Chicken Meatballs in White Sauce

These chicken meatballs in white sauce are simple, cozy, and surprisingly flavorful for such affordable ingredients. Cooked rice keeps the meatballs soft and tender, while onion and carrot add that homemade flavor to the creamy skillet sauce.

Everything comes together in one skillet with a smooth white sauce that feels rich and comforting without anything complicated. It’s an easy, budget-friendly chicken dinner that tastes homemade and satisfying enough for a weeknight meal.

If you love cozy chicken dinners with a creamy sauce, you can also browse my creamy chicken recipes for more simple, comforting meals made with everyday ingredients.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

What makes this recipe so good is the way the meatballs gently simmer right in the creamy white sauce. They stay tender and juicy, while the sauce thickens around them and picks up all that cozy flavor from the skillet.

This is the kind of dinner that feels warm, simple, and homemade without taking a lot of effort. The sauce turns rich, cozy, and smooth as the meatballs cook, making it perfect to spoon over mashed potatoes, rice, pasta, or buttered noodles.

Quick Look at the Ingredients

You only need a few simple ingredients for these chicken meatballs in white sauce, but each one does something important. The cooked rice helps the meatballs stay soft and easy to shape, the onion and carrot add homemade flavor, and the creamy white sauce brings everything together into a cozy skillet dinner.

Ground chicken: I used 2 pounds of ground chicken. It has a mild flavor and makes the meatballs feel lighter than classic beef or pork meatballs, which works really well with the creamy sauce.

Cooked rice: The cooked rice is one of the little details that makes these chicken meatballs so tender. It also helps the soft ground chicken mixture hold together better when you shape the meatballs.

Onion and carrot: I like cooking the onion and carrot first because it brings out a sweeter, softer flavor. Half goes into the meatballs, and the rest stays in the skillet for the sauce, so the whole dish tastes more homemade.

Italian seasoning, garlic powder, salt, and pepper: These simple seasonings keep the flavor cozy and savory without overpowering the chicken. You get enough flavor in every bite, but the meatballs still taste soft and comforting.

Butter and flour: These help start the creamy white sauce. The butter adds a little richness, and the flour helps the sauce thicken just enough to coat the meatballs nicely.

Water and heavy cream: The water keeps the sauce from feeling too heavy, while the cream makes it smooth, rich, and comforting. As the chicken meatballs simmer, the sauce thickens and picks up all the flavor from the skillet.

How to Make Chicken Meatballs in White Sauce

This ground chicken meatball recipe is very simple once the onion and carrot are cooked. I use the sautéed vegetables two ways: some go into the meatballs for extra flavor, and the rest stays in the skillet to help build the creamy white sauce.

Start with the meatball mixture. In a large bowl, combine the ground chicken, cooked rice, salt, black pepper, Italian seasoning, and garlic powder. The cooked rice helps keep the chicken meatballs soft and tender, and it also makes the mixture a little easier to shape.

Cook the onion and carrot. Warm the oil in a large skillet over medium heat, then add the onion and cook until it starts to soften. Stir in the grated carrot and let everything cook together until the vegetables are tender and lightly sweet.

Add some of the vegetables to the meatballs. Transfer about half of the sautéed onion and carrot to the bowl with the chicken mixture. Leave the rest in the skillet for the sauce. This gives both the homemade chicken meatballs and the creamy skillet sauce that cozy, cooked-from-scratch flavor.

Shape the meatballs. Gently mix the chicken, rice, seasonings, and sautéed vegetables just until combined. Lightly wet your hands with water, then shape the mixture into meatballs. The mixture will feel soft, but the rice helps it hold together, so try not to overmix it.

Make the white sauce base. Add the butter to the skillet with the remaining onion and carrot. Once the butter melts, sprinkle in the flour and stir for about 1 minute. This gives the creamy white sauce a smooth, lightly thickened texture.

Pour in the liquid. Slowly stir in the water, then add the cream. Season the sauce with salt, black pepper, and Italian seasoning. Let it come together into a smooth, creamy sauce before adding the meatballs.

Simmer the meatballs in the sauce. Nestle the chicken meatballs into the creamy sauce, cover the skillet, and let them cook for 10 minutes. Gently turn the meatballs, cover again, and cook for another 10 minutes, or until they are cooked through and tender.

Finish with the sauce. Spoon some of the creamy sauce over the meatballs before serving. The sauce should be smooth, cozy, and lightly thickened, with little bits of onion and carrot in every bite.

Pro Tips for the Best Chicken Meatballs in White Sauce

These chicken meatballs in white sauce are very simple, but a few small details help them turn out soft, tender, and full of flavor. Ground chicken is naturally softer than beef or pork, so the key is to handle the mixture gently and let the meatballs simmer slowly in the creamy white sauce.

Use cooked rice, not raw rice. The rice needs to be fully cooked before it goes into the meatball mixture. It helps keep the chicken meatballs tender, gives them a softer homemade texture, and also helps the mixture hold together better when shaping.

Wet your hands before shaping. Ground chicken mixture can feel sticky, especially with rice and sautéed vegetables mixed in. Lightly wetting your hands with water makes it much easier to form smooth meatballs without adding extra flour or breadcrumbs.

Do not pack the meatballs too tightly. Shape them gently instead of pressing them hard. This keeps the meatballs soft and juicy after they simmer in the sauce.

Make the meatballs close to the same size. They do not have to be perfect, but keeping them similar helps them cook evenly. Smaller meatballs will cook faster, while larger ones may need a few extra minutes under the lid.

Keep the sauce at a gentle simmer. Once the cream is added, try not to let the sauce boil hard. A gentle simmer keeps the sauce smooth and gives the chicken meatballs time to cook through without drying out.

Adjust the sauce at the end. If the sauce gets too thick, add a small splash of water or cream and stir gently. If it feels too thin, let it simmer uncovered for a few minutes after the meatballs are cooked.

Variations and Substitutions

This chicken meatball recipe is simple, so there are a few easy ways to adjust it without changing the cozy flavor too much. I would still keep the cooked rice, onion, carrot, and creamy white sauce as the main base, because that is what makes the meatballs soft and the sauce taste homemade.

Use ground turkey instead of ground chicken. Ground turkey works really well in this recipe and gives you a very similar texture. The flavor is still mild, and it pairs nicely with the creamy white sauce.

Use chicken broth instead of water. If you want a little more savory flavor in the sauce, you can replace the water with chicken broth. Just taste the sauce before adding extra salt, because broth can already be salty.

Add mushrooms to the sauce. For a cozy mushroom version, sauté sliced mushrooms with the onion and carrot before making the sauce. They add a deeper, savory flavor and make the dish feel even more comforting.

Add a little Parmesan. A small handful of grated Parmesan can be stirred into the sauce at the end for extra richness. I would add it slowly and taste as you go, since Parmesan also adds saltiness.

Make it more garlicky. If you love garlic, add 1 or 2 minced garlic cloves to the skillet after the onion and carrot soften. Let the garlic cook just until fragrant before adding the butter and flour.

Use cooked white rice or brown rice. White rice gives the softest texture, but cooked brown rice can also work. Just make sure the rice is fully cooked before adding it to the ground chicken mixture.

If you love cozy chicken dinners like this, try my smothered chicken with mushroom gravy for another comforting skillet meal, or this creamy chicken cheddar potato chowder when you want something extra hearty. For a simple pasta night, my creamy chicken pasta is another easy family dinner with a rich, cozy sauce.

What to Serve with Chicken Meatballs in White Sauce

These chicken meatballs in white sauce are the kind of cozy dinner that tastes best with something simple to soak up the sauce. My favorite way to serve them is with creamy mashed potatoes, because the white sauce melts right into the potatoes and makes the whole plate feel extra comforting.

They are also delicious with a simple bowl of fluffy stovetop rice, pasta, or buttered noodles. Since the meatballs are soft and the sauce is creamy, you do not need anything complicated on the side. A fresh cucumber salad or a simple green salad would also be nice if you want something lighter next to the rich sauce.

Storage and Leftovers

Leftover chicken meatballs in white sauce keep really well, and the sauce usually gets even more flavorful after it sits for a little while. Store the meatballs with the creamy white sauce in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.

To reheat, warm them gently in a skillet over low heat or in the microwave until heated through. If the sauce thickens too much in the fridge, add a small splash of water, cream, or chicken broth and stir gently until it loosens back up.

I like reheating creamy sauces slowly because it helps them stay smooth. Try not to boil the sauce hard, especially after it has been chilled, so the meatballs stay tender and the sauce stays creamy.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I make these chicken meatballs without rice?

I would not remove the rice completely for this version. The cooked rice helps the ground chicken meatballs stay soft, tender, and easier to shape. Without it, the texture will be different and the mixture may feel stickier.

Can I use raw rice in the meatballs?

No, cooked rice is best here. Raw rice will not have enough time to soften inside the meatballs during the short simmering time.

Can I make chicken meatballs without breadcrumbs?

Yes. This recipe uses cooked rice instead of breadcrumbs, which helps the ground chicken meatballs stay soft, tender, and easier to shape.

Why is my chicken meatball mixture soft?

Ground chicken is naturally soft, and the rice and sautéed vegetables make the mixture even more tender. Lightly wet your hands with water before shaping, and try not to overmix the mixture.

How do I know when the chicken meatballs are cooked?

The meatballs should be firm, tender, and fully cooked in the center. For the safest result, the internal temperature should reach 165°F.

Can I make the sauce thicker?

Yes. If you want a thicker creamy sauce, let it simmer uncovered for a few minutes after the meatballs are cooked. If it gets too thick, add a small splash of water or cream.

Final Thoughts

These chicken meatballs in white sauce are simple, cozy, and so much more flavorful than you might expect from basic ingredients. The rice keeps the meatballs tender, the onion and carrot make the sauce taste homemade, and everything comes together in one skillet for an easy family dinner. For more simple meals like this, browse my chicken recipes.