Oven-Baked 4-Ingredient Amish Porcupine Meatballs
Step-by-Step Instructions
Step 1: Mix and Shape
Preheat your oven to 350∘F (175∘C). In a large mixing bowl, combine the ground beef, uncooked white rice, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, and pepper. Use your hands to gently mix everything together until the rice is evenly distributed throughout the meat. Shape the mixture into golf-ball-sized meatballs (you should get about 12 to 16 out of the batch) and arrange them in a single layer in a -inch baking dish.
Step 2: Whisk the Tomato Blanket
In a separate medium bowl or large measuring cup, whisk together the condensed tomato soup, the tomato sauce, and cup of water. Whisk until the mixture is completely smooth.
Step 3: Pour and Cover
Pour the tomato sauce mixture evenly over the meatballs, ensuring every single one is completely submerged. This is crucial—the rice grains need to be covered in liquid so they can absorb it and cook through properly.
Step 4: Bake until Tender
Cover the baking dish tightly with aluminum foil. This traps the steam inside, which is the secret to cooking the raw rice perfectly. Bake in the preheated oven for 1 hour.
Remove the foil during the last 10 minutes of baking if you prefer the top of the sauce to get slightly caramelized and bubbly. When you pull them out, you’ll see the iconic "porcupine" rice grains peeking out from the tender beef.
How to Serve Your Porcupine Meatballs
Because these meatballs create their own abundant, thick tomato gravy right in the pan, they pair beautifully with sides that love to soak up sauce:
The Ultimate Comfort Plate: Serve them right over a fluffy mountain of garlic mashed potatoes or buttered egg noodles.
The Green Balance: Pair them alongside a crisp, peppery garden salad or roasted green beans to balance the richness of the beef and tomato sauce.
The Retro Style: Serve them just as they are in a shallow bowl with a thick slice of warm, crusty bread to mop up every last drop of the vintage glaze.
With just four ingredients and five minutes of active prep, this historic comfort food dish proves that some of the best flavors in the kitchen come from the simplest traditions. Have you ever tried making porcupine meatballs before
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