Creamy Instant Pot Porcupine Meatballs

Our good Creamy Instant Pot Porcupine Meatballs are filled with rice and full of flavor, topped with a rich creamy white sauce and cooked to perfection. These easy creamy meatballs aren't actually made from porcupines. The name comes from the pieces of rice cooked into the meatballs. They make a quick, good dinner in less that 30 minutes.

The original recipe came from the Great Depression-era, and required only a few basic ingredients: ground beef, rice, and canned soup. It could easily be augmented with other ingredients as the fortunes or your pantry dictated.

At Avdaye, we add lots of tips in all of our recipes – because we are a home cook without any formal training, and we find we are more confident making dishes when we understand why it works, and what each ingredient means to the flavor of a recipe. Our goal is for even the most beginner home cook to feel empowered in the kitchen.

How to Make Creamy Pressure Cooker Porcupine Meatballs

This dish was a favorite of our husband's grandpa who grew up during the Depression-era in Kansas. His family subsititutied canned cream of mushroom soup for the more traditional for the time canned tomato soup.

Porcupine Meatball ingredients

To make this recipe, you'll need:

• Ground Beef – Use 80/20 ground beef. That number indicates the meat-to-fat ratio of that particular blend of ground beef. The first number is the percentage of beef, the second number is the percentage of fat included in the blend. 80/20 ground beef is the classic burger blend, because it includes enough fat to provide extra flavor and
• White rice – Uncooked white rice can last for decades if properly stored in airtight containers. Brown rice is only shelf stable for three to six months, after which the brown fibrous outer husk begins to oxidize.
• Cream of mushroom soup – Cream of mushroom soup is an American staple. The first commercially available cans were sold in 1934. It's been called 'America's bechamel' as the base for the soup is the same milk and whit roux of butter and flour as the classic French “white” sauce.
• Water – Canned soup like cream of mushroom soup is condensed, which means it is reduced to remove much of the water to take up less packaging. The water will reconstitute the soup to a proper consistency, as well as adding the needed liquid to properly operate the pressure future of your pressure cooker.
• Salt and pepper – use a high-quality sea salt and freshly cracked pepper for the best flavor.

Steps to Make Porcupine Meatbals

Once you've gathered your ingredients, use the following method:

Assemble the ingredients.

Prepare the Meatball Mixture

In a large bowl, combine the ground beef, rice and salt and pepper.

Form Meatballs

Once the meat and rice and mixed together, roll the meat into balls, approximately the size of a golf ball.

Prep Wet Ingredients

In your Instant Pot or Ninja Foodi pressure cooker, add the can of cream of mushroom soup and half a can of water. Mix the two together thoroughly.

Add Meatballs

Add your meatballs to the liquid in your Instant Pot or Ninja Foodi pressure cooker. Follow the directions on your cooker to prepare it for pressure cooking mode. On the Instant Pot or Ninja Foodie, switch the cooking selector to “Pressure” mode, and set the time for 20 minutes. Put on the Ninja pressure cooker lid and hit the start button.

Cook and Release Pressure

Let the pressure cooker come to pressure and cook for 20 minutes. Once the pressure cooker cycle has completed, allow the machine to remain warm, under pressure for 5 minutes. Once the 5 minute cycle is complete, flip the pressure release valve on the lid from “Pressure” to “Release” and allow the pressure to dissipate.

Kitchen notes

Make sure you have enough liquid. As with all pressure cooker recipes, it's important to make sure you have enough liquid in your cooker to create the correct amount of pressure to cook your meatballs.

Be careful when you release the pressure. The steam coming out of the pressure cooker is hot, in excess of 200F. Keep the your fingers and arms clear of the vent when you begin to release the pressure.

Use 80/20 ground beef for best texture. A little fat goes a long way—80/20 beef keeps the meatballs juicy and helps the rice cook evenly inside.

Keep meatballs uniform in size. Aim for golf ball–sized portions so they cook evenly and finish at the same time in the Instant Pot.

Serve with something to soak up the sauce. Mashed potatoes, rice, or crusty bread are suited to catching all that creamy gravy goodness.

Serve it with

These meatballs are great served with rice or egg noodles on the side.

Garlic Butter Roast Potatoes are a great “meat-and-potatoes” pairing that goes well with these creamy meatballs – so do our The Best Easy Air Fryer French Fries Recipe.

Salads pair well with these meatballs too. Great choices are our Easy Wedge Salad or our roasted sweet potato and goat cheese salad.

You can also browse our best easy side dishes:

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IP Porcupine Meatball Recipe FAQ's

Can we use ground turkey instead of beef?

Yes! You can use ground turkey but remember that turkey is a lot leaner than beef. We recommend adding a few tablespoons of bacon fat or butter if you opt for turkey. If you don't add additional fat remember that the meatballs will be drier and not as rich.

Can we make this without a pressure cooker?

Yes! A pressure cooker is ideal for this recipe, but you can recreate the effect of a pressure cooker using a slow cooker or with a pan on the stovetop. If you use a pan on the stovetop add about 1/8 cup of water to keep a moister environment and keep the lid on to let them steam. Both of these alternatives will take longer to cook the meatballs.

Can we use ground turkey instead of beef?

Yes! Ground turkey works well, but consider adding a little fat (like a splash of cream or oil) to keep the meatballs moist

Can we use brown rice?

Not recommended unless it's pre-cooked brown rice takes significantly longer to cook than white rice and may stay crunchy.

How do we keep our meatballs from falling apart?

Make sure the mixture is well combined, don't skip the rice, and avoid moving them too much while cooking.

Can we double this recipe in the Instant Pot?

Yes, but don't overcrowd the pot stack gently and ensure there's enough liquid so everything cooks evenly.

Can we make this recipe without an Instant Pot?

Yes these can be baked or simmered on the stovetop, though cooking time will be longer.

How do we store leftovers?

Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3–4 days, or freeze for up to 2 months.

Can we freeze porcupine meatballs?

Absolutely! Freeze them in the sauce for best results, then thaw and reheat gently on the stovetop or microwave.

Ingredients

• 1 lb ground beef
• ½ cup rice
• 10.5 oz cream of mushroom soup, 1 can
• ½ cup water
• salt and pepper, to taste
• bread, Sliced

Method

1. In a large bowl, combine the ground beef, rice and salt and pepper.
2. Once the meat and rice and mixed together, roll the meat into balls, approximately the size of a golf ball.
3. In your Instant Pot or Ninja Foodi pressure cooker, add the can of cream of mushroom soup and half a can of water. Mix the two together thoroughly.
4. Add your meatballs to the liquid in your Instant Pot or Ninja Foodi pressure cooker. Follow the directions on your cooker to prepare it for pressure cooking mode.
5. On the Instant Pot or Ninja Foodie, switch the cooking selector to “Pressure” mode, and set the time for 20 minutes. Put on the Ninja pressure cooker lid and hit the start button. Let the pressure cooker come to pressure and cook for 20 minutes. Once the pressure cooker cycle has completed, allow the machine to remain warm, under pressure for 5 minutes.
6. Once the 5 minute cycle is complete, flip the pressure release valve on the lid from “Pressure” to “Release” and allow the pressure to dissipate. This will probably take a couple of minutes. Be careful to keep your hand clear of the steam as it is hot!
7. Once the pressure is released, open the lid and remove the meatballs and sauce to enjoy! Add to rice, egg noodles or crusty bread and dig in!