Elk Meatballs with Polenta Recipe That's Guaranteed to Satisfy
This is a warm and hearty meatball recipe that works perfectly with not only ground elk, but deer, antelope and moose as well.
Elk Meatballs with Polenta (Author photos)
October 01, 2025
By Jenny Nguyen-Wheatley
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This is my go-to meatball recipe that works beautifully with ground elk, deer, antelope or moose. These meatballs are tender, flavorful and go just as well over pasta as they do inside a sandwich with lots of melty mozzarella cheese. This time, I chose polenta — an Italian dish of boiled cornmeal that is creamy and porridge-like. It’s a delicious base for meatballs, one that's lighter than pasta but still satisfying.
I consider polenta and meatballs a cold-weather dish. It’s spoon-able, warm and hearty. Try it this season after a successful hunt.
Serves: 4 Prep time: 1 hour Cook time: 45 minutes
Ingredients 1 jar of marinara or red pasta sauce 1 to 2 tbsp. olive oil Grated Parmesan cheese, to taste Chopped parsley for garnish, to taste Grated lemon zest for garnish, to taste Meatballs 1 pound of ground elk (preferably with 20 percent added fat) ½ cup of panko breadcrumbs ¼ cup milk 1 egg 2 tsp. Worcestershire sauce ¼ cup of minced or grated onion 3 cloves of garlic, minced 1 tbsp. chopped Italian parsley ½ tsp. dried oregano ½ tsp. dried basil ½ tsp. fine sea salt ½ cup of grated or shredded Parmesan cheese Freshly cracked pepper, to taste Generous pinch of red pepper flakes Polenta 1 cup of medium grind cornmeal 4 cups of water 3 tbsp. butter ½ tsp. fine sea salt, or to taste Directions In a small bowl, combine panko breadcrumbs and milk to soak for a few minutes. In a medium mixing bowl, combine remaining meatball ingredients and the moistened breadcrumbs. Mix with your hands until ingredients are well distributed. Cover and chill in the refrigerator for about 1 hour. Preheat oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit. Roll ground elk mixture into 2-inch meatballs and place on a rimmed cookie sheet lined with parchment paper. Lightly coat each meatball with olive oil. Bake on the middle rack for 10-15 minutes, or until internal temperature reaches at least 165 degrees. Optional, flip meatballs halfway through for even browning. Combine cooked meatballs and marinara sauce in a saucepan and heat through. Keep warm. While the meatballs are in the oven, bring 4 cups of water to a boil and then back down to a simmer in a saucepan. Gradually whisk in cornmeal to avoid lumps. Simmer for about 30-45 minutes on low, stirring occasionally, until thickened and cornmeal granules become plump and soft. Then stir in butter and season to taste with salt. Add more water if the polenta becomes too thick. Ladle polenta into bowls and top with meatballs and sauce. Garnish with grated Parmesan cheese, chopped parsley and grated lemon zest to taste.
