Tender, juicy, and delicious, these Chicken Meatballs with Creamy Lemon Orzo are an easy dinner that would rival a restaurant dish. It is a flavor packed one dish meal that has become a family favorite.
I am always up for a good one pot meal! If you want even more one dish dinners, try this Chicken and Rice or this Hawaiian One Pan Pasta.
We have been on an orzo kick in our house lately. And this Chicken Meatballs with Creamy Lemon Orzo has been one of our favorites.
My daughter has claimed that this is one of her very favorite meals now. (My boys on the other hand are tired of orzo after so many test rounds…) But really – you can’t go wrong with a flavor packed, one dish meal.
This meal is restaurant worthy, but easily made at home!
Ingredients
- Ground Chicken: You could make these with ground turkey or ground beef, but I really do like the ground turkey in these meatballs.
- Breadcrumbs: I used seasoned breadcrumbs. You are going to add more seasonings, but I like the little bit of extra. You could also use regular breadcrumbs and then just add some extra spices.
- Parmesan: I like to use freshly grated parmesan.
- Milk: Any milk should work here. I used 2% because that is what I keep on hand.
- Egg: The egg will help to bind everything together, so even though there is just one egg, it is important.
- Seasonings: For seasonings, you need fresh parsley, salt, onion powder, garlic powder, and pepper.
- Butter/Oil: You will use oil for cooking the meatballs, as well as for the orzo. I used olive oil. You will need butter for the orzo, as well.
- Onion & Garlic: These are both for flavoring.
- Orzo: This is measured dry.
- Chicken Broth: I like to cook the orzo in chicken broth for the most flavor.
- Cream: The cream adds some creaminess and richness at the end.
- Lemon: The lemon adds flavor and brightness. I love anything lemon, and I think it really elevates this recipe.
How to Make Chicken Meatballs with Creamy Lemon Orzo
STEP 1: Start by combining all of the meatball ingredients, except the oil. You don’t want to overmix the chicken, but you do want to make sure everything is mixed in evenly.
STEP 2: Form the mixture into meatballs. I like to use a small scoop to make the meatballs, and then I’ll go back and roll them into balls. The balls are pretty sticky, so keeping your hands wet will help to form them into balls.
STEP 3: Heat the oil in a large pan or skillet. Add the meatballs and brown, turning as needed. You don’t need to cook them through, but you do want to brown them.
STEP 4: Remove the meatballs from the skillet and add the oil and butter. Add the onion and cook until softened, then stir in the garlic.
STEP 5: Add the orzo to the pan and stir it for a minute to two to slightly toast the orzo. You want to make sure to keep stirring it so that nothing burns.
STEP 6: Stir in the chicken broth. Stir this around for another minute or two, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan.
STEP 7: Add the parmesan and the cream to the mixture, stir to combine, and let it come to a simmer. Add the meatballs back in a place a cover on the dish. Let it all cook together for about 10 minutes, or until the meatballs are cooked through and the orzo is soft. You want to stir in a few times during the cook time to make sure that the orzo doesn’t stick.
STEP 8: Once everything is cooked, stir in the lemon zest and lemon juice. Serve!
Tips and Tricks
Already mentioned above, but make sure you stir the orzo and meatballs a few times during the cook time. The orzo will tend to stick to the pan if you don’t.
I used a 2 tablespoon scoop and got 18 meatballs. You may get more or less, depending on the size of the meatballs. Remember that bigger meatballs will take longer to cook and smaller meatballs will cook faster.
This makes great leftovers. The orzo does dry out a little bit, but I still really loved this the next day!
More Recipes with Orzo
Lemon Chicken Orzo Soup
Orzo Recipe with Italian Sausage and Peppers
Greek Goulash
LOOKING FOR MORE FREE RECIPES?
Subscribe to my free recipe newsletter to get new family friendly recipes in your inbox each week! Find me sharing more family-friendly inspiration on Pinterest, Facebook, and Instagram.
Chicken Meatballs with Creamy Lemon Orzo
Ingredients
Meatballs
- 1 pound ground chicken
- 1/3 cup seasoned breadcrumbs
- 1/2 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
- 1/4 cup milk
- 1 egg
- 2 tablespoons finely chopped parsley
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- Black pepper to taste
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
Orzo
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 1 small onion finely chopped
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- 1 cup uncooked orzo
- 2 cups chicken broth
- 1/2 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
- 1/3 cup heavy whipping cream
- Zest and juice of 1 lemon
- Additional chopped parsley for serving
Instructions
- In a large bowl, combine all of the meatball ingredients except the oil. Mix well, but don’t over mix.1 pound ground chicken, 1/3 cup seasoned breadcrumbs, 1/2 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese, 1/4 cup milk, 1 egg, 2 tablespoons finely chopped parsley, 1 teaspoon salt, 1/2 teaspoon onion powder, 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder, Black pepper
- Using your hands or a cookie scoop, roll the mixture into balls. If using a scoop, I like to scoop them and then roll the with my hands. The mixture will be sticky, so I like to keep a small bowl of water to keep my hands moist – this helps the mixture to not stick to your hands as you are rolling.
- Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Working in batches, if needed, sear the meatballs until they are golden brown on all sides. Remove to a plate and cover with foil to keep warm.2 tablespoons olive oil
- To the same skillet, add the butter and olive oil. Add the onion and cook for a minute or two, until softened, then stir in the garlic for another 30 seconds.1 tablespoon butter, 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil, 1 small onion, 4 cloves garlic
- Add the orzo and cook, stirring constantly, letting the orzo toast slightly. Pour in the chicken broth. Stir, scraping the bottom of the skillet with a wooden spoon to deglaze the pan.1 cup uncooked orzo, 2 cups chicken broth
- Stir in the parmesan cheese and the cream.1/2 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese, 1/3 cup heavy whipping cream
- Once the mixture is at a low boil, add the meatballs back in and place a lid on the skillet. Turn the heat down to medium low and cook, stirring a few times during the cook time to make sure the orzo doesn’t stick, until the orzo is tender and the meatballs are cooked through, about 10 minutes.
- Once the meatballs are cooked through and the orzo is tender, remove from the heat and stir in the lemon zest and juice.Zest and juice of 1 lemon
- Serve topped with additional parsley, if desired.Additional chopped parsley
Leave a Comment...