Smothered Meatballs Rice & Gravy Dinner Recipe

Make meatball mixture

In a large bowl combine ground beef and ground pork. Add the egg, milk, breadcrumbs, grated onion, minced garlic, Worcestershire sauce, chopped parsley, salt, and black pepper. Use your hands or a fork to gently mix until just combined—avoid overworking to keep meatballs tender.

Form meatballs

Portion the mixture into roughly 1 1/4-inch meatballs (about 1.5 oz each) using a small scoop or spoon; you should have about 18–22 meatballs. Roll gently between your palms to form smooth balls, but don't compress tightly.

Brown meatballs

Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. When hot, add meatballs in a single layer without crowding (work in batches if needed). Brown on all sides, turning with tongs, about 6–8 minutes total until well-browned but not fully cooked through. Transfer browned meatballs to a plate and set aside.

Make roux and deglaze

Lower heat to medium and add 3 tablespoons butter to the same skillet. When melted, sprinkle in the flour and whisk constantly to form a smooth roux, cooking 2–3 minutes until it turns a light golden color (this cooks out the raw flour taste).

Add liquids and seasonings

Slowly whisk in the beef stock, scraping up browned bits from the pan. Whisk until smooth. Stir in the tomato paste, Worcestershire sauce, soy sauce, onion powder, garlic powder, dried thyme, and add the bay leaf. Bring to a gentle simmer.

Simmer with meatballs

Return the browned meatballs to the skillet, nestling them into the gravy. Reduce heat to low, partially cover the pan, and simmer gently 12–15 minutes, or until meatballs are cooked through (internal temp 160°F/71°C) and gravy has thickened to a sauce consistency. Stir occasionally and spoon gravy over meatballs.

Finish

Remove the bay leaf. If desired, stir in 2 tablespoons heavy cream or half-and-half to enrich and round the gravy. Taste and adjust salt and pepper as needed.

Cook rice

While meatballs simmer, rinse the rice under cold water until water runs mostly clear. In a small saucepan combine rinsed rice, 2 cups water, 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1 tablespoon butter (optional). Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer 15 minutes. Remove from heat and let rest, covered, 5 minutes. Fluff with a fork.

Plate and garnish

Spoon a generous portion of rice onto plates. Ladle several meatballs and plenty of gravy over the rice. Sprinkle with chopped parsley or sliced green onions. Serve immediately.