This savory meatballs and rice recipe is ready to serve in under 30 minutes and is loaded with comforting flavors the whole family will love.
Tender homemade meatballs are pan-seared to build a wonderfully delicious crust, then simmered in a thyme-infused cream sauce, and served over fluffy rice. This easy dinner is cozy comfort food at its best!
Ingredients & Substitutions
- Ground pork - Lean ground beef or ground veal can be substituted or mixed in.
- Plain breadcrumbs - Breadcrumbs are needed to make the meatballs tender, but you can still make meatballs without breadcrumbs if you run out.
- Grated Parmesan cheese
- Large egg - You can make meatballs without eggs in a pinch.
- Milk - Heavy cream can be substituted.
- Tomato paste
- Garlic cloves
- Salt
- Worcestershire sauce
- Fresh ground black pepper
- Italian seasoning - Fresh parsley or thyme is a good substitute.
- Long grain white rice - You can substitute your favorite rice, but you will need to adjust the cooking time according to the package instructions. Brown rice will require considerably longer cooking time.
- Chicken stock - Chicken broth can be substituted.
- Butter
- All-purpose flour
- Fresh thyme
- Garlic powder
- Onion powder
How to make it
Make this easy meatballs and rice recipe by first preparing your meatball mixture. Crumble the ground pork into a large bowl and then add all of the remaining ingredients. Mix well to combine the mixture.
Form the meat mixture into meatballs by scooping two tablespoons of the mixture into your hands, then rolling each ball between your palms to form a ball. This is best done with wet hands, to prevent sticking.
Place the meatballs into a large skillet set over medium heat. Cook the meatballs until a brown crust forms, turning every couple of minutes, until the meatballs are cooked through. Then remove them from the skillet.
While the meatballs cook, prepare your rice in a separate saucepan with the chicken stock and salt. Bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce the heat to low and cook until the liquid is absorbed and the rice is tender (approximately 15 minutes).
Prepare the sauce by reducing the heat to medium-low, then melt butter in the skillet. Next, add the flour, salt, black pepper, onion powder, and garlic powder and whisk to combine with the butter, while also scraping any cooked-on bits from the bottom of the pan.
Cook the butter mixture for two minutes while whisking to prevent the flour from scorching. Then slowly add the chicken stock and milk, while continuing to whisk to prevent lumps from forming. Once all of the liquid has been added, place the fresh thyme sprig in the sauce, along with the meatballs.
Bring the sauce to a gentle simmer and cook for 5-10 minutes or until it thickens. Serve the tender meatballs and cream sauce over rice.
Storing & Reheating Leftovers
Leftover meatballs and rice should be stored separately in an airtight container to prevent the rice from getting mushy. Leftovers can be easily reheated in a microwave until warmed through and should be enjoyed within one week.
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Meatballs and Rice
Ingredients
Meatballs
- 1 pound ground pork (you can use ground beef or a mixture of both)
- ½ cup plain bread crumbs
- ¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese
- 1 large egg (beaten)
- 3 tablespoons milk
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- ¾ teaspoon table salt
- ½ teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
- ¾ teaspoon Italian seasoning
Rice
- 1 cup white rice (uncooked)
- 2 cups chicken stock
- ½ teaspoon table salt
Sauce
- 1 cup chicken stock
- 1 cup milk
- 3 tablespoons butter
- 3 tablespoons flour
- ¼ teaspoon table salt
- ⅛ teaspoon ground black pepper
- ⅛ teaspoon garlic powder
- ⅛ teaspoon onion powder
- 1 sprig thyme
Instructions
Meatballs
- Crumble the ground pork into a large bowl and add the breadcrumbs, Parmesan cheese, egg, milk, tomato paste, minced garlic, salt, Worcestershire sauce, black pepper, and Italian seasoning.
- Combine the meat mixture together with clean hands.
- Scoop out 2 tablespoons of the meatball mixture with a spoon or cookie scoop, then roll it between the palms of your hands to form into a meatball. Repeat until each meatball has been formed.
- Set a large saute pan over medium heat and add the meatballs. Cook the meatballs on each side for 2-3 minutes, or until a brown crust forms. Continue cooking until the meatballs have been cooked through. Then remove them from the saute pan and set them aside.
Rice
- While the meatballs cook, pour the chicken stock into a saucepan and add the white rice and salt.
- Bring the mixture to a gentle simmer, cover with a lid, and cook on low for 15 minutes or until all of the liquid has been absorbed and the rice is tender.
Sauce
- Reduce the stovetop to medium low heat and melt butter in the saute pan with the meat drippings. Sprinkle in the flour, salt, black pepper, garlic powder, and onion powder. Whisk the mixture together to form a roux and continue to cook for two minutes while whisking.
- Add the chicken stock and milk a couple of splashes at a time, whisking the liquid in as you go. Continue until all of the liquid has been added. Then add the sprig of thyme and bring the sauce to a gentle simmer.
- Place the meatballs into the sauce and cook for 5-10 minutes, or until the sauce thickens into a thin gravy.
- Serve by placing rice on a plate with meatballs and sauce ladled on top.
Celeste Gowens
Nice flavor & came together quickly! Thank you
Celeste
Really tasty comfort food that we all ate up including my 3 year old. I followed the recipe exactly except for subbing dried thyme instead of fresh. An easy meal that was ready quickly with ingredients I had on hand. Thank you!