Tender and flavorful PORCUPINE MEATBALLS with seasoned ground beef and rice mixture simmered in a simple yet delicious tomato sauce. Perfect for serving on top of pasta, mashed potatoes, or rice. A hearty, filling, and scrumptious dinner in only an hour!

Meatballs are a favorite in our family. I love how versatile they are while being fuss-free. And don’t they make a wonderful make-ahead dinner, too?

Part of what makes this old-fashioned porcupine meatball recipe a hit is that you don’t have to cook the rice before adding it to the ground beef mixture. If that doesn’t convince you yet, well, let me tell you that this meatball recipe doesn’t need that much supervision when cooking.

Yep! You can just cover the meatballs and leave to simmer until they’re cooked. Although you might need to stir it a little bit from time to time and add more water if needed.

But other than that, it’s almost like hands-free cooking. Oh, how I love dishes like this that don’t take away my limited time! No wonder it is a personal favorite of mine!

What are Porcupine Meatballs?

Have you ever heard of these meatballs before? Well, they are actually a classic meatball recipe that originated way back during the Great Depression era.

It was a recipe used to stretch ground beef into more meals. Adding rice into the ground beef mixture actually bulked it up, resulting in more meatballs for less money.

Its rather funny name came from the fact that the cooked rice sticks to the outsides of the meatballs as it cooks; giving them their signature look similar to that of (yessss…) a PORCUPINE!

Porcupine Meatballs Ingredients

Although you might have second thoughts with the ingredient list but trust me that it will all be worth it. This meatballs and rice dish is highly-seasoned from the meatball itself down to the last bit of sauce.

Ground Beef. When choosing what ground beef to use, I highly encourage you use the one that isn’t too high in fat. Probably just about 10% of it. Or else you’ll end up with those fatty juices all mixed up in the sauce. Looking for leaner meat? Try using ground turkey instead of beef.

White Rice. To stay true to its “porcupine” look, you need to make this dish with uncooked long-grain white rice like Basmati. However, (some good news here) you can also use a cup of leftover long-grain white rice and just leave out the half cup of water in the meatball mixture.

Of course, the rice won’t stick out of the meatballs as much, but the flavors are still in there. So that is a major win for me!

Meatball Sauce. Unlike other meatball sauces that tell you to just throw in a can of tomato sauce, ours is different…in a good way, of course. It proudly boasts a flavorful sauce with all the bells and whistles that you want. Thanks to my homemade Italian Seasoning HERE, and a bit of brown sugar, and Worcestershire sauce, your meatball sauce won’t be as BLAH tasting as it used to.

Making Ahead and Storing Meatballs 

Remember when I said earlier that it’s a great make-ahead dinner? Indeed, it is. You can shape the meatballs ahead of time, then loosely cover it with a plastic wrap, and keep it in the refrigerator for up to 2 days.

Alternatively, you can freeze the meatballs by placing them in a single layer on a parchment-lined baking sheet and freeze for about an hour or so. Once they’re hard enough to touch, transfer them into a Ziploc bag or a freezer-friendly container and freeze for up to 3 months. Then just proceed with the rest of the cooking instructions once ready to cook.

For any leftover meatballs, store them in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days.

What To Serve with Porcupine Meatballs?

As much as I would love to tell you that  ONLY RICE, and rice alone,  can make a perfect pair for these meatballs, then you’ll be missing out on a ton if you’d listen to me. Coz this porcupine balls can be served with so many other great dishes. Among my favorites are…

• Easy Dinner Rolls
• Pasta or Egg Noodles
• Caesar Salad
• Parmesan Crusted Baked Asparagus

Meatballs in So Many Ways

Love meatballs for dinner? I got your back. You can thank me later. 😉

• Baked Meatballs
• Swedish Meatballs
• Pineapple Glazed Meatballs
• Mexican Meatball Soup or Albondigas Soup

 

How To Make Porcupine Meatballs

 

In a large bowl, mix ground beef, white rice, ½ cup water, onion, minced garlic, thyme, parsley salt, and pepper to taste in a bowl. Roll the mixture into about 12 -16 meatballs. Heat a large cast-iron or skillet (use an oven safe pot or cast iron, if baking in the oven) over medium-high heat then add about 2 tablespoons oil, as. As soon as oil heats, add the meatballs. Brown meatballs for about 2 minutes or more before flipping around. If not, meatballs might fall apart. Brown the other side for another 2 minutes or more or until evenly browned while occasionally flipping it around. Remove and set aside.

Add onions and garlic to the pan, cook until wilted about 3 minutes or so. Pour in tomato sauce, milk, water, and Italian seasoning. Stir for about a minute then add brown sugar and Worcestershire sauce. Season with salt. Cover and simmer until the meatballs are no longer pink in the center and the rice is tender, about 45 – 60 minutes. Stir as needed and add more water if the sauce becomes too dry. Adjust with seasonings to taste. 

 

Watch How To Make It

 

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