Porcupine Meatballs

Have you tried Porcupine meatballs? Seasoned meatballs enriched with long grain rice cooked in my secret ingredient tomato sauce. Comfort food the whole family loves!

My recipe for Porcupine Meatballs has a secret ingredient that sets it apart from the rest! Traditionally, Porcupine meatballs are cooked in a tomato based sauce, but I take the recipe a step further and add a bit of Bloody Mary Mix to give the sauce an extra kick of deliciousness! The Bloody Mary Mix I use is by Oxford Falls and is made with lobster and wasabi. I highly recommend it!

What are Porcupine Meatballs?

Porcupine meatballs were developed during the depression as an easy and budget-friendly way to make the most of ground beef. By adding rice to ground beef and shaping into meatballs, home cooks were able to stretch the family dollar and serve more for less. Additionally, the rice gives the meatballs their unique appearance. When the rice cooks, it expands so you can see it sticking out all over the meatballs. For this reason, it is easy to see why this recipe is called porcupine meatballs.

Porcupine Meatballs Ingredients

• 1 lb. Ground chuck – ground chuck contains enough fat to add flavor and juiciness and is a good choice for meatballs. I recommend using a quality beef such as Certified Angus Beef® brand
• 1/4 cup Long grain rice (uncooked) – long grain rice is used in porcupine meatballs to give the meatballs their unique appearance. Short grain rice won’t stick out of the meatball like long grain does. I recommend using Basmati rice for maximum flavor and soft texture.
• 1 cup Bloody Mary Mix (divided) – the secret ingredient to my porcupine meatballs! Bloody Mary Mix adds a punch of flavor to the meatballs as well as the sauce and sets my porcupine meatball recipe apart from all the rest. I recommend using Oxford Falls with lobster and wasabi in the mix.
• 1/3 cup Yellow onion, minced – yellow onions are the most popular cooking onions because they add excellent flavor. A perfect addition to porcupine meatballs!
• Seasonings – 1/2 tsp celery seed, 1/4 tsp garlic powder, 1 tsp salt and 1/4 tsp black pepper are used to season the meatballs for maximum flavor
• 2 tbsp Ghee – ghee is a form of clarified butter. Clarified butter is pure butterfat. Ghee has a higher smoke point than most fats, which makes ghee ideal for pan frying meatballs. If you don’t have ghee, substitute 1 tbsp olive oil and 1 tbsp unsalted butter.
• 16 oz Tomato sauce – use your favorite brand. I like to use a tomato sauce with basil and garlic.
• 2 tsp Worcestershire sauce – adds a seriously savory punch!

How do you make porcupine meatballs?

1. Mix ground beef, long grain rice, Bloody Mary Mix, minced onion, salt, pepper, celery seed, and garlic powder. Form into meatballs.
   
   
   
   
   
2. Melt 2 tbsp ghee in skillet over mid-high heat. Sear 6-8 meatballs at a time for 1 minute on each side until all meatballs are browned nicely. Set meatballs aside. NOTE: It’s important to let the meatballs sear for a minute to develop a nice crust.  If you move them around before they develop a nice crust on the outside the meat will stick to the pan.
   
   
3. In same skillet over medium heat, add 16 oz tomato sauce, 1/2 cup Bloody Mary Mix, 1/2 cup water, and 2 tsp Worcestershire sauce. Stir, scraping up the browned bits.
   
4. Bring sauce to a boil. Reduce heat to mid-low.
5. Add meatballs to skillet. Cover and cook 15-20 minutes or until rice is tender.
   
6. Serve over garlic mashed potatoes or rice and enjoy!
   

Can you freeze porcupine meatballs?

Yes! Follow these steps to freeze the porcupine meatballs for future use:

1. Place meatballs on a parchment lined baking sheet in a single layer, not touching.
2. Place baking sheet in freezer until meatballs are frozen.
3. Once frozen, transfer meatballs to a freezer bag and store in freezer for later use.
4. Freeze precooked meatballs the same way. By precooking the meatballs for freezer storage, they will be ready to place in sauce when making your porcupine meatball dinner. A big time saver!

What do you serve with porcupine meatballs?

I serve porcupine meatballs over mashed potatoes. It’s my favorite way to enjoy them, but  here are some other ideas:

• Rice – Serve with this Perfect White Rice Recipe or this Rice Pilaf recipe for a complete meal.
• Pasta – Serve over spaghetti, fettuccine, or fusilli (corkscrew) pasta.
• Cabbage (add cabbage leaves to the sauce with meatballs. Cook 45 minutes to an hour.)

Looking for more delicious meatball recipes?

• Mediterranean Meatballs Gyro Sandwich – Using simple flavors often found in Greek cuisine, this unique recipe puts a twist on traditional gyros
• Asian Pork Meatballs over Coconut Rice – An easy recipe to make any night of the week. The secret to this recipe is the amazing Asian inspired sauce!
• Meatballs With Grape Jelly and Chili Sauce – Tender, juicy and flavorful appetizer meatballs that are super easy to make for a party.
• Chicken Parmesan Meatballs – Italian-inspired meatballs that can be served as a stand-alone appetizer with extra marinara sauce, or in sandwiches or sliders.