These porcupine meatballs are by far the best I have ever had! This recipe was given to my mom when she married back in 1970 — it includes directions for stovetop cooking and baking in the oven. I hope you enjoy it as much as our family does.

Porcupine Meatballs
These porcupine meatballs are by far the best I have ever had! This recipe was given to my mom when she married back in 1970 — it includes directions for stovetop cooking and baking in the oven. I hope you enjoy it as much as our family does.
Ingredients
- 1 pound lean ground beef
- ½ cup uncooked long grain white rice
- ½ cup water
- ⅓ cup chopped onion
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon celery salt
- ⅛ teaspoon garlic powder
- ⅛ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 tablespoon canola oil
- 15 ounce can tomato sauce
- 1 cup low sodium chicken stock or more as needed
- 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
- 1 teaspoon granulated sugar
Instructions
- Gather all ingredients.
- Mix ground beef, rice, water, onion, salt, celery salt, garlic powder, and black pepper thoroughly in a bowl until well combined. Roll mixture into 12 meatballs.
- Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Place meatballs into the hot skillet; cook, turning once halfway through cooking, until well browned, about 8 minutes. Drain and discard excess grease.
- Pour tomato sauce, chicken stock, Worcestershire sauce, and sugar into the skillet; reduce heat to medium-low. Cover and simmer until meatballs are no longer pink in the center and rice is tender, about 45 minutes. Stir in more stock if sauce becomes too dry.
- Enjoy!
Notes
Cook’s Note
You can make these porcupine meatballs in the oven, if you prefer. Here’s how:
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
- Shape meatballs as directed above and place them in an 8×8-inch baking dish.
- Mix tomato sauce, stock, Worcestershire sauce, and sugar in a bowl; pour over meatballs.
- Cover and bake in the preheated oven for 45 minutes. Uncover and bake for 15 more minutes.