Classic Porcupine Meatballs in Tomato Sauce

Name: Classic Porcupine Meatballs in Tomato Sauce
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 1 h 5 min
Total time: 1 h 25 min
Yield: 6 servings
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 1½ lb (680 g) 80/20 ground beef, cold from the fridge; ½ cup (95 g) long-grain white rice, uncooked, not rinsed; ½ medium (80 g) yellow onion, peeled and finely grated on the large holes of a box grater, with its juices; 1 large (50 g) large egg, lightly beaten; ½ tsp (1½ g) garlic powder; 1¼ tsp (7 g) kosher salt, Diamond Crystal; use about ¾ tsp (4 g) if using fine table salt; ½ tsp (1 g) black pepper, freshly ground; 3 tbsp (45 ml) Worcestershire sauce, measured total: 1 tbsp (15 ml) goes in the meatballs, 2 tbsp (30 ml) in the sauce; 1 tbsp (15 ml) olive oil; 1 medium (150 g) yellow onion, peeled and finely diced (¼-inch / 6 mm pieces); 3 cloves (9 g) garlic cloves, minced; 2 cans (15 oz each) (850 g) plain tomato sauce, unseasoned, canned; 1 cup (240 ml) water; 2 tsp (9 g) light brown sugar, packed; ½ tsp (2 g) kosher salt, plus more to taste; 2 tbsp (8 g) fresh flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped, for serving (optional)

From the MyKitchenBank Kitchen

Tender beef meatballs studded with long-grain rice that cooks right inside them, simmered in a savory Worcestershire-spiked tomato sauce until the rice pokes out like porcupine quills. Cozy, budget-friendly, and made in one pan.

Prep: 20 min
Cook: 1 hr 5 min
Wait: 5 min
Total: 1 hr 30 min
Makes: About 24 meatballs (6 servings)

Jump to recipe ♡ Save

Ingredients

6 servings

For the meatballs
1½ lb (680 g) 80/20 ground beef, cold from the fridge
½ cup (95 g) long-grain white rice, uncooked, not rinsed
½ medium (80 g) yellow onion, peeled and finely grated on the large holes of a box grater, with its juices
1 large (50 g) large egg, lightly beaten
½ tsp (1.5 g) garlic powder
1¼ tsp (7 g) kosher salt, Diamond Crystal; use about ¾ tsp (4 g) if using fine table salt
½ tsp (1 g) black pepper, freshly ground
3 tbsp (45 ml) Worcestershire sauce, measured total: 1 tbsp (15 ml) goes in the meatballs, 2 tbsp (30 ml) in the sauce
For the sauce
1 tbsp (15 ml) olive oil
1 medium (150 g) yellow onion, peeled and finely diced (¼-inch / 6 mm pieces)
3 cloves (9 g) garlic cloves, minced
2 cans (15 oz each) (850 g) plain tomato sauce, unseasoned, canned
1 cup (240 ml) water
2 tsp (9 g) light brown sugar, packed
½ tsp (2 g) kosher salt, plus more to taste
2 tbsp (8 g) fresh flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped, for serving (optional)

Equipment (6)

12-inch (30 cm) deep skillet with lid, or 5-quart (4.7 L) heavy-bottomed pot with lid
Large mixing bowl
Box grater
Rimmed baking sheet or large plate for shaped meatballs
Instant-read thermometer
Wooden spoon

Steps

Before you start

Use UNCOOKED long-grain white rice and do not rinse it. The rice cooks inside the meatballs by absorbing sauce as they simmer.
Choose a deep 12-inch (30 cm) skillet with a tight lid, or a 5-quart (4.7 L) heavy-bottomed pot with a lid, so the meatballs sit in one snug layer and are mostly covered by sauce.
Use 80/20 ground beef. Leaner beef makes drier meatballs.
Plan on about 90 minutes from start to table; 42 minutes of that is unattended simmering. This recipe is cooked entirely on the stovetop, so no oven is needed.

1
Prep the onions
- Peel the onions.
- Finely grate half of one onion on the large holes of a box grater into a large mixing bowl, including all the juices.
- Finely dice the whole remaining onion and set it aside on a plate.
- Mince the garlic.
+ Show details− Hide details
Ready when: Grated onion looks wet and pulpy; diced pieces are about ¼ inch (6 mm).
Tip: Grating the onion for the meatballs keeps it from leaving crunchy chunks and adds moisture.
2
Mix the meatballs
- To the grated onion, add the egg, uncooked rice, 1 tbsp (15 ml) of the Worcestershire sauce, 1¼ tsp kosher salt, the pepper, and garlic powder.
- Stir with a fork to combine.
- Add the cold ground beef and mix gently with your hands for about 30 seconds, just until the rice and seasonings are evenly distributed.
+ Show details− Hide details
Ready when: Mixture holds together when squeezed, with no streaks of egg or pockets of dry seasoning.
Tip: Overmixing makes tough, rubbery meatballs. Stop as soon as everything is evenly combined.
3
Shape the meatballs
- Scoop about 2 tablespoons (40 g) of the mixture and roll it between damp palms into a smooth 1½-inch (4 cm) ball.
- Place on a rimmed baking sheet or plate.
- You should get about 24 meatballs.
- Rinse and re-dampen your hands as needed to stop sticking.
+ Show details− Hide details
Ready when: Balls are uniform in size, with rice grains tucked in or lightly poking out.
Tip: Keep the balls roughly the same size so they finish cooking at the same time. Don't pack them tightly.
4
Soften the aromatics
- Heat the olive oil in a deep 12-inch (30 cm) skillet or 5-quart (4.7 L) heavy pot over medium heat until it shimmers.
- Add the diced onion and cook, stirring often, for about 4 minutes.
- Add the garlic and stir for 30 seconds more.
+ Show details− Hide details
Ready when: Onion is soft and translucent with no browning, and the garlic smells fragrant but is not brown.
Tip: If the garlic starts to brown, lower the heat right away. Browned garlic turns bitter.
5
Build the sauce
- Pour in the tomato sauce and water.
- Add the remaining 2 tbsp (30 ml) Worcestershire sauce, the brown sugar, and ½ tsp kosher salt.
- Stir well, scraping the bottom of the pan, and bring to a gentle simmer over medium-high heat, about 4 minutes.
+ Show details− Hide details
Ready when: Small bubbles break steadily around the edges of the pan.
Tip: The sauce will seem thin. That's right, because the rice will absorb a good amount of it.
6
Add the meatballs
- Reduce the heat to medium-low.
- Gently place the meatballs into the sauce one at a time in a single snug layer, spooning a little sauce over any that sit above the surface.
- Don't stir.
- Let the sauce return to a bare simmer.
+ Show details− Hide details
Ready when: Sauce is bubbling lightly around and between the meatballs.
Tip: Don't stir now. Raw meatballs are fragile and will break apart until they firm up in the sauce.
7
Cover and simmer
- Cover tightly and reduce the heat to low so the sauce barely bubbles.
- Simmer for 45 minutes.
- At about the 25-minute mark, lift the lid and gently roll each meatball over with a spoon, then re-cover.
- Do not lift the lid at other times, so the steam stays in to cook the rice.
+ Show details− Hide details
Ready when: After 45 minutes the rice grains are puffed and tender when you bite one, and a meatball cut open shows no pink.
Tip: If the sauce is boiling hard or sticking, lower the heat and add a splash of water.
8
Check and thicken
- Insert an instant-read thermometer into the center of 2 or 3 meatballs; they must read at least 160°F (71°C).
- Taste a rice grain to confirm it's tender.
- Then remove the lid, raise the heat to medium, and simmer 5–8 minutes, spooning sauce over the meatballs, to thicken.
- Taste the sauce and add a pinch of salt if needed.
+ Show details− Hide details
Ready when: Meatballs register 160°F (71°C); sauce coats the back of a spoon and leaves a clear trail when you drag a spoon across the pan bottom.
Tip: If the rice is still firm but the meatballs are cooked, re-cover and simmer on low 5–10 more minutes.
9
Rest and serve
- Turn off the heat and let the meatballs rest in the sauce for 5 minutes so the sauce settles and thickens slightly.
- Sprinkle with the chopped parsley and serve hot with mashed potatoes, buttered egg noodles, or crusty bread.
+ Show details− Hide details
Ready when: Sauce has stopped bubbling and clings to the meatballs.

Good to know

Tips

Use raw, un-rinsed rice. Rinsing removes surface starch that helps bind the meatballs.
Don't lift the lid often during the simmer. The trapped steam is what cooks the rice through.
Shape meatballs with damp hands and keep them loose. Packing them tight leaves the rice undercooked in the center.
If the sauce reduces too much during simmering, stir in a few tablespoons of hot water to loosen it.

Make ahead

Shape the raw meatballs up to 8 hours ahead, cover, and refrigerate on the baking sheet. Add them to the simmering sauce straight from the fridge and add about 5 minutes to the simmer time. The fully cooked dish also reheats well and tastes even better the next day.

Storage & reheating

Room temperature: no more than 2 hours. Refrigerator: cool and store in an airtight container with the sauce for up to 4 days. Freezer: freeze meatballs in sauce for up to 3 months; thaw overnight in the fridge. Reheat gently in a covered saucepan over low heat with a splash of water, stirring rarely, until steaming hot (165°F / 74°C), about 10–15 minutes. The rice keeps absorbing sauce, so add water as needed.

Substitutions

80/20 ground beef → Half ground beef and half ground pork, or ground turkey (93/7). Pork adds richness. Turkey is leaner and can be drier, so add 1 tbsp olive oil to the mixture. Cook to 165°F (74°C) if using turkey.
long-grain white rice → Medium-grain white rice. Works the same way. Don't use instant rice (turns mushy) or brown rice (needs much more liquid and time).
Worcestershire sauce → Soy sauce, same amount. Gives a similar savory depth, though it will taste slightly saltier, so reduce the added salt in the sauce a little.
plain tomato sauce → One 28 oz (800 g) can crushed tomatoes plus 1 cup (240 ml) water. Gives a chunkier, more rustic sauce. Increase the water to 1¼ cups (300 ml) as needed.