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This Porcupine Meatballs recipe simmered in tomato sauce is a family favorite. Serve over rice for a complete meal.
Having so much flavor and being so easy to customize, everyone loves this recipe. Be sure to check out all our Meatball recipes!
Do You Love Porcupine Meatballs?!
Have you ever had porcupine meatballs? They’re beef meatballs filled with uncooked rice and chopped onion giving it a pokey or “bump” shape resembling porcupine quills! That’s why they call them porcupine meatballs.
Believe it or not, my kids always ask for second helpings of this dinner. It’s a hit all around the table!
Why we love them:
- Delicious. We love these meatballs because the rice gives the meatballs a nice hearty texture.
- Hearty. The meatballs are simmered in tomato sauce, which makes them perfect for serving over cooked white rice.
- Dinner or appetizer. Serve them for dinner or as an appetizer -they are perfect!
Ingredients
- minute rice uncooked – Since minute rice is parboiled before being dried and packaged it doesn’t take as long to cook and soften it. Do not use other types of rice as they may require altering the other ingredients and cooking time for the recipe to cook well.
- water
- onion – use yellow white or sweet onions. Be sure to mince it into smaller pieces.
- salt
- celery salt
- pepper
- garlic powder
- egg
- ground beef – Swap the ground beef for ground pork or ground turkey or combine different meats.
- vegetable oil
- tomato sauce – To change it up, try a creamy mushroom sauce, White Cream Sauce, or brown gravy.
- water
- brown sugar
- Worcestershire sauce
How to Make Porcupine Meatballs
- MEATBALLS. Combine rice, water, onion, salt, celery salt, pepper, garlic powder, and egg in a medium bowl.
- Add beef and mix well. Shape into 1½ inch balls.
- Brown the meatballs in a large skillet with 2 tablespoons vegetable oil. Drain oil when meatballs are browned.
- SAUCE. Add tomato sauce, water, brown sugar, and Worcestershire sauce to a bowl – mix and then pour over meatballs. Reduce heat and simmer for about 45 minutes.
- SERVE. We usually serve our meatballs over cooked long grain rice. Try flavored rice like Rice A Roni, spaghetti squash, or even Cauliflower Rice. They can also be served over Mashed Potatoes or make a meatball sub.
Shaping Meatballs
For the meatballs to hold their shape the ratio of meat to the binder (eggs and rice) must stay balanced.
- Browning them in the skillet will form a crust which will also help them keep their shape.
- The meat mixture is easier to roll when it is cold.
- I use a cookie scoop to help form even meatballs.
Recipe Tips
- Add a bit of a kick and include some red pepper flakes into the dish.
- Over-mixing the meat mixture can cause the meatballs to become tougher so use your hands, not an electric mixer to combine.
- Alternative cooking methods. When cooking these in the oven or crockpot stick to a lean ground beef to avoid excess grease from accumulating in the dish
- OVEN BAKE OPTION. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Place the formed meatballs in a 9×13 baking dish and pour the source over the top. Cover the dish with aluminum foil and bake for 20 minutes. Remove the cover and bake for another 20 minutes or until the rice in the meatballs is fully cooked.
- CROCKPOT OPTION. Brown the meatballs in a skillet so they hold their shape. Place them in the crock pot along with the sauce and cook on LOW for 5-6 hours or on HIGH for 2-3 hours, or until the rice is softened.
Storing Tips
- Make ahead of time. Form the meatballs up to 24 hours in advance and keep them covered in the fridge until you’re ready to cook them.
- STORE leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 4-6 days. Warm in the microwave or over the stove.
- FREEZE. Put the prepared porcupine meatballs recipe on a cookie sheet or a plate and cover with plastic wrap. Put them in the freezer for a couple of hours until frozen solid. Transfer to a freezer plastic bag and freeze for up to 3 months.
For More Meatballs:
Porcupine Meatballs Recipe
Rich and flavorsome porcupine meatballs are simmered in tomato sauce until cooked perfectly! Serve over rice for a complete meal.
Ingredients
- ½ cup minute rice uncooked
- ½ cup water
- ½ cup onion chopped
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon celery salt
- ⅛ teaspoon pepper
- ⅛ teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 egg
- 1 pound ground beef
- 2 tablespoon vegetable oil
- 1 (15-ounce) can tomato sauce
- 1 cup water
- 2 tablespoons brown sugar
- 2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
Instructions
- Combine rice, water, onion, salt, celery salt, pepper, garlic powder, and egg in a medium bowl.
- Add beef and mix well. Shape into 1½ inch balls.
- Brown the meatballs in a skillet with 2 tablespoons vegetable oil. Drain oil when meatballs are browned.
- Add tomato sauce, water, brown sugar, and Worcestershire sauce to a bowl – mix and then pour over meatballs. Reduce heat and simmer for about 45 minutes.
Notes
- Make ahead of time. Form the meatballs up to 24 hours in advance and keep them covered in the fridge until you’re ready to cook them.
- STORE leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 4-6 days. Warm in the microwave or over the stove.
- FREEZE. Put the prepared recipe for porcupine meatballs on a cookie sheet or a plate and cover with plastic wrap. Put them in the freezer for a couple of hours until frozen solid. Transfer to a freezer plastic bag and freeze for up to 3 months.
Nutrition
Calories: 436kcal, Carbohydrates: 17g, Protein: 21g, Fat: 30g, Saturated Fat: 14g, Cholesterol: 121mg, Sodium: 1002mg, Potassium: 374mg, Sugar: 7g, Vitamin A: 60IU, Vitamin C: 1.9mg, Calcium: 39mg, Iron: 3.2mg
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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Oh god, thats great recipe. I sent it to my boyfriend and he wants it just now!)
LOL!! I am so glad!! Thank you for letting me know!
this is a recipe my whole family loved. We have mashed POTATOES with them and it’s so YUMMY!
I like having meatballs in the freezer to pull out for spaghetti. These meatballs are perfect and i love all the tips you add to your pOsts.
Never tried porcupine meatballs before- sooooo good!
tHE FLAVOR IS UNBELIEVABLE! aDDED THESE TO OUR RECIPE BOOK.
What a great way to make thEse more filling! I love the flavor, too! They were super easy to make & such a crowd pleaser!
Yummy little meatballs in a tomato based sauce. What can be wrong with this? We like ours mashed potatoes.
My mom used to make these for me when I was a kid I absolutely love these!!!
Thanks a lot! This recipe is amazing! i will continue reading your blog
Thank you so much 🙂