Rice and Meatballs Recipe

This is going to be your new favorite meal that takes only 30 minutes to make. This simple one-pot meal of meatballs and rice is perfect for nights when you forget about dinner until everyone is hungry. The meatballs make it filling and hearty. You can speed things up even more by using store-bought meatballs. First published on October 11, 2016.

We were in the meat department, and I was walking quickly while they were behind me. I hoped that people passing by wouldn’t know that the kids who were screaming and laughing were with me. As I walked by, a woman with a kind smile said, “They just have the best laughs!” I said, “You know what? You’re right, but I still want to strangle them right now.” You pretty much saved both of their lives. Good job! Thanks, lady with the indulgent smile. My kids owe you one.

This recipe for meatballs and rice is great! Who’s ready to eat some meatballs? I got this recipe from a cookbook that my friend Mary wrote. Mary has a great blog called Barefeet in the Kitchen, and she just came out with her first book, The Weeknight Dinner Cookbook. I wrote a review of the book here and shared her recipe for Chinese Beef and Broccoli Soup, which was amazing, I have to say.

She has a recipe for rice and peas with kielbasa. It looks really good, but I haven’t made it the way it says to yet. I only had meatballs in the freezer that night when I needed to make a quick dinner, so I changed the recipe to work with meatballs. It turned out great! I will try the kielbasa version one day. Perhaps. These meatballs taste great.

I made this recipe for meatballs and rice twice: once with frozen meatballs from Costco and once with my own Easy Baked Meatballs. I liked it both ways, but of course, fresh meatballs made at home are always better than frozen ones. But sometimes you just have to get it done, and frozen store-bought meatballs do the trick.

These meatballs and rice were a hit with my kids. Do your kids love rice as much as mine do? This meal is very easy to make and tastes great, so it’s perfect for them.

Ingredients

2 tsp. olive oil
1 pound of meatballs, either homemade or store-bought, and 3 cloves of garlic, crushed and minced
3 cups of beef broth*
1 and 1/2 cups of uncooked rice that has been rinsed
1/2 teaspoon of garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon of black pepper, or more to taste
1/2 teaspoon of kosher salt, or to taste
1 and 1/2 cups of frozen peas, or as many as you think look good
1/2 cup of chopped green onions
1/4 cup of fresh, chopped parsley (optional)

How to Cook Rice and Meatballs

I really mean it when I say this dish is easy. Put the meatballs in a skillet, add the other ingredients, and let it all cook until it’s done. Add the peas at the end. In less than 30 minutes, you can make meatballs and rice that are easy to make! I won’t tell if you use fresh or frozen meatballs. If you choose frozen, just microwave them for a few seconds to thaw them out before you start.

Instructions

If the meatballs are frozen, let them thaw. I just put them in the microwave for a few minutes. They don’t have to be completely thawed, just enough that they will finish thawing and warm up while the rice cooks.
Put a skillet with high sides on medium-high heat. Put in the oil.
Add the garlic to the oil when it shimmers and cook for 1 minute, or until the garlic smells good.
Put in the meatballs and cook for 2 to 3 minutes.

Put in the beef broth, rice, garlic powder, pepper, and salt. Get rid of any brown spots.
Bring the heat up to high and stir until it boils.
To keep the simmer going, turn the heat down to low. Put a lid on it.
Keep simmering with the lid on for 15 to 20 minutes, or until the rice is soft and the liquid is gone. Stir it every 15 minutes to make sure it doesn’t stick.
Take the rice off the heat when it’s done cooking and season it to your liking, adding more salt and pepper if you want.
Add the peas and stir. Put in as much as you think looks good.
If you’re using them, add the parsley and green onions. Cover and wait a few minutes for the peas to warm up.

This goes well with a big green salad. I ate mine on top of a bed of spinach, which was delicious. You could stir in fresh spinach and let it wilt while the meal is still on the stove if you wanted to.

Notes

I always used water and 3 teaspoons of Better Than Bouillon.

Meatballs with Rice and Peas: Changes and Options

You can easily change the ingredients in a last-minute, clean-out-the-fridge recipe like this one. That’s one of the best things about it. Here are some suggestions!

Use 14 ounces of kielbasa or smoked sausage instead of meatballs.
Get a rotisserie chicken from the store, cut it up into small pieces, and use it instead of the meatballs. You could also use leftover grilled chicken from the fridge.
Use frozen peas and carrots instead of just frozen peas if you have a bag of them.
Do you only have chicken or vegetable broth? If you don’t have beef broth, they are fine to use.
Want more greens? When you turn the rice and meatballs down to a simmer in step 7, add a couple of big handfuls of spinach.

How to Serve Meatballs and Rice

This recipe for meatballs and rice is like a meal all by itself. It’s great for when you kind of forgot that dinner was a thing (which happens to me all the time). You can even check the “I served a veggie today” box because it has peas. A simple green salad or some Easy Roasted Broccoli are great things to add if you want to. Try my Fruit Salad Recipe to add to the food groups. You can also make some quick bread for extra points. My favorite is this easy, no-fail One Hour French Bread or The Best Garlic Butter Bread. I’m usually too lazy to make sides, so if you do any of these, good for you for going the extra mile!

How to Keep Meatballs and Rice

You can keep this meatballs and rice dish in the fridge for three to four days in a tupperware. When you heat it up again, I suggest adding a little bit of water (1–2 teaspoons) to the rice to keep it moist.

This dish can also be frozen! Make a double batch of these meatballs and rice and don’t worry about it later. It will all defrost and reheat perfectly. It’s also a good meal to bring to someone who is sick or has just had a baby. You should leave out the green onions because they taste best when they’re fresh.

Common Questions About the Meatballs and Rice Recipe

How do you keep meatballs from falling apart?

Put in eggs! Eggs help hold the meat, breadcrumbs, and other ingredients together. Because you don’t have to turn them, these meatballs stay together a little better than pan-fried ones.

What is the key to making good meatballs?

Not all meatballs are made of meat. They are mixed with wet, soft foods like milk, eggs, and breadcrumbs. You can use either quick oats or panko bread crumbs in this recipe. These are important, so don’t skip them! They are necessary for the perfect texture of meatballs. I also add cayenne pepper, paprika, onion powder, and garlic powder to make it taste better.

What temperature should meatballs be cooked to?

The temperature of the meatballs should be 160 degrees. To check, you can use an instant-read thermometer that you push into the middle of a meatball.

More One-Dish Recipes You’ll Love

Keep this list close by for those times when you need something quick, easy, and tasty. You can have all of them on your table in less than 30 minutes.

Creamy White Chicken Chili Recipe (Simple!) >> quick, simple, and tasty.
Chicken Curry Recipe: So good and makes great leftovers.
Chili Mac and Cheese Recipe: The best dinner for comfort food.
I never say no to breakfast for dinner, and this spinach and bacon frittata is great. You can have a full meal in less than 30 minutes if you add a salad on the side.
20-Minute Broccoli Lemon Pasta Skillet: so fresh and bright, and full of veggies.
Yellow Bliss Road’s Bacon and Pineapple Fried Rice and Cookies & Cups’ Easy Skillet Taco Rice

Nutrition Information