Flavorful Porcupine Meatballs - A Vintage Recipe - Sizzling Eats (2024)

In this post, we’ll show you how to make Porcupine Meatballs. This is a classic meal made with inexpensive ingredients. Seasoned ground beef and rice meatballs are browned, simmered in a delicious tomato-based sauce, and served over rice.

If you are looking for a new ground beef recipe to add to your meal list, these Porcupine Meatballs are worth a try. It’s a hearty and delicious classic that my mother-in-law has made for years.

Ingredients

Before starting this recipe, you’ll want to verify that you have the following ingredients to make 20 large meatballs.

Meatballs

The meatballs are made of a combination of:

80/20 ground beef – You can use a leaner variety like 85/15 or 90/10. But, 80/20 will make moister meatballs.

Long-grain white rice

Onion – I use yellow onion, but you can use white onion or sweet vidalia.

Eggs – Act as a binder

Bread crumbs – Act as a binder

Spices like oregano, thyme, onion powder, garlic powder, and black pepper.

Worcestershire sauce – Adds flavor

Tomato Sauce

The tomato sauce is a combination of:

• Onion soup mix packet – Optional, adds extra flavor.
• Italian herbs
• Tomato sauce
• Tomato paste
• Brown sugar
• Fresh parsley
• Worcestershire sauce

Equipment and Supplies Needed

You’ll need the following equipment and supplies to make this recipe. Items that are optional or can be substituted will be noted.

• large baking sheet
• 2-tablespoon sized cookie scoop – Alternatively, you can use a 1-tablespoon scoop and combine 2-scoops of meat per meatball.
• parchment paper – Optional, but recommended to prevent sticking and make cleanup easier.
• large mixing bowl
• mixing spoon
• 13″ x 9″ baking dish

Recipe Tips

This recipe is easy to make if you know the right tips and tricks! Here are my tips for ensuring your Porcupine Meatballs comes out perfectly.

Sauce

For this recipe, we used a classic, homemade pasta sauce. However, you can alter the sauce if you wish. If you do not want to use tomato sauce, or paste you can use your favorite premade pasta sauce.

To do that, you’ll need 24-ounces of jarred sauce, 1 packet of onion soup mix (optional for more flavor), 1/2 cup of water, and 1 tablespoon of brown sugar (also optional). 1/2 teaspoon of Italian herbs are also recommended.

Preparation

The meatballs can be browned either in a large skillet or by baking in the oven. I baked mine for 15 minutes on a parchment-lined baking sheet to avoid grease splatter on my stove.

However, you can brown these in a skillet heated with 1 tablespoon of oil. You do not want to fully cook the meatballs, you really are looking to achieve a seared, browned outer skin on the meatball for flavor. They finish cooking during the simmering step.

Simmering

You can choose to simmer your browned meatballs in your skillet over medium-low heat for 1 hour (covered), or you can bake them in a casserole dish (after browning) for 45 minutes covered, and 10 minutes uncovered.

Side Dish Ideas

Porcupine Meatballs make a delicious sauce that goes perfectly with a variety of side dishes. Serve it with the following classic side dishes:

• white or brown rice
• orzo
• mashed potatoes
• mashed cauliflower
• baked asparagus
• steamed broccoli
• side salad
• spaghetti/pasta
• baked potatoes

My favorite pairings are white rice and mashed potatoes. I love to spoon extra sauce over white rice which I prepare in my pressure cooker in less than 15 minutes.

Storage

Refrigerator

If you want to store your Porcupine Meatballs in the refrigerator, just follow these easy steps.

• Allow meatballs to fully cool.
• Place meatballs in a microwave-safe bowl with an airtight lid.
• These meatballs can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 4 days for best flavor.

Freezer

If you want to store your Porcupine Meatballs in the freezer, just follow these easy steps.

• Allow meatballs to fully cool.
• Place meatballs in a freezer-safe container. We love disposable aluminum pans with lids since they will not shatter when reheated. To prevent freezer burn, wrap pan with several layers of plastic wrap.
• These meatballs can be stored in the freezer for up to 3 months for best flavor. To reheat, heat in the oven at 30 degrees F. for 30 minutes until heated throughout.

More Ground Beef Recipes

Recipe

Follow the recipe below to make Porcupine Meatballs! This recipe makes 20 large meatballs, but you can adjust the recipe card for other serving sizes.