Porcupine Meatballs – they are meatballs made with ground beef, rice, onion, in addition to bell pepper that’s cooked inward a unproblematic tomato sauce mixture. They taste similar a stuffed pepper merely inward meatball course.
A classic favorite from my childhood as well as one of the tastiest comfort foods!
The BEST Porcupine Meatballs!
Why are they called porcupine meatballs (or as we e'er merely called them “porcupines”)?
Obviously they’re no actual porcupine nitty-gritty included in the ingredients, rather it’sec how the rice inwards the meatballs pokes out spell cooking giving them a porcupine-similar appearance.
This dish became real pop during the keen depression because it entirely required a few basic ingredients. Traditionally they were made with ground beef, rice, onion as well as canned Lycopersicon esculentum soup.
My mom made these quite frequently for us growing up and then immediately they are ane of the dinners from abode I crave.
I intend of them as more of a “stuffed pepper meatball” because this version includes bell pepper which isn’t then traditional. But I would say it’second a must!
Here I adapted my Mom’second recipe just accept besides included egg for binding, a few extra seasonings, too take browned them for a picayune more than flavour. But if you desire to keep it perfectly unproblematic you can skip the browning as well as they’re still exceptionally delicious.
Porcupine Meatball Recipe Ingredients
- Ground beef: Use 85 to ninety% thin.
- Jasmine rice: Regular long grain white rice plant nifty besides it merely takes a fiddling longer to simmer until tender (nigh 10 minutes). Rice is added dry in addition to cooks right inwards the meatballs.
- Yellow onion: Be sure to mince small and then they fix through. They aren’t sautéed beforehand.
- Green as well as blood-red bell pepper: You can really function whatever color you lot accept on mitt, these are only my preference here.
- Garlic: A not-and so-typical element hither, merely how do we go out out garlic? I’m all well-nigh layering upward the season.
- Parsley: This is added to both the meatballs in addition to sauce for close to fresh, lightly herby season.
- Italian seasoning: If y'all don’t take this on hand but use ane/2 tsp dried basil too ane/two tsp dried oregano.
- Egg: This is used to assistance concord the meatballs together. It’s not rattling traditional in porcupine meatballs simply I intend it helps bind amend.
- Salt as well as pepper: I listed the amounts I similar merely if they appear off from what you lot are used to, role what you prefer.
- Olive crude: A petty of this is used to assist dark-brown the meatballs.
- Tomato sauce: You tin can purpose ii (fifteen oz) cans or iv (eight oz) cans.
- Chicken broth: Most every recipe volition use H2O, merely why non upgrade the flavor amongst broth?
- Worcestershire sauce: Just a hint of this adds a groovy depth of background flavor.
Scroll downwardly for full recipe alongside impress pick.
How to Make Porcupine Meatballs – Stovetop Method
- Make meatball mixture: To a large mixing bowl add together ground beef, rice, onion, dark-green bell pepper, garlic, 3 tbsp parsley, the Italian seasoning, egg, salt as well as pepper. Mix together fairly good alongside your hands until even combined.
- Shape into balls: Scoop out mixture near ii slightly heaping tablespoons at a time (43g) each too compress and curl into balls (about i 1/ii-inches each). Set on a baking sail or plates as you shape them.
- Brown half of meatballs inward pot: Heat olive rock oil inward a large pot over medium-high heat. Add one-half the meatballs spacing evenly apart. Brown on elevation and bottom near i – ii minutes.
- Brown remaining meatballs: Transfer browned meatballs back to baking sheet, and so add together remaining half of the meatballs in addition to chocolate-brown on each side.
- Add sauce to meatballs: Return meatballs on baking canvass to pot, and so correct away pour in tomato plant sauce, chicken broth, Worcestershire, as well as red bell pepper. Bring mixture but to a simmer.
- Simmer until cooked through in addition to tender: Cover together with trim back rut to depression, permit simmer until meatballs are cooked through in addition to tender, nearly 25 to 30 minutes, gently tossing meatballs one time halfway through.
- Thin sauce as needed: If desired sparse amongst more than chicken broth. Serve warm garnished amongst remaining i Tbsp parsley.
How to say when they are done?
The cooked meatballs may take a slightly ruddy color to them because of the reddish sauce they’re cooked in, and so to be perfectly rubber, examination temperature to 160 degrees inwards eye of meatballs on an minute read thermometer.
Can they live cooked inward the oven?
Yes. If you lot’d prefer to bake instead of using the stovetop method:
- Skip the browning.
- Pour the sauce over the formed meatballs in a big baking dish (such every bit a lasagna pan).
- Cover amongst foil in addition to bake 350 degrees until meatballs are cooked through together with tender, well-nigh 1 60 minutes.
Can they be frozen?
Yes. Porcupine meatballs tin can be frozen for up to three months inward an airtight container.
Variations
- Add roughly grated parmesan cheese to the meatballs.
- Use other herbs such equally fresh basil or oregano.
- Try amongst crushed San Marzano tomatoes in home of tomato sauce.
- Finish alongside mozzarella or cheddar cheese over the tiptop upon serving for the classic stuffed pepper season.
- If y'all desire them extra saucy add more than tomato sauce.
What to Serve amongst Porcupine Meatballs?
- Steamed or roasted broccoli, asparagus, or dark-green beans
- Cheesy Garlic Bread or regular Garlic Bread
- Cooked white rice
- Sautéed mushrooms
- Mashed Potatoes
More Delicious Meatball Recipes to Try
Porcupine Meatballs
Ingredients
Meatballs
- one i/ii lbs. 85% lean earth beef
- iii/4 cup dry jasmine rice
- 3/four cup finely chopped yellow onion
- 3/four loving cup finely chopped greenish bell pepper
- i big garlic clove, minced (i.5 tsp)
- three Tbsp finely chopped parsley
- ane tsp Italian seasoning
- ane large egg
- ane tsp salt and i/two tsp pepper
- ane 1/two Tbsp olive oil
Sauce
- ii (fifteen oz) cans Lycopersicon esculentum sauce
- 1 1/four cups low-sodium chicken broth, so more to thin equally desired
- ii tsp Worcestershire sauce
- iii/four cup finely chopped cherry-red bell pepper
- i Tbsp finely chopped fresh parsley
- Shredded mozzarella cheese, for serving (optional)
Instructions
- To a big mixing bowl add earth beef, rice, onion, greenish bell pepper, garlic, three tbsp parsley, the Italian seasoning, egg, common salt too pepper. Mix together fairly well alongside your hands until fifty-fifty combined.
- Scoop out mixture near ii slightly heaping tablespoons at a time (43g) each together with compress too scroll into balls (most i ane/ii-inches each). Set on a baking sail or plates as you lot form them.
- Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Add one-half the meatballs spacing evenly apart. Let sear on bottom until aureate dark-brown, virtually one - 2 minutes. Carefully turn to reverse side (meatballs tin can live fairly frail) in addition to permit dark-brown on reverse side nearly ane - ii minutes longer.
- Transfer browned meatballs back to baking sail, so add together remaining half of the meatballs in addition to brownish on each side.
- Return meatballs on baking canvass to pot and so correct away pour inwards tomato sauce, chicken broth, Worcestershire, as well as red bell pepper. Bring mixture just to a simmer.
- Cover in addition to cut down estrus to depression. Let simmer until meatballs are cooked through together with tender, near 25 to thirty minutes, gently tossing meatballs in one case halfway through.
- If desired thin alongside more than chicken broth. Serve warm garnished with remaining 1 Tbsp parsley and optional shredded mozzarella (not included in nutrition gauge).
Notes
- Skip the browning.
- Pour the sauce over the formed meatballs in a large baking dish (such every bit a lasagna pan).
- Cover alongside foil as well as bake 350 degrees until meatballs are cooked through in addition to tender, near 1 hr.
Amount Per Serving
Calories 382
Calories from Fat 171
% Daily Value*