IKEA’S SWEDISH MEATBALLS RECIPE

IKEA’s meatballs are almost synonymous with the store name itself. You know the drill — a trip to IKEA, whether to get a Poäng armchair or a Docksta table, almost always ends with a plate of their iconic dish.

And, if we were to record all the items that Singaporeans stockpiled before the circuit breaker, IKEA’s frozen meatballs would probably be on that list. But for those of us who didn’t manage to snag a bag, the wait is over.

Our favourite furniture store is taking its build-it-yourself concept to the next level — now, apart from their furniture, you can even build for yourself their Swedish Meatballs.

That’s right, IKEA has just revealed its legendary Swedish Meatballs recipe, right from the meatballs down to the mandatory accompanying cream sauce.

IKEA SWEDISH MEATBALLS RECIPE

One glance at their straightforward instructions and you’ll know the dish is certainly far easier to assemble than any of their furniture items.

These are the ingredients you’ll need to make the famous IKEA Swedish Meatballs at home:

MEATBALLS
- 500g beef mince
- 250g pork mince
- 1 onion, finely chopped
- 1 clove of garlic (crushed or minced)
- 100g breadcrumbs
- 1 egg
- 5 tablespoons of milk (whole milk)
- Generous amount of salt and pepper

CREAM SAUCE
- Dash of oil
- 40g butter
- 40g plain flour
- 150mL vegetable stock
- 150mL beef stock
- 150mL thick double cream
- 2 teaspoons soy sauce
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

How to make the IKEA Swedish meatballs:

1. Combine beef and pork mince and mix with your fingers to break up any lumps. Add finely chopped onion, garlic, breadcrumbs, egg and mix. Add milk and season well with salt and pepper.

2. Shape mixture into small, round balls. Place on a clean plate, cover and store in the fridge for two hours (this will help them hold their shape whilst cooking).

3. In a frying pan, heat oil on medium heat. When hot, gently add meatballs and brown on all sides. When browned, add to an ovenproof dish and cover. Place in a hot oven (180C conventional or 160C fan) and cook for a further 30 minutes.

How to make the cream sauce for the IKEA Swedish Meatballs:

1. Melt 40g butter in a pan. Whisk in 40g of plain flour and stir for two mins. Add 150mL of veg stock and 150mL of beef stock and continue to stir. Add 150mL of double cream, 2 tsp of soy sauce and 1 tsp of Dijon mustard. Bring it to simmer and allow the sauce to thicken. 

2. When ready to eat, serve with your favourite potatoes – either creamy mash or mini new boiled potatoes. Enjoy!”

And there you have it, your very own IKEA Swedish Meatballs. Plate them on their Oftast plate and recline in your Poäng armchair for the full IKEA indulgence.

Now, there’s no need to camp outside their doors the day they open.

When you hear “IKEA”, your first thought is most probably their famous Swedish meatballs that everyone in Singapore has eaten at least once in their lives. However, with a now increasingly localised menu, IKEA’s restaurant has so much more to offer than just their meatballs.

From the standard Swedish fare to Singaporean classics such as their Chicken Rendang, we’ve narrowed down their extensive menu, highlighting some of our favourite dishes that we think everyone should try at IKEA!

HOTDOG

The perfect snack to munch on while walking through the various halls of IKEA, their S$1.50 Hotdog is wallet-friendly, simple and still super satisfying. Top it off with a generous helping of tangy chilli and mustard and you’re good to go!

CHICKEN WINGS

Another must-get at IKEA and one of the most popular dishes besides the meatballs has got to be the Chicken Wings (S$3 for 2pcs). Incredibly flavourful and juicy, the chicken wings here feature a unique spice blend that probably gives the wings their darker exterior.

MEATBALLS

It really wouldn’t be an IKEA food guide if we excluded their signature Meatballs (S$8.50 for 12pcs). Coming doused in the flavourful and savoury brown sauce and a side of lingonberry jam, these meatballs will definitely live up to expectations. A perfect mouthful is having a bite of the meatball, a bit of mashed potato and a chunk of broccoli.

FRENCH TOAST

While the French Toast (S$5) was nothing to shout about, it’s a pretty decent breakfast option. We feel that the cheese sausage is worth the mention though because it was juicy and oozed cheese when we bit into it. Apart from that, the two slices of fluffy french toasts are accompanied by hash browns, cherry tomatoes and baked beans that make it a filling meal.

CHICKEN RENDANG

For a Swedish establishment, IKEA sure does our local cuisine pretty well. We loved the Chicken Rendang (S$5) which featured a chicken drumstick, green beans, hard-boiled egg and rice. IKEA uses cage-free chicken and the drumstick that was pretty large came doused in lemak rendang sauce. Both the green beans and egg provided additional textures and dimensions to the heat too.

CARROT CAKE

Another of IKEA’s dishes in their local food lineup, this Carrot Cake (S$2.50) may not look impressive, but paired with the savoury chilli that accompanies the tender chunks of carrot cake, it is high up on our list of IKEA’s best dishes. It even has that slight wok-hei that more traditional carrot cakes have, making it quite the surprise.

LOTUS LEAF RICE

Another surprising main dish was the Lotus Leaf Rice (S$6.80) consisting of a generous portion of glutinous rice, lap cheong slices, Chinese mushrooms, salted egg yolk, chestnuts and chicken chunks. The aroma of the lotus leaf permeates the sticky rice impeccably and every bite you take will be filled with that toasty fragrance.

SOY ICE CREAM

Of course, one of the best ways to end off an IKEA meal is to eat their S$0.50 Soy Ice Cream. IKEA had changed the formula, making it soy-based to accommodate a larger audience. What they changed in ingredients didn’t really change the quality, though taste-wise, it definitely resembles an icy tau-huey. For S$0.50, who could complain, though?

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DAIM CAKE

Daim is a quintessential Swedish chocolate bar that is extremely addictive. While you can them at IKEA, the café also has it in cake form. The Daim Almond Chocolate Cake (S$3.50) is an upgraded version of the sweet treat. Layers of crunchy almond brittle, smooth cream and decadent milk chocolate, this is one indulgent dessert you must get when you’re at IKEA.