I don’t know what it is about meatballs, but anytime you take any meat mold it into a ball and season you know you’re in for a great meal. These porcupine meatballs are no exception. They use everyday pantry ingredients and can be made in a flash. They are fantastic at making ahead and freezing!
Why These Will Be On Your Dinner Rotation STAT!
We have all seen the increase in groceries lately, the last time I was at the grocery store I left with two bags and it was over $100. Ouch! What I love about these meatballs is that they were developed to help you stretch a dollar. I mean we can all use a bit of help in that area these days. Who doesn’t ove saving money without sacrificing taste!
Why else are these porcupine meatballs the bomb….. after you roll them, they are entirely hands off, no frying in a pan, no messy grease all over you stovetop. Get them in the oven and let the magic begin! I’ve made a simple but flavorful tomato sauce, you can get more extravagant If you want. The addition of some mozzarella or parmesan cheese would be delicious.
So why the funny name? Easy …. You cook the meatballs with long grain rice as they cook so does the rice and it pokes out all over your meatballs, hence kinda looking like a porcupine, so cute right?!? These are a fantastic weeknight dinner that will be loved by all, not just the kids!
What’s needed?
Ground beef - Lean. I would use at least 90% lean, you don’t want your meatballs and sauce to be greasy.
Long grain rice - Jasmine or basmati works well
Large Egg - Binder for the meatballs.
Seasonings - For sauce or meatballs
Tomato sauce (Jar, fresh, canned)
Chicken broth
Brown sugar
Pro-Tip
- Make sure that you have a tight seal on your baking dish -either use the top that it came with (assuming it’s oven safe) or make sure that you tighty seal your baking dish with aluminum foil. A tight seal helps circulate air in your baking dish, hence … helps to properly cook your rice that is present in your meatballs.
- You can swap ground pork or ground turkey for your beef, or use a mixture.
Let’s Make Porcupine Meatballs!
This is an overview.
Add all your meatball ingredients, rice, seasonings to a large bowl. Using your hands get everything mixed up well. Just mix till combined, don’t overwork your meat.
With your hands roll your meat into 1.5 inch balls. Add your meatballs to a large baking pan (9”x13"). Mix up all your sauce ingredients and pour over the top.
Tightly cover your baking dish with aluminum foil, to make a tight seal. This is very important! Bake until rice is completely cooked and meatballs are tender.
Leftovers and storage
- In the fridge these meatballs are good for 4-5 days.
- These freeze fantastic. Good in your freezer for up to 3 months. When I make these I always make a big batch and throw some in the freezer for a quick weeknight dinner.
PREP TIME: 25 mins, COOK TIME: 1 hr, TOTAL TIME: 1 hr 25 mins, SERVINGS: 8
INGREDIENTS:
Meatballs:
- 2 pounds 90 % lean ground beef
- 1 C uncooked long grain white rice
- 2 eggs
- 1 medium onion chopped
- 5 minced garlic cloves
- 1-2 tsp Italian seasoning
- 1 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 tsp Pepper to taste
- 1/2 Cracked red pepper (optional)
Sauce:
- 7 C of tomato sauce of choice
- 2 C chicken broth
- 2 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce
- 2 tsp garlic powder
- 2 tsp onion powder.
- 2 tsp light brown sugar (packed)
INSTRUCTIONS
- Set you oven to 350 Fahrenheit and place your oven rack in the middle position.
- In a large bowl, add you meatball ingredients. With your hands mix together well and form into 1.5 inch balls. Toss in your baking dish.
- In a medium sized bowl add your sauce, chicken broth, spices and brown sugar and combine. Pour the sauce over your porcupine meatballs.
- Tightly seal with aluminum foil / cover the baking dish and bake for 1 hour or until rice is complete cooked and meatballs are tender. Reminder: You want a tight seal or else your rice won’t cook properly.
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