Porcupine meatballs have a hearty flavor and a tender texture.
These tasty meatballs are made with ground beef, rice, onion and seasonings then baked in a rich tomato sauce.
- These meatballs are savory and tender with lots of flavor.
- They are cooked in a rich sauce for an easy meal.
- Added rice makes them hearty and delicious.
Ingredients for Porcupine Meatballs
These meatballs differ from our usual meatball recipe because there is rice in the meat mixture and no porcupines ;).
- Meat Mixture: I use lean ground beef for these meatballs since a little bit of fat adds flavor and keeps them moist. You can use ground pork or turkey in place.
- Rice: I use long grain rice in these meatballs. They can be made with leftover cooked white rice or raw, uncooked rice. *See recipe notes.
- Sauce: The sauce is easy to make. Tomato juice gives it the right consistency, tomato soup adds a bit of sweetness and a slightly creamy texture, and tomato sauce adds acidity and tang. You can use homemade tomato sauce if you’d like.
Cream Sauce Variation
Swap the tomato based sauce for a creamy mushroom soup sauce and serve it over pasta.
Combine 1 can mushroom soup, 1 cup beef broth, 1/2 cup milk, 1/2 cup sour cream, and 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder. Mix until smooth and pour over meatballs. Bake as directed.
How to Make Porcupine Meatballs
- Combine meatball ingredients and form into balls (recipe below).
- Place meatballs in a casserole dish.
- Combine sauce ingredients and pour over meatballs.
- Bake for 1 hour.
Serving Suggestions
- I prefer to serve these meatballs over additional rice or pasta. You can also serve them with mashed potatoes or oven-roasted potatoes.
How to Freeze Porcupine Meatballs
These porcupine meatballs will freeze well. Prepare the meatballs as directed, place them on a parchment-lined baking sheet, and freeze. Once frozen, transfer them to a freezer bag or container.
Leftovers will keep in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days and in the freezer for 3 months.
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Porcupine Meatballs
These porcupine meatballs are tender rice-meatballs baked in a zesty tomato sauce.
For The Meatballs
For the Sauce
Preheat oven to 350°F.
To make the meatballs, in a large bowl, combine ground beef, rice, onion, garlic powder, parsley, Worcestershire sauce, egg, salt, and pepper. Mix just until combined.
Divide the meat mixture into 20 meatballs and place them in a baking dish, approximately 2 quarts.
In a medium bowl, combine tomato soup, tomato sauce, vegetable juice, garlic powder, and Italian seasoning. Pour the sauce over the meatballs.
Cover and bake for 30 minutes. Uncover and bake for an additional 30 minutes or until the sauce has thickened.
Garnish with parsle and serve over rice or mashed potatoes.
Seasoning: I find the soup and vegetable juice to have enough salt for my liking. You can add salt and black pepper if desired.
Raw Rice: If using raw rice, use ½ cup of uncooked long-grain white rice to the meatball mixture in place of cooked rice and add ½ cup water to the sauce. Add the meatballs to a large Dutch oven or pot, cover, and cook over a low simmer on the stovetop for 40 minutes or until the rice is tender.
Cooked Rice: Any variety of cooked rice can be used in this recipe in place of white rice.
Serving: 5meatballs | Calories: 294 | Carbohydrates: 27g | Protein: 28g | Fat: 7g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Cholesterol: 111mg | Sodium: 561mg | Potassium: 813mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 990IU | Vitamin C: 26.2mg | Calcium: 52mg | Iron: 4.3mg
Nutrition information provided is an estimate and will vary based on cooking methods and brands of ingredients used.
Course Main Course
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