For many people, no trip to IKEA in Exeter is complete without a visit to the restaurant for a plate of meatballs.
The iconic dish has become an integral part of the brand’s success - as famous as its flat-pack furniture. The meatballs were introduced in 1985 to combat the problem of IKEA’s struggling restaurants.
The eateries were having difficulty serving customers quickly and effectively. So Swedish chef Severin Sjöstedt, known for his passion for food and traditional cooking, was brought in to help out.
Read more: IKEA is selling a limited-edition LGBT+ rainbow cake for Pride Month
He said: “We needed something that was easy to serve, tasty and affordable to the many. Quite a challenge actually.”
As IKEA founder, the late Ingvar Kamprad believed, it was ‘tough to do business with hungry stomachs’. So the chef threw himself into creating the perfect meatball recipe to entice customers to the stores and keep them happy. He consulted friends, colleagues and even Kamprad in his quest.
Are meatballs actually Swedish?
Meatballs were chosen because they are considered a quintessentially Swedish dish. But the typical Swedish meatball is actually thought to be based on a recipe brought back from Turkey in the early 18th century by King Charles XII of Sweden.
In their most traditional form Swedish meatballs - or köttbullar - are made from ground pork and beef, cream, egg and onion. They tend to be served with creamy mashed potatoes, a thick, brown gravy, lingonberry jam and pickled cucumber.
Severin hardly left the kitchen for 10 months as he tried to perfect his take on this dish. Nearly a year after the project started, IKEA restaurants began serving their version of Swedish meatballs.
They became a huge hit and every time IKEA opened a new store, thousands of people lined up to be served the dish.
Severin said: “It warms my heart to know I had a small piece of doing something tasty for a lot of people. The meatball embodies so much of the IKEA culture: it’s convenient, it’s Swedish, and it’s for the many.”
IKEA now sells a billion meatballs a year and they are on the menu at every store in the world. There is now even a vegan version of the dish.
Why are IKEA’s meatballs so cheap?
The meatballs - along with all the dishes in IKEA restaurants - are priced so competitively to attract people to the store. The hope is, that once there, customers will also spend money on household items. The restaurants also reinforce the IKEA brand image of being ‘low price’ and ‘good value’.
What are IKEA meatballs made out of?
With stores shut down during the coronavirus pandemic in 2020, IKEA shared a recipe to help people recreate their famous meatballs.
Here are the ingredients for 16 to 20 meatballs with the sauce:
Meatballs
500 grams of ground beef
250 grams of ground pork
1 onion, finely chopped
1 clove of garlic, crushed or minced
100 grams of bread crumbs
1 egg
5 tablespoons of whole milk
generous amounts of salt and pepper
Cream sauce
Dash of olive oil
40 grams of butter
40 grams of plain flour
150 millilitres of vegetable stock
150 millilitres of beef stock
150 millilitres of thick double cream
2 teaspoons of soy sauce
1 teaspoon of Dijon mustard
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FAQs
Like many other things in business, selling inexpensive meatballs is a strategy for the company to turn more profit. To sell their products, they need to get people in the door. To do that, they entice people with cheap meatballs.
What's the deal with IKEA meatballs? ›
The birth of an icon
We've been serving food at IKEA stores since the 1960s, but in 1985 Swedish chef Severin Sjöstedt created a meatball that was delicious, affordable and easy to serve, based on the traditional Swedish meatball. After 10 months of tireless testing and tasting, the IKEA meatball was born.
How many IKEA meatballs are sold each year? ›
More than 1 billion sold every year
The meatball embodies so much of the IKEA culture: it's convenient, it's Swedish, and it's for the many. And after so many years, it's still on the menu at every IKEA store in the world.”
How many meatballs does IKEA sell in one day? ›
The furniture giant sells two million meatballs every day. But some of the romantic Swedishness of the meatballs, which are served with mash, light gravy and lingonberry jam, has been forever lost. Ikea's iconic meatballs originated in what is now modern day Turkey, according to the Mirror.
What meat are Ikea meatballs made of? ›
What are IKEA meatballs made of? Ikea's meatballs are made from minced meat (pork and beef), onions, garlic, breadcrumbs, and milk.
Can you eat at Ikea without shopping? ›
At the IKEA Swedish Restaurant, take a break from shopping for affordable home furnishings with delicious food! Enjoy all your favorite IKEA foods, like Swedish meatballs, salmon, kids meals, sweet treats and more. See the menu below.
Does Ikea use horse meat in their meatballs? ›
Czech authorities alerted the discount furniture maker that they had found horsemeat in a sample of meatballs, and Ikea subsequently pulled the product from stores in 14 countries.
What is the jam they put on Ikea meatballs? ›
The traditional way to serve Swedish meatballs (köttbullar) is with lingonberry jam and a creamy gravy. The lingonberry jam provides a sweet and tart contrast to the savory meatballs, while the gravy adds richness and moisture.
How much are Ikea meatballs? ›
Swe-Dish Friday - Meatballs meal 8 pieces for £2.45 and 12 pieces for £2.95. Every Friday, IKEA Family members get our Meatballs meal 8 pieces for £2.45 and 12 pieces for £2.95, served with mashed potatoes, peas, cream sauce and lingoberry jam.
Can you take IKEA meatballs home? ›
Frozen meatballs are available for you to take home! We know that there is great demand for our meatballs - what's a visit to IKEA without them?
Are Ikea meatballs healthy? The meatballs are low in carbs but high in fat content, so while they're not healthy food, Ikea Swedish meatballs can be part of a healthy eating plan when enjoyed in moderation and as an occasional treat.
Are IKEA meatballs precooked? ›
Anyway, the meatballs are precooked, just need to be heated.
Why did IKEA start selling meatballs? ›
The meatballs were not Ikea founder Ingvar Kamprad's idea. “Our mission was to make sure that no one left an Ikea store because of being thirsty or hungry,” he said. At the time, a typical Ikea store was serving up to 5,000 customers a day. To simplify operations and keep costs down, the menu would have to be limited.
Can you buy the IKEA turkey sized meatball? ›
Available exclusively through IKEA in limited quantities, IKEA is offering lucky customers the chance to get hold of the Christmas showstopper through its social channels and an in-store competition.
Are IKEA plant based meatballs healthy? ›
Nutritionally, they're pretty good. It's 220 calories per serving, 14 grams of fat, 13 grams of carbs, 3 grams of fibre, 2 grams of sugar, 9 grams of protein, and 350 grams of sodium. Not exactly health rock stars, but also totally fine as part of a balanced meal.
Are IKEA meatballs unhealthy? ›
Are Ikea meatballs healthy? The meatballs are low in carbs but high in fat content, so while they're not healthy food, Ikea Swedish meatballs can be part of a healthy eating plan when enjoyed in moderation and as an occasional treat.
Does IKEA make money on food court? ›
Does IKEA really sell a lot of food? IKEA's food enterprise generates a staggering annual revenue of approximately $2.5 billion! But, why does IKEA even sell food? IKEA's food business wasn't a random experiment, but a well-thought out strategy to drive their furniture sales.
