An effortless, comforting lunch or dinner that comes together in under an hour. Tefteli (traditional Eastern European meatballs made with rice) in sour cream sauce are the ultimate embodiment of homey comfort food, familiar to many since childhood. In this version, the meatballs are wonderfully tender thanks to a blend of lean pork and chicken breast, while the rice gives them a lighter, delicate texture. Coating them in crispy panko breadcrumbs locks all the savory juices inside, while a rich sauce of smetana (sour cream) and chicken broth slowly infuses every meatball, creating a harmonious, deeply satisfying dish.
Appetizing meatballs with rice, smothered in a velvety sour cream sauce and sprinkled with fresh dill. The perfect combination for a family dinner.
Ingredients
- 200 g (7 oz) cooked white rice
- 300 g (10.5 oz) homemade ground meat (chicken and pork blend)
- 2 tbsp finely chopped scallions (green onions)
- 1 large egg
- Panko breadcrumbs, for coating
- Salt, black pepper, and neutral oil for frying
- A few sprigs of fresh dill
Ingredients for the Sauce
- 100 g (3.5 oz / about 1/2 cup) smetana (full-fat sour cream)
- 20 g (2.5 tbsp) all-purpose wheat flour
- 500 ml (2 cups) chicken broth (or hot water + 1 bouillon cube)
- Salt, to taste
How to Make Meatballs with Rice in Sour Cream Sauce
Cook the long-grain white rice until tender. First, rinse the grains thoroughly, then place them in a saucepan and add cold water at a ratio of 1 part rice to 2 parts water. Bring to a boil, simmer gently for 10–15 minutes, then remove from the heat and let stand, covered, for another 10 minutes. It is best to skip the salt here—it is much easier to season the entire meatball mixture at once rather than salting the ingredients separately. Transfer 200 g (7 oz) of cooled rice into a large mixing bowl.
Start by preparing the rice. Cook it until tender and let it cool completely before adding it to the ground meat.
Add the chilled homemade ground chicken and pork. This meat blend is very flavorful and low in fat; I grind it myself using lean pork and skinless chicken breast.
Add the homemade ground chicken and pork to the cooled rice. This blend makes the meatballs tender without being overly greasy.
Finely chop the scallions (green onions) and add them to the bowl with the meat and rice.
Scallions add juiciness and a lovely aroma to the meatballs. Chop them as finely as possible.
Crack in a large egg. Season with salt to taste and add freshly ground black pepper if desired.
Crack in the egg and season with salt to taste. The egg helps the meatballs hold their shape during cooking.
Mix and knead the meat mixture thoroughly until it becomes uniform, tacky, and compact. At this stage, it is a good idea to chill the mixture—pop it into the freezer for 10 minutes or leave it in the refrigerator for half an hour.
Knead the meat mixture until smooth and uniform. If you have time, let it rest in the refrigerator so it becomes firmer and easier to shape.
Pour panko breadcrumbs onto a plate. Divide the meat mixture into 7–8 equal portions. With damp hands, roll the portions into balls (known as tefteli—tender Eastern European meat-and-rice meatballs) and coat them evenly in the panko. You can also use regular dry breadcrumbs or fresh bread crumbs for coating.
Using panko breadcrumbs gives the meatballs an extra crispy, golden crust.
Bread the remaining meatballs the same way. By the way, you can freeze them at this stage: arrange them on a cutting board or in a food container, freeze at -24°C (-11°F), and then transfer to an airtight freezer bag. When you need them, simply thaw and pan-fry.
At this stage, the meatballs are completely ready for frying. You can also freeze them now for future meals.
Pour refined, neutral-flavored vegetable oil into a skillet. Heat the oil and arrange the meatballs in the pan. Fry for 3–4 minutes until golden brown on the bottom, then flip.
Place the meatballs into heated refined oil. It is important to fry over medium heat so the breadcrumb crust doesn't burn.
Fry on the other side for another 3 minutes. Never use unrefined, cold-pressed oil when cooking over high heat. Unrefined oil has a low smoke point and will burn, which is why refined oil is essential for frying.
Once one side is golden brown, carefully flip the meatballs. The aroma in the kitchen is simply incredible!
Transfer the browned meatballs to a clean, lightly oiled skillet. For the sauce, whisk together the smetana (Eastern European sour cream; full-fat regular sour cream works well), wheat flour, and warm chicken broth. If you don’t have broth on hand, dissolve a bouillon cube in hot water. Pour the sauce over the meatballs and bring to a gentle boil.
Pour the velvety sauce made of sour cream, flour, and broth over the browned meatballs. This will make them incredibly tender.
Simmer the meatballs in the sour cream sauce for 5–7 minutes, then remove the skillet from the heat. Finely chop a few sprigs of fresh dill (leaves only, discarding tough stems). Scatter the chopped dill over the meatballs and serve immediately.
Simmer the meatballs in the sauce for a few minutes and scatter with fresh dill. The dish is ready to serve!
To make these Meatballs with Rice in Sour Cream Sauce look even more inviting, serve them in shallow bowls with plenty of creamy gravyspooned over the top. Creamy mashed potatoes make a wonderful side dish, as does a crisp vegetable salad to balance the richness of the sauce. If you'd like to add a touch of warmth and depth, try stirring a bit of pressed garlic or a pinch of freshly grated nutmeg into the sour cream mixture.
If you have leftovers after dinner, they will keep beautifully in the refrigerator until the next day. Reheat the meatballs gently over low heat in a covered skillet, adding a couple of tablespoons of water or broth to loosen the sauce back to a pourable consistency. Keep in mind that the rice continues to absorb moisture over time, so by the second day, the dish will be thicker and even more flavorful.
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