One Pot Meatballs and Rice
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Making this one-pot meatballs and rice recipe is a breeze! A combination of pork mince, seasoning, passata, veggies, and fresh herbs helps create this mouthwatering dish. Bonus – this recipe is veggie-packed, making it filling and nutritious.
Table of Contents
Why you’ll love this recipe
I’ve turned a standard meatballs and rice dish into a satisfying meal filled with fibre, protein, and nutrients. Besides being satisfying, the added veggies help boost your vitamin intake.
One-pot recipes are a great option for those with busy schedules, as you’ll save time washing up dishes later. That means you’ll have more time with your family after enjoying a tasty rice and meatballs dinner.This recipe is also great for meal prep, as you can serve it in separate containers and have it ready for the office in no time. While this one-pot rice recipe doesn’t need any sides, you can always add a salad to make it more filling. Try making this Homemade Caesar Salad or Budget Green Goddess Salad alongside this meatballs rice recipe.
Ingredients
White Rice– brown rice would also work great here.
Pork Mince– feel free to substitute the pork with beef, turkey or chicken mince. If possible, opt for mince with less than 7% fat.
Passata– you can substitute passata with chopped tomatoes or plum tomatoes. Just blend them before adding to the pan and add an extra 2 tbsp of tomato puree.
See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.
Variations
Turn this meatballs and rice dish into a vegetarian/vegan recipe using a plant-based mince instead of pork. You can use it in a 1:1 ratio, though you may want to up the seasoning. Many meat alternatives soak up spices more easily and can taste bland if you under season them.
This recipe is already gluten-free, except for the chicken stock. Some brands come with gluten in them. So, ensure you purchase an option that has no gluten.
How to make rice with meatballs
- Start by seasoning the mince with salt, pepper, garlic powder and 1 tsp Italian seasoning. Use your hands to incorporate the seasoning and form into little meatballs, approx 1 tbsp per ball (Image 1).
- Add rapeseed into a large/deep non-stick frying pan. Preheat the pan over a high heat and once hot, add the meatballs distributing across the pan so they start to brown (Image 2).
3. Leave to the meatballs to brown for 3 minutes then rotate and turn to cook for another 3 minutes. Set the meatballs aside (Image 3).
4. Add the red onions to the pan and brown on low heat (Image 4).
5. Next, add the garlic, tomato puree, paprika and 1 tsp Italian seasoning to the pan with the onions, chopped broccoli stalk and mixed peppers (Image 5).
6. Continue to fry for a further 3 minutes, then the tomato paste and reduce the heat to medium/low. Seasoning with salt and pepper (Image 6).
7. Next add add the passata, rice, a small handful of basil leaves and stock. Stir to combine and cover with a lid (Image 7).
8. Set a timer according to the time stated on the packet of your rice. When there is 10 minutes left, add the meatballs and broccoli. Stir to combine and pop the lid back on. Set a timer according to the time stated on the packet of your rice (Image 8).
Serve with fresh basil.
Tips for the best results
Use these tips to create the best meatballs and rice!
1. Don’t skip the step of browning the meatballs. This is an essential step that helps keep the meatballs juicy and tender inside when cooking. It also adds a delicious texture to the outside of the meatballs.
2. Skip cleaning the pan between frying ingredients. By leaving the tidbits in the pan from frying the meatballs, you add flavour to whatever you cook next. For example, the veggies you panfry next will have an even more enticing taste than if you cleaned the pan.
3. Chop the veggies into equal-sized pieces. Otherwise, some veggies will be crunchy or undercooked, and others will be soft and mushy.
4. The same goes for the meatballs – try to keep them an equal size when rolling them into balls. If they’re too different, some may come out dry, and others may have an undercooked centre.
5. If you plan on freezing any leftover meatballs and rice, leave plenty of space in the containers or baggies. Having sufficient space in the container ensures the food freezes evenly. Also, it allows extra room in case the food (like the sauce) expands while freezing.
How to meal prep
Meal prepping the meatballs and rice is quite easy, which is part of why I love this recipe so much!
1. Start by determining how many meals you’ll need throughout the week, then multiply the recipe by that number. For example, the standard recipe creates five servings. If you’re cooking for yourself and a significant other, you may want to double the recipe, so you both have weekly meals ready.
2. Once the recipe is cooked, separate it into containers with one serving per baggie or Tupperware. It’s important to use airtight containers to help keep the food fresh for longer.
3. Keep in mind, this recipe is only good in the fridge for about 3-4 days. If you know you’ll have leftover meatballs and rice; you can freeze the extras for about 2-3 months.
Recipe FAQs
This recipe incorporates all the elements of a balanced meal within one pot so you don’t need to serve it with a side. But if you fancied it, some buttery tenderstem broccoli would go very well with this recipe.
To safely reheat rice, refrigerate it promptly in a covered, airtight container. Reheat it thoroughly using a microwave or stove, and serve and eat it immediately after reheating. Do not let reheated rice sit at room temperature for an extended period of time.
Generally speaking I think that meatballs are pretty healthy. This recipe is especially healthy as I use 5% fat pork mince, so the meat is super lean and provides a great source of protein. More generally speaking, other meatball recipes can include different sorts of cheeses, breadcrumbs and lots of salt so that could make them slightly less healthy.
Explore More Recipes
If you tried this One pot Meatballs and Rice Recipe, it would be mean so much to me if you could leave a review & a star rating to let me know how you found it! I love hearing about your experiences – it motivates me to keep creating more and more recipes for you guys 💛 Let’s get cooking! – Mimi x
One Pot Meatballs and Rice
Ingredients
- 500 g 5% fat pork mince (£2.35)
- 1 red onion, diced (£0.14)
- 1 head of broccoli, sliced into florets (£0.69)
- 2 mixed peppers, diced (£1.00)
- 500 g passata (£0.50)
- 4 cloves garlic, minced (£0.39)
- 350 g rice, thoroughly rinsed (£0.80)
- Fresh basil £0.55
Cupboard Essentials
- 3 tbsp tomato puree
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tbsp rapeseed oil
- 2 tsp smoked Paprika
- 1 tsp + 1 tsp italian seasoning/oregano
- 500 ml chicken/beef stock
Method
- Start by seasoning the mince with salt, pepper, garlic powder and 1 tsp Italian seasoning. Use your hands to incorporate the seasoning and form into little meatballs, approx 1 tbsp per ball.
- Add rapeseed into a large/deep non-stick frying pan. Preheat the pan over a high heat and once hot, add the meatballs distributing across the pan. Leave to brown for 3 minutes then rotate and cook for another 3 minutes.
- Set the meatballs aside and reduce the heat to medium/low. Add the red onion, chopped broccoli stalk and mixed peppers. Seasoning with salt and pepper and gently fry over a medium heat for 4 minutes.
- Next, add the garlic, tomato puree, paprika and 1 tsp Italian seasoning. Continue to fry for a further 3 minutes, then the passata, rice, a small handful of basil leaves and stock. Stir to combine and cover with a lid. Set a timer according to the time stated on the packet of your rice. When there is 10 minutes left, add the meatballs and broccoli. Stir to combine and pop the lid back on.
- Serve with fresh basil.
Notes
- Browning meatballs is crucial for juicy, tender texture and added flavour.
- Keep pan tidbits for added flavour when frying other ingredients.
- Roll meatballs evenly to avoid dry or undercooked centers.
Nutrition
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