This one-pot Meatballs and Rice is downright delicious! Perfectly tender mini meatballs with fluffy rice, loads of veggies, and a spectacular spice blend. Sure to be a hit with kids and adults alike!
Meatballs And Rice
My kiddos could eat rice for every single meal if I let them! So, when I can “sneak” in loads of veggies, plus add some protein, it’s a win-win! They’re getting their coveted rice while I’m ensuring they’ve got a well-rounded meal.
Enter: this recipe with meatballs and rice. Fluffy perfect grains of rice with tender meatballs and a whole assortment of veggies! And not to worry — this meal isn’t only for kids, it’s sure to be a hit with adults as well. Not only in flavor, but also in ease of preparation. Only one pot and minimal hands-on time — we’re letting the stovetop do most of the work here!
Quickest Meatballs Ever!
When you think of meatballs, you may think you’ve got an investment of time on your hands. Between mixing together ground meat with other ingredients, shaping and rolling balls, and browning the meatballs — this can be a chore!
But not with this recipe! The “meatballs” in this recipe are only one ingredient and no rolling/shaping required. To save on time and ingredients we grab already seasoned meat — Italian sausage.
Slice the sausage into coins and that’s it — “meatballs” in a hurry! While they aren’t perfectly round, they’ll do the job great — adding loads of flavor and texture to this meal.
Quick Tip
But can you use real meatballs if you want? Of course! Good cooks are adaptable and creative, so if you’d like to go a different route, feel free. Just be sure to make ’em small. If you use frozen mini meatballs, let them thaw a bit before adding. Nobody wants a meatball that’s cold inside!
Meatball and Rice Recipe Ingredients
A few ingredients worth mentioning:
- Italian sausage. Depending on personal preference, use mild or spicy sausage — either works. (When making this for my kids, we use mild.) Make sure to get Italian sausages with casings (as opposed to ground Italian sausage) so the sausages can be cut into the mini “meatballs.” Before cutting the sausage, remove the casings.
- Basmati rice. We’ve tested a few other types of rice and prefer basmati — it’s light and fluffy every time! Basmati rice can be found right next to other varieties of rice. Long grain white rice will also work in this recipe.
- Chicken stock. A high-quality, flavorful stock adds loads of flavor and allows us to cut down on spices or other additions. We highly recommend Swanson’s® chicken stock in this recipe.
Shortcuts
How To Make Meatballs and Rice
The following shortcuts will make recipe preparation quicker:
- Garlic. We love frozen garlic Dorot® cubes. You can keep the packages handy in the freezer and pop them into this (and other) recipes when needed. Another option is to use refrigerated minced garlic.
- Italian sausage. The sausage is saving us so much time — it already has lots of seasonings, salt, and flavorings added in so we don’t need to add lots of extra ingredients here.
- Frozen veggies. We use frozen produce which helps to save time in this recipe!
What Goes With Meatballs And Rice?
The great thing about this recipe is you’ve really got it all in one pot — rice, veggies, and protein! That said, here are our two favorite toppings if you’re looking for a little more pizzazz:
- Parmesan cheese: Finely grated Parmesan (off a block) is the perfect finishing touch — it adds a nice final seasoning (Parmesan is salty!) and melts nicely into the rice, veggies, and sausage. For the perfect super-fine texture, we like to use a microplane and grate it right over the serving plates.
- Pesto: If you want a creamy, herb-y element, I’d recommend getting a refrigerated, freshly-made basil pesto, which you can find near refrigerated fresh pasta and gourmet cheese. Rana’s® Basil Pesto is our personal favorite store-bought pesto sauce (not sponsored). Freshly made pesto can certainly be spendy, but it lasts a good amount of time and a little goes a long way to add loads of flavor to so many dishes.
As far as other side dishes, we like this Meatballs and Rice Recipe best with a green salad. Here are our favorite salad recipes to pair with this recipe:
More Favorite Rice Dishes
- Amazing Curry Rice baked in ONE pan
- Coconut Chicken and Rice with a cilantro-lime sauce
- Cheesy Chicken Broccoli and Rice roasted on a sheet pan!
- Fried Rice with eggs and veggies
- Chicken and Rice Soup with peas and carrots
Meatballs and Rice
Equipment
- Large pot nonstick, with fitted lid
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoons olive oil plus more as needed
- 19 ounces Italian sausage in casings, see note 1
- 1 large yellow onion finely diced
- 2 sweet bell peppers finely diced, I like 1 red and 1 yellow
- 1 tablespoon minced garlic
- 1-1/2 cups grated carrot 2 to 3 large carrots, see note 2
- 1 teaspoon dried basil
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1-1/2 cups basmati rice see note 3
- 2-1/2 cups chicken stock like Swanson’s
- 1 cup frozen corn
- 1 cup frozen peas
- Freshly grated Parmesan optional, for serving, see note 4
- Basil pesto optional, for serving
Instructions
- Heat 1 tbsp oil in a large, nonstick pot over medium-high heat. Add prepared coined sausages (see note 1) and cook, stirring/flipping occasionally with a wooden spoon until golden and nicely browned on the outside. While browning, season the sausage with salt and pepper (I add 3/4 tsp salt and 1/4 tsp pepper). Remove browned sausages with a slotted spoon to a paper-towel-lined plate. Leave any oil/grease in the pan unless it is more than 2 tablespoons—then drain off excess. If there is no grease left behind, add 2 tablespoons olive oil.
- Keeping heat to medium-high, add diced onion, diced peppers, and garlic. Sauté, stirring occasionally, until tender, 7–10 minutes.
- Add the grated carrots, rice, and all the seasonings. Sauté, stirring constantly, for 1 minute. Add chicken stock and stir well. Press rice below the liquid—be sure the rice is submerged. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low so it is simmering very gently. Add sausage in a single layer on top.
- Cover the pot with a fitted lid and cook for 17–20 minutes or until liquid is absorbed into the dish and rice is tender. (Troubleshooting: liquid has absorbed but rice isn’t quite tender? Add a few more tablespoons of chicken stock or water. Too much liquid still? Slightly increase the heat.) Keeping the lid on pot, remove from heat, and do not stir yet.
- Working quickly, remove lid and add peas and corn on top (don’t stir through), then quickly put the lid back on. Let stand for 10 full minutes. Don’t rush this or you may end up with mushy rice. Plus, the steam cooks the frozen veggies!
- Remove lid and add parsley, if using. Use a fork to fluff the rice and mix everything together. Serve, adding Parmesan cheese to individual plates. If desired, add a scoop of pesto (optional) and enjoy!
Video
Recipe Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
