One Pot Chicken Meatball Orzo

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 make easy chicken meatballs

These chicken meatballs are so easy and they taste AMAZING!

To make these chicken meatballs you will need:

• Ground chicken
• Ricotta
• Parmesan cheese
• Breadcrumbs
• Milk
• Garlic
• Italian herbs
• Seasonings

There is no egg as the ricotta binds everything together and also helps to keep the meatball juicy.

Once you have all the ingredients in a bowl, it is just a case of mixing them all together. I find my hands are best for this. Just take off any rings and squeeze the ingredients together.

You can make the mixture up in advance and then just leave it covered in the refrigerator until needed. This makes the meatballs easy to roll and also helps with prep time during the after school witching hours!

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!

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:

• Simple Side Salad
• Spinach, Grape and Blue Cheese Salad
• Garlic Green Beans
• Kale and Bacon
• Garlic Mushrooms
• Sautéed Sugar Snap Peas

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)

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One Pot Chicken Meatball Orzo Recipe

Claire | Sprinkle and Sprouts

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, everyone needs delicious family dinners, that cook in under 30 minutes and are guaranteed to be enjoyed by even the pickiest eaters. That is where this Chicken Meatball Orzo comes in! This weeknight dinner cooks in one pan and can be on the table in under half an hour, making it perfect for busy families.

4.16 from 13 votes

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 10 minutes mins

Cook Time 20 minutes mins

Total Time 30 minutes mins

Course Main

Cuisine Italian

Servings 4

Calories 555 kcal

Ingredients

 

US CustomaryGrams

 

1x2x3x

For the Homemade Meatballs (See note 1 for storebought)

• 1 lb ground chicken
• 1 cup ricotta cheese
• ⅓ cup grated parmesan cheese
• ½ cup panko breadcrumbs
• 2 tablespoon milk
• 2 crushed garlic cloves
• 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
• 1 teaspoon salt
• ¼ teaspoon black pepper

For the Pasta

• 2 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 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 teaspoon Italian seasoning
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 1 teaspoon salt
• ½ cup orzo

For garnish

• grated parmesan
• basil leaves

Instructions

 

To make the meatballs

• Add the meatball ingredients to a large mixing bowl and use your hands to combine everything together.
• 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)
• 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.
• Add in the passata/marinara sauce, the chicken broth, Italian seasoning, salt, and sugar. Bring the mixture to a simmer.
• Add in the orzo and give the pan a stir.
• 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.

Notes

1. 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.
2. The meatballs can be prepped ahead of time. Just cover them with plastic wrap and keep in the refrigerator until needed.
3. If you don't have a lid for your skillet/casserole then cover the pan with Aluminum foil.

Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

Nutrition

Calories: 555kcal | Carbohydrates: 41g | Protein: 38g | Fat: 28g | Saturated Fat: 11g | Cholesterol: 137mg | Sodium: 1535mg | Potassium: 1433mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 11g | Vitamin A: 3546IU | Vitamin C: 17mg | Calcium: 311mg | Iron: 5mg

Nutrition is per serving

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Recipe Inspired by Taste magazine.