Slow Cooker Porcupine Meatballs

Black serving spoon lifting two porcupine meatballs coated in thick tomato sauce from a slow cooker.

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Slow cooker porcupine meatballs are an easy, old-school comfort dinner. Tender beef meatballs with rice cooked right inside, simmered low and slow in a rich tomato sauce. Just 10 minutes of prep and the crockpot does the rest.

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 4

Total Time 4 10

Servings servings

Author Melissa Williams

Equipment

Slow Cooker

Ingredients

For the Meatballs

1 pound ground beef I use 90/10
1 large egg lightly beaten
½ cup white onion finely diced
2 cloves garlic minced
½ cup long grain white rice uncooked, rinsed
2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
1 ½ teaspoons salt
½ teaspoon garlic powder
½ teaspoon onion powder
½ teaspoon black pepper
½ teaspoon Montreal steak seasoning

For the Sauce

15 ounces tomato sauce
15 ounces crushed tomatoes
½ cup beef broth or water
1 Tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
2 teaspoons granulated white sugar
½ teaspoon garlic powder
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon black pepper

Instructions

To Make the Meatballs

To a large mixing bowl, lightly beat the egg and then add in the beef, diced onion, minced garlic, rinsed uncooked rice, and seasonings.
1 pound ground beef, 1 large egg, ½ cup white onion, 2 cloves garlic, ½ cup long grain white rice, 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning, 1 ½ teaspoons salt, ½ teaspoon garlic powder, ½ teaspoon onion powder, ½ teaspoon black pepper, ½ teaspoon Montreal steak seasoning
Use your hands to gently combine the mixture until everything is fully incorporated.
Use a cookie scoop (I use a 1½ Tablespoon) to portion out the meatballs. Gently roll them between your hands to smooth them and then place them in a single layer in a 6 quart slow cooker. You should get 20-24 meatballs.

To Make the Sauce

To a medium mixing bowl, add the can of tomato sauce, can of crushed tomatoes, and seasonings. Mix together and then pour over the meatballs.
15 ounces tomato sauce, 15 ounces crushed tomatoes, ½ cup beef broth, 1 Tablespoon Worcestershire sauce, ½ teaspoon garlic powder, ½ teaspoon salt, ½ teaspoon black pepper
Cover and cook on LOW for 4-5 hours.
Once fully cooked, serve over white rice, mashed potatoes, or as-is.

Notes

Using a 1.5 Tbsp cookie scoop, you'll get 20-24 meatballs. No scoop? A regular tablespoon or just your hands works fine.
Rinse the rice first. It pulls off the extra starch so your meatballs aren't gummy.
Use 90/10 ground beef. Leaner beef means you won't end up with a layer of grease on top of the sauce.
Make sure the meatballs sit in a single layer so they cook evenly. If they're crowded, give them a gentle nudge halfway through. Otherwise, avoid lifting the top while cooking.
Don't skip the rice rinse step, and don't swap in instant rice. Long grain white rice (I use Ben's Original) holds up over the long cook. Instant rice turns to mush.
Water works in place of beef broth, but the broth adds a little more depth to the sauce.
Serve over white rice, mashed potatoes, or just as-is. Leftovers reheat great and freeze well for up to 3 months.

Every slow cooker runs differently. Times given are a general recommendation and should be tested in your own slow cooker and adjusted as needed.

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