Tefteli in a Cream Sauce

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Russian Tefteli are basically amazing meatballs in a cream sauce which can be served for lunch, dinner or as an appetizer with toothpicks. Amazing.

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I’ll soon have a “Lena’s Amazing Recipes” category. If you loved the Chebureki and the Creamy cauliflower soup; your mouth is probably watering for these. Russian Tefteli are basically amazing meatballs in a cream sauce which can be served for lunch, dinner or as an appetizer with toothpicks.

Lena recommends doubling the sauce recipe so it’s real gravy-like. I’ll be trying that next time. I’m a gravy kind of gal. Thank you Lena for sharing this scrumptious tefteli recipe with me. Amazing. Fabulous. Nothing short of YUMM!

Ingredients for Tefteli:

1 lb ground pork
1 lb ground chicken
2 cups cooked white rice (1 cup raw = 2 cups cooked rice)
1 large egg
2 large garlic cloves
1/2 onion, grated or finely chopped
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
2 slices of soft white bread (mine was wheat-ish, but that’s besides the point)
3/4 cup milk
2 cups Progresso Italian Style Breadcrumbs

Ingredients for the Tefteli Sauce:

2 Tbsp olive oil
1/2 onion chopped
1 large carrot, grated
2 Tbsp flour
1 Tbsp sour cream
1 cup heavy whipping cream
1 cup chicken broth or chicken stock
1/2 to 1 tsp paprika (more if you like a little spice in your life)
Salt and Pepper to taste
Canola oil or grape seed oil

How to Make Russian Tefteli:

1. Cook your rice and cool to room temp or so it’s just warm, not hot. Break up your bread and soak it in as separate bowl with milk.

Three photos of bread being cut and mixed in a bowl with milk

2. Add your ground pork and chicken to a large bowl. I ground my own meat; using chicken tenders and pork loin. Add the following to the meat bowl: 2 cups cooked white rice, 2 large garlic cloves pressed, 1/2 onion finely chopped or grated, 1 egg, 1/2 tsp salt and 1/4 tsp black pepper.

Two photos of a mixture being made for tefteli

3. Drain the excess milk from the bread (it should still be very juicy). Add the bread to the meat mix. Mix everything well. This is where the KitchenAid stand mixer (paddle attachment) comes in handy. Your hands won’t freeze from the meat mix.

Mixture for tefteli in a mixer

4. Pour your Progresso bread crumbs into a medium bowl. Shape your meat into 1″ balls and roll them in the bread crumbs. You might have to wash your hands a few times if the meatballs start sticking to your hands. These meatballs tend to be a bit moist. It’s best to have all your meatballs breaded before starting to saute them.

Two photos of tefteli being covered in breadcrumbs

5. Heat a large non-stick skillet over medium heat. Add 1/4 cup oil and let it heat up. Saute about 3-4 minutes on each side until browned. I used two skillets to make the process go faster.

Two photos of tefteli on a skillet

Terteli in a white container

Once the meatballs are done, start making your gravy (unless you are a super-multi-tasker).

How to Make Tefteli Gravy:

1. Heat a medium sauce pan over medium heat. Add 2 Tbsp olive oil, 1/2 chopped onion and 1 large carrot grated. Saute until carrots and onion are soft.

Carrots and onions being sautéed in a pot

2. Sprinkle in 2 Tbsp flour and whisk quickly to blend.

Flour added to carrots and onions being sautéed

3. Add 1 Tbsp sour cream and stir.

Sour cream added into pot with sautéed carrots and onions

4. Add 1 cup heavy cream, 1 cup chicken broth and 1/2 to 1 tsp paprika and bring to a simmer.

Two photos of cream sauce in a pot

5. Add salt and pepper to taste. Bring everything to a light boil and pour it over the meatballs. Stir and enjoy.

Four tefteli in a cream sauce on a long plate

Natasha Kravchuk

Welcome to my kitchen! I am Natasha, the blogger behind Natasha's Kitchen (since 2009). My husband and I run this blog together and share only our best, family approved and tested recipes with YOU. Thanks for stopping by! We are so happy you're here.