Grandma’s Porcupine Meatballs: An Old-Fashioned One-Pan Dinner

By cosass

September 30, 2026 5 Min Read

These old-fashioned porcupine meatballs are made with ground beef and uncooked rice, then simmered in a simple tomato sauce. This easy dinner comes straight from Grandma’s kitchen and remains one of the family’s favorites.

One reader, Annie, shared: “Absolutely delicious! I followed the recipe exactly. Thank you so much for a wonderful dish. We love it…”

Why You'll Love Grandma's Recipe

A Family Recipe: This old-fashioned recipe came from Grandma and has been passed down through the family.
Easy on the Budget: Rice stretches one pound of ground beef into enough meatballs to feed the whole family.
Simple One-Pan Dinner: Everything cooks together in one skillet, and the meatballs are ready in about 45 minutes.

Porcupine Meatball Ingredient Tips

Porcupine balls cooked in a pan with a wooden spoon.

Porcupine meatballs get their name from the uncooked rice, which expands and sticks out of the meatballs as it cooks.

Ground Beef: Lean ground beef works best and keeps the sauce from becoming greasy.
Rice: Use uncooked long-grain white rice. Instant rice, cooked rice, and brown rice will not cook the same way in this recipe.
Onion: Dice the onion finely so it blends into the meat mixture and the meatballs hold together more easily.
Tomato Soup: Use condensed tomato soup straight from the can. Don’t prepare it according to the directions on the label.

How to Make Porcupine Meatballs

Porcupine meatballs are easier to make than you might think. Mix the ingredients, gently shape the meatballs, and let them simmer in the tomato sauce until the beef and rice are fully cooked.

Combine: In a medium sized bowl, combine the ground beef, rice, onion, egg, parsley, garlic powder, salt, paprika, pepper, and ¼ cup of the tomato soup.
Shape: Mix thoroughly and then gently shape about 20 meatballs and place in a large skillet.
Make Sauce: Mix the remaining soup, water, and Worcestershire sauce, and then pour over the meatballs.
Cook: Bring the soup to a boil over medium high heat, then reduce the heat to low, cover, and simmer for 30-35 minutes. Gently spoon the sauce over the meatballs once or twice as they cook, but avoid stirring them. Check that the beef and rice are fully cooked before serving.

Alyssa's Pro Tip

The meatball mixture will feel softer and wetter than regular meatballs. That is normal! Shape them gently, place them directly in the skillet, and avoid moving them while they begin to cook.

Tips for Perfect Porcupine Meatballs

Meatball ingredients all in combined in a bowl.

Make them evenly sized: Approximately 20 meatballs will cook more consistently.
Keep the skillet covered: The steam is important because it helps cook the rice.
Don’t stir the meatballs: Gently spoon sauce over them once or twice so they don’t fall apart.
Check the rice: Cut into one meatball before serving. If the rice is still firm, cover and simmer for a few more minutes.

Recipe Details

Course: Dinner, Main Course
Cuisine: American
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 35 minutes
Total Time: 45 minutes
Servings: 6
Calories: 149kcal
Author: Alyssa Rivers

Ingredients

1 pound lean ground beef
¼ cup uncooked long grain white rice
¼ cup diced onion
1 large slightly beaten egg
1 tablespoon chopped parsley
½ teaspoon garlic powder
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon paprika
⅛ teaspoon pepper
1 (10.75-ounce) can condensed tomato soup, divided
½ cup water
2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce

Instructions

In a medium sized bowl, combine the ground beef, rice, onion, egg, parsley, garlic powder, salt, paprika, pepper, and ¼ cup of the tomato soup. Mix thoroughly and shape into about 20 meatballs and place in a large skillet.
Mix the remaining soup, water, and Worcestershire sauce. Pour the soup mixture over the meatballs.
Bring the soup to a boil over medium-high heat, then reduce the heat to low, cover, and simmer for 30-35 minutes.
Gently spoon the sauce over the meatballs once or twice while they cook, but avoid stirring the meatballs. Check that the beef and rice are fully cooked before serving.
Serve the meatballs over rice or potatoes and enjoy!

Notes

Meatball Mixture: The mixture will be softer and wetter than regular meatballs. Shape them gently and avoid stirring the meatballs while they cook.

Storage: Store leftover meatballs with the sauce in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3–4 days or freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw frozen meatballs overnight in the refrigerator and reheat gently on the stovetop or in the microwave.