How to Make Swedish Stuffed Onion Rolls – Traditional Lökdolmar

Swedish stuffed onion rolls are also known as Lökdolmar. They’re a comforting dish made by wrapping tender layers of boiled onion around a light Swedish meatball mixture, then baking them until golden with breadcrumbs. This traditional recipe is perfect for entertaining or a cozy family meal. I’ve also included a variation for Swedish meatballs using the exact same filling in the recipe notes, so you can enjoy this delicious mix in two ways. And if you love savoury mains with a twist, you might also enjoy my Cheese-Stuffed Italian Meatloaf—another baked comfort dish filled with flavour.

Swedish Stuffed Onion Rolls – Baked & Delicious

Prep Time: 1 hour hr

Cook Time: 40 minutes minutes

Servings: 6 servings

These Swedish Stuffed Onion Rolls (Lökdolmar) are a comforting baked dish made from layers of tender onion wrapped around Swedish meatball mixture, topped with golden breadcrumbs. They’re perfect for a buffet spread, family dinner, or a special occasion meal.

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Ingredients

 

• 2 kg about 8 large onions
• 1 large potato (350-400grams)
• 4 tbsp finely diced onion
• 15 g butter (for sautéing the finely diced onion)
• 500 g minced meat 250 g pork, 250 g beef recommended
• 2 tablespoons finely chopped parsley
• 4 tablespoons dried breadcrumbs
• 6 tablespoons cream 90 ml
• 1 whole egg
• 1 teaspoon black pepper
• 1 teaspoon table salt or 1-2 teaspoons sea salt or Celtic salt
• Optional: ¼ teaspoon nutmeg and ¼ teaspoon allspice recommended

For cooking:

• 60 g butter for melting in the pan
• ½ to 1 cup fresh breadcrumbs for topping

Instructions

 

• Prepare the onions by peeling them while keeping the roots and stems intact. Cut halfway into the centre. Place onions in a large pot, cover well with cold water, bring to the boil, and boil briskly for between 45 minutes to 1 hour until tender.
• While the onions are cooking, peel and boil the potato until fork tender. Drain and mash it; set aside.
• In a small frying pan, melt 15 g of butter and sauté 4 tablespoons of finely chopped onion until soft and translucent.
• In a large bowl, combine the sautéed onions, minced meat, mashed potato, parsley, breadcrumbs, cream, egg, pepper, salt, and optional spices. Knead vigorously with both hands or beat with a wooden spoon until all the ingredients are well blended and the mixture is smooth and fluffy. This is Swedish Meatball mix.
• Once the onions have cooled, carefully remove the core and separate the onion layers. Discard the inner part of the onions (or save them for some other purpose if the leaves are too small to stuff). Cut the largest outer layers of the onions in half but remember to leave them large enough to enclose the stuffing.
• Place a heaped teaspoon of meat mixture in the centre of each onion layer, fold or roll over the edges to enclose the filling. (At this point they may be covered with plastic wrapping and refrigerated for up to 2 days before cooking).
• Preheat your oven to 200°C/400°F (fan) or 220°C/430°F (no fan). Place a shallow roasting pan in the preheated oven with 60 grams of butter to heat up until sizzling.
• Carefully place the onion rolls in the hot butter, using a brush to baste the tops of the rolls with the melted butter in the pan.
• Bake for 15 minutes, then baste with the butter again, sprinkle with fresh breadcrumbs, (and optionally you could drizzle a little more melted butter over the breadcrumbs) and return to the oven for another 15 minutes or until golden brown. The onion rolls may require a further 5-10 minutes of cooking time if your rolls are big.
• Serve warm and enjoy!

Video

Notes

🧆 Variation – Swedish Meatballs:

Use the same meat mixture to make classic Swedish meatballs.

Ingredients:Meat mixture (as above)

• 30 g butter + 2–3 tbsp oil (for frying)

For the Sauce:

• 40 g butter
• 2 cups beef stock
• 3 tbsp flour (or cornstarch for gluten-free)
• ½ cup cream
• Optional: fresh dill

Instructions:
Shape mixture into 1-inch balls and chill for 1 hour. Fry in butter and oil over moderate heat for 8–10 minutes until golden. Transfer to a low oven to keep warm. For the sauce, melt butter in the pan, stir in flour, then whisk in beef stock. Simmer until thickened, then stir in cream and optional dill. Pour over meatballs.

 

• You can prepare them ahead: fill and roll the onions up to 2 days in advance and bake when ready.
• Save the leftover onion centres for soups, stocks, or sauces.
• Best served hot, but also great warm or at room temperature as part of a buffet-style meal.