Say hello to your new favorite 30-minute meal! This easy one-pot dish meatballs and rice recipe is great for nights when you forget about dinner until everyone is starving. The meatballs make it nice and hearty. Use store-bought meatballs to speed things up even more! Originally published October 11, 2016.
We were in the meat department and I was walking fast while they lagged, hoping that passers-by wouldn’t know the screaming-laughing kids were with me. A lady with an indulgent smile said to me as I passed, “They just have the BEST laughs!” And I said, “You know what you’re right, but right now I still want to strangle them. You basically just saved both of their lives, congratulations.” Thank you, indulgent smile lady. My children owe you one.
You’ll love this Meatball and Rice Recipe
Who’s ready for some meatballs?? This recipe is adapted from a recipe in my friend Mary’s cookbook. Mary has a fabulous blog over at Barefeet in the Kitchen, and she just released her first cookbook The Weeknight Dinner Cookbook. I did a review for the book here, and shared her recipe for Chinese Beef and Broccoli Soup, which was absolutely fabulous I must say.
She has a recipe for Kielbasa with rice and peas. It looks really delicious, but I haven’t tried it as written yet. The only prepped meat I had in the freezer on the night I needed to make a quick dinner was meatballs, so I changed up the recipe to work with meatballs. It worked out great! Someday I will try the kielbasa version. Maybe. These are good meatballs.
Meatball with Rice Recipe Ingredients
I made this meatball and rice recipe twice, once with frozen Costco meatballs, and once with my Homemade Easy Baked Meatballs. I liked it both ways but of course, fresh homemade meatballs are always going to be better than the frozen ones. But sometimes you just have to git ‘er done, and frozen store-bought meatballs totally git ‘er done.
Here’s a quick shopping list to help you gather your ingredients. See the recipe card below for the full ingredients and instructions!
- olive oil
- garlic
- 1 pound homemade meatballs (or frozen meatballs)
- beef broth
- rice (medium grain or jasmine)
- garlic powder
- frozen peas
- green onions
- parsley (optional, to garnish)
My kids loved these meatballs and rice. Are your kids as obsessed with rice as mine are? This meal is super simple but still delicious so it’s basically perfect for them.
How to make Meatballs and Rice
When I say this dish is easy, I mean it! Just toss the meatballs into a skillet, throw in the rest of the ingredients, let it all simmer until it’s cooked through, then add some peas at the very end. Easy-PEAsy meatballs and rice in under 30 minutes! You can use fresh or frozen meatballs—I won’t tell. If you go with frozen, just give them a quick thaw in the microwave before you get started.
Here’s a quick overview of how to make this recipe. Scroll down to the recipe card to get all the details!
- Stir in the peas, then add the green onions and parsley. Cover until the peas are warm, just a few minutes. We don’t want to overcook them. No mushy peas!!
- Thaw the meatballs if they are frozen (not necessary if you made homemade meatballs).
- Heat oil and saute the garlic for one minute.
- Add the meatballs and cook for 2-3 minutes.
- Add the beef broth, rice, garlic powder, pepper and salt; stir and bring to a boil.
- Reduce the heat, cover, and simmer with the lid on for 15-20 minutes, until the rice is tender and the liquid is absorbed.
- Remove from the heat and season to taste.
Meatballs with Rice and Peas: Substitutions and Variations
One of the best things about a last-minute, clean-out-the-fridge recipe like this one is that you can easily substitute what you have on hand. Here are some ideas!
- Instead of meatballs, use 14 oz. of kielbasa or smoked sausage.
- Grab a rotisserie chicken at the store, cut it up into bite-size pieces, and add it in place of the meatballs. Or use leftover grilled chicken from the fridge!
- If you have a bag of frozen peas and carrots, use those instead of frozen peas alone.
- Only have chicken broth or veggie broth? They’re perfectly fine to use if you don’t have beef broth.
- Want extra greens? Add in a couple generous handfuls of spinach in step 7 when you turn the rice and meatballs down to a simmer.
How to serve Rice and Meatballs
This meatballs and rice recipe is kind of a meal all by itself. It’s perfect for when you kinda forgot dinner was a thing (I do this all the time). It’s even got peas so you can check the “I served a veggie today” box. If you do want to add something more, a simple green salad or some Easy Roasted Broccoli are great. If you want to round out the food groups, try my Fruit Salad Recipe. For bonus points, you can make some fast bread. My favorite is this easy, no-fail One Hour French Bread or The Best Garlic Butter Bread I’m usually too lazy for any sides so if you do any of these, kudos to you for going the extra mile!
Storing Meatballs with Rice
This meatballs and rice dish can be stored in a tupperware in the fridge for 3-4 days. When you reheat it, I recommend sprinkling just a tiny bit of water (like 1-2 teaspoons) on the rice to make sure it stays nice and moist as you reheat it.
You can also freeze this dish! It will all defrost and reheat wonderfully later, so feel free to make a double batch of this meatballs and rice recipe and treat Future You to a worry-free evening. It’s also a great meal to take to someone who’s been sick or had a new baby. The only thing you’ll want to omit is the green onions since they’re best fresh.
More one-dish recipes you’ll love
Keep this list handy for those nights when you just need something quick, fast and easy. AND they all can be on your table in 30 minutes or less.
- Creamy White Chicken Chili Recipe (Easy!) >> fast, easy, full of flavor.
- Chicken Curry Recipe >> sooooo good and makes great leftovers.
- Chili Mac and Cheese Recipe >> the ultimate comfort food dinner.
- Spinach and Bacon Frittata >> I never say no to breakfast for dinner. Add a side salad and you´ve got a complete meal in less than 30 min.
- 20 Minute Broccoli Lemon Pasta Skillet >> so bright and fresh and full of veggies.
- Bacon and Pineapple Fried Rice from Yellow Bliss Road
- Easy Skillet Taco Rice from Cookies & Cups
Meatballs and Rice Recipe FAQs
What is the trick to keeping meatballs together?
Add eggs! Eggs act as a binder to keep the meat, breadcrumbs, and any other ingredients together. Since these meatballs are baked, they also stay together a little more easily than pan-fried ones, since you’re not messing with them by turning them..
What is the secret to good meatballs?
The best meatballs are NOT just made of meat. They’re combined with moist, tender ingredients like breadcrumbs, milk, and eggs. In this recipe, you can use either panko bread crumbs or quick oats. Don’t skip these! They’re essential to the perfect meatball texture. I also add onion powder, garlic powder, paprika, and cayenne pepper for flavor.
What should meatballs be cooked to?
Meatballs should be cooked to 160 degrees. You can use an instant-read thermometer pushed into the center of a meatball to check.
Meatballs and Rice
Say hello to your new favorite 30-minute-meal! This easy one-pot dish is great for nights when you forget about dinner until everyone is starving. The meatballs make it nice and hearty. Use store bought meatballs to speed things up even more!
Ingredients
- 2 teaspoons olive oil
- 3 cloves garlic, crushed and minced
- 1 pound homemade meatballs, or store-bought meatballs
- 3 cups beef broth*
- 1 & 1/2 cups uncooked rice, rinsed
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper, or more to taste
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, or to taste
- 1 & 1/2 cups frozen peas, or however much looks good to you
- 1/2 cup green onions, chopped
- 1/4 cup parsley, fresh, chopped (optional)
Instructions
- Thaw the meatballs if they are frozen. I just stuck them in the microwave for a couple minutes. They don’t have to be completely thaw, just enough that they will finish thawing and warm up while cooking the rice.
- Heat a high-sided skillet over medium-high heat. Add the oil.
- When the oil shimmers, add the garlic and saute 1 minute, until fragrant.
- Add the meatballs and cook for 2-3 minutes.
- Add the beef broth, rice, garlic powder, pepper and salt. Scrape up any browned bits.
- Stir and bring the heat up to high so that it comes to a boil.
- Reduce the heat to low to maintain a simmer. Cover with a lid.
- Continue to simmer with the lid on for 15-20 minutes, until the rice is tender and the liquid is absorbed. Stir at 15 minutes to make sure it isn’t sticking.
- When the rice is cooked, remove from the heat and season to taste, adding more salt and pepper if you want.
- Stir in the peas. Add as much as looks good to you.
- Add the green onions and parsley, if using. Cover until the peas are warm, just a few minutes.
- This is great with a big green salad. I actually ate mine right on top of a bed of spinach. If you wanted you could stir fresh spinach into the meal and let it wilt while it’s still on the stove.
Notes
*As always, I used water and 3 teaspoons Better Than Bouillon.
Source: adapted from Mary Younkin’s book The Weeknight Dinner Cookbook