These old-fashioned porcupine meatballs with tomato soup are a nostalgic dinner made with ground beef and rice. Simmered on the stovetop until tender, they’re delicious served over rice.
For another cozy meatball dinner, try my Albondigas soup, meatballs and gravy or browse my meatball recipes.
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Key Takeaways: Porcupine Meatballs with Tomato Sauce
- Comfort food skillet meal. These old-fashioned porcupine meatballs combine ground beef and rice in a savory tomato soup sauce.
- Tomato soup sauce. Condensed tomato soup, water, and Worcestershire sauce make a savory sauce for simmering.
- Stovetop recipe. Brown the meatballs, then cover and simmer for 35 to 45 minutes, until the rice is tender.
- Serve over rice. They’re also delicious with mashed potatoes or noodles.
Why I Love This Recipe
These porcupine meatballs are a cozy skillet dinner made with homemade meatballs simmered in a shortcut tomato soup. The rice cooks in the meatballs and dinner is ready in an hour.
This recipe was passed down from my mom and reminds me of the dinners she made when I was growing up. Now it’s one of my family’s favorites, and we love serving the tender meatballs over rice, cooked noodles, or mashed potatoes.
If you’re in the mood for another saucy meatball dinner, try my spaghetti and meatballs, meatball soup or honey garlic meatballs.
These are the yummiest, easiest meal I make – with no complaints for all 4 kids!!
Recipe Ingredients
Find the full printable recipe with specific measurements below.
- Beef: I prefer to use 80% lean ground beef so that the meatballs aren’t super greasy, but will still stay juicy and moist.
- Rice: Uncooked long grain white rice adds great texture to the meatballs and gives them their “porcupine quills”. It’s added into the meat mixture dry and will get tender and fluffy as the meatballs cook in the sauce.
- Egg: A whisked egg acts as the binder that holds the meatballs together.
- Aromatics: You can’t have homemade meatballs without freshly chopped onion and minced garlic. Both add fresh and delicious flavor.
- Spices and herbs: A simple sprinkle of salt and black pepper is all that’s needed to season these porcupine meatballs. I also love adding Italian flat leaf parsley into the meat mixture for extra flavor, but this is optional.
- Sauce: A thick and rich tomato sauce made with a can of tomato soup mixed with water and Worcestershire sauce for some tang and umami flavor.
Variations
- For moister meatballs, use half ground beef and half ground pork.
- For a leaner alternative, you can use turkey meatballs or chicken meatballs. They won’t be as juicy, but the flavor will still be delicious.
- Feel free to switch up the sauce. You can use a homeamde gravy or bechamel sauce (similar to Swedish meatballs) or a roasted tomato sauce.
- If you don’t have fresh garlic and onion on hand, you can use minced onion and garlic powder instead.
How to Make Porcupine Meatballs in Tomato Soup
Step 1: In a bowl, combine meat, rice, egg, onion, garlic, salt, pepper and parsley. Stir just until combined, don’t over mix. Add 1-2 Tablespoons of water as needed to keep the mixture wet.
Step 2: Use a medium cookie scoop or spoon to scoop the meat. Then form into 1 1/2″ balls.
Step 3: Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-heat. Cook the meatballs about 2 minutes per side to lightly brown the outsides. Then pour in tomato soup, Worcestershire sauce and water.
Step 4: Bring to a simmer and then cover with a lid. Reduce heat to medium-low and cook for 35-45 minutes, or until rice is tender. We love to serve it over additional rice.
Expert Tips
- Juicier meatballs. For super moist porcupine meatballs, use a mix of half ground beef and half pork. Pork is a bit more fatty, which creates a juicer texture.
- Don’t over mix. This causes the beef to toughen up, so your meatballs won’t be as juicy and moist. Once the meat mixture is just combined, then stop mixing.
- Add water. To keep the meat mixture wet and easy to form into balls, add 1-2 Tablespoons of water. If it still feels a little dry, add more so that it’s easier to handle.
- Scooping. Use a medium cookie scoop to scoop out meatballs so that they all are evenly sized and cook uniformly in the pan.
What to Serve With Porcupine Meatballs
Rice, potatoes, noodles, vegetables or a chopped salad all taste delicious served alongside this delicious porcupine meatball recipe. Finish it off with a homemade dinner roll or breadstick for the ultimate comfort meal.
- Rice: Serve over white rice, brown rice, cauliflower rice or a flavorful rice pilaf. The tomato sauce soaks into the rice, making it extra tasty and delicious.
- Potatoes: For the ultimate comfort meal, serve the porcupine meatballs with tomato soup over a bed of garlic mashed red potatoes.
- Noodles: This dish tastes great served over homemade egg noodles.
- Vegetables: Serve with a side of oven roasted vegetables, green beans or roasted asparagus.
Porcupine Meatballs with Tomato Soup FAQs
As the meatballs cook, rice grains poke out of them, giving them a spiky look like porcupine quills.
The rice adds texture and absorbs flavor from the sauce as it cooks.
Use uncooked long-grain rice. It cooks inside the meatballs as they simmer in the sauce.
A tomato-based sauce is a classic choice. This recipe uses condensed tomato soup, water, and Worcestershire sauce for a savory, tangy sauce.
Summarize and Save This Recipe Content On:
Craving more comfort food? Try this French onion meatball recipe, albondigas soup or this easy slow cooker beef stroganoff.
More Meatball Recipes
Porcupine Meatballs
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Ingredients
- 1 ¼ pounds lean ground beef (can use 1/2 ground beef and 1/2 ground pork)
- ⅓ cup long grain rice
- 1 large egg , beaten
- ¼ cup finely chopped onion , or 1 Tablespoon minced onion
- 2 teaspoons minced garlic , or 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon Kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 2 Tablespoons finely chopped fresh Italian flat leaf parsley , optional
- 1-2 Tablespoons olive oil
- 1 (10-ounce) can tomato soup
- ½ Tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1 cup water
For serving: Fresh parsley, Rice, Mashed potatoes, or Cooked noodles
Instructions
- In a large bowl, stir together the meat, rice, egg, onion, garlic, salt, pepper and parsley until just combined, being careful not to overmix. Add 1 to 2 Tablespoons water, as needed to keep a wet mixture.
- Using a medium cookie scoop or spoon, scoop the meat and roll with hands to form into 1 1/2-inch balls.
- In a large skillet over medium heat, add olive oil. When hot, add meatballs and cook 2 minutes per side or until lightly browned all over. Pour in the tomato soup, Worcestershire sauce, and water. Bring to a simmer and cover with a lid. Reduce heat to medium-low and cook 35 to 45 minutes, or until rice in the meatballs is tender.
Last step: Please leave a comment and rating after you make the recipe.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition provided is an estimate. It will vary based on specific ingredients used.
Stacey Fertakis
Absolutely delicious – just like Mom used to make.
Sarah @IHeartNaptime
So glad the porcupine meatballs recipe brought back good memories!
larry Slobodian
Delicious
Beverly
Thank you for this recipe! I used to make them for my kids and never had leftovers. I have been searching for this recipe but it was made with Tomato Bisque years back. Made them using the ingredients listed and Tomato Bisque as I’ve always done(the original recipe from BHG cookbook). They were awesome! Will be making these for years to come!
Sarah @IHeartNaptime
So glad the porcupine meatballs brought back great memories!
Vicki Ekstrom
On a lark I looked up this recipe. My mother would prepare this for us in the 60’s. Somehow I never knew how she made the sauce. I’m not convinced it was tomato soup. As time went by I would make it for my growing family.
At first the sauce always stumped me. I came up V8 juice. It’s quick, flavorful, and oh so delicious. Well fed boys is what we ended up with! My eldest is almost 50 and still asks for this. When the grands were little I used to tell them you had to wake up early to get a porcupine down by the barn. They loved the adventure stories, and the porcupine balls. Good memories.
Sarah @IHeartNaptime
Glad to hear it brings such great memories!
Sno
Had this with Fettuccine mixed thru it and has now become a favourite.
Sarah @IHeartNaptime
Yum! So fun to enjoy it with pasta, thanks for the review of the porcupine meatballs!
Michael Jennings
I made this the other day for my brother and his wife,my brother said he hadn’t had porcupines for 50 years (since he left home), well did they bring back memories as how mum used to make them so yummmy thanks for the memories and will now be a regular with my family.
Sarah @IHeartNaptime
So happy that this recipe for porcupine meatballs brought back such fond memories!
Karen Watson
Well, this is my mom’s EXACT recipe, and I think that she said hers came from the original Good Housekeeping cookbook? I suspect it was from a Campbells tomato soup can. I have this handwritten recipe from the mid 1970s. Thanks for re- introducing it to a new generation!
Deb
We sure enjoyed it
Sarah @IHeartNaptime
So happy to hear this Deb!
Jennifer Postle
I grew up eating these often and everyone loved them. I have been a vegetarian for 20 years but am now making them with impossible meat and they turn out perfect, just like I remember.
Sarah @IHeartNaptime
So glad you could make the porcupine meatballs work for your lifestyle!
Kim
Simple, easy and delicious. Reminiscent of when my Mum made these. Never fails to satisfy!
Sarah @IHeartNaptime
So happy that these porcupine meatballs bring back such good memories for you!