Porcupine Meatballs (Quick, Easy, From-Scratch)
Porcupine Meatballs are studded with rice and cooked in a from-scratch, slightly sweet and tangy tomato sauce. This new twist on a retro classic is not only kid-approved, but quick and easy to get on the table!
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Raise your hand if you've had Porcupine Meatballs before! In case you haven't, it's a retro recipe in which raw rice is added to ground beef, formed into meatballs, and then cooked in a bubbling pot of tomato-ey sauce. The resulting meatballs have pointy little pieces of rice sticking out in all directions, hence the "porcupine" moniker.
This dish has been around for decades. It was popular when I was growing up in the 80s, and I adapted today's recipe from a family cookbook I inherited that dates back to the 60s. However, of bit of online research taught me that Porpcupine Meatballs were actually invented all the way back during the Great Depression as a way to stretch a little bit of meat into a larger meal by using more widely available (at the time) rice!
My version of Porcupine Meatballs are made in one pot on the stove, with no need to fry or bake the meatballs first!
Ingredients
The original incarnations of Porcupine Meatballs were typically made with condensed tomato soup for the sauce. But I've eliminated the canned soup in favor of a quick, easy, homemade sauce instead. This version is as effortless as the original but even tastier...and you control the ingredients!
- Ground beef. I prefer using extra-lean ground beef (at least 90%) since the meatballs get cooked directly in the sauce and you don't want too much extra fat floating on the surface. Ground turkey may be substituted as well...the meatballs just needs to reach a safe internal temperature of 165°F.
- Long-grain white rice. Uncooked. Jasmine and basmati both work well. However, I learned the hard way that substituting brown rice -- with its longer (almost doubled) cooking time -- will result in crunchy meatballs, which are not so great. 😉
- Garlic. Minced. For the meatball mixture.
- Salt + freshly ground black pepper. To season the Porcupine Meatballs.
- Tomato sauce + beef broth. The base for the from-scratch sauce. I always keep a jar of tomato puree/passata in the fridge, so I sometimes use that instead of tomato sauce. And I often use Organic Beef Better than Bouillon mixed with water, rather than opening a whole carton of beef broth.
- Worcestershire sauce. For depth of flavor.
- Half-and-half + brown sugar. To give the sauce the characteristic creaminess and tangy-sweet undertone that condensed tomato soup lent the original recipe. My family doesn't find this sauce to be overly sweet, but feel free to reduce or eliminate the brown sugar if you prefer.
- Garlic powder, onion powder, + chili powder. To further season the sauce.
How to Make Porcupine Meatballs
(The below photos are intended to be helpful, but please refer to the recipe card at the bottom of this post for FULL DIRECTIONS.)
- Mix the ground beef, uncooked rice, garlic, salt, and pepper until well combined.
- Form the mixture into 12 meatballs. I find it easiest to first pat the meat mixture evenly into the bottom of the bowl. Score/cut the meat vertically through the center and then again horizontally through the center, to create four equal quarters. Finally, divide each section into three equal pieces (making cuts like slices of pie). Scoop out each “slice” and form it into a meatball.
- In a large pot set over medium heat, combine the tomato sauce, beef broth, half-and-half, Worcestershire sauce, brown sugar, garlic powder, chili powder, onion powder, and additional black pepper, to taste. Bring to a boil.
- Reduce the heat to a simmer and stir the sauce. Carefully place the meatballs in the pot in a single layer, spooning a little sauce over each one to cover the tops.
- Cover the pot and cook for 20 minutes.
- Flip each meatball and cover with more sauce, then cook for 15 to 20 more minutes or until the rice is tender and the meatballs are cooked through.
- Serve hot and enjoy!
Quinoa Variation
As mentioned above, this Porcupine Meatballs recipe won't really work using uncooked brown rice, as brown rice doesn't turn adequately tender when cooked using this method. If you'd like to use brown rice in this recipe, I would recommend cooking it before mixing it into your ground beef.
However, I have successfully made this recipe with uncooked quinoa in place of uncooked white rice! Using quinoa as your chosen grain to bulk up these meatballs gives them added texture, plus all of the wholesome benefits of quinoa.
Just keep in mind that since quinoa grains are rounded, your Porcupine Meatballs won't have the same "spiky" look as if made with rice. Also (very important!), don't forget to thoroughly rinse your quinoa before adding it to the meatball mixture to get rid of its bitter, naturally occurring coating.
Oven-Baked Porcupine Meatballs
If you wish, this recipe can easily be adapted to the oven!
Form the meatballs as directed and arrange in the bottom of a 2-quart baking dish or oven-proof skillet. Mix up the sauce and pour it over the meatballs, turning each one to coat it in sauce. Cover with a tight-fitting lid or a tightly-sealed, heavy layer of foil to trap steam. Bake (covered) for 45 minutes. Remove the cover, gently stir, and bake (uncovered) for 15 to 30 minutes more or until the meatballs are cooked through and the rice is completely tender.
Side Dish Ideas
So what pairs well with Porcupine Meatballs? A few ideas...
• A salad dressed with The BEST Homemade Ranch Dressing or "Better Than Olive Garden" Italian Dressing.
• A bed of mashed potatoes.
• A simple veggie side such as roasted asparagus, broccoli, or Brussels sprouts, Baked Parmesan Yellow Squash Rounds, or Instant Pot Carrots.
• One-Pot Mac & Cheese.
The next time you need a fast-fix supper that the entire family will enjoy, serve up an effortless, retro platter of Porcupine Meatballs!
Because, what do you know?! The ingenuity of Depression-era cooks still yields a tasty meal today... 🙂
More Easy + Tasty Meatballs
Porcupine Meatballs (Quick, Easy, From-Scratch)
Ingredients
- 1 pound lean (90-95%) ground beef
- ½ cup uncooked long-grain white rice, such as jasmine or basmati
- 1 large clove garlic, minced
- ¾ teaspoon salt
- Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- 1 (15-ounce) can tomato sauce , or about 2 cups
- 1 cup beef broth
- 2 tablespoons half-and-half
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- 2 tablespoons brown sugar
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon chili powder
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
Instructions
- In a medium bowl, combine the ground beef, uncooked rice, minced garlic, salt, and pepper. Form the mixture into 12 meatballs.
- In a large pot set over medium heat, combine the tomato sauce, beef broth, half-and-half, Worcestershire, brown sugar, garlic powder, chili powder, onion powder, and additional black pepper, to taste. Bring to a boil.
- Reduce the heat to a simmer and stir the sauce. Carefully place the meatballs in the pot in a single layer, spooning a little sauce over each one to cover the tops.
- Cover the pot and cook for 20 minutes. Flip each meatball and cover with more sauce, then cook for 15 to 20 more minutes or until the rice is tender and the meatballs are cooked through.
Notes
- To form 12 meatballs of the same size, first pat the meat mixture evenly into the bottom of the bowl. Score/cut the meat vertically through the center and then again horizontally through the center, to create four equal quarters. Finally, divide each section into three equal pieces (making cuts like slices of pie). Scoop out each “slice” and form it into a meatball.
- I always keep a jar of tomato puree/passata in the fridge, so I sometimes use that instead of tomato sauce.
- I typically use organic beef Better than Bouillon mixed with water, rather than opening a whole carton of beef broth.
- The half-and-half is optional, but it gives the sauce a slightly creamy consistency more akin to that provided by canned condensed tomato soup, which was a traditional ingredient in original (retro) Porcupine Meatballs recipes.
- Similarly, the brown sugar is included to mimic the slightly sweet flavor of condensed tomato soup. You may reduce or eliminate it if you prefer.
I wasn't sure the raw rice would cook right in the meatballs but these turned out great. They were super easy to make and even my picky kids loved them.
Made a double batch for for dinner last night and shared with our neighbor. She already asked me for the recipe! Hard to beat such a simple and satisfying meal.
My family ate every last one of these meatballs and told me to put them on the menu again next week! We especially loved the yummy sauce. Thanks!