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Venison Porcupine Meatballs

Venison porcupine meatballs deliver rich, savory flavors and tender, juicy bites that the whole family will love.

Prep Time
15 mins
Cook Time
15 mins
Total Time
1 hr
Servings: 18 meatballs
Calories: 111 kcal
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: American

Ingredients

Meatballs:
  • 1 lb ground venison
  • 1 tablespoon salted butter
  • ½ cup long-grain white rice (uncooked)
  • 1 large egg
  • 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce 
  • ½ yellow onion, grated
  • 2 teaspoon garlic, minced
  • 1 teaspoon dried thyme
  • 1 teaspoon dried parsley
  • ¾ teaspoon table salt
  • ½ teaspoon paprika
  • ½ teaspoon black pepper
Sauce:
  • 1 can tomato puree (28 oz)
  • ½ cup stock (wild game, beef, etc.)
  • 3 tablespoon salted butter
  • 2 tablespoon brown sugar
  • 2 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce 
  • 1 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1 teaspoon onion powder
  • 1 teaspoon table salt
  • chopped fresh parsley (optional, for garnish)

Instructions

    Cup of Yum
  1. Thaw ground venison in a paper towel-lined bowl in the fridge to remove excess moisture. This will help the meatballs stick together.
  2. Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease a 9x13 baking pan with butter.
  3. Melt 1 tablespoon of butter in a medium skillet. Add rice. Stir to coat and cook for 4-5 minutes, or until the rice is golden brown and fragrant, stirring frequently. Transfer the rice to a medium bowl to cool while you prep the remaining ingredients.
  4. To the medium bowl with the rice, add the remaining meatball ingredients.
  5. Gently combine the meatball ingredients with your hands.
  6. Using a cookie scoop, portion the meatball mixture into 18 even balls.
  7. Gently roll each meatball with your hands until it is a more uniform ball. Place the meatballs in the greased pan, evenly spaced.
  8. Combine all sauce ingredients (except fresh parsley) in a medium bowl. Pour the sauce over the meatballs in the pan.
  9. Tightly cover the pan with aluminum foil. Bake for 45 minutes to 1 hour, or until the internal temperature of the meatballs reaches 165°F and the sauce is bubbly and fragrant.
  10. Serve meatballs on their own or over rice or mashed potatoes. Garnish with fresh parsley. Enjoy!

Notes

  • Ground venison can be replaced with any ground meat of your choosing. A lot of venison meatball recipes call for ground pork but these meatballs are so tender and flavorful, you don't need the extra moisture from pork fat!
  • Long-grain white rice is an essential ingredient for porcupine meatballs. Rice acts as the starch that helps hold the meatballs together, like bread crumbs in regular venison meatballs. You can use other types of rice but you will likely need to adjust the cooking time depending on the type of rice used.
  • Most porcupine meatball recipes call for tomato sauce which is essentially tomato puree with a few seasonings. I like to start with a clean slate with pure tomato puree and add my own seasonings. If you choose to use tomato sauce, you may need to adjust the seasonings to your liking.
  • Don’t overmix the meat mixture. Gently combine the ingredients to avoid making the meatballs too dense. This keeps them light, tender, and juicy while allowing the rice to puff up and create that classic “porcupine” texture!
  • Ground venison can be replaced with any ground meat of your choosing. A lot of venison meatball recipes call for ground pork but these meatballs are so tender and flavorful, you don't need the extra moisture from pork fat!
  • Long-grain white rice is an essential ingredient for porcupine meatballs. Rice acts as the starch that helps hold the meatballs together, like bread crumbs in regular venison meatballs. You can use other types of rice but you will likely need to adjust the cooking time depending on the type of rice used.
  • Most porcupine meatball recipes call for tomato sauce which is essentially tomato puree with a few seasonings. I like to start with a clean slate with pure tomato puree and add my own seasonings. If you choose to use tomato sauce, you may need to adjust the seasonings to your liking.
  • Don’t overmix the meat mixture. Gently combine the ingredients to avoid making the meatballs too dense. This keeps them light, tender, and juicy while allowing the rice to puff up and create that classic “porcupine” texture!

Nutrition Information

Calories 111kcal (6%) Carbohydrates 10g (3%) Protein 7g (14%) Fat 5g (8%) Saturated Fat 3g (15%) Polyunsaturated Fat 0.3g Monounsaturated Fat 1g Trans Fat 0.1g Cholesterol 36mg (12%) Sodium 313mg (13%) Potassium 323mg (9%) Fiber 1g (4%) Sugar 4g (8%) Vitamin A 324IU (6%) Vitamin C 5mg (6%) Calcium 21mg (2%) Iron 2mg (11%)

Nutrition Facts

Serving: 18meatballs

Amount Per Serving

Calories 111

% Daily Value*

Calories 111kcal 6%
Carbohydrates 10g 3%
Protein 7g 14%
Fat 5g 8%
Saturated Fat 3g 15%
Polyunsaturated Fat 0.3g 2%
Monounsaturated Fat 1g 5%
Trans Fat 0.1g 5%
Cholesterol 36mg 12%
Sodium 313mg 13%
Potassium 323mg 7%
Fiber 1g 4%
Sugar 4g 8%
Vitamin A 324IU 6%
Vitamin C 5mg 6%
Calcium 21mg 2%
Iron 2mg 11%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.