This One Pot Chicken Meatball Orzo is packed full of Mediterranean flavors. It will quickly become one of your family's favorite meals!
With back to school in full swing ( or just around the corner) everyone needs great family dinners, that cook in 20 minutes, taste delicious and are guaranteed to be enjoyed by even the pickiest eaters. That is where this Chicken Meatball Orzo comes in! It cooks in one pan and can be on the table in half an hour, making it perfect for busy families. Plus it is easy to adapt and leftovers make a great lunch idea!
What is Orzo?
Orzo is a small, flat rice-shaped pasta, that cooks in around 10 minutes. Here in Australia, it is often sold as "risoni."
Have you seen Orzo in the grocery store before? You can find it in the pasta aisle.
So is Orzo Pasta?
Yes, despite looking like rice, orzo isn't a grain, it is a pasta and made with the same ingredients that you spaghetti or penne is made with. Even more confusing is the other name of risoni.... doesn't that just sound like a rice variety!
But Orzo is just a small pasta shape!
Is Orzo Gluten-Free?
Unless your packet specifically says Gluten-Free then your orzo IS NOT Gluten-Free! It can be confusing because it does look like rice and rice is gluten-free. But like traditional pasta, orzo is made with wheat flour.
If you need a gluten-free option then look for pasta marked as GF in the grocery store. If you can't find gluten-free orzo then you can substitute it for a different GF pasta shape. (see below)
What is a good substitute for Orzo? (Risoni Substitute)
If you are struggling to find orzo, or want to make this dish with what you already have in the pantry then you can substitute the orzo for any small shaped pasta like ditalini or mini shells. Or do what I often do and put your spaghetti/linguine into a ziplock bag and give it some big bashes with a rolling pin. You'll be left with very small pieces of pasta perfect for this dish! (this will work with pasta shapes too)
How to cook Orzo/Risoni
Because orzo/risoni is a pasta it is cooked like pasta. That is to say, boiled in liquid until tender.
In this recipe, we are using a mixture of broth and tomato sauce to cook the pasta.
Typically orzo takes around 10-12 minutes to cook.
How to substitute in frozen meatballs
If you are super time-poor, then you can substitute the homemade chicken meatballs for a bag of pre-cooked frozen meatballs (chicken, turkey or beef works well)
To do this, you don't need to defrost the meatballs. You can just follow the cooking instructions in the recipe card below. Being frozen and already cooked means that the heat of the sauce will heat them through perfectly but without overcooking them.
The frozen meatballs can be browned in the same way as the uncooked meatballs (around 3-4 minutes) and then simmered in the tomato mixture with the pasta. The cooking time is enough to fully heat the meatballs through.
Always ensure your meatballs are hot to the middle before eating.
How to cook One Pot Chicken Meatball Orzo
This dish is all cooked in one pan, so you want to use a saute pan or high sided skillet that is big enough to hold all of your meatballs.
You want one with a high side, so you can stir the pasta without spilling everything out onto the stovetop.
Lastly, if you have a pan with a lid then that is ideal as the pasta simmers gently with a lid on. But don't worry you can always fashion a lid out of aluminum foil if your pan doesn't come with a lid.
I find my cast iron shallow casserole to be perfect for this dish! Plus it is a gorgeous blue and I love the color against the rich red tomato orzo!
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What to serve with Chicken Orzo
This dish already has protein and carbs taken care of, oh and a small number of veggies in the sauce. So we like to serve this with a side salad or a simple vegetable side. Our family favorites are:
What wine to drink with One-Pot Chicken Meatball Orzo
When pairing wines with tomato-based dishes you want something that can balance the acidity and sweetness of the tomato, otherwise, you can find that the pasta overpowers the wine, leaving you with a bland wine. Or the wine can take over and make your pasta dish taste dull.
For red lovers, we would recommend a Montepulciano or a Pinot noir. Both stand up to the tomatoes in the sauce but aren't too heavy to mask the delicate chicken meatballs. Avoid the big ripe reds like Shiraz or Cabernet Sauvignon.
For those enjoying a white wine, pick something crisp and dry like a Pinot Grigio or Verdicchio.
Enjoy x
For more delicious Orzo/risoni recipes, why not try:
- Risoni with Spinach, Parmesan and Basil
- Tomato Orzo Salad
- Mediterranean Shrimp Orzo Soup (The Mediterranean Dish)
- One Pan Sausage Pasta Bake (Chef Not Required)
- Garlic Chicken with Orzo (2 Cookin' Mamas)
If you try this Chicken Meatball Orzo, please leave a 🌟star rating and let me know how it went in the comments below. I really appreciate it, and it helps others to know that the recipe is trustworthy.
Any questions about the recipe? Use the comments section below.
Get the Recipe
One Pot Chicken Meatball Orzo Recipe
Ingredients
For the Homemade Meatballs (See note 1 for storebought)
- 1 lb ground chicken
- ¼ onion (the rest is chopped into the sauce)
- 2 crushed garlic cloves
- ⅓ cup grated parmesan cheese
- ½ cup panko breadcrumbs
- ¼ cup fresh parsley finely chopped
- 1 egg
- ½ teaspoon Italian seasoning
- ¾ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
For the Pasta
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- ¾ onion finely chopped
- 1 carrot peeled and finely chopped
- 1 celery stick finely chopped
- 2 cups passata/marinara sauce
- 1 cup chicken broth/stock
- 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ cup orzo
For garnish
- grated parmesan
- basil leaves
Instructions
To make the meatballs
- Add the ground chicken to a large mixing bowl and then grate over the onion. Make sure all the juice goes into the bowl with the chicken.1 lb ground chicken¼ onion
- Add the remaining meatball ingredients to the bowl and use your hands to combine everything together.2 crushed garlic cloves⅓ cup grated parmesan cheese½ cup panko breadcrumbs¼ cup fresh parsley1 egg½ teaspoon Italian seasoning¾ teaspoon salt½ teaspoon black pepper
- Lightly oil your hands and roll tablespoon amounts of the mixture into meatballs. You may need to re-oil your hands from time to time.
- Set the meatballs to one side until needed. (See note 2)
For the Pasta
- Add the oil to a high sided skillet or shallow casserole (one with a lid - see note 3)2 tablespoons olive oil
- Lightly fry the meatballs for 2 minutes until golden.
- Remove the meatballs from the pan and add in the chopped onion, carrot and celery. Cook for 3-4 minutes until softened and lightly browned.¾ onion1 carrot1 celery stick
- Add in the passata/marinara sauce, the chicken broth, Italian seasoning, salt, and sugar. Bring the mixture to a simmer.2 cups passata/marinara sauce1 cup chicken broth/stock2 teaspoons Italian seasoning1 teaspoon sugar1 teaspoon salt
- Add in the orzo and give the pan a stir.½ cup orzo
- Add the meatballs back to the pan.
- Reduce the heat to a low simmer and place a lid on the pan.
- Cook covered over low heat for 10 minutes, then remove the lid and cook for a further 2-3 minutes until the pasta is fully cooked and the sauce has thickened.
- Serve with extra parmesan and fresh basil.grated parmesanbasil leaves
Notes
- There is no need to defrost store-bought meatballs. Brown the meatballs as per the recipe card (they may need an extra minute or so). Then follow the recipe as is.
The meatballs will heat through in the time the sauce cooks.
Always ensure your meatballs are hot to the middle before eating. - The meatballs can be prepped ahead of time. Just cover them with plastic wrap and keep in the refrigerator until needed.
- If you don't have a lid for your skillet/casserole then cover the pan with Aluminum foil.
Nutrition
Nutrition is per serving
Recipe Inspired by Taste magazine.
Diane Van Der Meer says
This was awesome. I could only get turkey frozen meatballs but it worked great. I also used sweet basil marinara sauce. I will be making this again. Thank you.
Nicole says
I was going to make this right now...I always have Panko, Italian breadcrumbs and Plain breadcrumbs....But...I am out of Panko! 😳 How would regular breadcrumbs be?
Claire McEwen says
Hi Nicole, regular breadcrumbs will be fine 🙂
Hope you love it
Cx
EA The Spicy RD says
Love that this is in one pot! This is the most delicious looking healthy comfort food-can't wait to make a gluten free version!
Megan Ellam says
How good does this look. A perfect recipe for the family. Thanks so much for the inspiration Claire.
Amy Chung says
Great recipe and you're aboslutely right, always looking for quick easy meals once school starts. We love risoni in our house. Recipe sounds awesome. Going to give it a go tonight:)
Claire McEwen says
Thank you Amy. My kids are big Risoni fans too, they find it so easy to eat compared to say spaghetti.
I hope your family enjoys the recipe.