Making IKEA Swedish Meatballs at Home | But Better

We've gone after the fast-food places, snacks, and movie theaters. Today, we're going after the furniture store....yes, the furniture store. Why does IKEA make meatballs? Have no idea, but we're making the coveted Swedish meatballs, a sentence I can't believe actually came from my mouth. All that to say, we have this in the bag.
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[@usmankashif6192]

Swedish person here with some constructive criticism: -I can accept that you used whatever berry is closest to the lingon berry. However the "jam" is not supposed to have a smooth consistency. Either you make a slightly chunky jam or you make "rårörda lingon" which is just lingon berries and sugar mixed together and left. This results in softer berries, juicier and sweeter berries. -Potato mash is just good potato mash, no critique here. -The breadcrumbs are often mixed with milk(or cream) and left to sit for some time to swell. Not sure if there is something inherently wrong with throwing everything together like you did tho... -Many, but not all, fry of their onions before they put them in. Brings out some sweetness and the softer onions "merge" better with the mince. -The mince is mixed THOROUGHLY, to the point where it becomes more homogenous and like a thick batter more than mince, this is a poor description but for clarification, look up a traditional video. Also traditionally always use a wooden spatula, although your hand also works. - The balls are sauteed and not baked. You want a nice crisp on the outside, and soft meat on the inside. Do be sure to use a pan that has a somewhat high edge. Doesn't have to be anything extra, most pans work fine, just don't use a super "low edge" pan. The sauteing is also crucial for the gravy. -For the gravy, use the same pan as the one used for the meatballs and DO NOT clean it out. In the "dirty"pan, add some oil and throw in some diced onions and sautee them till golden and soft. The onions will also clean up the remnants of the meatballs. Then add in some melted butter+flour, cream, soy sauce, salt and pepper. Let everything cook on medium-ish heat for like 10-15 minutes and you should be done. The onions should "melt" into the sauce but if you want that silky smooth sauce (which is definetly not required), then just immersion blend the sauce a tad. -Dunno where IKEA got the broccolis from but they are definetly not neccessary. The Swedish classic is lingon, Meatballs and mashed potatoes (plain boiled works as well but that's boring). Hopefully this clears up some things around the Swedish classic. I would also like to point out that I respect Joshua and am by no means implying I know more than him or anything of the sort. This is merely something I know quite well and would like to clear up the traditional way of making. Edit: Wow thanks for all the likes! I would like to add a few points that I missed and some kind people reminded me of: -Thinly sliced, quickly pickled cucumbers are very common and so are peas. -The meat is usually a mix of pork and beef, as that gives the best texture(supposedly, I make them with lamb and beef because Im muslim) I would also like to once again point out that I am by no means trying to belittle Joshuas recipe or inflate my ego. I merely pointed out some points of improvement that are used in the traditional swedish cooking, feel free to use or not use these tips. The reason I wrote alot of this is because Joshua usually pays attention to every little detail and makes things the best possible way he can. I also feel that he pays alot of homage/attention to traditional methods and often provides reasons why or why not he used them.

[@nickymolitoris799]

This deserves more likes. Also, I usually get the veggie medallion things at ikea, are those an actual dish in Swedish culture?

[@suryamohan3410]

good to know. I gonna try to see how it goes. though I am probably gonna add a bit more spices for the mashed potatoes.

[@michaelasverker5761]

I totally agree with you! The ”rårörda lingon” is essential to the dish, however cranberries are a whole lot better than when I was served meatballs with raspberry jam. All my forefathers cried through me!

[@jordanc1803]

Maybe he'll do a video on traditional. I like to sautee my meatballs, too. A little more time consuming, but so worth it in my opinion.

[@usmankashif6192]

@@suryamohan3410 Are you Indian? I am of Pakistani heritage so I would understand why you would want to add more spices but trust me, add the traditional spices, albeit more of them if you want more flavour but dont add different spices. Being used to Pakistani food I used to be inclined to adding more spices but it kinda makes the dish different than what its supposed to be. My tip, go traditional, if you dont like it, then try making one with spices. Best of luck!

[@olszewskin]

Next on But Better: Josh's homemade furniture vs actual IKEA furniture.

[@vanillacokesucks]

I'd watch this

[@rac-qb4dt]

Rex Krueger Collab?

[@-Cetus-]

Yeah, Josh can probably make better tasting furniture

[@danielboulton922]

I think this comment could take the channel to a whole ‘nother level

[@vvevvevvvv]

THE FLAVOUR!!!

[@Cauthon]

Every Swede here seems to be reacting to the jam, while I started to internally scream at his gravy. You're supposed to use the same pan you fried the balls in for the gravy!

[@gnazzeblomqvist7444]

this, dunk 4 dl of cream in that badboy pan full of meatball juices and let it all simmer together until thiccness has been achieved and just slammit straight into your mouth because it's so damn good! hot damn

[@kimhultgren6908]

@Lynxxsen True.. sad on a whole new level.

[@BobSmith-sc6dq]

He didn't even fry the balls. 🤬

[@hxunted4]

And turks

[@ryanturner8577]

Yea but it's still good the way he did it. Sometimes if you make a lot it is just easier to do it all in one go in the oven, but obviously the much preferred way is cast iron and then creme with the juices for the gravy.

[@RunarLindseth]

You should try making Surströmming (fermented herring) at home. Also try eating it from the tin! Swedes back me up here :))))

[@williamkolfors283]

I agree!

[@blazetyphoon0811]

YEs

[@dansheingold8195]

Yupp

[@jaycee330]

With the windows shut. :)

[@Dotmw]

Making these at home doesn't give you the authentic IKEA experience of having a bored five year old hurl meatballs at your face from across the food court while his parents ignore him.

[@rimurutempest4945]

I’d argue it’s even more authentic to the IKEA Spirit to do it yourself at home

[@TheSlavChef]

ah, you described it perfectly

[@skyistooblue2]

Free meatballs

[@johnredford2211]

MEATBALL FIGHT

[@willseward2993]

And their parents are just saying “oh, no, Peter we don’t do that here, no thank you” and not actually intervening

[@alex_enman]

Joshua: *Uses cranberries instead of lingonberries Swedes: "So you have chosen... death"

[@Groovygear]

@Hey. Its.Just.Jeremy They probably are selling them at IKEA. Usually they have a grocery store inside so he could have gotten his hands an some Lingon berries. The dish is not the same without them!

[@palaceofwisdom9448]

I frequent a breakfast place that serves Swedish pancakes with lingonberry sauce. I don't hate lingonberries, but they strike me as something you'd only choose to eat because they happen to be locally abundant.

[@G1NZOU]

@Hey. Its.Just.Jeremy tbh that's the reason, though they don't just grow in Sweden but all over Scandinavia and Scotland.

[@deidrecalabro5725]

The irony that Josh would have to buy frozen lingon berries at Ikea to make but better... NEVER!!!

[@fozzibab]

I love lingon berry jam, and I hate that the only place I can get it is fucking Ikea. *sigh*

[@bazooka92pop]

I’m not Swedish but I’ve lived in Scandinavia long enough to know what’s wrong here. 1) The gravy usually has cream. 2) Cranberry is not the same as lingonberry (lingonberry tastes a bit sweeter to me) and the jam should not be smooth, it should have whole pieces of fruit. 3) Dill and not Italian parsley should be used as a garnish.

[@bossebroo7095]

Persilja fungerar finfint! Parsley is actually a very traditional herb here in Sweden. The main difference between lingon and cranberry is that lingon is kinda bitter in a nice way, which Joshua oddly points out as something bad. I love it. He uses cream in his sauce, but what's wrong is what kind of sauce it is: it should be brunsås (brown sauce) made with the burnt pieces of meat stuck in a FRYING PAN after you've FRIED your balls. I can stress enough how important that is, you should never make meatballs in the oven. They should be crispy, and you want to make brunsås.

[@doctorfeline9911]

​@@bossebroo7095 💯 Exactly!! I'm not Swedish and I couldn't have said it better than you did. Missing the opportunity to Brown the meat balls and get all the brown flavored bits from the bottom of the pan (to use as for broth and gravy's backbone) was astonishing to me. The key to any great gravy will always be the pan scraps & drippings!!

[@dizzyboy92]

The gravy had cream.

[@Komatik_]

@@bossebroo7095 You don't even need jam. I'd have just mixed some sugar with lingonberries if that. Also, as a Finn, _pickles_ ಠ_ಠ

[@bossebroo7095]

@@Komatik_ I prefer jam, but rårrörda lingon also works well! And yes, of course, we always have pressgurka (pressed pickled cucumber) with our meatballs.

[@PirrePuder]

Not gonna lie, the cranberry jam looks really delicious but "rårörda lingon" is a complete must when eating meatballs for me. Honestly I can use it for anything really... ITS AWESOME!!! :D

[@marxx5534]

this is such an amazing plot twist, he wasn't able to make the Italian angry but now he's doing it with the Swedish

[@Boelias1]

To be fair the meatballs from ikea isnt even that great in sweden, i mean il gladly eat it but its nothing that would water my mouth. Traditional homemade swedish meatballs tho, they are to die for.

[@dac9695]

@@Boelias1 ikea meatballs are goated wym, and you get like 20 for 8$

[@Boelias1]

@@dac9695 I mean they are fine but comparing ikea meatballs to the real homemade ones is like comparing a meal from a gas station and a meal from a restaurant

[@GrantAmann]

the swedes in this chat are very angry hahah

[@Boelias1]

@@GrantAmann some might be, i don't really care, it's nothing special, proper meatballs from a diner is sick tho but the standard Ikea ones are pretty tasteless. Pretty cheap tho

[@jimmyspitsuptheworld8588]

Can't believe a meatball restaurant sells furniture

[@DyslexicMitochondria]

explains why the furniture is so bad

[@moremitochondria2737]

@@DyslexicMitochondria Hey bro I watch ur videos. Love your channeI

[@actualgarbage8549]

@@DyslexicMitochondria cheap cause its made in china

[@Mitaka-Asa]

and yet we have a retail stores that sells guns right next to the baby isle.

[@eldoradocanyonro]

@@Mitaka-Asa Yeah, that's messed up. I can't believe you sell babies!!!

[@Dudepul]

i once made them similar like these. But instead of bare baking the BALLS, i've filled up the baking sheet (a bit higher walled) halfway with strong chicken stock and cooked them in the oven until evenly cooked. Then took it to a pan, and seared them until almost crispy. Amazing taste, Crispy on the outside and so moist on the inside you would cry in happiness.

[@emeraldqueen1994]

The story behind why IKEA has a cafe in them is that the founder saw that people were leaving the store without buying anything because they were hungry so he added a cafe so you could get a snack while you’re shopping….

[@TBendez]

Ingvar Kamprad, the founder, realized his warehouses emptied out right around an hour before lunch and the same with dinner. Having a restaurant that serves good Swedish husmanskost will keep shoppers around for longer. That is the reason any IKEA is equipped with a restaurant. However, the balls are too big and should always be done in a cast iron pan, with butter. They really need the crust a proper pan gives.

[@AxxLAfriku]

GAGAGAGAGAGA!!! I want to cut my toe nails... NEVER! I am the feet KZbinr. Thanks for being a fan, dear jo

[@timdaniel9644]

Alex "French Guy Cooking" has an episode of a meatball series where he visits a restaurant in Sweden and cooks swedish meatballs with the chef. The skillet was essential; very informative video

[@2damnfunny]

@@timdaniel9644 I made that exact recipe.........the best swedish meatballs recipe I've ever had. Very decadent.

[@charlesborg828]

Think it's actually a copy of the Costco hotdog thing where they take a loss on purpose and if a certain % of people who go for food end up buying something else then they instead are turning a profit.

[@LillSK8]

Agree. Think the recipe looked nice but as a swed it was a bitchslap to see him cook them in the oven... cast iron with a pound of butter like you said. Also he should keep the garlic to italian meatballs. Probably good but dont belong in the swedish if you ask me. But overall good work and good recipe by Josh.

[@tastheslaking4918]

Alternate title: today josh got bored and chose violence against Ikea

[@gabudaichamuda2545]

He's kind of like Kira from Death Note in that regard lmao

[@FzyonZarzuelaFernandez]

😂😂🤣🤣

[@blipblop1112]

@@gabudaichamuda2545 or lelouch

[@IDontGiveAF188]

Not IKEA, But Swedes, I'm making angry swedish noises

[@JustFluffyQuiltingYarnCrafts]

The food always looks good, but the entertaining preparation and the B-roll is what I'm here for. ❤

[@OrnateOwl]

Just made this and my family loved it! Thanks Joshua for giving me a laugh while cooking and giving my family a happy belly

[@Arcticun]

As a Swede, the jam should be chunky. Also actually lingonberry. I also don't know why US IKEA decided to include broccoli. Overall I have so many questions.

[@Rawrqual]

Pressed cucumber goes well with meatballs. Broccoli is straight up weird.

[@Arcticun]

@@Rawrqual Exactly. Either that or some pickled veggies also work well.

[@eldoradocanyonro]

To appeal to the local palate--or at least to appeal by familiarity. Same thing that Fast Food restaurants do by completely changing their menus to be unrecognizable in other countries.... Good luck getting a hamburger in India.....

[@MarieDomander]

Yupp

[@dutchkel]

My ikea doesn't have broccoli it has carrots and I don't recall what else bc the cafeteria has been closed too long from covid lol

[@andreasnygaard4834]

The thing that will finally unify scandinavia is our outrage over Josh's use of cranberry instead of lingonberry.

[@aleksandernikolaidahl9018]

Hvor er tyttebæra for faen i helvete!

[@picklepocketing2310]

@@aleksandernikolaidahl9018 Han sa Skandinavien, inte Danmark.

[@phaton89]

Can Canada join in the outrage too? Cranberries are NOT lingonberries.

[@eldoradocanyonro]

Hey, I'm just being lazy and opening the jar of lingonberry jam I have in my pantry. I can find the jam, but I've never seen actual lingonberries in stores in Texas......

[@anikonemethne8332]

Bruh, in my language we literally use the same word for both berries lol

[@shannypilman1910]

I bought your cook book yesterday and I’m so excited! 😩🙌🏾

[@torkelsvenson6411]

I was with you on the cranberries as substitute for lingonberries until you blended them, then I died a bit inside. I've never seen anything like that, I feel like an Italian watching someone pan fry gnocchi. Meatballs get a pass though!

[@rovenamtab1729]

Josh: It's not a God complex Also Josh: *Challenges the entire country of Sweden*

[@matti5166]

My swedish brain I melting when seeing a jam that’s *gasp* is smooth without berry bits and *gasp* made from the wrong berry...totally illegal 😂

[@PetraLERolander]

Crime against humanity tbh

[@jessicamondragon9642]

I truly enjoy Josh’s humor & cooking

[@spikysmoothness]

I'm just gonna go ahead and say that the homemade ones will be better than the Ikea ones, but I will also add, as a danish person whose made frequent trips throughout her life to Ikea for various reasons, that the reason the Ikea meatballs are so 'amazing', at least my theory for it, is that you typically get them after you've spent the better part of an afternoon in the Ikea furniture maze and when you finally get out, exhausted, tired, what have you and the thought of "Oh, we still have to get home and cook and take all the stuff we bought home.. Lets just go to the resturant in-house and get some meatballs." and when you're tired and worn out after walking a lot? As a scout, I can tell you almost anything will taste amazing and be the absolute best meal you've ever eaten in that moment.

[@HrHaakon]

As we say in Norway, but not sure about Denmark: Everything tastes great on the top of the mountain.

[@pontushaggblad3211]

as a swedish person you are steppin into dangerous territory

[@adamrenberg8437]

sanningen

[@henriknilsson7730]

Pappa ville inte ge puss.

[@pastyrats6215]

agreed, as a swedish person part of this was blasphemous

[@Jitenu]

Hädelsen...

[@christopherhoffman481]

Wörd

[@arvidstider]

Yeah, your dish probably tastes better, Weissman. Though you did strip the “Swedish Meatball with Mashed Potatoes and Lingonberries” from its soul. A Swedish meatball has sides (i.e. they should be sautéed), the sauce should then be made from the fond and rendered fats in the pan, and lastly, the only acceptable substitution for lingonberries are pickles (slightly sweet, with notes of dill and juniper berries). I’ll give you the mash though. IKEA’s are probably made from potato powder. Watch Alex French Guy Cooking’s video on Swedish meatballs, it’s fantastic!

[@G1NZOU]

I work at Ikea, can confirm, the mash are pretty much just low lactose mash premade and squirted out into frozen globs that get warmed up in the oven. It makes sense considering it's kilograms of mash per day in every store, but to be truthful it doesn't make for amazing mash.

[@salmiac-3105]

To be fair cranberry's are way more closer in taste to lingonberries than pickles so i wouldn't be that mad, the consistency is the true breach of contract lmfao

[@Niklasfuckinpantschitz]

Love the recipes my man, it's a great inspiration. Just wondering, for the taste test in the end, do you always get the dish fresh once again or do you already have your version ready? I guess it's hard to compare when the dish has been in a plastic container for a while 😬

[@jacquelinecarolus7860]

Loved this so much! And I love your humor too. Will watch more of your vids and subscribe :D

[@flyflip87]

There were times we would go to ikea just for these meatballs!😆

[@endofuwu2146]

Same. They were so good

[@mrandomz3046]

Yes idea is my favorite shop aswell

[@imacat6660]

Idea?

[@TheSlavChef]

Is ikea swedish for idea?!

[@Windtamer26]

Idea best place for meatballs no cap

[@simontwo888]

Love the way you present funny and entertaining how you make your video

[@amberica86]

These videos always just make me crave the fast food version

[@soupman1]

it pained my swedish heart that you cooked the meatballs in the oven and not in the pan

[@nennejoh]

ME TOO WHAT THE ACTUAL FUCK

[@eriikjohnsson]

Jag kräktes lite i min mun

[@caraperegrine6936]

@@nennejoh yo chill that scared the shit out of me

[@toreamelung6797]

As a dane, i stand with you

[@soupman1]

@You You well if you are gonna make Swedish meatballs "but better" you should make it the swedish way imo

[@mudvig3385]

My grandpa is spinning like a beyblade in his grave when you didn't use lingonberries xD

[@clorox-1439]

He said that he can’t find lingonberries

[@Lin-ec8ys]

@@kingmankingboy8743 stop

[@Kanelonifournou]

Very good recipe for home cooked meal. Super soft and flavourful baaalls

[@nickelfrizz]

Just made it. It's very good, now one of my favorites for the taste. Some notes, Walmart doesn't have fresh or frozen cranberries. I used 12 oz of dried sweetened cranberries and they turned out well, the only difference being that you'll need to add water occasionally as it's boiling. HOWEVER it's practically impossible to fine mesh strain it this way, don't even try, it might be different with fresh or frozen but if you use dried then don't bother. Just use an immersion blender and get it as blended as possible. You're going to make half the mashed potatoes that you actually want to match the meatball ratio, same for the broccoli. Other than the mess that I made with the cranberries, it was easy and tasted very good.

[@Oberkiller]

Papa: "look at that smooth and silky jam" Me: *visible confusion* But but.... bits are better :(

[@eldoradocanyonro]

I'm still confused..... He made jelly, called it jam, and then quenelled it. Who Does That?!?

[@henninghornafrantzien6476]

The traditional Swedish way has lingonberry bits in it

[@G1NZOU]

I was thinking the same, I think the recipe with the orange peel was probably superior, but I would have kept it with chunks in instead of blending it.

[@ToveriJuri]

@@eldoradocanyonro No that's still jam, he just blended it. It still has the fruit pulp smoothed out. Jelly doesn't

[@biggreenblob]

Ewww what?

[@Niblacraft]

about the lingonberriy 1: its soposed to be "rårörda lingon" you do that with frozen lingonberries & unmelt them in room temp while stir them with sugar, its not supposed to be jam 2: you cant have cranberries XD

[@ThundersMcCoy]

Even though I didn't taste them, I will confidently say that Josh's hipster meatballs weren't better than Ikea's.

[@ShuraHaidate]

Facts. My wife made them. They were awful. His recipe doesn't even call for salt in the meatball. This was the biggest miss on his recipes ever.

[@shook917]

I liked the way you guys edited vicrum giggling. Idk how to spell his name but I love him

[@4thDeadlySin]

"Every time he says "or cranberries" I am filled with an unquenchable rage!!" - Every single Swedish viewer.

[@LFHiden]

Ja

[@zirie3200]

@@LFHiden lol

[@nxvh9062]

I mean, half of the planet has never heard of lingonberries, let alone seen them in a store before lol

[@4thDeadlySin]

@@nxvh9062 I know of Lingonberries because my one ex was Swedish and she would religiously go on about how that they are mandatory for the dish :P

[@nxvh9062]

@@4thDeadlySin hahaha that's brilliant

[@EastTown2000]

When you say lingon is unbalanced, it is suposed to be, it balances with the other ingredients. Not every ingredient has to be ballanced for the dish to be balanced when it comes together

[@henryndungu03]

Exactly!!! you shouldn’t eat the jam alone lmao because you are not gonna like it.

[@reallyfijateperocomocono1131]

Thank you!

[@themanwithnoname9828]

@@henryndungu03Its not jam, its rårörda lingon

[@henryndungu03]

@@themanwithnoname9828 Aa jag vet😉

[@SvenneMEan1337]

The difference between a US IKEA and a Swedish IKEA are miles apart in how high a standard on ingredients you must have... some US standards would have been shutdown over here without ever getting a chance to open their doors... probably why so few fast food chains has made the leap to the Nordic countries. Fun version definitely by Papa Josh. Recipe for "Stirred lingon berries" 1 pound of frozen berries, 1 cup of of granulated sugar. put the frozen berries in a bowl and cover with the sugar, after defrosting stir/fold it together until no clumps of sugar or berries exist... done.

[@Gjamie1384]

Id love to see a book a basically the best “but better” so far I’d 100% preorder/ buy it

[@regha117]

Im from sweden and i can say for sure that my ancestors are crying when you made the jam. It’s supposed to be chunky and not totally smooth. Also the meatballs are supposed to be cooked in a pan so you can use the stuff stuck to the bottom to make your gravy. Also the onions are supposed to be cooked just a little before you put them in the meat. Otherwise great video and it looks delicious!

[@Dsgj]

Joshua: "Let's make some tasty traditional Swedish meatballs (^^,)" Swedes: "Nu har du satt din sista potatis!"

[@rifeoryt2785]

Jätteroligt

[@AMabud-lv7hy]

WHAT'S IT MEAN?

[@chimeracooks]

@@AMabud-lv7hy "Now you have planted your last potato!" (thats what google translate said at least)

[@emiliamelander6522]

@@chimeracooks yes, it means that you are on your last straw

[@ChristianMadsen87]

Han har rullat sin sista köttbulle

[@user-yc4fc7rw8r]

Joshua is the perfect person to watch when eating something

[@chm8804]

A talented and funny cook, got to read his cookbook for inspiration.

[@skivy5116]

i'm not even swedish, i'm norwegian and they are known for roasting each other. but this, this is playing with fire.

[@IyeViking]

As a Swede. You better watch yourself, Weissman.

[@jameshobbs]

Yeah, he should at least aim for Mamma Scan

[@Dajova]

This is a classic, abide i've never really understood the Broccoli... afaik, i've never had Broccoli to this growing up and i've lived here for 30+ years.

[@TheSlavChef]

Just raid him, like in the old times!

[@NiManaut]

As your Norwegian neighbour i agree

[@roonilwazlib3089]

I like swedes with butter and pepper 👌🏻💞

[@Asthepersianssay]

Tasted great. Just cooked and chilled the onions and garlic before adding to the meat mixture and broiled the meatballs after baking for some extra char. Also added cream to the gravy. ❤

[@rexnewcombe8337]

I always put the meatballs into the the sauce or gravy and that keeps them from drying out and gives great flavor

[@oliverkjell7218]

its not the meatballs making the sound...its literally the to-go box. You could drag the finest wagyu against that material and it would make that sound.

[@3m287]

He always disrespects the food

[@hellobigboyyy]

I thought the same lol. That was just weird, if he dragged his papa balls it would make the exact same sound

[@senshiru285]

I mean IKEA does want you to make stuff yourself

[@rimurutempest4945]

Underrated comment

[@Bisinuel]

TRUE

[@tadanohitohito6813]

So true

[@hatered6434]

They should just give out the ingredients and a manual instead haha

[@sealnova9316]

Legendary

[@johan8008]

We normally fry our meatballs in a pan with plenty of butter. Once the meatballs are done we pour in cream in same pan to make our creamy brown sauce.

[@simondelavega1938]

The IKEA in the UK has the canteens too. The Swedish meat balls with Lincoln berries is my favourite as well. But I've never seen them do take away like this before.

[@thepunishment]

Might be worth revisiting this one Joshua, they look like IKEA meatballs, but I dont know if I would call them Swedish.

[@asdasd123176]

@@poglass5851 Reason why everyone thinks of Sweden is obviously Ikea. But origin of swedish meatballs is actually from Ottoman empire or todays Turkey.

[@octapusxft]

@@asdasd123176 Or perhaps even before that. This region has seen a huge numbers of civilizations rise and fall on its soils. Thus it has seen thousands of years of culinary traditions.

[@boomertownslap9504]

@@asdasd123176 no. the inspiration is from köfte, but calling it turkish is like saying well the chinese invented noodles ergo carbonara is chinese food

[@asdasd123176]

@@boomertownslap9504 The king of sweden literally brought back the recipe from ottoman empire when he was spending time in exile after losing a battle against russians. So no it is not the same thing :)

[@boomertownslap9504]

@@asdasd123176 as i said, inspired by köfte. you take recipe from one place, then make what you can make with ingredients from another, it's no longer köfte.

[@AGlimpseInside]

Meatballs, top selling item at IKEA worldwide. Pretty crazy. I got 23 years of experience in food retail, any guesses on what Publix Super Markets number one selling item is every year?

[@jan3552]

maybe something basic like milk`?

[@boyshark123]

PUB SUB

[@grbby5163]

Eggs?

[@gracecooper1891]

Cake. Publix cakes are something else. My parents got their wedding cake from publix.

[@baludlad2173]

Tendies

[@faze_buendia9514]

this is dinner tonight! I personally love adding cream cheese to my mashed potatoes, but that's the only thing I'm doing differently from Josh; I can't wait for everything to be done, looks delish!

[@billlu9468]

I live in Massachusetts and I’m glad Josh is paying homage to us; the fruit he’s choosing for his jam is commonly associated with a company called Ocean Spray, which is the brand I believe Josh is using.

[@TheThirish]

Joshua, you're on THIN ice - a swede

[@JimboJones99]

God Bless Joshua Weissman 🙏🍔 God Bless President Trump 🙏🇺🇲 Happy 4th of July 🎊

[@majs6235]

Agree

[@mememachine2487]

Yikes you two

[@andogg4682]

@@JimboJones99 i also agree. Prolly not the place but 100% hell yeah

[@tobe6618]

@@JimboJones99 trump isn’t president

[@mekkemobil]

"Sweden, what is next?" As a swede i speak for all swedes when i say our next challenge for you is: Surströmming | But better

[@LFHiden]

He failed the first challenge so why do we need to challenge him?

[@JohanBernhardsson]

This I would LOVE to see :)

[@damianholtshausen3276]

Literally nothing else on earth could taste or smell worse☠

[@zacharylemuscuadra5311]

Istg you’re one of the best chiefs that I’ve ever watched like gawd DAMN

[@Thoroughly_Wet]

They sell frozen lingonberries at Ikea, so idk why you didn't just make lingonberry jam.

[@ki5282]

Jfc, he explained why.

[@Thoroughly_Wet]

@@ki5282 yeah he couldn't find them, but like I said they sell them in the same store he bought the original dish from

[@eldoradocanyonro]

@@Thoroughly_Wet Wow. I did not know that!!!

[@Garth93]

I now know how Italians felt when people put pineapple on pizza.

[@lasttemplar3836]

THAT is an abomination. same with chicken and anything else that doesn't belong, like fish

[@cfox2456]

LastTemplar EXCUSE ME PINEAPPLES BELONG ON PIZZA 🍕 🍍

[@lasttemplar3836]

@@cfox2456 ummm....., no they DON'T

[@cfox2456]

@@lasttemplar3836 pineapples on pizza is one of the most delicious things you will ever taste

[@lasttemplar3836]

@@cfox2456 they could gold and platinum plated and it would still be wrong. it's like fried egg on a burger. burger is ruined

[@DustedAsh3]

I miss actual Swedish Meatballs... that I would get in Finland.... Thanks for the recipe man!

[@leonmapurisa8112]

Found your channel today, it just hit me that i'm in the cupboard. 🤣

[@yodamcyoda]

While I'm sure your meatballs and sauce were better than IKEA's, as plenty of other Swedes have pointed out you didn't make traditional Swedish meatballs. Therefore I would argue that IKEA wins through W.O.

[@lives2872]

Whats the difference besides onions?

[@Flourikum]

@@lives2872 the difference is they're cooked in the sauce at least that's how the ikea ones work and why they are typically greasy garbage.

[@lumialicea]

They're still better. It's about taste, accuracy, visuals, etc. Not JUST accuracy.

[@order66pizzas]

@@lumialicea it says ikea SWEDISH meatballs not just meatballs so if they aren’t Swedish meatballs then it’s automatically a failure because he can’t make them

[@andrewrogers3067]

Is Ikea any more Swedish then Joshua’s?

[@Ketharuil]

Oh man. Josh has really ticked off the Swedes with this one. Probably because he pretty much just made meatballs, gravy, and cranberry sauce and called it swedish meatballs.

[@rickoms225]

What’s the differences that makes it Authentic?

[@Ketharuil]

@@rickoms225 smooth cranberry sauce instead of Chucky lingonberry jam, baked meatballs w/o onions inside, and a simplified sauce that doesn't use fond seem to be the common complaints. They're like... Half the comments on the video.

[@trcthorkun]

Yep, it's ok to make meatballs and NOT call them swedish. By calling them swedish you make viewers expect actual swedish meatballs.

[@murrayfalconer9592]

Seems like most of the time he recognises when he is divergering from the traditional cooking methods should have done made two versions

[@raenandlal5893]

@caveman stoneage simplyrecipes has a really good swedish meatball recipe.

[@sitihaslinaothman5801]

Hai Chef! you should open up a small restaurants since you are excellent in cooking. Thanks for the recipes.

[@afrikasmith1049]

I used to work at IKEA as part of a hired cleaning company. My job was to clean the tables and sweep the floors. Sure some of the bosses we're nip picky and it could get hectic if a few people didn't show up for work or was just fired, but the hours and pay was pretty decent to good when it got busy. I liked their meat balls, but I liked their chicken dinner a little better. But what I really liked was the food we got from the break lounge. There we're certain days where they had something that could turn any normal person smile in my opinion.

[@alexb4790]

Better title "making american italian meatballs with cranberry sauce" This is the first time ive watched one of your videos and was legit frustrated by it hahaha. I think this might be a video that you need to remake after contacting a swedish grandma.

[@Melissa-wx5rs]

Where are your videos of cooking? Josh legit makes amazing food & I've worked in the cooking industry for 10 years. I've followed his recipes for many dishes and every single time it's a game changer. Please don't make "Papa" sad with your negativity

[@alexb4790]

@@Melissa-wx5rs No one is denying he is a great cook. But what he made was not swedish meatballs, hence all the comments.

[@MargaretBelle]

@@Melissa-wx5rs it's not negativity it's critique.

[@aft5134]

Agreed! 😂

[@annakivinen1637]

"After contacting a swedish grandma." I love it 😂

[@hellofromspace]

But- why not just cook it in a stainless steel/cast iron skillet (oven safe if you REALLY have to bake them) and save the flavourful fond bits for the gravy? Would make a much richer and more complex gravy than just having the ""best quality beef broth"", at least imo

[@ethanperez4774]

He did say homemade beef broth to be fair.

[@alisonbubeqi1239]

The IKEA version is not really a gravy. It’s a brown sauce. And if you were to cook them in a skillet you would get a lot of browning on the meatballs themselves which isn’t what the IKEA meatballs are all about.

[@Sean-Govaerts]

Thats the proper way to do it, we do it in sweden

[@TranceGemini12]

💯

[@TimotejKusyOfficial]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/gIfMfnaIhpmZapY

[@stephaniemorrow8599]

Do you have any recommendations on a cranberry jam/sauce that doesn’t have orange juice/zest? We tried it & for our family, we actually prefer the.... *gulp* can-berry sauce!! 😳

[@knutjunker2019]

Nobody made better köttbullar than my Swedish aunt Margit in Värmland. Sensational and unrivaled.

[@johnj5011]

Traditionally we Pan fry the meatballs, you get a better cwisp that way

[@andreasp2089]

With butter

[@johnj5011]

@@andreasp2089 in turn you can use that butter and the same pan for making the brown sauce

[@pantheon9045]

cwisp

[@andreasp2089]

@@johnj5011 I see you are a man of colture aswell

[@jonathantuovinen2181]

I mean, honestly Josh! As everyone already said here: why tf would you serve 'cranberry quenelle' with Swedish meatballs? Though they should be lingonberries, it's really the consistency that upsets more! Additionally, using raw onion, not plumping the panko in the cream/milk and not sauteing the balls, are all pretty basic TECHNICAL mistakes. And as a last note: traditionally the smaller the meatballs are, the more prized they are :). So making them bigger doesn't make them better, just more American.

[@user-he7sc3fg3r]

Bruh r u dumb. He said he couldn't get lingonberries so he used cranberry. 🤡🤡🤡🤡🤡

[@Scareth]

@@user-he7sc3fg3r but the consistency was still horribly far off of what it should've been. It's not supposed to be a smooth jam. The way it looked right as it had been done on the stove looked perfect.

[@user-he7sc3fg3r]

@@Scareth not my point u dumbass

[@Emmiefnbr]

He was there to make the dish better not make the traditional way

[@keeb5168]

@@Emmiefnbr then why the "swedish meatballs" in the title when he's not even making swedish meatballs

[@Dolan940]

Josh, how do you get your recipes? Are you familiar with a basic recipe for all things you do, or do you find recipes online and make modifications to your liking?

[@Tokilainen]

In sweden, the most commonly used meatball is "Mamma scans köttbullar", and we also eat lingonberry jam, even if lingonberries by themselves looks nice as we all can agree, but they are sour AF and kind of bitter. We eat "Bob's Lingonsylt" which is very sweet in comparison, and actually really good (for oatmeal porridge especially, if you ask me) and also, the sauce is more often a powdered sauce that you use instead of actually making a cream sauce, or "gräddsås" as we call it. "Blå bands gräddsås" is probably the most commonly used one we swedes buy because the fucking children needs food NOW. I think most swedes agree that IKEA is actually all right at making meatballs, but we swedes, of course, prefer the homemade ones which we usually eat around easter, midsummer and christmas with all different kind of condiments, but that's a different story. One want the sweetness of the lingonberry jam, and the saltiness with the sauce, and the potato to completely neutralize it into something delicious. Oh, and also, no swede follow the recipe on the back of the powdered sauce package. We use milk instead of water and probably some meat bullion or salt ;D

[@doughnutmonarchthesecond]

based

[@betarise2772]

Well that takes the "do it yourself" part of ikea to a whole new level

[@sashaseckers]

I genuinely love IKEA food… these meatballs have a special place in my heart haha

[@drstrangejove637]

Also cheap as hell. The closest Ikea to me is in the middle of the Tourist area, still sells hot dogs for 50 cents a piece.

[@felixskagerberg3000]

My skånska grandma would slightly disagree with this recipe... Okay so first of all please don't mix and smooth out the jam. It is supposed to be chunky and you should feel the bitterness and "crunch" of the lingonberries (or in this case cranberries). Google "Rårörda lingon" for preference (also if possible just make rårörda lingon instead of a jam, should work with cranberries aswell) Second fry the meatballs in a pan (with a lot of butter) instead of the oven and then directly do the brunsås (brown sauce) directly in the pan as the meatball reside adds mad flavor to it. And don't forget the pickled cucumber as that is a great garnish and touch this absolute classic of a dish, thank you. Just some tips from a Swedish person :)

[@weasellesaew]

I’m so mad I gave it a try even with doubts. Cooked the leftover the “correct” way based on the complaints I had for my first batch, virtually fixed everything. Wtf were you thinking, Joshua.

[@DrFranklynAnderson]

I’m pretty sure you could have picked up lingonberries AT the IKEA…

[@johnwillardsorensen1135]

As a swede ive never done meatballs in The oven, ive always just cooked in a cast Iron skillet

[@neko6990]

as another swede. when we make at home we usually make big batches and freeze them down. And using the oven then just makes the process way easier. but then when cooking them again we ofc pan fry them.

[@chinookh4713]

As an Italian I do the same

[@blipblop1112]

He put the meatballs in the oven?? Bruh

[@lukechioatto9167]

I'm so grateful that papa made this!!!!

[@imanmohammadi7563]

I think you are not honest. I've had IKEA food and it's absolutely amazing. It's not fancy but it taste really good.

[@aswaney7449]

Calling this swedish meatballs is like putting curry sauce over fried chicken and calling it chicken curry.

[@baxterandcotton]

Kinda like all the "American" food in Sweden isn't remotely American. I mean every pizza shop in Sweden pretty much has an "American pizza" menu section and none of it's ever American toppings.

[@TuvaTheUnicorn]

yes

[@einundsiebenziger5488]

Americans need a country-denonym in front of their food to make it sound tasty, such as "French Toast", "Italian cheese", "German chocolate", "English muffin". Close to 100 % of that stuff served and sold in the US does not come from any of these countries or contains ingredients from there. So let him have his Swedish (style) meatballs.

[@rohankurani4974]

@@einundsiebenziger5488 well to be fair, English muffins are a legitimate food eaten in the U.K.

[@monsieurdorgat6864]

@@einundsiebenziger5488 So... Do all Europeans just make food literally a single way? How boring...

[@BugsyFoga]

I just turned 20 today , and I've spent all those years never once trying Ikea's famed swedish meatballs , hopefully I can remedy that someday .

[@milf_lover6920]

Happy birthday

[@JayAuriel]

Happy Birthday

[@AdiJayanto]

Our countrys first IKEA opened 5 years ago. And my first ~visit~ meatball was 4 years ago. I'm 36.

[@kyleallen7979]

Happy birthday. Hope you have a wonderful day.

[@actualgarbage8549]

Happy birthday

[@FakeBob80]

As a British guy, Josh’s English accent parts are bang-on and so funny!

[@skootmicz1122]

Oh my goodness, Josh! What if you did different types of popcorn? Like: Movie theatre popcorn, white cheddar, kettle, and caramel?

[@erikandersson9077]

Love this! However as a Sweden there are a couple of things that should be done differently: - In Sweden we don't serve Lingonberry Jam. It's more raw lingonberries tossed in sugar, that's it! - Meatballs are pan fried in loads of butter. Panko is soaked in milk first and then added to the meat mixture. Also some people use some Veal in the mixture. No garlic and onion is always grated! - Never broccoli, we use sliced and pickled cumcumber Also apparently Swedish meatballs were originally Turkish!

[@bogiesmigforl1]

cumcumber lol best spelling (ps: I skåne där jag bor brukar vi ha gröna ärtor istället för gurka, intressant att höra om andra ingredienser.

[@rectar]

- In Sweden we don't serve Lingonberry Jam. It's more raw lingonberries tossed in sugar, that's it! This simply isn't true, lots of people will eat it with lingonberry jam. Not the pureed stuff Josh did here tho, you fucked that one up Josh!

[@disinfect777]

Swedish meatballs are as far as we know swedish. There's no evidence that they were inspired by turkish meatballs. There's a theory, or more like a myth, that Charles XII brought meatballs back to sweden after fleeing to the ottoman empire after losing a battle against russia. but there's no evidence that supports this theory.

[@bogiesmigforl1]

@@rectar We do both lingon berry jam and raw berries right? though the raw stuff is more the kind of thing you're grandma might make.

[@ThePapaja1996]

Jo fast nog brukar vi äta lingonsylt till köttbullar.

[@egoblin.]

YOU DONT WANT THE SAUCE TO BE SMOOTH THE SAUCE NEEDS TO HAVE THE LIGNON BERRIES IN ITS THE LAW

[@tking1878]

I laughed so much! Thank you! I intend to make these balls😂

[@leonardreder9412]

I dare you to make blackcurrant juice and/or jam. I recently saw an interesting short documentary that blackcurrant plants are nowhere to be found in the USA because they damage the forests there. So i wonder if youve ever tasted them, and if not, try them! Theyre my favourite berries

[@bexdiller]

As a Swedish person, I am incredibly offended. Broccoli?? Cranberries??! Also, mashed potatoes?!?!?! Papa made it look good but no viking horn toot for you!

[@eldoradocanyonro]

Well, he did claim to be making it "But Better" Not "But Swedisher"

[@oskarjohansson6128]

@@eldoradocanyonro this ait better than the classic

[@bexdiller]

​@@eldoradocanyonro First off this was a joke. Pls no take seriously. The dish Joshua made is probably better than most meatball recipes out there, I have zero doubts. Ok I have some cranberry doubts but that’s besides the point. Secondly, to be clear, I'm mostly offended at IKEA for making the original dish he based the "but better" on. Adding broccoli and not the very essential sliced dill pickles will probably trigger Ragnarök, which seems unnecessary.

[@bexdiller]

Sidenote, the traditional way to serve this would be with whole boiled unpeeled potatoes that you spend approximately 45 years peeling while they are lava hot as your gravy cools and develops a skin.

[@ThePapaja1996]

Fast potatismos är väldigt vanligt till köttbullar

[@Hpalindromeprojects]

The point Josh is missing is that a family of 4 can go shopping, take a break when the kids feet are tired and have reasonably healthy food and a cinnamon roll for like $15 total. That's why we love it. Nowhere else in the USA can you get good cheap food that is actually convenient.

[@TheRog286713]

hes not missing the point, he's saying the meatballs are not great and he can make them better. ". Nowhere else in the USA can you get good cheap food that is actually convenient.? so there's no place else in the entire us ha?

[@farticlesofconflatulation]

So he needs a wife and two kids to shop around a while to achieve some sort of parity? I don’t get it.

[@samuelmaingi6365]

Faktumet att IKEA har en restaurang var en genial business idea förr i tiden🤌🏾 för att back in the days, så fanns det inte lika många IKEA varuhus så som idag det var därför en familj behövde nästan planera hela sin dag på att köra några timmar till den närmaste IKEAn. Och för att få kunderna att stanna kvar lite längre i butiken utan att tänka att dem behöver dra tidigt så att dem hinner laga middag, så skapade de IKEA restaurangen😌

[@philip9333]

Joshua, what kind of watch u wear ? I love it🔥

[@alekscains4862]

How the fish aroma is possible? Sweden has a version of anchovies and sometimes ppl use the brine as flavouring in their meatballs. And as someone who lived in southern Sweden, ground allspice is essential.

[@Scrrumy]

Even having only some Swedish heritage here I know that choosing cranberries over lingonberries was…unholy

[@nnewram9936]

he could as well have used chocolate sauce

[@TherealDanielleNelson]

It could be that it was all he could get. My 100% Swedish grandma would make lingonberry cookies and sometimes she couldn't find lingonberries so she'd use cranberry sauce.

[@war3rabb1t33]

@@TherealDanielleNelson They do sell it at IKEA if he’d wanted to try 🤔 Or Amazon has some pretty sweet Swedish importers to choose from

[@TherealDanielleNelson]

@@war3rabb1t33 Maybe they where out of it at Ikea? Maybe he didn't want to wait months for it to come from Amazon?

[@war3rabb1t33]

@@TherealDanielleNelson With his sub count, I’d be real surprised to find out he doesn’t have Prime 😅 My point was, he didn’t even try to acquire it because he didn’t ever intend to use it and that’s frustrating.

[@deanboman]

This aren't really Swedish meatballs anymore though, there are way better recipes for them out there guys.

[@ki5282]

IKEA published the recipe and Josh's version is nearly identical

[@bernadettban8309]

@Leo Mittas ye same, if he had to make it for like a 1000 people his would have reduced quality too... btw his meatballs looked dry as hell

[@LetsPlaySenrox]

​@Leo Mittas also the presentation. You can make the frozen stuff look great too, but that's not the intention. It's to lash out. Love the videos and ideas but it gets monotonous to simply bash even though some items are good at their core.

[@davidlalexander1178]

@Sarah Nazareth Shewee!! Sounds like a lot of work, but you tell it like a trooper and make it sound easy. What was the menu like?

[@zojirushi1]

@Leo Mittas yeah I feel like the but better series has gotten to his ego and he has to make himself believe that his is better every single time. Sigh. When the simplicity of the original dish and other details are what made it so great.