Roasted Garlic Creamy Meatballs

Who doesn’t love a plate of meatballs smothered in sauce? Tender, juicy meatballs swimming in creamy deliciousness is comfort food that hits all the right spots: rich, hearty, and full of flavor. And, if you love garlic, you’re in luck: these meatballs are full of garlicky goodness. 

These creamy roasted garlic meatballs are a riff off Swedish meatballs. At their core, Swedish meatballs are deceptively simple while being packed with flavor. These meatballs are no different, with the help of a secret ingredient in the sauce: Bachan’s Roasted Garlic Japanese Barbecue Sauce. 

What are Swedish meatballs?

Swedish meatballs, called köttbullar, are a beloved traditional Swedish dish of meatballs seasoned with herbs and spices, rolled up tight and served with mashed potatoes, pickles, and lingonberry jam. The cream sauce served on top of the meatballs is an important key component of the classic Swedish meatball flavor profile.

Ingredients for meatballs

Meatballs are popular because they’re incredibly easy to make with simple ingredients (and also of course, because they taste amazing). For these meatballs, you’ll need:

sautéed onions and garlic - finely minced onion and garlic sautéed in extra virgin olive oil until soft and fragrant, but not brown, will add  sweet onion and garlic flavor. The onions also add extra juiciness to the meatballs, assuring tenderness.

ground pork - look for lean ground pork if you are on the health conscious side, and heritage or artisanal ground pork if you are looking for more juiciness and flavor. When possible, we look for a Japanese breed of pork called Kurobuta which has a higher fat content for the juiciest meatballs.

panko and egg - these are the meatball binders. The panko (large flaky breadcrumbs) lighten up the meatball and give them a soft bite while the egg adds richness and binds everything together into a homogenous mix.

Bachan’s Roasted Garlic Japanese Barbecue Sauce - the not-so-secret ingredient. A mix of umami from soy sauce and two kinds of garlic (raw and roasted) will take your meatballs over the top. We’re going to use this sauce in both the meatballs themselves and the cream sauce to give everything an extra boost of garlicky goodness.

heavy cream - a simple reduction of heavy cream and Bachan’s Roasted Garlic Japanese Barbecue Sauce will coat your meatballs in the most delicious creamy, savory flavors.

How to make juicy meatballs

The key to making juicy meatballs is not using only meat. Meatballs that don’t have aromatics or breadcrumbs turn out dry and dense. To combat that, include finely minced sautéed onions for flavor and moisture, as well as breadcrumbs for a tender bite. The breadcrumbs expand, hold liquid, and make space between the ground meat, making sure that the meat isn’t compact and tough. Adding an egg into the mix helps add a bit of richness and extra liquid to help bind things. 

How to shape meatballs

The best way to shape meatballs is with your hands. Get those hands clean and grab a measuring spoon. Scoop out about 1.5 to 2 tbsp of meatball mix and roll between your palms until the meatball is tight and seamless. The key to round meatballs is making sure the meatball itself is tightly rolled up so it doesn’t flatten or fall apart while cooking. If the meat mix starts to stick, take a bit of water to lightly moisten your hands. Try to keep the meatballs the same size so they all cook at the same rate.

How to cook meatballs

You can bake, fry, or poach meatballs, but for these particular meatballs, pan-frying is what we recommend. The crust created when pan frying will keep the meatballs juicy on the outside with a crusty bite on the outside. Using a non-stick skillet will help if you want to keep the roundness of your meatballs - the meatballs will easily roll around without sticking. 

How to pan fry meatballs

Heat up a generous amount of oil in a non-stick skillet over medium heat. When the oil is hot and shimmery, add the meatballs, being careful not to crowd. Immediately shake the pan, rolling the meatballs around in the hot oil, letting the hot oil and heat create a spherical crust. Continue to cook, shaking the pan every so often until all sides of the meatballs are golden and the meatballs are cooked through. When they’re done, you can set them aside to keep warm in a low oven while you make the creamy garlic sauce.

Creamy roasted garlic sauce

This creamy roasted garlic sauce is intense, layered, and full of flavor. The richness of the cream combined with Bachan’s Roasted Garlic Japanese Barbecue Sauce makes for an out of this world sauce that’s still so easy to make. With both raw and roasted garlic, Bachan’s Roasted Garlic Japanese Barbecue Sauce is definitely for garlic lovers. The raw bite of garlic lends a punch of heat while the sweet and savory mellow roasted garlic will keep you coming back for more. 

How to make creamy garlic sauce

Use a large skillet with a lot of surface area and add the heavy cream and Bachan’s Roasted Garlic Japanese Barbecue Sauce. Turn the heat up to medium and whisk to make sure everything is combined. Let the sauce bubble and reduce slowly, giving it a whisk every so often, until the sauce is thickened to your liking. It may take a while, but it’s worth the wait - keep the heat on medium and let the sauce simmer without coming to a boil. Heavy cream by itself reduces down into a glorious thickened sauce that is delicious on its own and when you season it with Bachan’s Roasted Garlic Japanese Barbecue Sauce, it’s out of this world.