Porcupine Meatballs

Looking for more fab meatball recipes?

• Meatball Sub Sandwich

• Spaghetti and Meatballs

• Swedish Meatballs

• Meatball soup

Our Recipe For Old-Fashioned Porcupine Meatballs

You probably know we love meatballs at The Modern Proper – from Easy Fig Jam Meatballs to classic Swedish Meatballs to Creamy Turkey Meatballs. They’re so versatile and easy to make. We also love a cumin-spiked Meatball Shakshuka! This porcupine meatballs recipe offers a version of the classic staple meatballs and red sauce. While making the perfect pot of pasta is definitely an option, we like to serve this with mashed potatoes or plain white rice.

What Are Porcupine Meatballs?

Once you find out that porcupine meatballs are named for the way they look, they seem much cuter than when you thought they were made from real porcupines. The grains of rice stick out of the meatball and look like little porcupine quills. Cute, right?

Porcupine Meatball Ingredients

• Ground beef

• White rice

• Egg

• Worcestershire sauce + seasonings

• Garlic cloves

• Tomato sauce, chicken or beef stock

• 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning, salted butter

• Brown sugar

• Extra-virgin olive oil

How to Make Homemade Porcupine Meatballs

1. Make the meatballs. Mix the meatball ingredients in a large bowl, and form into golf ball size meatballs.

2. Cook the meatballs. Cook the meatballs in olive oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat.

3. Make the sauce. Combine the sauce ingredients to the skillet and add the meatballs.

4. Simmer the meatballs in the sauce. Simmer until the rice in the meatballs is tender, about 45-50 minutes.

5. Servefamily-style with pasta of your choice, mashed potatoes, or rice. Garnish with parsley or basil.

How to Store Leftovers + Tips

• Leftovers are good in the fridge for 3-4 days. You can freeze the meatballs raw if you’d like to plan ahead, or cooked, depending on your schedule. Freeze the sauce separately if making ahead.

• This is a thin sauce! It is not like the marinara you are familiar with. Porcupine meatball sauce is commonly made with vegetable or tomato juice or canned tomato soup. We love the addition of butter to the sauce, a little nod to Marcella Hazan’s famous red sauce, but it also works if it is left out.

• We like to use a nonstick skillet. These meatballs are a tad looser than you might be use to, because of the water and rice, and it’s easiest to cook in a skillet that they won’t stick to. If you don't have a nonstick skillet, we recommend spraying the pan first with baking spray, and then using olive oil for flavor.

More Favorite Red Sauce Recipes From The Modern Proper

• Instant Pot Chicken Marinara With Polenta

• Chicken Meatballs with Polenta and Marinara

• Chicken Parmesan

• Baked Gnocchi

Now You’re Cookin!

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