Baked Porcupine Meatballs in Tomato Sauce
These Porcupine Meatballs are hearty, saucy, and downright nostalgic—the retro family dinner that's easy to make any night of the week. A simple technique keeps the rice tender, while key flavor upgrades, a rich homemade sauce, and my expert tips make these juicy, old-school meatballs worth making on repeat.
Servings 6 servings
Ingredients
MEATBALLS
- 1/2 small yellow onion, peeled with root end intact
- 12 Ritz crackers, crushed (approx. 1 cup)
- 1/2 cup long grain uncooked white rice
- 1 egg
- 1½ teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
- 1 tsp EACH garlic powder, salt
- 1/2 tsp EACH onion powder, dried oregano, dried basil, pepper
- 1 pound lean ground beef (93% is fine)
SAUCE
- 1 28-oz. can tomato sauce
- 1 cup reduced sodium chicken broth
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
- 2 tablespoons brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- 1/2 tsp EACH onion powder, garlic powder, dried oregano, dried basil, dried parsley, salt
- 1/4 teaspoon pepper
FOR SERVING
- Mashed potatoes, pasta, or rice
- Parsley for garnish (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F.
- Make Meatball Mixture: Grate the onion on the largest holes of a box grater straight into a large bowl (juices included) until you have about 1/2 cup of combined onion and juice. Stir in the remaining meatball ingredients, up to the beef, and mix well. Add the beef and mix by hand until just combined.
- Form meatballs: Using a cookie scoop, form into 2-tablespoon meatballs and place on a plate. Set aside.
- Make the sauce: Whisk the sauce ingredients in a large liquid measuring cup or bowl; set aside.
- Sear Meatballs: Heat a large cast-iron skillet or 3-quart enameled braiser/Dutch oven over medium heat. Add 2 tablespoons olive oil and swirl to coat. Sear the meatballs in a single layer on the top and bottom until golden, about 1–2 minutes per side.
- Cook meatballs: Pour the sauce over the meatballs and bring to a simmer over medium-high heat. Cover with a lid or foil and bake at 350°F for 45–55 minutes, until the meatballs are cooked through and the rice is tender.
- Serve with fresh parsley and your choice of mashed potatoes, pasta, or rice.
Notes
The sauce is rich, savory, and tomato-forward, but it’s not meant to taste like traditional marinara—there's no olive oil or heavy Italian herb base here. Broth, butter, brown sugar, and Dijon give it a tangy, savory-sweet gravy quality instead, closer to a comfort-food sauce than a straightforward Italian tomato sauce.