Looking for more fab meatball recipes?
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. And for more of our best meatball recipe ideas, check out our favorite meatball recipes.
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
Make the meatballs. Mix the meatball ingredients in a large bowl, and form into golf ball size meatballs.
Cook the meatballs. Cook the meatballs in olive oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat.
Make the sauce. Combine the sauce ingredients to the skillet and add the meatballs.
Simmer the meatballs in the sauce. Simmer until the rice in the meatballs is tender, about 45-50 minutes.
Serve family-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.
For even more meatball recipe deliciousness, check out our One-Pot Chicken Meatballs & Green Curry Rice.
More Favorite Red Sauce Recipes From The Modern Proper
Now You’re Cookin!
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