Porcupine Meatballs
Gluten Free Living – 2016
Porcupine Meatballs is a delightful beef entree that was really popular back in the 60s and 70s. It’s a great way to enjoy meatballs. This recipe uses rice instead of bread crumbs so that’s how it gets the “porcupine” name. I’ve seasoned my meatballs more than the typical recipe. Plus, I just couldn’t bring myself to use bland tomato soup or tomato sauce for the meatball sauce. Instead I used spaghetti sauce and seasonings to increase the flavors.
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Porcupine Meatballs is a tasty recipe that isn’t too difficult to prepare. While you can use pre-made meatballs, these homemade meatballs from scratch are much tastier. They also don’t take excessively long to make. I also like the fact that this recipe is gluten free. If you have a bunch of ground beef you need to use up, this is a delicious way to use it. The spaghetti sauce you use will change the flavor of the sauce accordingly. Porcupine Meatballs are also great reheated for leftovers.
I have to admit I love meatball recipes. I’ve featured several on this blog including Pizza, Waikiki, Cocktail, Swedish, Melt-in-Your-Mouth, Italian Style, Italian, Barbecue, Stroganoff and Spaghetti. It’s amazing how a little change in ingredients or sauce makes all the difference. I will tell you I prefer using 96% lean ground beef whenever possible. Especially if the meatballs have to cook in a sauce or slow cooker to finish cooking. That way grease is not floating on the top of the sauce so you have to skim it off. 🙁
I made Porcupine Meatballs for us a few weeks ago and served it over rice with “Cracked Out” Sweet Cornbread. Both were wonderful and such a nostalgic reminder of menus from years gone by. If you’re looking for a meatball recipe that’s gluten free, this is a good one to try.
Porcupine Meatballs are a tasty main dish that was extremely popular in the 70s and 80s.
The meatballs cook in a delicious spaghetti sauce which plumps out the rice while the meatballs cook.
I served Porcupine Meatballs over rice with “Cracked Out” Sweet Cornbread.
Here’s what I did.
I used these ingredients plus brown sugar.
Place ground beef, rice, onions, garlic, salt, pepper, Worcestershire sauce, Montreal Steak Seasoning, thyme, cayenne pepper and poultry seasoning.
Mix ingredients with your hands until everything is well combined.
Form meat mixture into meatballs and fry in avocado oil in batches until no longer pink. (The meatballs will continue cooking later in the sauce).
Remove meatballs and place on paper towels to drain.
Drain grease. Add meatballs back into Dutch oven. Pour spaghetti sauce over top.
Add brown sugar, garlic powder and chili powder.
Cover with lid and cook 30-40 minutes or until rice plumps out in the meatballs and they are cooked thoroughly.
These meatballs are delicious.
Serve Porcupine Meatballs over rice. Serve with cornbread if desired.
I enjoy Porcupine Meatballs better with spaghetti sauce rather than with plain tomato soup or tomato sauce which the original recipe used.
Here’s the recipe.
PORCUPINE MEATBALLS
(My own concoction)
Porcupine Meatballs
Equipment
- 1 large mixing bowl
- 1 wooden spoon
- 1 large Dutch oven with lid
- measuring cups
- measuring spoons
- 1 stock pot with lid to cook rice
Ingredients
- 1 lb. 96% lean ground beef
- 1/2 cup brown basmati rice or white basmati rice (or your favorite rice)
- 1/4 cup onion finely diced
- 2 large cloves garlic minced
- 1 tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
- 1 tsp. sea salt
- 1/2 tsp. ground black pepper
- 1 tsp. dried thyme
- 1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper
- 1/2 tsp. poultry seasoning
- 1/2 tsp. Montreal steak seasoning
- 2 tbsp. avocado oil or olive oil for frying (as needed)
- 24 oz. jar spaghetti sauce any flavor
- 2 tbsp. brown sugar packed
- 1/2 tsp. garlic powder
- 1/2 tsp. chili powder
- 2 cups hot, cooked rice
- 1 tsp. fresh parsley for garnish
Instructions
- Combine ground beef, rice, onion, garlic, Worcestershire sauce, salt, pepper, thyme, cayenne pepper, poultry seasoning and Montreal Steak Seasoning in a large mixing bowl with hands.
- Form into balls.
- Heat a Dutch oven over low to medium heat with a few tablespoons of avocado oil.
- Add meatballs in batches, turning and cooking until no longer pink.
- Drain meatballs on paper towels and fry another batch.
- Drain any excess grease.
- Add meatballs back into the Dutch oven.
- Stir in spaghetti sauce, brown sugar, garlic powder and chili powder.
- Cover with lid and simmer about 30-40 minutes.
- Meatballs will absorb some of the sauce while simmering.
- Serve over hot, cooked rice.
- Garnish with fresh parsley.
- Yield: 22 meatballs.
Notes
© Can’t Stay Out of the Kitchen
Nutrition
- 1 lb. 96% lean ground beef
- ½ cup white, brown or basmati rice
- ¼ cup finely diced onion
- 2 large cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
- 1 tsp. salt
- ½ tsp. black pepper
- 1 tsp. thyme
- ¼ tsp. cayenne pepper
- ½ tsp. poultry seasoning
- ½ tsp. [url href=”http://www.mccormick.com/grill-mates/flavors/seasoning-blends/grill-mates-montreal-steak-seasoning” target=”_blank”]Montreal Steak Seasoning[/url]
- avocado or olive oil for frying
- 24-oz. jar spaghetti sauce
- 2 tbsp. brown sugar
- ½ tsp. garlic powder
- ½ tsp. chili powder
- hot, cooked rice
- fresh parsley for garnish
- Combine ground beef, rice, onion, garlic, Worcestershire sauce, salt, pepper, thyme, cayenne pepper, poultry seasoning and Montreal Steak Seasoning with hands.
- Form into balls.
- Heat a Dutch oven over low to medium heat with a few tablespoons of avocado oil.
- Add meatballs in batches, turning and cooking until no longer pink.
- Drain meatballs on paper towels and fry another batch.
- Drain any excess grease.
- Add meatballs back into the Dutch oven.
- Stir in spaghetti sauce, brown sugar, garlic powder and chili powder.
- Cover with lid and simmer about 30-40 minutes.
- Meatballs will absorb some of the sauce while simmering.
- Serve over hot, cooked rice.
- Garnish with fresh parsley.
- Yield: 22 meatballs.
Porcupine Meatballs are gluten free.
Every bite of Porcupine Meatballs will have you salivating.
I really enjoyed the spaghetti-based sauce for these meatballs. It had so much more flavor. “Cracked Out” Sweet Cornbread was the finishing touch.
You may also enjoy these delicious recipes!
Slow Cooker Cocktail Meatballs
Porcupine Meatballs
Equipment
- 1 large mixing bowl
- 1 wooden spoon
- 1 large Dutch oven with lid
- measuring cups
- measuring spoons
- 1 stock pot with lid to cook rice
Ingredients
- 1 lb. 96% lean ground beef
- 1/2 cup brown basmati rice or white basmati rice (or your favorite rice)
- 1/4 cup onion finely diced
- 2 large cloves garlic minced
- 1 tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
- 1 tsp. sea salt
- 1/2 tsp. ground black pepper
- 1 tsp. dried thyme
- 1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper
- 1/2 tsp. poultry seasoning
- 1/2 tsp. Montreal steak seasoning
- 2 tbsp. avocado oil or olive oil for frying (as needed)
- 24 oz. jar spaghetti sauce any flavor
- 2 tbsp. brown sugar packed
- 1/2 tsp. garlic powder
- 1/2 tsp. chili powder
- 2 cups hot, cooked rice
- 1 tsp. fresh parsley for garnish
Instructions
- Combine ground beef, rice, onion, garlic, Worcestershire sauce, salt, pepper, thyme, cayenne pepper, poultry seasoning and Montreal Steak Seasoning in a large mixing bowl with hands.
- Form into balls.
- Heat a Dutch oven over low to medium heat with a few tablespoons of avocado oil.
- Add meatballs in batches, turning and cooking until no longer pink.
- Drain meatballs on paper towels and fry another batch.
- Drain any excess grease.
- Add meatballs back into the Dutch oven.
- Stir in spaghetti sauce, brown sugar, garlic powder and chili powder.
- Cover with lid and simmer about 30-40 minutes.
- Meatballs will absorb some of the sauce while simmering.
- Serve over hot, cooked rice.
- Garnish with fresh parsley.
- Yield: 22 meatballs.
3 Comments
Meatball Recipes – Can't Stay Out of the Kitchen
March 15, 2021 at 7:49 am
[…] Porcupine Meatballs […]
Rodney Kitzan
February 13, 2018 at 6:46 pm
I am looking for a recipe for porcupine meatballs that have cloves and nutmeg as ingredients….can’t
seem to find anything even in older cookbooks. Please advise…..Thank you!!!
Teresa
February 14, 2018 at 9:06 pm
Hi, Rodney. I think cloves and nutmeg are usually found in Swedish Meatballs. You may want to check out recipes for that.