This post may contain affiliate links, please see our privacy policy for details.
Crockpot Garlic Butter Chicken Meatballs with Creamy Orzo. Turning a meatball and pasta dinner into an easy slow cooker meal. We’re using white wine, creamy Dijon mustard, garlic, herbs, parmesan cheese, and orzo. Then adding in some vibrant spinach and sun-dried tomatoes for veggies, flavor, and a pop of color. This slow-cooked chicken meatball dinner is a delicious meal to come home to at the end of the day. And the best part? It’s the easiest, cozy fall-winter dinner to prepare. Directions for the Instant Pot and stove-top are provided!
Half Baked Harvest At Home
20+ new recipes for wholesome comfort food made with everyday ingredients. Pre-order today! HBH At Home will be released on Tuesday, February 23rd!
I know I’ve said something like this before. But when a recipe I’m not sure about works out so well, I get incredibly excited! When I had this idea, at first I didn’t want to make it. I was honestly scared it would end disastrously. But after some pushing from mom, I decided to just go for it.
I kept asking her about the recipe, “should I make this”? I think I asked her 3 days in a row until she finally said, “Tieghan, MAKE THE MEATBALLS”! Finally, I listened and I sent her a text a few hours later to thank her for the encouragement. The recipe turned out better than I’d imagined and more importantly, it was so delicious.
Here are all the easy details
To be honest, I may only want to make meatball recipes in the crockpot from now on. This was so easy and almost mess-free.
Start with the meatball mixture. I make mine using ground chicken, Italian seasoning, dijon, and parmesan cheese. Just mix everything together in a large bowl and roll it into meatballs. Then place them in the crock-pot with a little olive oil to prevent any sticking.
Next, pour over white wine, add an onion, and a whole head of garlic. Cover and slow cook. Since these are meatballs, they can cook quickly on high for a couple of hours or cook them low and slow all day. Either is great and the meatballs are never dry. The wine will add moisture to them.
When the meatballs are cooked, pull them out along with the garlic cloves, then set them aside on a baking sheet.
Add the orzo to all the yummy broth in the crockpot. Now simply cover and cook a few minutes longer, until the orzo is al dente.
Meanwhile, I love to add butter to the meatballs and garlic and toss on some rosemary. Then place the sheet pan under the broiler for a couple of minutes to crisp them up.
What happens is that the butter browns around the meatballs, garlic, and rosemary. I then chop up the garlic and rosemary and toss them back onto the pan with butter. Then toss the meatballs with the garlicky butter to finish. This step is optional, but I think it really adds flavor.
When the orzo is finished, stir in the spinach and sun-dried tomatoes, then add the cream and parmesan, stirring until the orzo becomes very creamy.
Serve the garlic butter meatballs over the orzo, then drizzle any butter left on the pan over top.
So simple and quick with barely any clean-up and minimal hands-on time too.
What I love most about this recipe is the fact that it’s a complete all-in-one dinner. You have your protein, your carbs, and even your vegetables. You can serve this up on busy weeknights, but it’s equally great for those upcoming holiday dinners with friends and family.
Looking for other slow cooker meals? Here are a few ideas:
Creamy White Bean Noodle Soup with Rosemary Bacon.
Mustard Herb Chicken and Creamy Orzo
Crockpot Crispy Buffalo Chicken Tacos with Jalapeño Ranch
Slow Cooker Saucy Sunday Bolognese Pasta
Slow Cooker Herbed Chicken and Rice Pilaf
Crockpot Spaghetti Squash Lasagna Bolognese
Lastly, if you make this Crockpot Garlic Butter Chicken Meatballs with Creamy Orzo, be sure to leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating! Above all, I love to hear from you guys and always do my best to respond to each and every comment. And of course, if you do make this recipe, don’t forget to tag me on Instagram! Looking through the photos of recipes you all have made is my favorite!
Crockpot Garlic Butter Chicken Meatballs with Creamy Orzo
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 pounds ground chicken, pork, or turkey
- 3 tablespoons Italian seasoning
- 1 tablespoon dijon mustard
- 1 cup grated parmesan cheese
- kosher salt and black pepper
- 1 onion, quartered
- 1 head garlic, top trimmed off to reveal the cloves
- 1 cup dry white wine, such as Pinot Grigio or Sauvignon Blanc
- 6 tablespoons salted butter
- 1 sprig rosemary
- 2 cups dry orzo pasta
- 2 cups fresh baby spinach
- 1/2 cup chopped sun-dried tomatoes
- 1/2 cup heavy cream or canned full fat coconut milk
Instructions
Slow Cooker
- 1. Add the chicken, Italian seasoning, dijon, and 1/2 cup parmesan to a bowl. Season with salt, and pepper. Mix to combine. Coat your hands with oil, and roll the meat into tablespoon-size balls (will make 15-16 meatballs). Add olive oil and place the meatballs in the bowl of your crockpot. 2. Pour over the wine and 1/2 cup water. Add the onion and garlic. Cover and cook on low for 3-4 hours or on high for 1-2 hours.2. Preheat the broiler to high. Remove the meatballs and garlic from the slow cooker and place on a baking sheet.3. Crank the heat on the slow cooker to high. Stir in the orzo, and 1 cup water. Cover and cook 20-30 minutes, or until the orzo is al dente. If the orzo needs more liquid, add additional water. Stir in the spinach, sun-dried tomatoes, cream, and 1/2 cup parmesan.4. Arrange the butter and the rosemary around the meatballs and garlic, then broil 1-3 minutes, until crisp. Peel away the garlic skin, then chop and mix with the butter and rosemary on the sheet pan. Toss the meatballs in the butter. 5. Serve the meatballs over the orzo.
Instant Pot
- 1. Add the chicken, Italian seasoning, dijon, and 1/2 cup parmesan to a bowl. Season with salt, and pepper. Mix to combine. Coat your hands with oil, and roll the meat into tablespoon-size balls (will make 15-16 meatballs).2. Set the instant pot to sauté. Add olive oil, then add the meatballs to the instant pot and sear until browned, about 5 minutes, Pour in the wine and 1/2 cup water. Add 1 chopped onion. Cook 5 minutes, then add the butter, garlic and rosemary. Let the butter butter, another 2-3 minutes. Cover and cook on high pressure for 6 minutes.3. Once done cooking, release the steam. Set the Instant pot to sauté. Remove the garlic. Stir in the orzo and 1 cup water. Cook 6-8 minutes, until the orzo is al dente. Stir in the spinach, tomatoes, cream, and parmesan.4. Serve the meatballs over the orzo.
Stove-Top
- 1. Add the chicken, Italian seasoning, dijon, and 1/2 cup parmesan to a bowl. Season with salt, and pepper. Mix to combine. Coat your hands with oil, and roll the meat into tablespoon-size balls (will make 15-16 meatballs).2. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add olive oil, then add the meatballs and sear until browned, about 5 minutes. Add 1 chopped onion. Cook 5 minutes, then add the butter, garlic and rosemary. Let the butter butter, another 2-3 minutes. 3. Reduce the heat to medium. Pour in the wine. Stir in the orzo and 1 1/2 cups water. Cook, stirring often, another 6-8 minutes, until the orzo is al dente. Stir in the spinach, tomatoes, cream, and 1/2 cup parmesan.4. Serve the chicken over the orzo. Enjoy!
Nutrition
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Did you make this recipe? Please rate & comment below.
Wow! 10/10
Did it on the stove top
I can’t eat dairy and my boyfriend doesn’t like coco milk
Did it without de butter, cheese and coco milk
And it was so darn good, so creamy !
Thank you for sharing this recipe with us❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️
Hey Marie-Anik,
Happy Friday!! I am thrilled to hear that this recipe was a winner, thanks so much for making it and sharing your review:)
Looks delicious. How would you recommend making this if you have already cooked meatballs? Thanks!
Hey Heather,
I would just broil the meatballs to warm through:) Please let me know if you give this recipe a try, I hope you love it! xT
Would I be able to substitute Arborio rice for the orzo and follow the recipe the same?
Hey Cristina,
Yes, that should work well for you! I hope this recipe turns out amazing, please let me know if you give it a try! xT
Made the stovetop version because I realized I didn’t have enough time and it was great!! The orzo was like an elevated Mac and cheese and the meatballs had great flavor from the Italian seasoning! Would definitely make again. Thanks HBH, you did it again 🤍
Hey Krista,
Happy Friday!! I am thrilled to hear that this recipe was a winner, thanks so much for making it and sharing your review:)
I did the stovetop method and pulled the meatballs out after browning them (originally because the pan was too crowded) and added them back in with the tomatoes, spinach, etc. glad I did because they’re cooked perfectly and would have otherwise been overcooked. For the garlic I just added ~5 cloves of minced garlic and cooked it with the butter and rosemary. I also used almond milk and it turned out good — still creamy enough with the butter. I added lots of fresh lemon juice and parsley at the end. Turned out so good!!
Hey Maris,
Perfect!! So glad to hear that this recipe turned out well for you, thanks for making it and sharing what worked best! xT
Family loved your recipe, as usual! Thank you!
I just added some breadcrumbs to the meatballs and some chili to the sauce. Just because we love it a bit more spicy 😉
Other than that… soooo yummy!
Hey Dagmar,
Wonderful!! I love to hear that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks so much for giving it a try! xx
I struggled with this one but think my crockpot size was part of the problem. My pot is only medium sized and more tall than wide so not all the meatballs were covered by the water and wine. So, I added more water and wine but removed it before adding the orzo. The meatballs were okay and the orzo wasn’t too mushy but very bland with a strong white wine aftertaste. My boyfriend didn’t mind it but I couldn’t finish it maybe because I don’t love white wine.
Hi Sabrina,
Thanks so much for giving this recipe a try and sharing your feedback! So sorry to hear you didn’t love it! Let me know if you try the stove top version, maybe that will work better for you! xT
If I don’t have white wine can I use a substitute?
Hi Sarah,
You bet, broth will also work well for you! I hope this recipe turns out well, please let me know if you give it a try! xT
I’m going to preface this by saying that I am the biggest HBH fan – I usually make your recipes 1-2x a week and own your cookbooks but this one was a big miss for me (my first miss with an HBH recipe!)… the meatballs just got too soggy in the crockpot and the leftover juice was a bit gross to cook orzo in. I ended up tossing the dish but that won’t stop me from making another HBH recipe this week 🙂
Hi Jess,
So sorry to hear this recipe did not turn out well for you! Thanks for giving it and so many others a try! Please let me know if there is anything that I can help with! xT
I was wondering why 1.5 pounds ground chicken and not 1 pound? Your other Greek chicken meatball recipe calls for 1 pound and the yield is the same, 14-16 meatballs? Also do you chop up the butter into chunks when adding to the baking sheet?
Hi Rich,
Feel free to use as much or as little chicken as you like, for this recipe I used 1.5 pounds:) Please let me know if you have any other questions! xT
I made this before and loved it! If using a different pasta rather than orzo, what would you recommend? I cannot find orzo anywhere in local stores and I would like to make this again soon!
Hey Whitney,
Love it!!🤩 So glad to hear that this recipe was a hit, thanks so much for making it! Arborio rice would be your next best bet! xx
We ended up doing the stove top method. The instructions are a little confusing with what to do with the garlic – so I roasted it a little beforehand and just added the whole head of garlic in, removing it later. I should have removed the rosemary sprig earlier too, because now we have a ton of rosemary leaves and the stick is still hiding somewhere. I’m also assuming after adding the butter, where it says “let the butter butter” it meant to let it melt. I also forgot to get the sun dried tomatoes and it was still tasty! I might add lemon next time. Overall, it’s a tasty dinner, the instructions are just confusing!
Hey Kaitlin,
Love it!!🤩 So glad to hear that this recipe was a hit, thanks so much for making it! So sorry for any confusion! xx
I did the slow cooker method. And used beef for the meat balls and red wine instead of white. The slow cooker meatballs and garlic butter rosemary meatball steps were delicious. Juicy and flavoursome.
But, the slow cooker orzo turned to a mush. I added a cup and a half more water but it was gluggy and flavourless despite the addition of the sun dried tomatoes, spinach and Parmesan. I wouldn’t make this again. Aside from slow cooker meat balls for another dish.
Hi Marilla,
Thanks for giving this a try and sharing what worked well for you, so sorry to hear about the orzo! Please let me know if there is anything that I can help with! xx
I had the same issue with the orzo using the slow cooker method. The stove top version is probably the way to go if I were to make it again.
So sorry to hear this, please let me know if I can help in any way! xT
This recipe was just okay. It has the same flavor profile as the One Skillet Creamy Sun-Dried Chicken and Orzo recipe which is hands down one of our favorites and in our regular rotation which is why I was drawn to it. I find this one not to be as flavorful but is still pretty good if you want a mostly simple slow cooker meal for weekdays.
Hey Tracy,
Thanks so much for making this dish and sharing your review, so sorry to hear you didn’t love it! xT
I’m trying this now, but wasn’t sure what to do with the garlic to keep it together and leave the cloves exposed. I ended up just peeling a whole head and throwing in all the cloves…might be a lot of garlic? I guess we’ll see! If you have any instructions on how to prep the garlic I’d love to know how you do it!
Hey Camille,
I just chop off the head of the garlic cloves, so they are exposed and get infuse the dish with flavor. You can view the photos above for reference! I hope this helps! xT
When doing the instapot method, do you remove the meatballs when cooking the orzo? Thank you for the recipe but it’s a smidge confusing!
Hi Emma,
No need to remove the meatballs:)
And you leave the outer papery skin on?
Correct:)