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    Home » Recipes » Instant Pot

    Instant Pot Porcupine Meatballs

    October 6, 2022 | Updated October 3, 2022 | Heather

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    Instant pot porcupine meatballs in instant pot and in a bowl with red serving spoon.

    These Instant Pot Porcupine Meatballs is a classic recipe made with ground beef and rice in an easy tomato sauce. The pressure cooker makes this a quick and easy recipe. A hearty and comforting dinner perfect any night of the week.

    Top view of Instant pot porcupine meatballs in white round bowl with spoon on the side.

    This post may contain affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases at no extra cost to you. Click HERE to read my policies.

    Why We Love This Porcupine Meatballs Recipe

    • A delicious and comforting meal that the whole family will enjoy.
    • This classic recipe is ready in a fraction of the time when using the instant pot.
    • Simple recipe perfect for weeknight or weekend dinners.

    Instant Pot Porcupine Meatballs Ingredients

    • Ground Beef
    • White Rice
    • Worcestershire Sauce
    • Dried Parsley
    • Garlic Powder
    • Onion Powder
    • Egg
    • Salt
    • Black Pepper
    • Marinara Sauce
    • Water
    Instant pot porcupine meatballs recipe ingredients.

    Substitution Suggestions:

    • Ground Beef: If you want to lighten up the recipe you can use ground turkey or ground chicken.
    • White Rice: There is no subbing this ingredient. You want to use a white long grain rice. Minute rice or instant rice will turn to mush and brown rice won't fully cook.
    • Marinara Sauce: Use your favorite pasta sauce or marinara sauce. You can also use tomato sauce and season it to your liking. For this recipe, I like using a good quality jar of marinara.
    • Water: If you like you can use beef broth, chicken broth or vegetable broth.

    These delicious porcupine meatballs are a fun twist on a traditional meatball recipe. They're our new favorite way to enjoy meatballs during the week! Sure to be your new family favorite too!

    How to Make Instant Pot Porcupine Meatballs

    1. In a large mixing bowl, combine ground beef, uncooked rice, Worcestershire sauce, parsley, garlic powder, onion powder, egg, salt and black pepper. Mix with fingers just until everything is evenly combined.
    2. Using a medium size scoop or 2 tablespoons, form meat mixture into 24 meatballs and set aside on plate.
    Rolled meatballs on plate.
    1. Set the instant pot to the sauté function, and add the marinara sauce and water. Bring the sauce to a simmer and then turn off the instant pot.
    2. Gently place meatballs in bottom of the pot and spoon a little bit of sauce over the meatballs.
    Meatballs added to sauce in instant pot.
    1. Secure the lid on the instant pot and set the valve to sealing position.
    2. Set the instant pot to manual high pressure for 15 minutes.
    3. After the 15 minutes, let the instant pot do a 15 minute natural pressure release and then do a quick release to let the remaining pressure out.
    4. Once the pin drops, carefully remove the lid and let the meatballs rest for 10 minutes.
    5. Carefully and gently add the meatballs and sauce to a serving bowl and serve!
    Instant pot porcupine meatballs in instant pot.

    What to Serve with Old Fashioned Porcupine Meatballs

    You can serve these delicious meatballs over some mashed potatoes, cooked pasta like buttery egg noodles or extra rice. I love to serve them with some roasted veggies and bread. Here are some of the family's favorites.

    • Roasted Brussels Sprouts
    • Cauliflower Cheese Casserole
    • Roasted Broccoli and Cauliflower
    • Air Fryer Green Beans
    • Garlic Cheese Drop Biscuits
    • Homemade French Bread
    • Easy Garlic Bread
    • Homemade Garlic Breadsticks
    One meatball on spoon on top of Instant pot porcupine meatballs in bowl.

    Storing Porcupine Meatballs

    Storing: Store any leftover meatballs and sauce in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days.

    Freezing: Let the meatballs and sauce completely cool. Then place them in a freezer safe air tight container or freezer bag. Label, date and freeze. Meatballs will keep in freezer for up to 4 months. When ready to enjoy thaw overnight in the fridge.

    Reheating: Gently reheat them over low heat on the stove or in the microwave until warmed through.

    If you love meatballs, try these other recipes!

    • Salisbury Steak Meatballs
    • Traditional Meatballs
    • Chicken Meatballs
    • Turkey and Zucchini Meatballs
    Top close up view of Instant pot porcupine meatballs in white round bowl.

    FAQs About Porcupine Meatballs Recipe

    What are porcupine meatballs made of?

    Porcupine meatballs are made of ground beef, rice, spices and cooked in a simple tomato sauce.

    Why do my porcupine meatballs fall apart?

    If the meatball is falling apart it is typically a binding problem. Make sure you are following the recipe and using the correct measurements. Porcupine meatballs need rice and an egg to keep them together.

    Do you put egg in porcupine meatballs?

    Yes, this recipe uses egg. The egg in porcupine meatballs will help the meatballs bind together and not fall apart.

    Instant pot porcupine meatballs in bowl with red serving spoon serving one meatball.

    More Delicious Instant Pot Recipes:

    • Spaghetti and Meat Sauce
    • Mac N Cheese
    • Teriyaki Chicken
    • Pot Roast Dinner
    • Honey Garlic Chicken
    • Beef Tips and Gravy
    • Chicken Stew
    • Drip Beef Sandwiches
    • Pulled Pork
    Top view of Instant pot porcupine meatballs in white round bowl with spoon on the side.
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    Instant Pot Porcupine Meatballs

    These Instant Pot Porcupine Meatballs is a classic recipe made with ground beef and rice in an easy tomato sauce. The pressure cookers makes this a quick and easy recipe. A hearty and comforting dinner perfect any night of the week.
    Course: Main Course
    Cuisine: American
    Prep Time: 15 minutes minutes
    Cook Time: 30 minutes minutes
    Servings: 6
    Author: Heather
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    Equipment

    • Instant Pot or Pressure Cooker

    Ingredients

    • 1 pound ground beef
    • ½ cup uncooked long grain white rice
    • 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
    • 1 teaspoon dried parsley flakes
    • 1 teaspoon garlic powder
    • 1 teaspoon onion powder
    • 1 teaspoon salt
    • ½ teaspoon black pepper
    • 1 large egg
    • 24 ounces marinara sauce
    • 1 cup water

    Instructions

    • In a large mixing bowl combine: ground beef, uncooked rice, Worcestershire sauce, parsley, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, black pepper and egg. Mix with hands until everything is just evenly combined.
    • Using a medium size scoop or 2 tablespoons, make 24 meatballs and set aside on plate.
    • Set the instant pot to sauté and add the water and marinara sauce to the pot. Bring the sauce to a simmer and then turn off the instant pot.
    • Gently place the meatballs in the pot and spoon a little bit of sauce over the meatballs.
    • Secure lid, set valve to sealing position. Set the pot on manual high pressure for 15 minutes.
    • Once the time is up, let the instant pot do a natural pressure release for 15 minutes, then do a quick release.
    • After the pin has dropped, carefully remove the lid.
    • Let the meatballs rest for 10 minutes. Then serve and enjoy!

    Nutrition

    Calories: 293kcal | Carbohydrates: 20g | Protein: 17g | Fat: 16g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 7g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 85mg | Sodium: 1028mg | Potassium: 605mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 539IU | Vitamin C: 8mg | Calcium: 46mg | Iron: 3mg
    Tried this recipe?Please rate the recipe, leave a comment and tell me how much you loved it!
    Share the Recipe!Please share it and tag @heathershomemadekitchen and use #heathershomemadekitchen!

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    Hi! I’m Heather, I create and develop easy, from scratch recipes that are family friendly! I especially love to make cookies!

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