Porcupine meatballs are one of my favorite meals that my mother made when I was growing up. I loved the way the rice poked out of the meatballs like little porcupine quills while it cooked! My family loves it too, so it’s on regular rotation at our house. The recipe I am sharing today is an adaptation of my classic porcupine meatballs recipe for the Instant Pot. Pressure cooker porcupine meatballs are easy to make, and quicker than the oven version (with the magic of the pressure cooker, these meatballs are done in about half the time required in the oven). Instant Pot porcupine meatballs turn out great! See the complete recipe for porcupine meatballs in the Instant Pot at the end of this post, or keep reading for step-by-step tips with photos of this Instant Pot Porcupine Meatballs recipe.
Looking for more easy Instant Pot recipes? You’ll love my cookbook, Pressure Cooker Cookbook for Beginners! Get your copy now (available in both paperback and digital formats), and check out some sneak peek recipes from the cookbook and my other Instant Pot recipes here.
What you need to make Instant Pot Porcupine Meatballs
Instant Pot porcupine meatballs may have a curious name, but they are delicious and easy to make. These meatballs are made with rice instead of breadcrumbs as the starch, and as they cook, the rice pokes out of them like the spikes of a porcupine. Here’s what you need to make them (full list and instructions are also in the recipe card at the end of this post).
- 1 pound 80% lean* ground beef
- ¾ cup uncooked long-grain white rice
- 1 tablespoon dry minced onion
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
- ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
- 3 (8-ounce) cans tomato sauce, divided
*Ingredient Tip: Don’t use ground beef that is too lean with this recipe, or the rice might not cook at the same rate as the meat and sauce. The added moisture from the fat content of the ground beef helps to cook the rice and helps thin the sauce so you don’t get a burn warning.
Can you make this porcupine meatballs recipe in the oven instead?
Yes! See my Porcupine Meatballs Recipe for the oven here.
How to make pressure cooker porcupine meatballs
In a medium mixing bowl, combine the ground beef, rice, minced onion, salt, pepper, and garlic powder until they are well mixed.
Important ingredient tip: Don’t use ground beef that is too lean with this recipe. I recommend no more lean than 80%. The added moisture from the fat content of the ground beef helps to cook the rice and helps thin the sauce so you don’t get a burn warning.
Form the meat into 1½-inch meatballs. You should get about 16 meatballs of this size.
Pour one can of tomato sauce in the bottom of the pressure cooker pot. If using an 8-quart pot, or if your pot is more prone to the Burn warning, stir one can of water in with the first can of sauce. Place the meatballs in a single layer on top of the sauce.
Pour the remaining two cans of tomato sauce over the top of the meatballs, making sure every meatball has sauce on top (you may need to spoon some of the sauce over them to make sure they are all covered).
If your pot is prone to the Burn warning: I have never personally gotten the Burn warning when making this recipe in my 6-quart pot. However, if you have found from experience that your pot is more prone to the Burn warning, you may want to try this as a pot-in-pot recipe (cook the meatballs and sauce in a smaller heat-proof bowl inside the inner pot on a trivet with at least one cup of water in the bottom of the pot). You can also stir a can of water into the pot with the first can of sauce (recommended for 8-quart pots that require more liquid).
Close and lock the pressure cooker lid, make sure the pressure/steam release switch is set to sealing, and set the cooking time to 15 minutes at high/normal pressure (if using an electric pressure cooker like an Instant Pot; for stovetop pressure cookers, heat over a burner on high heat, set a timer for 15 minutes after the pot has reached pressure, then reduce the heat to low). It will take about 9 minutes for the pot to come to pressure before the cooking time begins.
After the pressure cooking time ends Instant Pots and other electric pressure cookers will automatically turn off their heat (if you are using a stovetop pressure cooker you must remove it from the heat yourself). Allow the pressure to release from the pot naturally for 10 minutes before releasing the remaining pressure using the manufacturer’s quick release method.
Carefully open the lid. Stir the Instant Pot porcupine meatballs so that they are coated in the sauce.
We serve pressure cooker porcupine meatballs over some additional rice with their sauce.
Isn’t it cool how some of the rice pokes out of these Instant Pot porcupine meatballs?
If you like, you can garnish these pressure cooker porcupine meatballs with some dried or fresh oregano leaves.
Yummy! These are a #FabFam family favorite. Here is the full Instant Pot Porcupine Meatballs recipe. Enjoy!
Instant Pot Porcupine Meatballs
Porcupine meatballs may have a curious name, but they are delicious and easy to make. These Instant Pot porcupine meatballs are made with rice instead of breadcrumbs as the starch, and as they cook, the rice pokes out of them like the spikes of a porcupine. This is an adaptation of my family’s porcupine meatballs recipe for the Instant Pot and other pressure cookers. With the magic of the pressure cooker, these pressure cooker porcupine meatballs are done in about half the time required in the oven.
Ingredients
- 1 pound 80% lean ground beef*
- ¾ cup uncooked long-grain white rice
- 1 tablespoon dry minced onion
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
- ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
- 3 (8-ounce) cans tomato sauce, divided
Instructions
- In a medium mixing bowl, combine the ground beef, rice, minced onion, salt, pepper, and garlic powder until well mixed. Form into approximately 16 1½-inch meatballs.
- Pour one can of the tomato sauce in the bottom of the pressure cooker pot (if using an 8-quart pot or if your pot is more sensitive to the Burn warning, I also recommend stirring in one can of water),* then place the meatballs in a single layer on top of the sauce. Pour the remaining two cans of tomato sauce over the top of the meatballs, making sure every meatball has sauce on top (you may need to spoon some of the sauce over them to make sure they are all covered in sauce).
- Close and lock the pressure cooker lid, make sure the pressure/steam release switch is set to sealing, and set the cooking time to 15 minutes at high/normal pressure (if using an electric pressure cooker; for stovetop pressure cookers, heat over a burner on high heat, set a timer for 15 minutes after the pot has reached pressure, then reduce the heat to low). It will take about 9 minutes for the pot to come to pressure before the cooking time begins.
- After the pressure cooking time ends electric pressure cookers will automatically turn off their heat (stovetop pressure cookers must be removed from heat). Allow the pressure to release from the pot naturally for 10 minutes before releasing the remaining pressure using the manufacturer’s quick release method.
- Open the lid and stir the meatballs so that they are coated in the sauce.
Notes
*Important Ingredient Tips:
- Don’t use ground beef that is too lean with this recipe (I recommend no more lean than 80%), or the rice might not cook at the same time as the meat and sauce. The added moisture from the fat content of the ground beef helps to cook the rice and helps thin the sauce so you don't get a burn warning.
- If you are using an 8-quart pot, I recommend stirring 1 can of water into the pot with the first can of tomato sauce to add more liquid.
Oven Instructions: Want to make these in the oven instead? See my classic Porcupine Meatballs recipe.
Leave a Reply