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Instant Pot Porcupine Meatballs are a tasty and simple recipe, made with ground beef, rice, and a simple tomato sauce. Pressure cooker Porcupine Meatballs are easy to make, and are a family favorite!
Originally published 10/6/2017
Instant Pot Porcupine Meatballs
I’m going through my Nana’s recipes and picking out the ones I want to convert to pressure cooker recipes. She was a great cook!
Nana had many recipes for the stove top pressure cooker, such as the wildly popular Instant Pot Beef Barley Vegetable Soup. That recipe really struck a chord with a lot of people.
My theory is because it is simple, homey, healthy, and just a touch old fashioned. You don’t see a lot of modern recipes like that. It’s also delicious and easy to make!
Porcupine Meatballs are also a little old fashioned, and I love Nana’s simple recipe. I did adapt it a bit to give the dish a little more flavor, but it is still close to my childhood memories.
I made these for my son when he was growing up, and he loved them. Kids love Porcupine Meatballs! I know I sure did, and still do!
How to make Porcupine Meatballs in the Instant Pot
1) Mix the ingredients together and form 10-14 small meatballs.
2) Add soup and water/broth to the pot.
3) Add seasonings to the pot and stir.
4) Add the meatballs, coating them in the sauce.
5) Pressure cook the meatballs for 20 minutes, and naturally release for 20 minutes.
(photo shows 10, but some folks had better results with longer NPR).
6) I prefer to skim off any fat after removing the meatballs from the pot if I am going to serve the sauce over potatoes, etc.
When they come out of the pressure cooker, the grains of rice are standing up like porcupine quills!
Those little grains of rice poking out of the meatballs are fun to look at! And fun to eat! The sauce is simple and tasty!
What to Serve With Instant Pot Porcupine Meatballs
I like to serve them with mashed potatoes or more cooked rice. You can serve these pressure cooked meatballs with
Instant Pot Swedish Meatballs
Instant Pot Spaghetti and Meatballs
Instant Pot Albondigas Soup (Mexican Meatball Soup)
Instant Pot Lentil Beef Stew
If you make this yummy Instant Pot Porcupine Meatballs recipe, please leave a comment with a star rating below. I’d like to know how you liked it!
Instant Pot Porcupine Meatballs
Ingredients
Meatballs
- 1 lb Ground Beef (80% to 90% Lean)
- 1 Tablespoon Onion, grated or finely diced
- 1 Egg
- ¼ cup Long Grain White Rice (uncooked, rinsed)
- 2 teaspoons Worcestershire Sauce
- 1 teaspoon Kosher Salt (or 3/4 tsp table salt)
- ½ teaspoon Pepper
- 1 teaspoon Garlic Powder
Optional (if you need to use leaner meat, this helps)
- 3 Tablespoons Heavy Cream (or half and half)
- 2 Tablespoons Bread Crumbs
Sauce
- 1 (10.75 oz) can Condensed Tomato Soup
- 1 can Water or Broth (use the soup can)
- 2 teaspoons Worcestershire Sauce
- 1 teaspoon Red Wine Vinegar
Instructions
Meatballs
- Mix all of the ingredients for the meatballs together and form into 12 to 14 small meatballs. Set aside.
Sauce
- Mix the sauce ingredients together and stir well to combine. Pour into the pot and turn on the Sauté mode to start the sauce warming up.
Pressure Cook the Meatballs
- When the sauce is just starting to simmer, stir it and carefully add the meatballs to the pot.
- Close the lid of the pressure cooker and set the steam release knob to the Sealing position. Cancel the Sauté mode.
- Press the Manual (or Pressure Cook) button, and then the + or - button to choose 20 minutes.
- When the cooking cycle ends, let the pot sit and naturally release for 20 minutes. Then manually release the remaining steam until the pin in the lid drops.
- Open the lid and serve the meatballs with some of the sauce over them (I prefer to skim off any fat from the sauce after removing the meatballs, if I am going to serve the sauce over potatoes, etc.).
- These Instant Pot Porcupine Meatballs go well with crusty bread, salad, or a vegetable side dish.
Notes
Updated 10/21/17
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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For over 50 years I have been making porcupine meatballs using cream of celery soup rather than tomato soup. Before instant pots they were baked in oven at 350 degrees for an hour and 15 minutes.
I’ve never heard of that version, but they sound delicious! Thanks for sharing, Ted!
I adapt this to Weight Watchers and use 98% ground turkey instead of hamburger. I also change it up sometimes by using cream of mushroom soup and a can of sliced mushrooms instead of tomato soup. I use both egg and bread crumbs because the turkey needs it. I use beef broth but not the brown sugar or vinegar. Wonderful everytime! It makes 12 meatballs that are 6 points for 4 or 9 points for 6. The entire 12 would be 18 points. I usually serve them over cooked cabbage or shredded squash.
If making BBQ Porcupine meatballs, could you make meatballs as directed, then add a bottle of BBQ sauce & added water vs. Tomato soup?
Hi Gaylene, I would just add the bbq sauce after pressure cooking. You can use as much of the sauce from the pot as you like, combining it with the bbq sauce.
I am using V8 instead of tomatoe soup. Added celery and green bell pepper. And lightly grilled the onion…should Pop with flavour…
I love V8! Great adaptation!
I’m going to try Spanish rice in the meatballs and serve it over cheese Gnocchi! I hope it’s a slight twist on a childhood favourite! Wish me luck!! ?
Iralea, that sounds very creative and delicious! Good luck! Let me know how it turns out!
Great, simple, quick recipe! My family loved it! I added a pinch more salt and some Herbs de Provence to the sauce while it reached a simmer. Adding this to the weekly rotation! Thank you!
That’s great, Megan. Herbs de Provence are so underused! What a neat way to use them!
Would it be better to use minute rice or brown rice? And time changes? I just do not have any white rice.
You can use Minute rice.
Would you need to make any changes if you use ground turkey?
No, I would keep it as is.
WE prefer brown rice. Would there be a time change?
Yes, you will need to cook it longer. Be sure to use parboiled brown rice.
I had no tomato soup so I changed the sauce to cream of mushroom hoping it will turn out just as good…