These Porcupine Meatballs are an easy roll and go recipe- no need to brown the meatballs or cook the rice! The rice steams in flavorful tomato sauce in the oven for juicy meatballs and fluffy rice every time! 

Porcupine Meatballs in a white baking dish with a spoon in the middle and parsley on the side.

Porcupine Meatballs

These Porcupine Meatballs are such a convenient, cozy, roll and go recipe! (I believe I coined a new term!) Simply roll out the meatballs (filled with uncooked rice), drop them into the sauce, cover and bake! It’s that easy! The rice steams in the oven and comes out perfectly fluffy and cooked. How cool is that? 

The rice ends up poking out through the meatballs, giving them a textured little porcupine look!

I tested this in a variety of ways to make sure the rice sufficiently cooks through. I learned some lessons along the way and I’m excited to share them with you. (My failures become your success!) Be sure to check out all of my PRO TIPS and lessons below! I have a feeling you may have just found your new go-to meatball recipe!

How to Make It

Note: This is an overview. See recipe card below this post for ingredient quantities and full instructions.

Combine crushed Ritz crackers (or breadcrumbs) and half and half. Stir in minced onions, garlic, parmesan, egg, oregano, and basil until well combined. Season the ground pork and beef with salt/pepper and stir it in to combine. Add the uncooked rice.

A bowl of meat and panade before and after being combined with rice being added.

Stir until uniformly combined. Roll into 1 ½-inch meatballs and set aside.

Porcupine meatballs in a bowl before being rolled, next to a plate with the rolled meatballs.

Combine the sauce ingredients and bring it to a gentle bubble. Gently drop in the meatballs and spoon the sauce on top. Cover tightly and bake at 350° F for 55 minutes. Serve with Garlic Bread With Cheese or No Knead Bread with Olive Oil Bread Dip!

Porcupine meatballs in a skillet before and after being baked.

Why I use the Oven (vs. the Stovetop)

  • I’ve tested this recipe on the stovetop before and found that the meatballs in the middle of the pan cooked much faster than those around the perimeter. Since we’re steaming rice in this recipe, an even application of heat is crucial, so the oven is a reliable choice.

No Browning or Sautéing Needed

  • No need to brown the meatballs ahead of time: Since the meatballs bake for a longer period of time in this recipe, browning them first runs the risk of drying them out. They’re fully cooked in the sauce from a raw state.
  • Unlike some of my other meatball recipes, the onions/garlic don’t need to be softened first: They steam in the oven (just like the rice), and give the meatballs, rice, and sauce more flavor by doing so.

Pro Tips

  • This recipe uses uncooked white long grain rice. (Carolina brand.) I haven’t tested this with other varieties of rice and would stick to this kind. I wouldn’t recommended using brown rice as it requires more liquid and cooking time, by which point the meatballs would dry out.
  • I recommend using an oven-safe baking dish with a tight-fitting lid for this recipe. This ensures that the steam gets trapped in order to properly cook the rice. I use this 3.6 quart enameled cast iron casserole dish. A 9 x 13-inch casserole dish topped with thick foil will also work if needed.
  • 80/20 beef is the best for this recipe as they bake for a while and this keeps them moist. A little ground pork adds additional complexity and flavor, however all ground beef may be used if needed.
  • Mince the onions finely so they incorporate nicely into the meatballs. The meatballs also hold their shape better with minced onions vs. diced.
  • Marinara Sauce: High quality marinara goes a long way in the final result. I love using Rao’s or Carbone marinara. 
  • I use chicken broth instead of beef broth in the sauce as the chicken flavor contrasts the beef meatballs nicely. (But beef broth can be used if preferred.)
  • Adding Cheese: Add shredded mozzarella cheese during the last 10 minutes if desired, cover and finish baking for the remaining 10 minutes, or until the cheese is melted.
  • Higher altitudes often require more liquid and cooking time to sufficiently cook rice, so keep this in mind. 
  • You’ll know the meatballs are ready when the rice is clearly poking out from the meatballs. (Like a porcupine!)
  • Serve this with: Garlic Bread With Cheese or No Knead Bread with Olive Oil Bread Dip!

Storage

  • Store in an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 3 days or freeze for up to 3 months. Leftovers reheat well!

Side view of Porcupine Meatballs in a baking dish with a spoon scooping some up.

Tools For This Recipe

(Amazon affiliate links*)- Check out all of my kitchen essentials here.

  • I use this 3.6 quart enameled cast iron casserole dish. An Oven-safe baking dish with a tight-fitting lid is ideal for this recipe. This ensures that the steam gets trapped in order to properly cook the rice. (A 9 x 13-inch casserole dish covered with thick foil works as well.)
  • #50 cookie scoop: The perfect size for uniform 1.5-inch meatballs, this makes rolling them out so much faster because you know they’re all the exact same size.
  • Compact Vacuum Sealer– This is a miracle worker and takes up virtually no space. (I use it to vacuum seal and freeze any excess pork since this recipe uses 1/2 lb. of pork.)
  • Spice Rack– This is the one I have, it’s a snap to measure out your seasonings quickly and easily. (Big time saver.)
  • Measuring Spoons– I have these magnetic ones which stay nice and organized in my utensil drawer.
  • Better Than Bouillon– This is what I always use for broth /bouillon in my recipes. It takes very little space and makes it easy to measure out customized amounts of broth.

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A white baking dish filled with Porcupine Meatballs in a red sauce with a spoon in the middle.

Porcupine Meatballs

Prep Time: 25 minutes
Cook Time: 55 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour 20 minutes
Servings: 6 people
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These Porcupine Meatballs are an easy roll and go recipe with no need to brown the meatballs or cook the rice! The rice steams in flavorful tomato sauce in the oven for juicy meatballs and fluffy rice every time!

Ingredients

US Customary - Metric

Meatballs

  • ⅓ cup crushed Ritz crackers, can sub plain or Italian breadcrumbs
  • ⅓ cup half and half
  • ½ cup yellow onion, finely minced
  • 3 cloves garlic, minced
  • ¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese
  • 1 large egg
  • ½ teaspoon EACH: dried oregano, basil
  • 1 lb. ground beef, 80% lean
  • ½ lb. ground pork
  • Salt/Pepper
  • ½ cup uncooked long grain white rice

Sauce

  • 2 teaspoons olive oil
  • 3 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 tablespoon tomato paste
  • ¾ cup chicken broth
  • 1 (14.5 oz.) can diced tomatoes, undrained
  • 24 oz. marinara sauce
  • 1 tablespoon brown sugar
  • 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
  • 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
  • 1 bay leaf

For Serving

  • Freshly chopped parsley
  • Freshly grated parmesan

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 350° F. Measure out ingredients before beginning.
  • Add the crushed Ritz crackers to a large bowl. Stir in the half and half (this mixture will continue to thicken). Add the minced onions, garlic, parmesan, egg, oregano, and basil and until well combined.
  • Season the pork and ground beef with salt and pepper and add it to the bowl. Stir until just combined (don’t overwork the meat or the meatballs can become tough).
  • Add the uncooked rice and stir until evenly combined. Roll into 1 ½-inch meatballs and set aside.
  • Heat the olive oil in a large, oven-safe skillet over medium heat. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute. Add the tomato paste and cook for another minute.
  • Add the chicken broth and stir to combine. Add the diced tomatoes, marinara sauce, brown sugar, Worcestershire sauce, Dijon mustard, and bay leaf. Bring to a gentle bubble. (*If using a casserole dish, transfer the sauce to it now.)
  • Gently drop in the meatballs and spoon the sauce on top as you do so. Cover tightly to trap in the heat and transfer to the oven.
  • Bake for 55 minutes. Remove from the oven and spoon out any grease from the top. Top with parsley and parmesan. Serve with Garlic Bread With Cheese or No Knead Bread with Olive Oil Bread Dip!

Notes

Pro Tips:
  • This recipe uses uncooked white long grain rice. (Carolina brand.) I haven't tested this with other varieties of rice and would stick to this kind. I wouldn't recommended using brown rice as it requires more liquid and cooking time, by which point the meatballs would dry out.
  • I recommend using an oven-safe baking dish with a tight-fitting lid for this recipe. This ensures that the steam gets trapped in order to properly cook the rice. I use this 3.6 quart enameled cast iron casserole dish. A 9 x 13-inch casserole dish topped with thick foil will also work if needed.
  • 80/20 beef is the best for this recipe as they bake for a while and this keeps them moist. A little ground pork adds additional complexity and flavor, however all ground beef may be used if needed.
  • Mince the onions finely so they incorporate nicely into the meatballs. The meatballs also hold their shape better with minced onions vs. diced.
  • Marinara Sauce: High quality marinara goes a long way in the final result. I love using Rao’s or Carbone marinara. 
  • I use chicken broth instead of beef broth in the sauce as the chicken flavor contrasts the beef meatballs nicely. (But beef broth can be used if preferred.)
  • Adding Cheese: Add shredded mozzarella cheese during the last 10 minutes if desired, cover and finish baking for the remaining 10 minutes, or until the cheese is melted.
  • Higher altitudes often require more liquid and cooking time to sufficiently cook rice, so keep this in mind. 
  • You'll know the meatballs are ready when the rice is clearly poking out from the meatballs. (Like a porcupine!)
  • Serve this with: Garlic Bread With Cheese or No Knead Bread with Olive Oil Bread Dip!
Storage:
  • Store in an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 3 days or freeze for up to 3 months. Leftovers reheat well!
Nutritional information is an estimate and is per serving. This recipe makes 6 servings. (It also makes 38 meatballs total, or 6.333 meatballs per serving.)

Nutrition

Calories: 485kcal, Carbohydrates: 49g, Protein: 31g, Fat: 18g, Saturated Fat: 7g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g, Monounsaturated Fat: 8g, Trans Fat: 0.3g, Cholesterol: 110mg, Sodium: 996mg, Potassium: 1005mg, Fiber: 3g, Sugar: 10g, Vitamin A: 742IU, Vitamin C: 17mg, Calcium: 136mg, Iron: 5mg
Did you try this recipe?Mention @TheCozyCook on Instagram or tag #thecozycook!
Course: Main Course, Side Dish
Cuisine: American, Italian
Author: Stephanie

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