Description
Pumpkin chicken meatballs with sage cream sauce brings together tender ground chicken mixed with pumpkin puree and herbs, then topped with a rich, savory sauce that coats each bite perfectly. Your dinner table gets a comforting, seasonal dish that feels fancy enough for guests but simple enough for any weeknight you’re craving something satisfying.
Ingredients
Scale
Meatball base:
- 1 pound ground chicken
- 1 cup pumpkin puree
- 1/2 cup breadcrumbs
- 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
- 1 egg
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon sage, dried
Sauce:
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 1 tablespoon fresh sage, chopped
Cooking:
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
Instructions
- Mix 1 lb ground chicken, 1 cup pumpkin puree, 1/2 cup breadcrumbs, 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese, 1 egg, 1 tsp garlic powder, 1 tsp onion powder, 1 tsp salt, 1/2 tsp black pepper, and 1/2 tsp dried sage in a large bowl until everything binds together.
- Roll your mixture into balls about the size of golf balls and set them on a plate.
- Pour 2 tbsp olive oil into a skillet and get it heating over medium heat for about 1 minute.
- Place your meatballs into the hot skillet and let them cook for 8 to 10 minutes at medium heat, turning them occasionally so each side turns golden brown.
- Transfer your cooked meatballs to a clean plate using a slotted spoon.
- Pour 1 cup heavy cream directly into the same skillet and turn the heat down to low, letting it warm for about 2 minutes without boiling.
- Stir 1 tbsp fresh chopped sage into your cream and mix it around for about 30 seconds.
- Nestle your meatballs back into the sauce and let everything simmer together at low heat for 5 minutes so the flavors meld.
- Transfer your finished dish to a serving bowl or plates while the sauce is still warm and creamy.
Notes
- Don’t overmix your meat mixture or the meatballs will become dense and tough—fold everything together gently just until the ingredients are combined.
- Brown the meatballs in batches if needed so each one gets a nice golden crust instead of steaming in a crowded pan.
- For a lighter version, swap the heavy cream with half-and-half or a combination of chicken broth and a splash of cream to reduce richness while keeping that sage flavor.
- Fresh sage makes a real difference in the sauce, but if that’s not available, dried sage works too—just use about one-third the amount since it’s more concentrated than fresh.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Category: Simmered Chicken
- Method: Sautéing
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 4
- Calories: 431 kcal
- Sugar: 2 g
- Sodium: 623 mg
- Fat: 34 g
- Saturated Fat: 11 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 21 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 9 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 27 g
- Cholesterol: 131 mg