Porcupine Meatballs - Comforting Gluten Free Rice Meatballs (2024)

Why You’ll Love These Porcupine Meatballs

Hearty and flavorful, this porcupine meatballs recipe is sure to become a family favorite. They are one of mine – in fact, I called them Grandma’s Polish Meatballs because she used to make them for me based on the filling in her stuffed cabbage recipe.

Here’s why you’ll love this dish:

• Comfort food. Nutty brown rice and ground beef combine to make a super comforting and filling main meal. You can serve it with more rice, gluten-free noodles, or even make a meatball sandwich.
• Naturally gluten free. I love that we use rice in this meatball recipe rather than bread crumbs, keeping it gluten free. The rest of the ingredients needed are naturally gluten free, too.
• Great to make ahead. I love to double the batch of meatballs and save some for another time so I have a quick dish all ready to go. These porcupine meatballs freeze well and I’ve included all the details lower down for how to do so.

• Try a different sauce. While the traditional preparation of porcupine meatballs calls for red sauce, these would be wonderful with a mushroom soup sauce as well. You can use my Cream of Mushroom Soup recipe as a jumping-off point. Or just slather them in Gluten Free Brown Gravy.
• Use white or brown rice. I love brown rice in this recipe, but you can use white rice too. See my tips for how to cook white rice to help you make it perfectly.
• Add different meat. You can make this porcupine meatballs recipe with different meat in place of the ground beef. Try ground turkey or lamb.
• Make them vegetarian. You can also make this recipe in a vegetarian version. Add your favorite plant-based meat instead of beef.
• Tuck in some vegetables. To round out the meatballs a bit more, you can add chopped mushrooms or chopped baby spinach to the pan when you cook the onion. Then stir them into the rice and beef mixture along with the onion.

How to Store Leftovers

Porcupine meatballs keep well in the fridge and freezer. Here’s how to store them:

• Fridge – Place the cooled meatballs in an airtight container and store them in the fridge for up to 3 days.
• Freezer – You can freeze these porcupine meatballs cooked or uncooked. For cooked meatballs, place them in a freezer-safe bag or container and place them in the freezer for up to 3 months. Thaw them in the fridge before reheating. For raw meatballs, place them on a cookie sheet in the freezer for 1 hour, then transfer them to a freezer-safe bag or container and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw the meatballs in the fridge before proceeding with the recipe.
• To Reheat – Place the meatballs in a skillet with some tomato sauce and gently reheat them over medium heat.

Make it a Meal

Porcupine meatballs can be served as a hot appetizer with toothpicks at a co*cktail party, or even eaten cold as a quick afternoon snack. Of course, they’re also great for dinner. Here’s how to serve these meatballs:

• With salad. Keep it a light meal with the addition of a salad. Try my Roasted Asparagus Salad, Easy Greek Salad, or a Winter Fruit Feta Salad alongside a serving of porcupine meatballs.
• Potatoes. Make mashed potatoes or serve meatballs with easy potatoes cooked in the air fryer! My Instant Pot Mashed Potatoes or Air Fryer Ranch Potatoes would be perfect complements.
• Bread. Scoop up porcupine meatballs with homemade Gluten Free Naan Bread or soak up extra sauce wtih my recipe for Gluten Free Garlic Breadsticks.
• A vegetable. Balance a hearty portion of meatballs with a green vegetable, like Air Fryer Green Beans, Air Fryer Broccoli or Air Fryer Asparagus.
• Make a sandwich. You can make a simple meatball sandwich with gluten free bread! I like to toast slices of my Gluten Free Sandwich Bread and use it to make a warm and filling porcupine meatball sandwich or Gluten Free Hawaiian Rolls for sliders.

4.7 from 10 votes

• 2 Tablespoons unsalted butter, divided
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 1 pound lean ground beef
• ¾ cup cooked brown rice
• 1 teaspoon salt
• ¼ teaspoon black pepper
• 1 egg
• 28 ounces tomato sauce (I used Hunt's)
• 1 Tablespoon brown sugar
• salt and pepper, to taste

• Melt one tablespoon butter in a skillet, add the onion and sauté till tender and translucent, about 5-7 minutes. Remove from the heat.

• In a large bowl, combine the beef, cooked onions (do not rinse the skillet, as you can use the same one for cooking the meatballs), cooked rice, salt, pepper, and egg, and gently mix together without overworking the meat. Using a scant ¼ cup for each, shape the meat mixture into balls.

• Melt another tablespoon of butter in the same skillet over medium heat. Add the meatballs and brown on each side, turning gently after nicely browned. This will take about ten minutes total.

• Pour the sauce over the meatballs, sprinkle with the brown sugar, salt and pepper, and gently mix around slightly.

• Cover, bring to a simmer, reduce heat to low and cook for about 10-15 minutes, or until the meatballs are cooked through.

Nutrition Facts

Porcupine Meatballs

Amount Per Serving (3 meatballs)

Calories 332Calories from Fat 117

% Daily Value*

Fat 13g20%

Saturated Fat 6g30%

Cholesterol 126mg42%

Sodium 1714mg71%

Potassium 1133mg32%

Carbohydrates 24g8%

Fiber 4g16%

Sugar 12g13%

Protein 29g58%

Vitamin A 1095IU22%

Vitamin C 15.9mg19%

Calcium 52mg5%

Iron 5.2mg29%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Author: Brianne @ Cupcakes & Kale Chips

Course: Dinner

Cuisine: American

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