Porcupine Meatballs
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What are Porcupine Meatballs Made of?
What Are Porcupine Meatballs?
This dish is actually a family recipe my Mom turned me onto. Indeed, let’s just say it is safe to say that many more generations will enjoy it too. Essentially, a porcupine meatball is everything you love about meatballs but includes rice. In a sense, it is like the stuffing you might include in stuffed bell peppers. Only you don’t have to worry about de-seeding and deveining a pepper.
What Ingredients Are In Porcupine Meatballs?
Don’t you just love those recipes everyone looks forward to? Even better if they require only a few ingredients, they can be whipped together in minutes, and cooked quickly, too! Here is what you need and I bet you already have a lot of these ingredients in your pantry!
- lean ground beef
- Minute Rice
- tomato soup
- eggs
- Worcestershire Sauce
- parsley
- salt and pepper
You can find the complete measurements and instructions in the printable recipe card at the bottom of this post.
Steps To Make Porcupine Meatballs
Step One
In a bowl, combine your ground beef, eggs, rice, and part of the Worchestershire sauce. Form into meatballs, and place in a skillet.
Tip: Don’t make the meatballs too big, or they will fall apart easily.
Step Two
Whisk together tomato soup, the remaining Worchestershire sauce, and some water to make the sauce. Pour it over the top of the meatballs.
Step Three
Sprinkle with some dry parsley flakes and some salt & pepper.
Step Four
Cover and simmer, carefully turning the meatballs every few minutes. Cook until meat is no longer pink in the center. Ground beef is done safely when the internal temperature reaches 160 degrees with a meat thermometer.
See how the grain of rice poke out as the meatballs cook down? There is the magic moment when you discover why the name makes sense.
We are huge creatures of habit, and we always eat them the same exact way, with a yummy baked potato and green beans. My kids love the sauce so much, it’s even become their “potato topper!”
Love it? Pin it!
Don’t forget where you found this simple family favorite recipe! Pin it to your favorite Pinterest recipe board before you go!
The Origins Of Porcupine Meatballs
Porcupine Meatballs In Tomato Soup
If you want to spin this one in a few other directions, then go for it! You can easily substitute any other type of ground meat. Or, if you want to step outside the can, so to speak, then you can use cream of mushroom soup or a can of cream of celery soup, or… you get the picture. Also, if you really like stuffed peppers, then just chop in some bell pepper and you can call it a “deconstructed” stuffed pepper. Go ahead, make it sound like a fancy cooking show recipe.
More Meatball Recipes To Check Out
Meatballs are a favorite in our house, whether they are an appetizer or a main dish. Here are more meatball recipes to love!
- Sticky Asian Meatballs
- Salisbury Steak Meatballs
- Dorothy’s Cranberry Meatballs
- Homemade Italian Meatballs
- Swedish Meatballs
- Stuffed Pepper Meatballs
- Bacon Cheeseburger Meatballs
Porcupine Meatballs
Ingredients
- 2 lbs ground beef
- 2 cans tomato soup
- 2 eggs
- 1 1/4 c Minute rice uncooked
- 2 t. Worcestershire Sauce
- dry Parsley
- Salt and Pepper
- 1 c Water
Instructions
- Combine beef with eggs, 1 t. of Worcestershire Sauce and rice.
- Form into balls. (don’t make them too big or they tend to fall apart easier)
- Place in skillet, combine soup, 1 t. Worcestershire and water. Pour over balls. Sprinkle with dry parsley, and salt and pepper.
- Simmer about 20 minutes, turning meatballs over from time to time, and stirring so they don’t stick. When meatballs are no longer pink in center they are done.
Notes
Nutrition
This recipe was originally shared on October 7, 2011. They were updated to improve user experience and reshared on October 4, 2021.
I love this recipe..I use to make it for my oldest when he was little and his little fingers couldn’t go fast enough. Thanks for the little smile to my day! I’m making these this coming week!
Rice in meatballs? Can’t wait to try this, I’m always looking for ways to change up ground beef.
Porcupine Meatballs are one of my family’s favourite meals!!! Hubby likes them because they are like cabbage rolls without the cabbage, LOL.
Used to make these in the crockpot a lot. Love them! Thanks for reminding me about them.
When I make Porcupine Meatballs, I use the same ingredients as I were making a Meatloaf (pound of ground beef, chopped sweet white onion, crushed garlic, salt, pepper, chopped celery, crushed Ritz crackers, ketchup, mustard, worchester sauce). Roll my meatballs, and pour a can of Campbell’s Chicken Gumbo Soup or Chicken with Wild Rice Soup over the top of the meatballs, covered with foil, bake at 350 for 30 minutes. Serve over rice or noodles.
Who knew something so simple could be so fabulous. My family ate these up.
I’ve never heard of this dish, but I know my hubby and my son would love it. They are HUGE meat eaters. Must make it for them.
These sound amazing! I love the simple ingredients. Perfect for a family meal!
So easy! Can’t beat 6 ingredients and 30 minutes and the kids love them!
We loved this as an appetizer! There was so much flavor packed into these little meatballs. I would love to add these to a salad or spaghetti next time 🙂 thank you!
These meatballs are a delicious substitute for traditional spaghetti and meatballs. I love the sauce too!
This is a unique name for meatballs but I get it now with using the rice! High -Five to your family’s recipe that I will soon try!
I love this meatball recipe. It kinda remind me the middle eastern stuffed meat where it has fillings of rice. Definitely going to make one this weekend.
Enjoyed these for dinner last night and they did not disappoint! Easy, delicious and hearty; easily, a new family favorite dish!
These were in my mom’s rotation of dinners we all loved. When my husband heard of them and wanted to try them (he was a chef) he made up the recipe off the top of his head. Now here’s your recipe and he got darn near close. No Worcestershire sauce. He would have loved them though.
Aw. Thank you for sharing your story with me. <3