Description
Classic porcupine meatballs baked in a sweet‐savory tomato sauce, with meatballs made from ground beef and uncooked rice that bake and cook through in the sauce.
Ingredients
- 15 ounces tomato sauce
- 1 cup water, divided
- 2 tablespoons light brown sugar
- 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
- ½ cup long‑grain white rice, uncooked
- ⅓ cup chopped onion
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- ¼ teaspoon paprika
- 1 pound lean ground beef
- 2 tablespoons canola oil
- 1 tablespoon fresh parsley, chopped (optional, for garnish)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (about 175°C).
- In a medium bowl, whisk together tomato sauce, ½ cup water, brown sugar, and Worcestershire sauce – set aside.
- In a large bowl, combine uncooked rice, the other ½ cup water, chopped onion, salt, garlic powder, black pepper, and paprika; mix well.
- Add in the ground beef and canola oil, and gently mix until just combined, taking care not to overmix.
- Shape the mixture into meatballs, about 1‑2 tablespoons each, and place them in a 9×13 baking dish, spacing them about 1 inch apart.
- Pour the prepared tomato sauce over the meatballs, shaking the dish a little to distribute the sauce evenly.
- Cover the baking dish with foil and bake for 30 minutes.
- After 30 minutes, remove the foil and bake for another 30‑35 minutes, or until the meatballs are cooked through.
- Garnish with chopped fresh parsley, if desired, and serve immediately.
Notes
- You can substitute ground turkey or chicken for the beef if preferred.
- Do not overmix the meat mixture – overworking can lead to tougher meatballs.
- Covering during the first half of baking helps the meatballs cook evenly; uncovering later promotes browning.
- Use an instant‑read thermometer to check for doneness; ground beef should reach about 160°F (71°C) internally.
- You can freeze the raw meatballs (flash freeze then store) for later; adjust baking time if cooking from frozen.
- Leftover cooked meatballs freeze well (with sauce), reheat from frozen or thawed.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 meatball
- Calories: 48
- Sugar: 1 g
- Sodium: 161 mg
- Fat: 2 g
- Saturated Fat: 1 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 4 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 4 g
- Cholesterol: 9 mg
