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These porcupine meatballs baked in a rich sour cream and tomato sauce are a perfect mix of deliciousness and nostalgia! And really, who could complain about juicy meatballs in a tangy sauce with a sprinkling of dill? It’s all you need bring smiles to the faces of everyone at your dinner table!
Serve with our creamy Mashed Potatoes or Baked Mashed Potato Casserole with Mushrooms.
Every once in a while, I feel the need to go back to one of the recipes I grew up eating. That’s why you can find recipes like Vareniki and Borscht, and now I’m adding one more.
And here it is, Porcupine Meatballs baked in sour cream and tomato sauce or, as they are known in Russia, ‘Tefteli‘!
My mom made them a lot because there were never complaints when porcupine meatballs were for dinner. They are so delicious with mashed potatoes or if you want to go another traditional route, try them with buckwheat kasha!
Porcupine Meatballs Recipe
If you are not familiar with porcupine meatballs (or “hedgehog meatballs” as they are known in my family), you better listen up because you are going to LOVE them.
They are made with a combination of meat and rice. These meatballs got their name because rice pokes out of them and resembles porcupine quills! The unique look means they are hugely popular with children.
My mother always mixed ground beef and pork for a juicier, more flavourful meatball. However, you can use just ground beef if that is your preference, although it’s not going to be as succulent as one made with a combo.
The creamy tomato sauce they are traditionally cooked in smothers the meatballs and is my personal favourite. Although Eastern Europeans don’t have a monopoly on ‘creamy tomato sauces’, they do it very well!
Recipe Tips and Notes
- Most Eastern European sauces have an onion and carrot base that gives them a slightly sweet and intensely delicious taste. The onions and carrots are cooked in oil and butter for at least 15 minutes until their natural sugars are released and they become caramelised. Don’t rush this step as it is crucial for the authentic taste.
- As I mentioned already, the meatballs themselves are made from a combination of ground beef and pork. The rice that gets mixed in is pre-cooked. I also flavour my meatballs with sautéed onions and carrots.
- Don’t forget to brown the meatballs before you bake them in the sauce. They are not cooked all the way through in this step, just seared on the outside. This add extra flavour and improves the texture of the meatballs.
- Use full fat sour cream as low fat is less stable and tends to separate in a hot oven. Alternatively you can use heavy cream instead.
- Finally there is dill. Dill finds its way in most Eastern European dishes and they are better for it! Feel free to use parsley if you are not a dill fan like me.
Serving Suggestions
Porcupine meatballs are delicious with mashed potatoes. Don’t forget to make them! You’ll want those fluffy potatoes to soak up all that delicious sauce. And of course, sprinkle with dill for a subtle hint of freshness.
I also like to add a simple tomato and cucumber salad when I serve them to my family and friends.
Storage and leftovers
Meatballs in this rich tomato sauce is a hearty dish, so there’s a good chance you’ll have a little leftover. Store what’s left in an This is an affiliate link.airtight container and keep them in the fridge for 2-3 days.
I wouldn’t freeze these meatballs due to the presence of cream in the sauce, which has the tendency to separate when reheated and becomes less pleasant to eat. However, any meatballs that haven’t been put in the sauce can be frozen for up to 3 months.
Just remember that raw then frozen meatballs need to be completely defrosted before cooking to ensure they are safe to eat. Cooked then frozen meatballs do not.
More Meatball Recipes to Try
- Meatballs Stroganoff
- Swedish Meatballs in Cream Sauce
- Bucatini all’Amatriciana
- Meatballs with Marsala Cream Sauce
Porcupine Meatballs in Creamy Tomato Sauce (Tefteli)
Equipment
- This is an affiliate link.Cast iron Dutch oven
Ingredients
For the porcupine meatballs
- 100g / ½ cup rice, uncooked
- 1 tbsp This is an affiliate link.olive oil
- 1 tbsp butter
- 1 large onion, chopped
- 1 large carrot, grated
- 500g / 1 lbs ground beef, extra lean
- 500g / 1 lbs ground pork, extra lean
- 1 tbsp fresh dill, chopped
- 2 tsp salt
- ½ tsp pepper
For the creamy tomato sauce
- 1 tbsp This is an affiliate link.olive oil
- 1 tbsp butter
- 1 large onion, chopped
- 1 large carrot, grated
- 2 cloves of garlic, minced
- 1 tbsp fresh dill, chopped
- 400g / 14oz This is an affiliate link.canned tomatoes
- 250ml / 1 cup This is an affiliate link.chicken stock
- 3 tbsp sour cream, full fat
- salt
Instructions
- Cook rice in plenty of water the same way you would cook pasta until al dente. Rice shouldn't be too soft, which should take about 5 minutes. Drain and set aside.
- In a frying pan heat olive oil and butter. Cook onions and carrots over low heat for 10 minutes until tender.
- In a large bowl combine beef, pork, dill, onions, carrots, rice, salt and pepper. Roll meatballs, then brown them on all sides in a little oil but don't cook all the way through. Set aside.
- In a large and deep pan cook onions and carrots in olive oil and butter over low heat for at least 15 minutes until tender and caramelised, add minced garlic and cook for a few seconds while stirring, add dill, pureed plum tomatoes and stock, turn the heat up and bring to a boil.
- Take off the heat and stir in sour cream. Return the meatballs back to the pan and spoon the sauce over them. The sauce should nearly cover them. If it doesn’t, add more stock.
- Bake covered at 300℉/165℃ for 40 minutes, then uncover and bake 10 minutes longer. (If baked at a higher temperature sour cream tends to separate!)
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
cooked these bad boys up last night , have not used fresh dill before as i dont eat fish and haven’t had a recipe with this ingredient another delicious recipe 🙂
So glad you loved it, Amber!! 🙂
Amazing!!
My kids love these meatballs and I love the sauce! Thanks for sharing your childhood memory😊
My pleasure, Ann! I am happy to know they will become other kids’ childhood memory as well!
My husband is from Russia and I wanted to surprise him last night cooking something authentic. He was blown away! He said it tasted like his childhood. Thank you so much for this recipe! I cannot wait to make more of yours!!!!
Your comment seriously made my day, Marisa! So happy to hear this recipe brought happy memories to your husband! Please feel free to explore the Russian section of my website. 🙂
I am native Russian and I always enjoy Tefteli… I do make them a little different but this recipe is quite authentic and similar to what my family has been using for generations. Hope everyone enjoys this. Thank you
Making this delicious recipe tonight. Just seeing if you sprinkle cheese over the top in the last 10mins of cooking? So can’t wait to try it once it’s done.
I usually don’t add cheese to these meatballs but it’s an excellent idea, Haeli!
I can’t wait to make this more sophisticated version of a childhood favorite. You have become a favorite site for site for recipes. After trying your Beef Stroganoff recipe, which was delicious, I have pinned many more recipes to try. I enjoy the way “talk” the reader through each recipe. I look forward to many hours of cooking with you!
Thank you so much, Rachel! I really appreciate your feedback. I am thrilled you enjoy my recipes.
Thanks for great recipe!
I have a question. Is the rice used in this recipe either long-grain rice or short-grain rice?
because it is very hard to find long-grain rice in my country.
Hi Ted, it doesn’t really make a difference what rice you use in this recipe. I used basmati only because is what I had. Feel free to use any rice you like or can find.