Porcupine Meatballs

Name: Porcupine Meatballs
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 1 h 10 min
Total time: 1 h 20 min
Yield: 4 servings
Ingredients: 1 pound ground beef (preferably 20-percent fat); 1 cup cooked long-grain rice (see Tip); 1 large egg, beaten; 1/3 cup finely chopped yellow onion; 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley, plus more for serving; 3 garlic cloves, minced (1 tablespoon); 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano; 1 teaspoon kosher salt (such as Diamond Crystal); 1/4 teaspoon black pepper; 3 tablespoons olive oil; 1 (14-ounce) can tomato sauce; 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce; 1 teaspoon brown or granulated sugar; 1/2 teaspoon sweet paprika

By Lidey Heuck

Published Dec. 15, 2023

Porcupine Meatballs — Christopher Testani for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Simon Andrews.

Total Time: 1 hour and 20 minutes
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 1 hour and 10 minutes
Rating: 4(774)
Comments: Read comments

This cleverly named dish, which gets its moniker from the spiky grains of rice that protrude from the meatballs, became popular during the Great Depression, when rice was often added to expensive ground meat as a way to “stretch” it. It’s still a useful budget tip — or an easy way to eat a little less meat — and you might find you like these lighter meatballs even better than the traditional sort. Some recipes call for uncooked rice, but using cooked rice ensures that you won’t end up with crunchy grains in an otherwise tender meatball. This recipe uses ground beef, but feel free to swap in ground turkey, pork or chicken. Like most tomato sauce-based dishes, these meatballs freeze well: Cool completely, then transfer to an airtight container and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge and reheat on the stovetop, covered, over medium-low heat. Serve the meatballs with a simply cooked green vegetable, such as sautéed spinach or steamed broccoli.

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Ingredients

Yield:4 servings

1pound ground beef (preferably 20-percent fat)
1cup cooked long-grain rice (see Tip)
1large egg, beaten
⅓cup finely chopped yellow onion
2tablespoons chopped fresh parsley, plus more for serving
3garlic cloves, minced (1 tablespoon)
½teaspoon dried oregano
1teaspoon kosher salt (such as Diamond Crystal)
¼teaspoon black pepper
3tablespoons olive oil
1(14-ounce) can tomato sauce
1tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1teaspoon brown or granulated sugar
½teaspoon sweet paprika

Ingredient Substitution Guide

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Preparation

Step 1
Heat the oven to 350 degrees. In a large bowl, combine the ground beef, rice, egg, onion, parsley, garlic, oregano, salt and pepper, and mix well. Roll the mixture into 1½-inch balls, then place them on a plate.
Step 2
Heat the oil in an oven-safe (10-inch) deep skillet or a large Dutch oven set over medium-high. Fry the meatballs in batches, turning occasionally, until browned all over, 3 to 5 minutes. (If the meatballs begin browning too quickly or the oil begins smoking, lower the heat.) Transfer the meatballs to a paper towel-lined plate.
Step 3
Drain the fat from the pan. Stir the tomato sauce, Worcestershire, brown sugar and paprika into the pan. Return the meatballs to the pan and spoon the sauce over them.
Step 4
Bake for 30 minutes, covered, then uncover and bake until the sauce has reduced slightly and is beginning to brown at the edges of the pan, 10 to 15 minutes more. Top with parsley and serve.

Tip

To yield 1 cup cooked rice, start with ⅓ cup uncooked rice and cook according to the package instructions.

Ratings

4 out of 5

774 user ratings

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Comments

Morgan1 year ago

Meatballs made with rice were a staple of our 2020 lockdown repertoire. We called them “Covid balls,” a play on their similarity to the spiny virus and an acknowledgment of the trying times we all were living through. And while the name may have been a bit tasteless, the meatballs themselves were anything but.

s.martiny1 year ago

This was a winter time meal during my midwestern childhood. Meatballs were not fried but braised in a tomato broth. The original recipe used canned tomato soup, but we canned tomato vegetable juice in the summer and used that, more likely seasoned with bay leaf and celery. No oregano, no sugar.

Angelique1 year ago

I flavor them with a Middle Eastern/Asian element by adding crushed garlic, ginger, currants, and pignoli nuts. They are adored at my house. Can't keep the freezer stocked!

Gregory in Portland6 days ago

My mother made porcupine meat balls from the Presto pressure cooker, and I bought one of the new stainless steel, safer, pressure cookers in the 80s and made Porcupine meatballs from an excellent cookbook called COOKING UNDER PRESSURE by Lorna J. Sass. It is still print. The recipe is a little more sophisticated, but very easy. She even has an option ingredient of chopped capers, which is an excellent addition. The meatballs still remind one of childhoods featuring this delightful dish.

Cinders4 days ago

I was craving Polish cabbage rolls & saw a cheat's way to make it with this recipe - I put it in a French pan with chunks of cabbage & baked lid on for a while. It gave me the flavour of cabbage rolls, + extra veg. Came together fast! This recipe's forgiving - I made some tweaks as I didn't have all the ingredients & it worked a treat: - tomato paste mixed with water to sub sauce - still dealing with egg shortages here in OZ, so I used a tbs of chia w 3 tbs hot water to bind

Julia1 week ago

My mother made these all the timr--probably started during the depression but they were favorites of the whole family--only with beef broth not tomato.

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