IKEA U.S. celebrates 40 years of the iconic meatball with the launch of the new falafel ball

This year marks 40 years since IKEA meatball was released, introducing a taste of Swedish food culture around the world. The meatball quickly became, and remains today, the IKEA signature dish worldwide. Throughout the decades, the traditional Swedish meatball evolved into different iterations, from the chicken ball to the plant ball. To celebrate the meatball’s 40-year milestone, IKEA will introduce its latest food ball: the falafel.

The falafel will be the newest addition to IKEA’s round-food offering. The ball, crispy on the outside with a tender inside of chickpeas, zucchini, onions, and spices, will first be introduced at IKEA U.S. restaurants, plated with couscous, aioli, and a slice of lemon. The falafel ball will be produced in New Jersey, USA.  

Over the past 40 years, with 1.4 billion food balls sold a year, the meatball has cemented itself as an IKEA classic, the round shape as synonymous with the IKEA design culture as the flat-packed furniture. 

“We sell flatpack furniture and round shaped food!" says Daniel Yngvesson, Global Food Designer at IKEA. "Following the many different meatball variations introduced over the years, once we started testing recipes, we felt the falafel would be the perfect addition to the menu. The falafel has become a staple in Swedish food culture over the years, and the aromatic and nutty flavor is a beloved favorite all over the world. It’s also an exciting new flavor profile for IKEA.”   

The new offer will support IKEA's continued efforts to feature more plant-based options on the menu, in the hopes of inspiring people to choose more dishes and products centered around plant-rich food. Using chickpeas as the star ingredient ensures that the dish is affordable and can be enjoyed by many more people, an approach that reflects IKEA’s belief that eating should be inclusive, rather than restrictive. 

Center Stage: A New Way to Serve Meatballs 

To commemorate the tasty icon, IKEA and Swedish designer Gustaf Westman launched a porcelain plate that offers a new way of serving the meatball. As part of the playful perspective that characterizes the new IKEA collaboration with Stockholm designer Gustaf Westman, the new serving plate was developed to make preparing and enjoying meatballs more fun and eye catching. The plate is tailored to fit the perfectly sized meatball, allowing 11 meatballs to be arranged in a neat row. Gustaf, known for tableware that showcases food in unusual and often humorous ways, pays homage to the Swedish meatball by making it a focal point on any dinner table.  

The Falafel Ball will be available at IKEA U.S. restaurants early 2026.