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I’ve got a cozy, old-fashioned recipe for you today: 4-Ingredient Slow Cooker Porcupine Meatballs. If you grew up eating porcupines—meatballs made with ground beef, rice, and tomato soup—you’ll remember how simple and satisfying they are.
This lighter, WW-friendly version is a perfect easy weeknight dinner that feels like classic comfort food without being heavy. Made in the slow cooker, it’s also a great make-ahead family meal on a budget.
What I love most is that these porcupine meatballs with rice and tomato soup come together with just a few pantry staples. Dinner doesn’t have to be complicated to be delicious, especially when you’re craving the kind of old-fashioned comfort food we all grew up with.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Just 4 ingredients – Ground beef, rice, egg, and tomato soup come together to make an easy family dinner.
- Slow cooker ease – Let your crock pot do the work. These porcupine meatballs simmer low and slow until tender and full of flavor.
- Old-fashioned comfort food made lighter – All the nostalgic taste of the meatballs we grew up with, but slimmed down to be more WW friendly.
- Budget-friendly – A pound of ground beef and a few pantry staples stretch into a hearty, satisfying meal.
- Flexible cooking options– If you’d rather not use your slow cooker, these meatballs can also be baked in the oven.
Ingredients and Substitutions
- Lean Ground Beef – The classic choice for porcupine meatballs. Using lean beef keeps the dish lighter and more Weight Watchers friendly.
Substitution: Try ground turkey or chicken for a lower fat option, or even a mix of beef and pork for richer flavor. - Uncooked Rice – Traditionally, long-grain white rice is used. As the meatballs cook, the rice expands, creating the “porcupine” texture.
Substitution: Brown rice works too, but you may need to increase cooking time slightly. - Egg – Acts as the binder to hold the meatballs together.
Substitution: For egg-free diets, use a flaxseed egg or another favorite egg replacer. - Tomato Soup – A can of condensed tomato soup gives the meatballs their rich, tangy sauce.
Substitution: Use tomato bisque, marinara, or even homemade tomato sauce if you prefer. - Seasonings – Onion powder, garlic powder, salt, and black pepper add simple, classic flavor.
Substitution: Fresh chopped onion and garlic work great if you want to take the flavor up a notch.
Step-by-Step Instructions
Slow Cooker Method (recommended):
- In a large bowl, combine the ground beef, uncooked rice, egg, seasonings (onion powder, garlic powder, salt, pepper), and mix gently until just combined.
- Shape the mixture into evenly sized meatballs, about 1½ inches each.
- Place the meatballs in a lightly greased slow cooker in a single layer.
- Pour the condensed tomato soup (or tomato bisque) evenly over the top.
- Cover and cook on LOW for 4 to 5 hours, or until the meatballs are fully cooked through and the rice is tender.
Oven Method:
- Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C).
- Mix and form the meatballs as described above.
- Arrange the meatballs in a greased baking dish and pour the tomato soup or sauce over them.
- Cover tightly with foil and bake for about 1 hour, or until the meatballs are cooked through and the rice is tender.
Recipe Notes
- Meat Choices: Traditional porcupine meatballs are made with ground beef, but you can also use ground turkey or chicken to lighten them up even more. Ground pork works too if that’s what you have on hand.
- Soup Options: The classic recipe uses condensed tomato soup. I like using Amy’s Organic Tomato Bisque for extra flavor, but any condensed tomato soup will work. You could also try a can of tomato sauce or crushed tomatoes for a less creamy version.
- Rice Tips: Be sure to use uncooked long-grain white rice. Quick-cooking rice will turn mushy, and brown rice won’t cook through in the same time.
- Texture Tip: Mix the meat gently so the meatballs stay tender. Overmixing can make them tough.
- Cooking Time: Slow cookers can vary. Start checking for doneness around the 4-hour mark. Meatballs should be cooked through and the rice should be soft.
- Oven Option: If you don’t want to use the slow cooker, bake them in the oven at 350°F for about 1 hour, covered with foil.
WW Points and Nutritional Information
To keep these old-fashioned porcupine meatballs lighter and Weight Watchers friendly, I used lean ground beef and a lighter tomato bisque.
According to my calculations, each serving has about 278 calories.
To see your WW Points for this recipe, track it in the WW App!
(You must be logged into WW on a smartphone or tablet.)
Old WW Points: 7 PointsPlus
Serving Suggestions
These crock pot porcupine meatballs make a hearty main dish the whole family will enjoy. Here are some easy ways to round out your meal:
- Classic comfort: Serve with creamy low-calorie mashed potatoes and a green veggie like broccoli or green beans.
- Lighter option: Pair with cauliflower rice or zucchini noodles to keep points lower.
- Family favorite: Spoon over cooked rice, egg noodles, or pasta for a cozy, filling dinner.
- Meal prep friendly: Pack individual portions with a side salad for easy WW lunchboxes during the week.
If you like these old-fashioned slow cooker porcupine meatballs, be sure to check out my other easy healthy Weight Watchers friendly meatball recipes including Slow Cooker French Onion Meatballs, WW Spaghetti and Chicken Meatballs, Slow Cooker Hawaiian Meatballs, Slow Cooker Cranberry Meatballs, Slow Cooker Sweet and Sour BBQ Meatballs and Instant Pot Italian Turkey Meatballs
If you’ve made this Crock Pot Porcupine Meatballs, please give the recipe a star rating below and leave a comment letting me know how you liked it. And stay in touch on Pinterest, Facebook, Instagram and Twitter for the latest updates.
WW Friendly Slow Cooker Porcupine Meatballs Recipe
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 pound 95% lean ground beef
- 1/2 cup cooked rice
- 1 egg
- 2 tablespoons dried onion flakes (optional)
- 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder (optional)
- Salt and pepper, to taste
- 1 can tomato soup (I used Amy’s Organic Chunky Tomato Bisque (affiliate link))
Instructions
- Ideal slow cooker size: 4-Quart.
- In a bowl, combine the ground beef, rice, egg and seasonings in a bowl and mix well.
- Roll mixture into 16 balls (aka “porcupines”).
- Place meatballs in the slow cooker, trying to keep them in a single layer if you can.
- Pour on the soup. (If you are using a condensed soup you’ll want to thin it with 1/2 can of water before pouring on.)
- Cover and cook on LOW for 4 to 6 hours, or until the meatballs are cooked through.
- Alternatively, you can place the meatballs in a single layer in a casserole dish (affiliate link), pour on the soup and bake in a 350F degree oven for about 1 hour, until the meatballs are cooked through and soup/sauce is bubbly.
Notes
(Must be logged into WW on a smartphone or tablet.) 6 SmartPoints (Green plan) 6 SmartPoints (Blue plan) 6 SmartPoints (Purple plan) 7 PointsPlus (Old plan) The original 4-ingredient recipe called for just ground beef, cooked rice, egg and canned condensed tomato soup. I added a little dried onion, garlic powder, salt and pepper to the mix. I carefully placed the uncooked meatballs in my 4-Quart oval slow cooker, poured the soup on top and let them cook on LOW for about 4-1/2 hours. If you prefer, you could bake them in a 350F degree oven for about one hour instead.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Source: inspired by 4 Ingredients: More Than 400 Quick, Easy, and Delicious Recipes Using 4 or Fewer Ingredients (affiliate link) by Kim McCosker and Rachael Bermingham
This video shows how easy it is to make your own crock pot porcupine meatballs at home:
More Weight Watchers Friendly Meatball Recipes
If you enjoyed these easy slow cooker porcupine meatballs, here are a few more WW-friendly meatball recipes you might like:
- For something with a little kick, try my Low Calorie Sriracha Meatballs delicious with ground turkey or chicken.
- Try my Slow Cooker French Onion Meatballs, a simple 2-ingredient recipe that’s perfect for busy weeknights.
- These 5-Ingredient Lemon Pepper Meatballs are light, zesty, and ready in no time.
- Cocktail size Low Calorie Thai Green Curry Turkey Meatballs are very versatile and can be made ahead, frozen and reheated.
- Slow Cooker Cranberry Meatballs make a great appetizer served right out of the crock pot with toothpicks on the side, or for dinner with mashed potatoes and broccoli.
I made this for my family and they loved it! Thank you!
Quick question. Recipe calls for cooked rice but the allrecipe video says use uncooked rice. Which is it?
follow the recipe 🙂
I have made these recipe more times that I can count! Easy and delicious!
Martha, can you post the old style recipe please ?
Hi Judy, I used this one from an Old Betty Crocker Cookbook which I found on AllRecipes: https://www.allrecipes.com/recipe/218493/melindas-porcupine-meatballs/
I’ve made porcupine meatballs for 45 years. Always a delicious dish. For added flavor, add beef a Knorr’s beef boullion cube and approximately 1 tbsp of worcestershire sauce to the soup. I cook mine in a pressure cooker – once the thing starts rocking, set the timer for 12 – 14 minutes.
Enjoy!
can you tell me the complete recipe. I used to make them years and years ago but lost the recipe.
These look excellent! Pinning them to try sometime soon 🙂 Since I’m trying to use up half a jar of marinara in my fridge, any thoughts on whether a tomato sauce would work for this too? Or perhaps half tomato sauce half milk, to get that bisque sort of quality?
Hi Tori, This is a very flexible recipe. I think marinara sauce would be delicious and agree that 1/2 milk, 1/2 marinara would create more of the bisque quality. I might use evaporated milk instead of regular as milk can sometimes be prone to curdling in the slow cooker. Hope this helps.