This old-fashioned porcupine meatballs recipe is an easy family dinner made with ground beef, uncooked rice, onion, and a simple tomato soup sauce! Also called “porcupine balls,” these classic baked meatballs get their name from the little grains of rice that peek through the meat like porcupine quills, making them a comforting favorite that’s been passed down for generations.
More Meatball Recipes:
Before You Get Started
A few simple tips will help you make tender, flavorful porcupine meatballs every time:
- Use uncooked long-grain white rice. It cooks perfectly in the oven alongside the meatballs.
- Finely grate or mince the onion so it blends into the meat mixture.
- Mix the ingredients gently with your hands or a fork to keep the meatballs tender.
Why Are They Called Porcupine Meatballs?
Porcupine meatballs first became popular during the Great Depression, when home cooks looked for creative ways to stretch a pound of ground beef a little farther. Mixing uncooked rice into the meatballs made an inexpensive meal more filling while creating a hearty dinner for the whole family.
As the meatballs bake, the rice cooks inside the beef, and some of the grains poke through the surface, making the meatballs resemble tiny porcupines. That’s how they earned the name “porcupine meatballs,” although you’ll also hear them called “porcupine balls” in many families.
How to Make Porcupine Meatballs
This classic comfort food takes just a few minutes to assemble before the oven does the rest of the work. The tomato soup creates a simple sauce while the rice cooks right inside the meatballs.
Step 1: Mix the Meatballs
In a large bowl, combine the ground beef, uncooked rice, egg, onion, parsley, salt, and pepper until just blended.
Mix with clean hands or a fork instead of a wooden spoon, and stop mixing as soon as everything is combined. Overmixing can make the meatballs tough.
⇢ Swap the Meat: Ground turkey, ground pork, Italian sausage, or a meatloaf mix all work well if you’d like to change things up.
Step 2: Shape the Meatballs
Roll the mixture into 1-inch meatballs and arrange them in a greased 2-quart baking dish.
A small cookie scoop makes evenly sized meatballs that bake at the same rate.
Step 3: Add the Sauce
Whisk together the condensed tomato soup and water until smooth. Pour the mixture evenly over the meatballs.
⇢ If your family likes extra sauce for serving over mashed potatoes or rice, use two cans of tomato soup and two soup cans of water.
Step 4: Bake
Cover the dish tightly with foil or a lid and bake at 350°F for 30 minutes. Remove the cover and continue baking for another 30 minutes, or until the meatballs are cooked through and the rice is tender.
If the rice still has a little bite, add a splash of water, tomato sauce, or additional tomato soup, cover the dish again, and continue baking for another 5 to 10 minutes.
⇢ These old-fashioned porcupine meatballs are delicious served over sour cream mashed potatoes, fluffy white rice, buttered egg noodles, or even creamy polenta to soak up the tomato sauce.
Vegetable Sides to Pair with the Meatballs:
Preparation and Storage Tips
Prep Ahead: You can shape the meatballs up to 24 hours in advance, cover, and refrigerate until you’re ready to bake. Just whisk together the tomato soup sauce and pour it over the meatballs before they go into the oven.
How to Store: Keep leftover porcupine meatballs in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Reheat gently on the stovetop or in the microwave, adding a splash of water, tomato sauce, or an extra spoonful of tomato soup if the sauce has thickened.
How to Freeze: These meatballs freeze beautifully. Freeze either the uncooked meatballs before adding the sauce or freeze the fully cooked meatballs with the sauce for up to 3 months.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why are they called porcupine meatballs?
As the uncooked rice cooks inside the meatballs, some of the grains stick out of the meat, making them resemble porcupine quills.
Do you cook the rice before making porcupine meatballs?
No. Long-grain white rice goes into the meat mixture uncooked, then becomes tender as the meatballs bake in the tomato sauce.
Can I use instant rice or brown rice?
This recipe was developed using uncooked long-grain white rice. Instant rice and brown rice cook differently, so they aren’t direct substitutes without adjusting the recipe.
Can I freeze porcupine meatballs?
Yes. Freeze either the uncooked meatballs before baking or the fully cooked meatballs with their sauce for up to 3 months.
How can I make more sauce?
Simply double the tomato soup and water. You can also stir a jar of tomato sauce or marinara into the baking dish for an even saucier meal.
More Recipes with Meatballs
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Porcupine Meatballs
Ingredients
- 1 lb. ground beef (I used 93% lean)
- ½ cup uncooked long grain white rice
- 1 large egg, lightly beaten
- ¼ cup grated or finely minced onion
- 2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley (or 2 teaspoons dried parsley flakes)
- ¾ teaspoon kosher salt
- ⅛ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 (10.75 oz) can condensed tomato soup, not diluted (use 2 cans of soup for more sauce in the pan)
- 1 soup can of water (use 2 soup cans of water for a "saucier" pan of meatballs)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Spray a 2-quart baking dish with nonstick cooking spray and set aside. In a large bowl, combine ground beef, uncooked rice, egg, onion, parsley, salt, and pepper.
- Shape the meat mixture into 1-inch balls. Place the meatballs in the prepared baking dish.
- In a small bowl, whisk together the tomato soup and water. Pour the soup mixture over the meatballs.
- Cover and bake for 30 minutes. Remove cover and continue baking for 30 more minutes. At this point, the meatballs should be cooked through and the rice inside the meatballs should be tender. If the rice is still crunchy, cover loosely with foil and return to the oven for another 5-10 minutes (or until rice is done).
Notes
- Use uncooked long-grain white rice for the best results.
- Do not cook the rice before mixing the meatballs.
- Mix the meat gently to keep it tender.
- Finely grate or mince the onion so it blends into the meatballs.
- For extra sauce, use two cans of tomato soup and two soup cans of water (or stir in a jar of marinara sauce).
- If the rice isn’t tender, add a little more liquid, cover, and continue baking.
- Ground turkey, ground pork, Italian sausage, or a meatloaf mix all work well.
- Freeze cooked or uncooked meatballs for up to 3 months.
Nutrition
Originally published in January, 2020, this post was updated in August, 2026.
These are an old family favorite that my Greek grandmothers passed down to us. The only difference is is that we use greek egg lemon soup for the sauce and often make the soup and add the meatballs to it! It’s a cozy winter soup with a great protein punch from the meat and the eggs! You could probably substitute cream of mushroom, chicken or celery soup for a different flavor combo.
YUM! Your Greek grandmother’s version sounds amazing, Olga!
My husband used to make these before he got dementia. He uses tomato sauce on his and cooks them on the stove. They were so good. He used to make them huge. It was the only thing we had.
I bet your husband’s version is delicious, Karen! 🙂
Can you use cream of mushroom soup instead of tomato?
Sure! You might want to thin the soup with milk instead of water, but that’s totally up to you. Sometimes the cream of mushroom soup is a bit thicker than the tomato soup, so you might need more liquid to thin it to a sauce-like consistency as well.
I’m 65 and my kids still request these. My mom made them for us growing up. We don’t use tomato soup, we just cover them with tomato juice.and made them no less that 2”. Perfect.
Such great memories, Sandra! 🙂
Can I use jasmine rice?
Hi Danielle,
We think jasmine rice will work just fine. We hope you enjoy!
Too funny, this recipe has been in my repertoire for years! My parents and grandparents did a lot of stuffed cabbage/perrpers when I was young. I adapted that to porcupine meateballs, and have never heard anyone else call them that! I’m rating this recipe a five star, because it is almost my exact recipe!
Thank you! It’s definitely a classic! 🙂
I’ve made these for years. What I do differently, though, is to leave the rice out of the meat mixture. Make meatballs, then roll them in the uncooked rice, & proceed with your recipe. This way the rice on the outside of the meatballs makes them Porcupines.
Wow, I’ve never thought of doing it that way, but I’m sure it works great. It’s funny how so many families have their own versions of the similar dish. Thanks, Pam!
My mother made this when I was a child, it was a favorite meal of mine. So I was so pleased to see this recipe since I hadn’t thought of it in years! I made mine with turkey but it was just as delicious as I remember. Thanks for a great recipe and bringing back great memories!
That’s awesome, Kristen! I’m so glad that it brought back good memories from your childhood — those are always the best, coziest meals! 🙂
I have been making these for 50 years and my mother made them too. Porcupine meatballs was my kids favourites. I am making these tonight except i added a layer of shredded cabbage on top. It needed to get used up.
Cabbage would be a great addition! We hope you enjoy, Elaine.
Thank you for the idea l almost put them in the oven when l read the comment. I went with fresh mushrooms and cans of mushroom soup for the sauce as l had to use them up. Added some cilantro to the meatballs again it was looking rough. Cabbage that’s a great idea thank you.
My recipe is very similar, except I bake the meatballs (covered) for 45 minutes, and then, uncovered for 15 minutes. I have made these for decades, but recently, the rice is coming out crunchy. I don’t know what I’m doing differently. Any ideas?
Hi, Donna! I’m not sure, but it sounds like the rice just isn’t cooked through and needs a bit more time in the oven. I would try baking your meatballs a bit longer. 🙂
I found this when googling for a recipe that sounded like what my, long time ago, ex boyfriend’s Mom used to make that I could never forget. I remember her putting roughly sliced green pepper in the sauce part of the mixture before baking, but your recipe was otherwise a match. I followed your recipe- subbed turkey for beef and used Italian seasoning because I’m out of parsley. Also added some worshtershire (sp??) sauce and garlic powder to the meatball mix. Sooo delicious! Thank you!
That’s wonderful, Rachel! I’m so glad that you were able to enjoy an old favorite again. 🙂 Thanks for your note!
We make ours just like these except with green pepper rings sliced over the top also. It gives the sauce such a great flavor. Love porcupines with mashed potatoes.
That does sound like a great addition, Sandy!
Wow
I thought I was the only one that knew what porcupine meatballs were. None of my friends ever heard or had them until me. Brings back memories of mom making us a big batch during hard times. Only difference is she did not put in eggs. Don’t know how she kept them together but she did. They were yummy. Thanks for the memory of all my sisters (6) fighting for the last one. Usually mom or dad won except when Charlie our lab decided he was the winner.
By chance do you have a recipe for a casserole called the “Autumn Dish”?
That’s a great memory, Diane. I’m so glad that you remember this dish, too. Unfortunately I don’t have a recipe for Autumn Dish. If you explain it to me maybe I can come up with something similar or find it online?
This dish was made by Gram for the Dime a Dish Church suppers and only for the autumn season. I can’t remember the exact ratios but the ingredients were:
Sliced
Potatoes
Onions
Bacon for layering
Kidney beans
Tomato Soup
It was done casserole style in the oven
It was layered like lasagna
I have tried but it lacks something doesn’t come out the same. Something is missing. Thanks for any help you could give.
Sounds like a winning combination of ingredients! I’ll look into it and see what I can come up with. 🙂
Hey, Diane! After some more looking, I think I may have found the recipe (or a similar one): https://www.cooks.com/recipe/4e6o098s/kidney-bean-and-potato-casserole.html
Does that look right? I also think that I’m going to try something similar with ground beef, cheese on top, and a crumb topping. It won’t be exactly what you’re looking for, but I’m excited to test it. Stay tuned for another option if that works out…
Never seen it written down anywhere. Looks like it could be exactly what Gram called the Autumn Dish. Thanks to you i have the exact ingredients and measurements. Going to try it and will let you know how it turns out. Perhaps Gram made up the name. lol. She never really wrote out her recipes. Her recipes were scribbled on scraps of papers or envelopes and placed in an old cigar box. She claimed they were all in her head. No need to write them down. Many had no names, or exacts on measurements or ingredients. Thanks again. Will let you know how it works out. Try it without the meat it is a filling dish. Goes great with biscuits on the side.
Perfect! I hope it brings back good memories of your grandmother. Those are always the best meals!
Hi Cathy,
We’re sorry to hear this recipe didn’t cook on time. Did you happen to use a different rice? Long grain white rice is the only kind that cooks so quickly with this dish.