These Crockpot Swedish Meatballs are an easy weeknight dinner with frozen meatballs, creamy mushroom gravy, and buttery egg noodles. Frozen meatballs and canned cream of mushroom soup keep the prep simple, and the slow cooker handles most of the work.
The sauce gets savory flavor from beef broth, Worcestershire sauce, Dijon mustard, garlic powder, onion powder, and a little nutmeg. Sour cream stirred in at the end makes the gravy creamy and gives it the tangy flavor of a classic Swedish meatball recipe.
If slow cooker dinners make busy nights easier at your house, this is a good recipe to add to your regular rotation. Next, try my 3-Ingredient Hawaiian Meatballs, Instant Pot Italian Meatballs, or Instant Pot BBQ Meatballs.
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Shortcut Notes
- Frozen meatballs: Starting with fully cooked frozen homestyle meatballs means there is no ground beef to mix, shape, or brown.
- Condensed soup shortcut: Cream of mushroom soup gives the gravy a creamy base that's easy and delicious without making a separate sauce on the stove.
- Minimal hands-on cooking: Everything cooks together in the crock pot, and the egg noodles only need to be boiled shortly before serving.
Ingredient Breakdown
- Frozen homestyle meatballs: Fully cooked frozen meatballs are the main shortcut in this recipe. You can find 2-pound bags at Walmart. Homestyle meatballs have a mild seasoning that works well with the creamy gravy.
- Cream of mushroom soup: Condensed mushroom soup gives the sauce body, creaminess, and savory flavor.
- Beef broth: Thins the condensed soup into a spoonable gravy and adds a deeper beef flavor.
- Worcestershire sauce: Adds depth and a little tang to the sauce.
- Dijon mustard: Gives the gravy a mild sharpness that balances the creamy ingredients.
- Seasoning: Garlic powder, onion powder, black pepper, and ground nutmeg.
- Sour cream: Stirred in at the end for a creamy, tangy finish.
- Egg noodles: Their wide shape holds onto the gravy and makes this a filling dinner.
See the recipe card for quantities.
Instructions
Add the cream of mushroom soup, beef broth, Worcestershire sauce, Dijon mustard, garlic powder, onion powder, black pepper, and nutmeg to a 4- to 6-quart slow cooker. Whisk until smooth. Add the frozen meatballs and stir gently to coat.
Cover and cook on LOW for 4–6 hours or HIGH for 2–3 hours, until the meatballs are heated through and the sauce is bubbling. About 15 minutes before serving, cook the egg noodles according to package directions. Drain well.
Turn the slow cooker to WARM or turn off the heat. Stir in the sour cream until smooth and combined.
Serve the Swedish meatballs and sauce over the cooked egg noodles.
Substitutions
- Frozen homestyle meatballs: Use another fully cooked frozen beef or pork meatball if preferred. Turkey meatballs can also work, though the flavor will be lighter.
- Cream of mushroom soup: Cream of chicken soup or golden mushroom can work if you don't mind changing the flavor.
- Beef broth: Use chicken broth in a pinch, though beef broth gives the sauce a richer flavor.
- Sour cream: Plain Greek yogurt can work, but stir it in after the slow cooker has been switched to WARM or turned off. Heavy cream can also be used, though the gravy will be less tangy.
- Egg noodles: Serve the meatballs and gravy over mashed potatoes, rice, or another pasta.
Behind the Recipe
Most people associate Swedish meatballs with IKEA, but the version I always loved was the Lean Cuisine Swedish Meatballs.
These are not authentic Swedish meatballs by any means, but this crockpot version gives me that creamy meatball-and-noodle combination with a much easier family-size shortcut. Ultimate comfort food.
Did you make this recipe? I’d love to hear what you think! Please take a moment to leave a rating and review—it helps me create high-quality recipes and lets others know what to expect.
FAQ
Yes. This recipe is designed for fully cooked frozen meatballs, so you can add them directly from the freezer without thawing first.
High heat can cause sour cream to separate or curdle. Switching the slow cooker to WARM or turning off the heat before adding it helps keep the gravy smooth and creamy.
Mashed potatoes are one of my favorite alternatives because they work well with the creamy gravy. Rice or another simple pasta can also be used.
📖 Recipe
Crockpot Swedish Meatballs
Video
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 (32-ounce) bag frozen homestyle meatballs
- 2 (10.5 ounce) cans cream of mushroom soup
- 1½ cups beef broth
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1 cup sour cream
- 16 ounces egg noodles
Instructions
- Add the cream of mushroom soup, beef broth, Worcestershire sauce, Dijon mustard, garlic powder, onion powder, black pepper, and nutmeg to a 4- to 6-quart slow cooker. Whisk until smooth.
- Add the frozen meatballs and stir gently to coat.
- Cover and cook on LOW for 4–6 hours or HIGH for 2–3 hours, until the meatballs are heated through and the sauce is bubbling.
- About 15 minutes before serving, cook the egg noodles according to package directions. Drain well.
- Turn the slow cooker to WARM or turn off the heat. Stir in the sour cream until smooth and combined.
- Serve the Swedish meatballs and sauce over the cooked egg noodles.
Notes
Nutrition
Food Safety
- Use fully cooked frozen meatballs for this slow cooker method unless the package specifically provides directions for cooking raw frozen meatballs in a slow cooker.
- Refrigerate leftovers within two hours of serving.
- Thaw frozen leftovers in the refrigerator rather than on the counter.
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Kelsey Smith says
If you give my recipe a try, be sure to leave a review. Hope y'all love it.