These porcupine meatballs in cream sauce are tender, juicy meatballs made with ground chicken and rice, then baked and simmered in a rich cream sauce. They’re quick to prep, packed with comforting flavor, and perfect served over mashed potatoes, pasta, or rice for a cozy, filling dinner.
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💡Recipe Overview
- Prep and Cook Time: 10 minutes to prep and 35 minutes cooking time
- Cooking Method: Oven-baked, Stove-top
- Tools Needed: sheet pan, skillet
What is an ancestral diet? Read my post on what nourishing foods are based on the traditional dietary principles of the Weston A. Price Foundation.
Reasons to Love these Porcupine Meatballs in Cream Sauce
First, let's clear something up - no actual porcupines were harmed in the making of this dinner.
These meatballs get their name from the little rice "spikes" that poke out as they bake, giving them that funny (and kind of cute?) porcupine look.
But heads up: that only happens if you use long grain white rice. Short grain stays hidden, so you'll get all the flavor but none of the porcupine flaire. Still tasty, just a little less spiky.
Traditionally, porcupine meatballs are made with a tomato-based sauce, but I put my own spin on it and went full comfort mode with a rich, garlicky cream sauce instead. And honestly? I think it's better than the original.
Ingredients Needed
This is just a quick preview at the ingredients and steps - keep scrolling for the full printable recipe below.
For the Meatballs:
- Ground chicken - Any other ground meat works but I prefer chicken because it's tender and has good flavor.
- White rice - Uncooked long-grain white rice
- Yellow onion - grated or finely chopped
- Egg - whisked
- Seasonings like Italian seasoning, garlic powder, onion powder, sea salt, and black pepper
For the Cream Sauce:
- Butter - Salted or unsalted, doesn't matter. If using salted, hold back the salt a bit so it's not overly salted.
- Garlic - a few garlic cloves (fresh is best!)
- Thyme sprigs - I love fresh but dried thyme works too
- Cream cheese - room temperature, plain or savory flavored like chives and garlic
- Chicken broth - homemade is always ideal - make your own using my whole chicken broth recipe or chicken feet broth.
- Heavy cream - to thin out the sauce a bit. Half and half works great too.
- Dijon mustard
- Sea salt
Make it Ancestral
Swap the ground chicken for an ancestral blend that includes organ meats like liver and heart. It's a simple way to boost nutrient-density without changing the flavor much - especially with that creamy sauce going in.
How to Make Porcupine Meatballs
Step 1. Add
In a large bowl, add the ground meat, uncooked rice, chopped onion, egg, Italian seasoning, garlic powder, onion powder, sea salt, and black pepper.
Step 2. Combine
Mix until everything is evenly combined.
Step 3. Roll
Using your hands, form the mixture into meatballs, about 1-inch in size. Place them on a single layer on a parchment-paper lined baking sheet.
Step 4. Bake
Bake the meatballs in the preheated oven for about 20-25 minutes, or until they are cooked through and lightly browned.
Step 5. Saute
While the meatballs are baking, melt butter in a large deep skillet over medium heat. Add the minced garlic and thyme leaves, and sauté for about 1 minute, until fragrant.
Step 6. Whisk
Lower the heat to medium-low and add the cream cheese to the saucepan, whisking until it melts and combines with the butter. Gradually add the broth and heavy cream, whisking continuously until smooth and creamy.
Step 7. Simmer
Stir in the Dijon mustard and salt. Let the sauce simmer on low heat for about 5-10 minutes, allowing it to thicken and develop flavor.
Step 8. Add
Once the meatballs are done baking, remove them from the oven and add them to the cream sauce in the saucepan. Stir to coat and simmer for an additional few minutes.
Helpful Tips
- Don't overwork the meat - Make sure to mix the meatball ingredients evenly, but don't overwork the meat to keep them tender.
- Thin the sauce - If the cream sauce becomes too thick while simmering, add more chicken broth or cream to reach your desired consistency.
- Check internal temperature - Check the meatballs with a meat thermometer to ensure they reach 160°F for safe eating.
- Easy clean-up - Use parchment paper to prevent the meatballs from sticking to the baking sheet and make clean-up easier.
Troubleshooting
- Meatballs aren't holding their shape? Make sure you're using enough egg to bind them, or refrigerate the mixture for 10-15 minutes before forming the meatballs.
- Meatballs too dry? They may have been overbaked. Make sure to keep an eye on them while baking and check the internal temperature.
💭Meal Prep Suggestion!
This recipe is so easy to meal prep. Double the meatball mixture, form the meatballs, and freeze them raw on a parchment-lined tray. Once solid, transfer them to a zip-top freezer bag. When needed, pull out as many as you need, bake straing from frozen (just add a few extra minute) and smother them in whatever sauce you have.
Serving Suggestions
This porcupine meatballs recipe is super versatile, so you've got options:
Mashed potatoes: Classic and cozy. That creamy sauce was basically made for soaking into fluffy spuds. Yukon gold mashed potatoes will forever be my favorite but mashed red potatoes (recipe coming soon) work too.
Rice: Yes, there's rice in the meatballs, but doubling down is never a bad idea. Especially, when it's bone broth rice (double the nutrition!).
Butter pasta: Egg noodles or FMF (short for fresh milled flour) homemade pasta is a total dream! Quick, simple, and so satisfying.
Roasted vegetables: Think butter cabbage, roasted carrots with garlic, or roasted red cabbage steaks.
Frequently Asked Questions
Store leftover porcupine meatballs in an airtight container for up to 4 days. These glass snap containers are perfect for leftovers. To reheat, transfer the meatballs to a small saucepan along with the cream sauce and add a splash or broth and warm over medium-high heat, stirring often.
Brown rice takes longer to cook and may not soften enough inside the meatballs. For best results, stick with uncooked white rice.
Looking for more protein-heavy recipes? Here are some ideas:
Did you make this porcupine meatballs recipe? Please leave a ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ recipe rating in the recipe card below and leave a review in the comments. Thank you!💚
Printable Recipe
Porcupine Meatballs in Cream Sauce
Ingredients
Meatballs
- 1 pound ground chicken
- ½ cup white rice, uncooked
- ½ yellow onion grated or finely chopped
- 1 egg whisked
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- ½ teaspoon sea salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
Cream Sauce
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 2 garlic cloves minced
- 4 sprigs fresh thyme
- 4 ounces cream cheese plain or savory flavored, softened
- ½ cup chicken broth
- ½ cup heavy cream
- 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
- ½ teaspoon sea salt or to taste
Instructions
Meatballs
- Preheat oven to 375°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or lightly grease it with cooking spray.
- In a large bowl, combine the 1 pound ground chicken, ½ cup white rice, uncooked, chopped or grated ½ yellow onion, 1 egg, 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning, 1 teaspoon garlic powder, ½ teaspoon onion powder, ½ teaspoon sea salt, and ¼ teaspoon black pepper. Mix until everything is evenly combined.
- Using your hands, form the mixture into meatballs, about 1-inch in size. Place them on a single layer on the prepare baking sheet.
- Bake the meatballs in the preheated oven for about 20-25 minutes, or until they are cooked through and lightly browned. You can check the internal temperature with an instant read meat thermometer and cook until it reaches 160°F.
Cream Sauce
- While the meatballs are baking, melt 2 tablespoons butter in a large deep skillet over medium heat. Add minced 2 garlic cloves and 4 sprigs fresh thyme leaves and saute for about 1 minute until fragrant, being careful not to burn the garlic.
- Lower the heat to medium-low and add the 4 ounces cream cheese to the saucepan, whisking until it melts and combines with the butter. Gradually add the ½ cup chicken broth and ½ cup heavy cream, whisking continuously until smooth and creamy.
- Stir in the 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard and ½ teaspoon sea salt. Let the sauce simmer on low heat for about 5-10 minutes, allowing it to thicken and develop flavor. Add more broth or cream if the sauce becomes too thick.
- Once the meatballs are done baking, remove them from the oven and add them to the cream sauce in the saucepan and toss to coat. Simmer for an additional 5 minutes to combine.
- Garnish with fresh herbs and serve immediately.
Notes
- Don't overwork the meat - Make sure to mix the meatball ingredients evenly, but don't overwork the meat to keep them tender.
- Thin the sauce - If the cream sauce becomes too thick while simmering, add more chicken broth or cream to reach your desired consistency.
- Check internal temperature - Check the meatballs with a meat thermometer to ensure they reach 160°F for safe eating.
- Easy clean-up - Use parchment paper to prevent the meatballs from sticking to the baking sheet and make clean-up easier.
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