Porcupine Meatballs
+4 photos

Porcupine Meatballs

A retro favorite, porcupine meatballs use rice instead of breadcrumbs to bind the ingredients, which results in a bumpy, somewhat pointed shape. Saucy and tender, it's great for a weeknight.

Ingredients

  • jar tomato-basil marinara sauce

    such as rao’s

    1
  • chicken stock
    ½ c
  • worcestershire sauce
    1 tbsp.
  • balsamic vinegar
    1 tbsp.
  • 85/15 lean ground beef
    1 lb.
  • uncooked long-grain white rice
    ½ c
  • water
    ½ c
  • finely chopped yellow onion

    from 1 small [5 oz.] onion

    ⅓ c
  • chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

    plus more for garnish

    2 tbsp.
  • kosher salt
    1 ¼ tsp.
  • garlic powder
    ¾ tsp.
  • dried italian seasoning
    ½ tsp.
  • black pepper
    ½ tsp.
  • egg

    lightly beaten

    1 large
  • cooked rice

Directions

  1. 1

    Preheat oven to 350°F. Stir together marinara sauce, chicken stock, Worcestershire sauce, and balsamic vinegar in a large Dutch oven.

    Step 1
  2. 2

    Stir together ground beef, long-grain rice, water, onion, parsley, salt, garlic powder, Italian seasoning, black pepper, and egg in a medium bowl until evenly combined.

    Step 2
  3. 3

    Roll beef mixture into 12 (2-inch) meatballs. Place in an even layer on top of sauce in Dutch oven.

    Step 3
  4. 4

    Cover and bake in preheated oven, turning once halfway through baking time, until meatballs are no longer pink in the center and rice is tender, about 1 hour, 10 minutes. Serve hot over cooked rice.

    Step 4
Porcupine Meatballs
+4

Porcupine Meatballs

5.0(6)

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Ratings & Reviews

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Exceptional

Based on 6 ratings

southernliving.com
5.0(6 reviews)
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About this Recipe

Craving a comforting, hearty meal that takes you back to simpler times? These Porcupine Meatballs, a beloved retro favorite, deliver tender, saucy goodness perfect for any weeknight.

What sets these meatballs apart is their clever use of uncooked long-grain white rice directly in the mixture, instead of breadcrumbs. As the meatballs cook, the rice absorbs the rich sauce, plumping up to create a unique, slightly bumpy texture that gives them their distinctive "porcupine" look and keeps them incredibly tender from the inside out.

You'll bite into incredibly tender ground beef meatballs, each with a delightful chew from the cooked rice. They're enveloped in a savory, aromatic sauce made with tomato-basil marinara, brightened by Worcestershire sauce and balsamic vinegar. The finely chopped onion and fresh parsley infuse every bite with depth, balanced by classic garlic powder and Italian seasoning. This dish is pure comfort food: hearty, flavorful, and wonderfully saucy, making it an instant family favorite.

While this recipe shines with 85/15 lean ground beef, the foundational flavors of onion, garlic, and Italian seasoning are versatile. Feel free to explore different brands of tomato-basil marinara to find your perfect flavor profile, remembering that a quality marinara, like Rao's, makes a difference. You can also slightly adjust the amount of fresh parsley or black pepper to suit your personal taste preferences, ensuring the dish is perfectly seasoned for you.

These Porcupine Meatballs are a fantastic, satisfying main course, ideal for a cozy weeknight dinner. Serve them alongside a bed of cooked rice to soak up every last drop of that incredible sauce.

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