’t dry out. 🙂
Tiffany Shinaver
This was a delicious meal that the whole family approved of, plus a couple neighbor kids 😊
I love the idea of grating the onion to keep the meatballs nice and smooth, they are absolutely delicious!! I doubled the recipe, as I was feeding 7, and it was absolutely perfect! I will be making it again!
I served it with green beans
Maya
I am glad the meatballs were well received. Serving it with green beans sounds delish!
Haeley
I would love to use this recipe for a work pot luck. Do you have any recommendations for a cock pot?
Maya
To be frank, I’ve never tried but what I would do is to brown the meatballs first and everything else can be done in the crock pot. Hope this helps.
Debra
I made these tonight for dinner. If green beans on the side. I can’t say enough about how great the flavor was and how easy it was to make.
Maya
Im glad you liked it! I am thinking to serve this with cheesy peas next! 😀
Tracey H.
When the recipe says to grate the onion, is that on the larger side of the grated, or the smaller side?
Maya
Hi Tracey. Both works actually. I used the fine (smaller) side though.
Joyce
Joyce
Can this be made in a crock pot?
Maya
I have personally never tried but what I would do is to brown the meatballs first and everything else can be done in the crock pot. Hope this helps.
Rissy
You need to add an egg the meatballs or else they will fall apart. Add mushrooms to the gravy for more authentic flavor.
Maya
Hello Rissy! Works well with me without the egg too, but an egg would obviously do no harm either. 😀 Following a recipe is all about making it your own. 🙂
Angela
I just made this for my family and I and we absolutely loved it 💕💕I will be making this again
Maya
Hello Angela! Good to know! <3
Sandra Auzenne
Made this for the first time… turned out soooo good…. now to see how my husband likes it
Maya
Hope he likes it too! 😀
Andrea
Wondering what rand bbq sauce you use? Have yet to find my favorite.
Maya
I personally like Hunts. 🙂
Sue Palmer
I’ve been looking for a new meatball recipe to try and this is just another reason I love Pinterest for recipes cause you can find the gems like this one. Going to the grocery store in the morning to get ingredients to make for me and my husband tomorrow night and he loves it when I try out new recipes. This sounds awesome and I can’t wait to try it. Sounds so like the good southern comfort food I love to cook. Thanks so much for sharing this. Oh, and I’m the same way with the pantry and way too many items that alot never get used. Great idea to use them all before buying more. I totally get the 5 yr old in Toys Rus feeling!!
Maya
Most ladies want a walk in closet but give me a walk in pantry anytime! Good luck with the recipe Sue! I hope your hubz enjoy the meatballs!
Casey
I made this for dinner tonight and it was a hit with the kids! Hubby can’t eat so much red meat but he sneakily had a plate of meatballs anyway. Thanks for the great recipe 🙂
Maya
Can’t blame your husband, can we? Glad the recipe worked for you. <3
Tori
The gravy was really good but I felt like my meatballs came out kind of dry. Any suggestions?
Maya
Soak the breadcrumbs in some milk. That would add some moisture to the meatballs. 🙂
Cynthia Coffey
These are the best meatballs I’ve ever had. This recipe is absolutely fantastic. Thank you!
Maya
Thank you…glad you enjoyed them! 🙂
Kassandra
Can I use chicken broth instead of beef broth
Maya
Yes you can. 🙂
Laura
9 people around our table last night loved this recipe! (I did have to triple the recipe.) Thank you for publishing a recipe that is sure to go into our Sunday dinner rotation!
Lisa
Made this recipe with ground Turkey, it came out delicious!! It’s a keeper. Thank you!
Maya
I’m glad you liked the recipe. Btw ground turkey sounds delish!
Peggy
Made this last week, OMG delicious. Just finished the rest for lunch, definitely wI’ll make
this recipe again and again!
Bonnie D
Made this tonight for supper…Its a cold rainy day, so wanted some comfort food…..OMG so easy, and so so delicious. I highly recommend anyone to make this dish. Thank you.
Maya
Yes, this is especially delicious and comforting on cold nights! Thank you for dropping me a line. <3
Dawn
So, so good!! I added a little brown sugar to the gravy since we liked it a little sweeter. I was craving meatloaf and came across this recipe. Thank you for sharing, we both really enjoyed it. I
will be making it again and again and again….. 😊
Maya
Hello Dawn! Glad you guys enjoy it. Thank you for dropping me a msg. <3
Kim K
I found you on Pinterest and I made this tonight. SO DELICIOUS!!! I am not a meatball fan usually. I mean, I WANT to like them but I usually don’t. I didn’t do homemade mashed and that would have made it a 5 for sure. I LOVED the gravy. Everyone liked and that is rare.
Maya
Hi Kim! Glad everyone enjoyed it. The gravy literally goes well with almost everything, steamed broccoli, grilled asparagus…baked potatoes, just to name a few.
Katherine A Dietz
You mentioned you used Hunt’s bbq sauce which flavor?
Can you use regular breadcrumbs and not Panko?
Thanks
Katherine
Maya
Hi Kat. I used Hunt’s original. Yes regular breadcrumbs would work too. 🙂
Kristine S
This is delicious. Next time I will bake my meatballs less, but still the taste of the meat and gravy was fabulous!
Maya
Hello Kris. I’m glad you liked the recipe and yes do adjust the baking time accordingly. 🙂
Theresa
This is terrifically yumsley! Cheated with the meatballs and used frozen vegan…hubz didn’t know the diff…hahaha! 😉 Winner winner began cheaters dinner. Thank you for sharing!
Maya
Hi Theresa! Glad it worked for u! Thank you for dropping me a msg. <3
Kris
We just had this for dinner and it was delicious!
Maya
I am glad you enjoyed them Kris!
Minnie
Absolutely delicious! My son thought meatballs were only good in spaghetti, now he’s CONVINCED otherwise! The flavor was awesome! Thank you!!
Maya
Hello Minnie! Glad your son enjoyed the dish! xoxo
Mollie Watson
I had really bad luck with this recipe. The meatballs fell apart (I used 80-20 so maybe that was the reason)?
Maya
Hi Mollie. Was it too dry or too wet?
Alissa
This was amazing! Thank you!
Janice
So good.. it’s going into the dinner rotation!! Thanks!
Maya
I need to revisit these meatballs soon!
Angela
These were perfect! Everyone loved them. Thank you
Maya
Good to know. Thank you for dropping me a msg! 🙂
Suzanne
This looks so good! What a great weeknight meal for the family!
Maya
Glad you enjoyed it Su!
Vanessa
Thanks for sharing! Does it keep long?
Maya
The meatballs and gravy yes, but not for the mash.
Ulla
I am not a fan of ketchup. Okay to omit it or do you suggest a substitute? Thank you.
Maya
You can omit or just add some bbq sauce. 🙂
Ulla
BBQ sauce is a good idea. Thank you.
Karen
Yummy. Even better the next day
Maya
Glad you enjoyed it Karen! 🙂
Jan
I have to agree with the masses…this was the bomb! I did use an egg and I think my meatballs would’ve fallen apart without it. Used half lean beef, half ground turkey and followed everything else exactly.
Bravo👏🏼👏🏼
Paula Barin
This dish is delicious.I made it tonight for dinner. It was quick and easy. Truly comfort food! I’ll definitely make it again.
Debbie
I would love to give this dish a try tonight! It looks delish and we have always loved IKEA’S meatballs! I have both Italian breadcrumbs and plain. Which do you recommend?
Maya
Both would work, just go easy on the salt if your italian breadcrumbs already has salt in them! 🙂
JM
To save time in grating the onion how much of the following substitutes would you recommend?
Onion powder
Dehydrated Minced onion
Thank you.
Maya
Im sorry but I personally have not used onion powder as i prefer to use fresh and it contributes to making the meatballs more juicy.
Ashley
Delish! Made these for supper tonight and my whole family LOVED them.
Just curious I make freezer meals for my dad as apart of his Christmas gift and I’m wondering could you pre-made the meatballs and gravy and then freeze it?
Maya
Hello Ashley. What an sweet and awesome idea! I would choose freezer meals as gifts anytime! <3 Although I have not personally tried freezing these, but I think it would work!
Penny
This recipe is delicious—next time I’ll try adding mushrooms to make it even more scrumptious! It’s August now and I thought I’d enjoy it so much more in the winter served with a nice glass of red wine and a delicious crusty bread! TY
Maya
Hi Penny! Yes, mushrooms are awesome. Garlic bread sounds good and obviously some red wine won’t hurt. 😀
Denise
I made this last night for dinner. Hubby and I enjoyed it very much. It was excellent! I definitely will make it again. Great comfort food. Thank you for sharing.
Maya
Hello Denise! I am glad you enjoyed them. Thank you for dropping me a message. 🙂
Karen
Delicious. Made this numerous times. Love the gravy. Added to my family recipes
Kass
Best recipe hands down! Everyone asks me for the recipe any time I make this & it’s a family favorite. Toddlers love it!
wouldn’t let me rate 5 stars but it is definitely all 5.
Kate
Made this for lunch and my husband loved it, especially the gravy!! I followed the recipe exactly except I dissolved 2 beef bouillon cubes in 1/4 cup hot water and added them to the beef broth for extra umami…so good. I am always looking for dinners as we try to avoid eating out. Next I am going to try this recipe with chicken thighs, chicken broth instead of beef, chicken bouillon, and the mashed potatoes.
Maya
Hello Kate! Sounds delish! I bet a couple
Slices of sundried tomatoes along with the chicken wld be good too!
🙂
Renee
My family really likes this recipe. It comes together so quickly. I usually double the gravy.