Chicken meatballs with sour cream

Chicken meatballs with sour cream

If you are looking for a delicious and comforting recipe that is easy to prepare and brings a touch of joy to every meal, then chicken meatballs with sour cream are the perfect choice. This classic dish, full of flavor and taste, combines the tender texture of chicken with a creamy sauce, making it ideal for family lunches as well as special occasions.

Preparation time:
- Preparation time: 30 minutes
- Cooking time: 40 minutes
- Total: 1 hour and 10 minutes
- Servings: 4-6

Required ingredients

For the meatballs:
- 500 g chicken meat (weighed after deboning)
- 100 g rice
- 100 g onion (about 1 medium onion)
- 5 tablespoons of oil (for frying the onion)
- 200 ml water
- 2 eggs
- 50 g flour
- Salt and pepper, to taste
- 2 crushed garlic cloves
- Fresh dill, chopped, to taste

For the sauce:
- 4-5 tablespoons of oil
- 70-80 g onion (finely chopped)
- 1.5 l water
- 50 g flour
- 300 ml sour cream
- 2-3 tablespoons lemon juice
- Fresh or dried dill, to taste
- Salt, to taste

Preparation of the meatballs

1. Preparing the ingredients: Start by cleaning and finely chopping the onion. Then, rinse the rice under cold water until the water runs clear. This step is essential to remove excess starch and prevent the rice from sticking in the meatball mixture.

2. Grinding the meat: The chicken meat, along with the skin and the sautéed and cooled onion, will be minced twice using a meat grinder. This step will ensure a fine and homogeneous texture of the mixture.

3. Mixing the ingredients: In a large bowl, combine the minced meat with the rinsed rice, eggs, flour, salt, pepper, crushed garlic, and chopped fresh dill. Mix well until a homogeneous mixture is obtained. If the mixture is too dry, add a little water.

4. Forming the meatballs: Wet your hands with water and take a teaspoon of the meat mixture, forming round meatballs. This step is essential to achieve uniform and attractive meatballs.

Preparation of the sauce

5. Cooking the onion: In a large pot, add the oil and let it heat up. Add the finely chopped onion and sauté it lightly until it becomes translucent. Then, deglaze the onion with 1.5 liters of water and season with salt and, if desired, with vegetable concentrate for extra flavor.

6. Boiling the meatballs: When the water starts to boil, add the formed meatballs using a spoon. Boil them covered for about 35 minutes, gently turning them in the sauce after 15 minutes for even cooking.

Finalizing the sauce

7. Preparing the sour cream sauce: After the meatballs are cooked, remove them with a spatula and set them aside. In the broth they boiled in, add the flour mixed with the sour cream diluted with a little cold water. Stir continuously to avoid lumps forming until the sauce thickens. If it is too thick, you can add a little water and let it boil for a few more minutes.

8. Finalizing the dish: Put the meatballs back in the sauce, add the dill, and let everything come to a boil. Immediately after, remove from heat and add the lemon juice, adjusting the taste as desired.

9. A special detail: To give the sauce a vibrant color, you can heat a tablespoon of oil with two teaspoons of sweet paprika and pour it over the finished sauce. This trick not only enhances the appearance but also adds extra flavor.

Serving

The meatballs can be served plain, but for a healthy and hearty meal, we recommend pairing them with mashed potatoes, which will perfectly complement the texture and flavors. Additionally, a fresh vegetable salad will add a pleasant contrast and bring extra vitamins to your meal.

Useful tips

- You can experiment with different herbs, such as parsley or thyme, to customize the flavor of the meatballs.
- If you want an even creamier sauce, you can add a few tablespoons of cottage cheese or ricotta, mixing them into the sour cream sauce.
- For a lighter version, you can use ground turkey, which has a lower fat content.

Nutritional benefits

This recipe provides a good source of protein from the chicken, carbohydrates from the rice, and essential nutrients from the vegetables used. By adding sour cream and dill, the dish becomes not only tasty but also nutritious, ideal for a family meal.

Frequently asked questions

- Can I use other types of meat? Of course! You can use pork or beef, but the cooking time may vary.
- Is it possible to freeze them? Yes, the meatballs can be easily frozen after cooking. Make sure to store them in an airtight container.
- How can I adapt the recipe for a vegetarian version? You can replace the meat with a combination of chopped mushrooms, vegetables, and rice, using eggs to bind the mixture.

These chicken meatballs with sour cream are more than just a simple dish; they are a family story passed down from generation to generation, bringing warmth and comfort to every meal. I invite you to try this recipe and enjoy every bite!

 Ingredients: For meatballs: - 500 g of chicken (weighed after deboning) - 100 g of rice - about 100 g of onion - about 5 tablespoons of oil (for frying the onion) - about 200 ml of water - 2 eggs - about 50 g of flour - salt, pepper - 2 crushed garlic cloves - chopped dill. For the sauce: - 4 - 5 tablespoons of oil - about 70 - 80 g of onion (finely chopped) - about 1.5 l of water - 50 g of flour - 300 ml of sour cream - about 2 - 3 tablespoons of lemon juice - fresh or dried dill - salt.