Instant Pot Porcupine Meatballs are tender meatballs stuffed with rice and seasonings that cook in a rich tomato sauce. Less time and less mess than the oven-baked version!
Porcupine meatballs are a classic dinner recipe for a reason! Porcupine meatballs are tender meatballs stuffed with rice and seasonings that cook in a rich tomato sauce.
Traditionally, the meatballs were baked in the oven. This Instant Pot porcupine meatball recipe is a faster, easier version that takes less time than the oven-baked version.
WHAT ARE PORCUPINE MEATBALLS MADE OF?
Porcupine meatballs are made with ground beef, rice, onion, and seasonings, and they’re cooked in a tomato sauce. They get their name from the prickly appearance that the rice gives the meatballs.
HOW TO MAKE INSTANT POT PORCUPINE MEATBALLS
In a large bowl, combine 2 tablespoons dried onion, ½ teaspoon garlic powder, beef, rice, celery salt, and pepper. Mix with your hands until the ingredients are evenly distributed throughout the meat.
Use a 1.5 tablespoon (medium) cookie scoop to portion the meatballs. Roll each meatball into a nice round ball. Set aside.
Stir the tomato sauce, broth, Worcestershire, remaining 2 tablespoons onion and remaining ½ teaspoon garlic powder together in the Instant Pot inner pot.
Press SAUTE. Bring sauce to a simmer, stirring regularly.
Press CANCEL. Nestle the meatballs into the sauce, and spoon a little bit of sauce over the meatballs.
Close and lock the lid. Turn the pressure release valve to SEALING.
Press MANUAL high pressure and adjust the time to 15 minutes. Let the pressure release naturally for 15 minutes.
Carefully turn the pressure release valve to VENTING to release any remaining pressure. Serve the meatballs with the sauce.
TIPS
- Garlic powder: You can use minced garlic in place of the garlic powder if you prefer. Substitute 1 clove minced garlic in the meatballs and a clove minced garlic in the sauce (for a total of two cloves minced).
- Ground beef: I recommend using 90% lean ground beef. It’s lean enough that the sauce doesn’t get too greasy, but it has enough fat that the meatballs don’t dry out.
- Tomato sauce: Tomato sauce is a canned tomato puree.
- Broth: I like to use a reduced-sodium broth. However, feel free to use any broth or stock that you like.
SERVING SUGGESTIONS
I like to serve porcupine meatballs with a loaf of French bread and a green salad. You can also serve the meatballs over rice to soak up more of the rich tomato sauce.
STORAGE
The meatballs can be stored for up to 4 days in an airtight container in the fridge.
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Instant Pot Porcupine Meatballs
Equipment
Ingredients
- ¼ cup dried minced onion divided
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder divided
- 1 pound 90% lean ground beef
- ½ cup long grain white rice
- ½ teaspoon celery salt
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 15 ounce can tomato sauce
- ½ cup chicken or vegetable broth
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
Instructions
- In a large bowl, combine 2 tablespoons dried onion, ½ teaspoon garlic powder, beef, rice, celery salt, and pepper.
- Mix with your hands until the ingredients are evenly distributed throughout the meat.
- Use a 1.5 tablespoon (medium) cookie scoop to portion the meatballs.
- Roll each meatball into a nice round ball. Set aside.
- Stir the tomato sauce, broth, Worcestershire, remaining 2 tablespoons onion and remaining ½ teaspoon garlic powder together in the Instant Pot inner pot.
- Press SAUTE.
- Bring sauce to a simmer, stirring regularly.
- Press CANCEL.
- Nestle the meatballs into the sauce, and spoon a little bit of sauce over the meatballs.
- Close and lock the lid.
- Turn the pressure release valve to SEALING.
- Press MANUAL high pressure and adjust the time to 15 minutes.
- Let the pressure release naturally for 15 minutes.
- Carefully turn the pressure release valve to VENTING to release any remaining pressure.
- Serve the meatballs with the sauce.
Notes
- Garlic powder: You can use minced garlic in place of the garlic powder if you prefer. Substitute 1 clove minced garlic in the meatballs and a clove minced garlic in the sauce (for a total of two cloves minced).
- Ground beef: I recommend using 90% lean ground beef. It's lean enough that the sauce doesn't get too greasy, but it has enough fat that the meatballs don't dry out.
- Tomato sauce: Tomato sauce is a canned tomato puree.
- Broth: I like to use a reduced-sodium broth. However, feel free to use any broth or stock that you like.
- Nutrition values are estimates.
Tauni
When you combine the rice, is it cooked or dry?
Kate
Hi! The rice should be uncooked at that point. It will cook while the meatball cooks.