Porcupine Meatballs Recipe | Gluten-Free & Kid-Friendly
Porcupine meatballs are a favorite easy dinner idea here. The kids love them and so do the adults so it is the perfect family dinner. They also taste great reheated and freeze well.
Porcupine Meatballs
If you are looking for a super delicious, kid-friendly recipe then Porcupine Meatballs are for you! My kids gobble these up and they are a favorite of mine too. When I need a dinner recipe I know my kids will eat I reach for this porcupine meatballs recipe, this air fryer gluten-free chicken strips recipe or this sheet pan dinner recipe.
You need basic pantry ingredients so it is a great recipe to make when you don’t know what to do for dinner. They are gluten-free and use clean ingredients so you can eat these without any guilt!
How To Make Porcupine Meatballs
There are several ways to cook porcupine meatballs including the oven, stove top, slow cooker or Instant Pot. No matter how you cook them, the ingredients are the same. Let’s make the meatballs and I’ll show you all the different ways to make them below!
Porcupine Meatballs Ingredients
3# ground beef (I use grass-fed)
1 1/2 cup uncooked brown minute rice
1 1/2 cup water
1 1/2 tsp minced onion or onion salt
3 tsp sea salt
1 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp black pepper
3 15oz tomato sauce
3 cups water
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
This recipe makes 36 meatballs which are enough to make one meal and freeze one meal. It’s also a great meal to make one for you and one to give to a new mom or someone who isn’t feeling well.
Porcupine Meatballs Instructions
Mix ground beef, rice, water and spices in a large bowl until well-combined.
In a separate, medium-size bowl, mix together tomato sauce, water and Worcestershire sauce.
Then, use a cookie scoop to shape meat mixture into balls and place in casserole dish. This recipe makes 36 meatballs and will fit in a single layer in two separate 9×13″ pans.
*Tip: If you are bringing this recipe as a meal for someone else (new mom, sick friend, etc) then use a disposable foil pan so they don’t have to do dishes! The foil pans also work great for freezing the meatballs.
How to Make Porcupine Meatballs in the Oven
How to Make Porcupine Meatballs in a Slow Cooker
How to Make Porcupine Meatballs in the Instant Pot
Follow the above directions for forming the meatballs. Place meatballs in the Instant Pot and pour the sauce over the top. Place the lid on the Instant Pot and put it to “sealing”. Cook on “Manual” for 25 minutes. When the time ends, let it naturally release for 15 minutes and then manually release.
What to Serve With Porcupine Meatballs
Can You Freeze Porcupine Meatballs?
Porcupine meatballs freeze really well. If you plan on making one for dinner and freezing the second for an easy meal later, then this is the ideal recipe for you as it makes enough for two meals! Simply prepare your meatballs as instructed above and pour the sauce over them. You can either freeze them in a foil pan or a gallon zip top bag. When ready to eat simply heat them in the oven at 350 degrees Fahrenheit until warm.
Print Porcupine Meatballs Recipe
Porcupine Meatballs
Ingredients
For the Meatballs
- 3 lb ground beef I use grass-fed
- 1 1/2 cups brown rice Minute rice
- 1 1/2 cups water
- 1 1/2 tsp minced onion
- 3 tsp sea salt
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
For the sauce
- 3 15 oz cans tomato sauce
- 3 cups water
- 2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
Instructions
- Mix ground beef, rice, water and spices in a large bowl until well-combined.
- In a separate, medium-size bowl, mix together tomato sauce, water and Worcestershire sauce.
- Use a cookie scoop to shape meat mixture into balls and place into a casserole dish if baking in the oven, the slow cooker or Instant Pot.
How to Make Porcupine Meatballs in the Oven
- Pour tomato sauce mixture over meatballs, cover tightly with a lid or foil. Bake at 350 degrees F for 45 minutes, then uncover and bake an additional 15 minutes or until meatballs are no longer pink inside and rice is soft.
How to Make Porcupine Meatballs in a Slow Cooker
- Place meatballs in slow cooker and pour tomato sauce mixture over the top. Cook on low for 8 hours or until meatballs are no longer pink and rice is soft.
How to Make Porcupine Meatballs in the Instant Pot
- Place meatballs in the Instant Pot and pour the sauce over the top. Place the lid on the Instant Pot and put it to "sealing". Cook on "Manual" for 25 minutes. When the time ends, let it naturally release for 15 minutes and then manually release.
Notes
Porcupine meatballs freeze really well. If you plan on making one for dinner and freezing the second for an easy meal later, then this is the ideal recipe for you as it makes enough for two meals! Simply prepare your meatballs as instructed above and pour the sauce over them. You can either freeze them in a foil pan or a gallon zip top bag. When ready to eat simply heat them in the oven at 350 degrees Fahrenheit until warm.
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Your recipe calls for 1.5 cups water in the meatball section, yet the directions doesn’t include the water when mixing.
Also, what if I was to freeze these meatballs right away before cooking them, what would the cooking time look like?
Oops sorry the water should be in the meatball mixture as well. I’ll fix that!! I haven’t frozen them raw before so I would just follow the cooking directions and add time in 15 minute intervals, checking the internal temp, until they are done.
Do I need to cook the rice first or just mix the uncooked Minute Rice in with the ground beef?
Just mix in the uncooked rice with the ground beef. Don’t cook the rice first. Enjoy!
my mom used to make these when i was growing up. i loved them and now i can make them.
That’s so awesome! Yes, they are a throwback classic!
I’ve never tried this using uncooked rice. I’d like to make these in the slow cooker, sure looks delish and so easy, too!
Yes! Makes them so easy to put together. Just be sure you use the Minute rice 🙂
I love Porcupine meatballs. I haven’t made these in years.
They are such an easy classic!
I’ve never heard of these before! I’ll bet they’re good–thank goodness no adorable little porcupines went into these!
I found this post to be quite helpful and intriguing. We appreciate you sharing your unique opinions with us. I will most certainly share this with my peers.
It’s surely my favorite meatballs recipe.
A big thank you for sharing the detailed and easy to understand recipe. I love it!