Chicken Mince Meatballs with Rice in Tomato Sauce in a Multicooker-Pressure Cooker
These chicken-and-rice meatballs in tomato sauce cook up tender and juicy in a multicooker pressure cooker in just 30 minutes instead of the usual hour on the stovetop. The high pressure keeps the lean chicken from drying out and perfectly cooks the rice tucked inside each meatball. Mix ground chicken with rinsed raw rice, onion, egg and seasonings, roll into round meatballs, place in the pot, pour over a sauce of tomato paste, sour cream and water, and set the pressure cooker to braise mode for 15-20 minutes. The result is melt-in-your-mouth meatballs in a thick, fragrant gravy. Proportions for 16-18 meatballs and tips for the most tender result inside.
The soft and juicy chicken meatballs with rice, properly soaked in delicious homemade tomato gravy, are a must-try dish to delight your family with a hearty weekday lunch at the table. In a multi-cooker pressure cooker, the meatballs stew gently to a properly tender state. If you don't have a multi-cooker, you can prepare the meatballs using this same recipe on the stove in a heavy pot or a small saucepan instead. The multi-cooker pressure cooker significantly saves us time (just 20 minutes total), while for making the same tender chicken meatballs with rice in tomato sauce on the stove, the cooking time needs to be increased to about 40 minutes (simmer the meatballs gently over low heat throughout).
The whole recipe takes about 40 minutes from start to finish on the stove version, which makes this an excellent weekday dinner option that comes together with minimal advance planning. The recipe yields 6 generous servings (portion weight 160 g each), perfect for feeding a family or for portioning out into individual lunch containers for the week ahead at the office.
Preparation time: 40 minutes.
Ingredients
- chicken mince - 300 g;
- rice - 90 g;
- onion - 2 pcs. (150 g);
- carrot - 1 pc. (100 g);
- flour - 2 tbsp. (40 g);
- salt - 10 g;
- chicken egg - 1 pc. (60 g);
- vegetable oil - 3 tbsp. (48 g);
- ground pepper - a pinch;
- bay leaf - 1 pc;
- black peppercorns - 6 pcs;
- tomato paste - 2 tbsp. (60 g);
- water - 0.5 l;
- herbs (for serving).
Cooking
1. Lay out the ingredients that are necessary for making the chicken meatballs with rice on the table ready for the cooking step ahead.
2. Take 0.5 cup of round-grain rice. Rinse the rice thoroughly, changing the water in the bowl until it becomes completely clear of starch. Pour 1 cup of clean water over the washed rice and cook it over low heat for 7 minutes total.
3. After cooling the partially cooked rice, add it directly to the chicken mince in the mixing bowl.
4. Chop the onion finely and grate the fresh carrot on the coarse side of a box grater. Sauté the prepared vegetables in 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil until properly soft and translucent.
5. Transfer one portion of the sautéed onion with carrot mixture to the bowl with the chicken mince and the partially cooked rice.
6. Leave the second portion of the sautéed vegetables in the pan. Dilute 2 tablespoons of thick tomato paste in 0.5 litres of clean water. Taste the resulting tomato mixture, as you may need to add a little extra sugar and salt to balance the flavour. Pour the resulting tomato mixture into the pan with the vegetables and simmer gently for 1-2 minutes total. Once the tomato gravy is ready, we proceed to prepare the meatballs themselves.
7. To the bowl with the mince, the rice, and the sautéed vegetables, add 1/2 teaspoon of fine salt, a pinch of freshly ground pepper, and one raw egg. Mix the whole mass thoroughly together with clean hands.
8. Form the meatballs in the shape of small flat patties by hand. You will get about 12 meatballs total from this quantity of mince. Fry them on both sides briefly in vegetable oil until golden brown across the surface.
9. Place the browned meatballs in the bowl of the multi-cooker pressure cooker, arranging them so that they fit in a single even layer at the bottom of the bowl.
10. Pour the meatballs in the multi-cooker with the prepared tomato sauce, adding the bay leaf and the black peppercorns for extra aromatic flavour.
11. Close the steam release valve on the multi-cooker pressure cooker, set the 'Stew' mode for 20 minutes total.
12. After the cooking signal, carefully release the steam pressure and open the lid of the multi-cooker.
13. Serve the chicken meatballs with rice piping hot, adding a generous spoonful of thick tomato sauce over the top and sprinkling with fresh chopped herbs for the most beautifully complete finished presentation.
Bon appetit at the family dinner table.
Tips and Tricks
Tip 1. Use round-grain rice rather than long-grain basmati or jasmine, since the round-grain variety has the higher starch content needed to bind the meatballs together properly during cooking. Long-grain rice would produce noticeably looser meatballs that fall apart more easily in the gentle simmering tomato sauce. Pre-cook the rice only partially (about 7 minutes) so it finishes cooking inside the meatballs during the actual stewing step in the multicooker.
Tip 2. Brown the formed meatballs briefly before stewing in the tomato sauce, since the brief Maillard reaction develops a noticeably deeper richer finished flavour profile that simply boiled meatballs lack. To pair these beautifully tender chicken meatballs with another properly classic homemade pasta or grain dish for a complete dinner menu, try our beautifully indulgent carbonara pasta with bacon and cream as a creamy pasta alternative for properly satisfying weekend dinners.
Tip 3. Adjust the tomato sauce seasoning to taste before stewing, since balanced sauce is critical for the most properly delicious finished meatballs. The brief moment of tasting and adjusting genuinely matters for the most balanced finished flavour. Add a small pinch of sugar to balance any acidity from the tomato paste, plus extra salt and pepper to taste based on your personal preference for the family table.
Tip 4. Serve the finished meatballs with mashed potatoes, fluffy rice, buttery noodles or warm crusty bread alongside to soak up the beautifully flavoured tomato sauce. For another properly classic homemade chicken-and-rice dish to add variety to your weekly menu, try our beautifully aromatic chicken drumsticks with potatoes in soy-tomato sauce in a sleeve as a heartier baked oven alternative for properly satisfying weekend dinners.
FAQ
Can I make these meatballs without a multicooker?+
Absolutely. Cook the formed and browned meatballs in a regular heavy-bottomed saucepan or Dutch oven on the stove instead. Add the prepared tomato sauce, cover with a tight-fitting lid, and simmer gently over low heat for about 40 minutes total until the meatballs are completely cooked through and beautifully tender. Stir occasionally to prevent any sticking on the bottom of the pan. The stove-top version produces broadly similar finished results to the multicooker version, just with slightly longer total cooking time.
Can I use turkey or beef mince instead?+
Yes, both lean turkey mince and good-quality beef mince work absolutely brilliantly as substitutes for chicken in this meatball recipe. Use the same total weight and prepare exactly the same way for each substitute. Beef mince produces a noticeably richer deeper finished flavour, while turkey gives a slightly leaner finished result that is even closer to the chicken version in calorie content. A 50/50 mix of beef and pork mince also works absolutely beautifully for a more traditional Italian-style meatball finished flavour profile.
How long do these meatballs keep?+
Store leftover meatballs covered tightly in the refrigerator with their sauce for up to three days for best results. The flavours actually improve significantly during the first 24 hours as the meatballs continue to absorb the surrounding tomato sauce. Reheat gently in a covered pan over low heat or in the microwave on medium power for 3-4 minutes per portion. The meatballs also freeze brilliantly in airtight portion-sized containers for up to two months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before reheating gently for the best finished texture.
Can I add vegetables to the meatballs?+
Absolutely. Try adding finely grated zucchini (squeezed dry), grated carrot, finely chopped fresh herbs like dill or parsley, or even a small amount of soaked breadcrumbs alongside the rice for added moisture and texture in the finished meatballs. Each addition brings its own character to the bowl. The grated zucchini works particularly well as a way to sneak extra vegetables into a kid-friendly weekday dinner without anyone even noticing the addition in the finished tomato-sauced meatballs.
