The protein cooking time listed in this recipe has been updated.
As of December 2025, we’ve revised cooking times for all our proteins to reflect improved food safety guidance.
Check out the latest recommended times in our Cooking Guidelines.
Free-range Pork Meatballs with Mexican-style Rice
Easy, simple and perfect for any night of the week, our tender, free-range British pork meatballs are loaded with cheese, fresh coriander and garlic, then glazed in a warm paprika & oregano tomato sauce. Fibre-rich charred sweetcorn rice charms picky eaters.
High protein
7 plants
Family classics
Serving size
Ingredients
- 200g brown rice (100% Brown Rice)
- 4 tbsp sundried tomato paste (Tomato Puree, Sundried Tomatoes, Rapeseed Oil, Water, Pine Kernels, Salt)
- 140g sweetcorn (sweetcorn, water, salt)
- 4 spring onion
- 2 garlic clove
- 500g free-range pork mince
- 2 pepper
- 20g italian hard cheese (Eggs, Milk) (cow's milk, salt, microbial rennet, preservative (lysozyme protein from egg).)
- 80g baby spinach
- 4 tsp smoked paprika & oregano blend (smoked paprika, oregano)
- 400g passata (tomatoes, salt, citric acid)
- 1 handful of fresh coriander
Nutritional Information
Calories: 660
Protein: 34g
Carbs: 61g
Fat: 31g
Free-range Pork Meatballs with Mexican-style Rice
Easy, simple and perfect for any night of the week, our tender, free-range British pork meatballs are loaded with cheese, fresh coriander and garlic, then glazed in a warm paprika & oregano tomato sauce. Fibre-rich charred sweetcorn rice charms picky eaters.
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Cooking Instructions
Before you start
- Bring a large saucepan filled with salted water to the boil
- Pull out a large frying pan, a large bowl, a measuring jug, a grater & a sieve
Get the rice on & prep
- Add the rice to the saucepan and boil for 25-30 mins, until cooked, then drain
- Grate the cheese. Finely chop or crush the garlic. Finely chop the coriander. Dice the peppers into 2cm squares
Meatball time
- Mix the pork, cheese, garlic and half the coriander in the large bowl. Season with salt and pepper
- Shape the mince into 16 meatballs
- Heat the large frying pan with 1 tbsp oil on a medium-high heat. Once hot, add the meatballs and pepper and cook for 5 mins, turning occasionally until golden brown
Get saucy
- Add the sundried tomato paste and paprika & oregano blend and cook for 30 secs, until fragrant
- Add the passata and 100ml water, then simmer for 14 mins, until the meatballs are cooked through and the sauce has thickened
- Rinse the spinach, then add to the pan and cook for 1-2 mins, until wilted
Meanwhile, finish the rice
- Drain the sweetcorn. Finely slice the spring onions
- Reheat the empty rice saucepan with 1 tsp oil on high heat. Once hot, add the sweetcorn and cook for 5-6 mins, until deep golden brown
- Add the spring onion and cooked rice and stir to combine
Last bits & plate up
- Check your meat is cooked through; it should be golden brown, steaming hot, the juices should run clear when cut and there should be no pink / rare meat inside
- Serve the rice topped with the meatballs and sauce. Sprinkle over the remaining coriander
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