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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!
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 meatballs in the crockpot from now on. This was so easy and almost mess-free.
Start with the meatballs. I make mine using ground chicken, Italian seasoning, dijon, and parmesan cheese. Just mix everything together and roll it into meatballs. Then place them in the crockpot 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, 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
Servings: 6
Calories Per Serving: 878 kcal
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
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!
I thought this recipe was great. It was a little bit challenging though especially when it came to making sure the orzo did not stick to the bottom of of the pot and similarly, it was a little tricky browning the meatballs, but overall the flavor was great, and I love how it was all in one pot! I used the instant pot method and the orzo turned out fine- just make sure you cook it according to the directions and keep the lid off the instant pot/on sauté mode to keep it simmering. Stirring constantly was helpful to make sure it didn’t stick.
Also the meatballs came out juicy and tender. I used an egg in the mixture- not sure if that helped.
Hey Emily,
Happy Wednesday!! 🍉🍓 Thanks a bunch for testing out this recipe, I’m so glad to hear that it turned out well for you! Thanks for sharing what worked well for you:) xT
Orzo was delicious! Meatballs also nice taste but dry. Overall great dish. I never measure the seasoning and added extra cheese.
Hey there,
Happy Wednesday!! 🍉🍓 Thanks a bunch for testing out this recipe, I’m so glad to hear that it turned out well for you! xT
It was a hit! I used the stove top method. I seared the chicken meatballs and then I put them in the oven at 400 degrees for 15 minutes while I made the orzo. I did have to put more liquid in the orzo than it called for but it turned out delicious!
Hey Marissa,
Love to hear this! Thanks so much for making this recipe and sharing your comment! Have a great weekend!🌼🌴
Giving this 3 stars because the orzo was amazing. The meatballs were a miss.
After reading all of the reviews, I felt the safest way to make the recipe was on the stovetop.
I ended up searing the meatballs then removing them from the pan to make more room. Then I added onions and followed the recipe. I was confused that the onion is quartered in the ingredients list but chopped in the instructions. I added the meatballs in with the orzo to continue cooking.
It seems like many people complained about the meatballs being dry but I feel it’s more of the texture that is off putting. I would recommend skipping the meatballs and just doing the orzo. Add a chicken breast on the side?
Hi Emily,
Happy Friday! Thanks so much for giving this recipe a try and sharing your review! So glad to hear that you enjoyed the orzo! Sorry to hear about the meatballs, you could try adding an egg to the meatballs to see if that helps at all with the texture. Chicken breast would also be great! xx
This is a funny one ….. reviews are so split! Unfortunately this is a no-go for our house. I used the crockpot method and not only did it not look like the recipe picture but the meatballs were dry, orzo was mushy and lacked flavour and ya, some direction around the onion would have been helpful.
Having said that we will continue to use Half Baked Harvest as our go-to meal planner. We follow on IG, have book marked your website and enjoy the cook book as well. Many recipes are a bit guilty-pleasure ish due to the butter & cheese called for but sometimes they can be reduced.
Thanks for your creativity Tieghan!
Hi Cathy,
Thanks so much for making so many recipes and your kind message! I’m so sorry to hear this one did not turn out for you! I’ve tested this so many times and I just don’t know why it is working for some but not for others. Again, sorry for the trouble! xx
This was great! Made way more than 15-17 meatballs which worked out really well. I did it on the stove. I really enjoyed the sun-dried tomatoes. Added a nice punch of flavor. I will definitely add this to the rotation.
Hey Kirsten,
Happy Monday!! ☀️⛅️ I appreciate you making this recipe and sharing your comment, so glad to hear it turned out well for you! xT
My suggestion is not to use the Instant Pot method. I added half of the meatballs to saute them and they stuck to the bottom. You can’t get good leverage in a deep pot to flip them over. I gave up and sauteed them on the stove. I also had the same issue others did with the orzo taking a lot more time and liquid to cook than the recipe stated. Although the flavors were good I’ll do this differently next time. I’ll cook the orzo separately for one thing. Make the meatballs using the stove method for sure.
Hi Kathleen,
Thanks so much for trying this recipe and sharing your feedback! So sorry to hear the instant pot method didn’t work for you! Glad to hear you were able to finish it on the stove top! xT
Loved this, but, have a question. No mention of what to do with the quartered onion when you put the meatballs and garlic bulb on the sheet pan. It is not mentioned anywhere.
Hey Maureen,
Happy Friday!!☀️🐰 Thanks so much for making this recipe and sharing your feedback, love to hear that it was delish! The onion is totally up to you, it really infuses the dish but if you want to chop and add to each serving that works too! xT
This was a miss for us. Dry meatballs with crockpot method and the sauce didn’t set. It’s just watery pasta and dry meatballs. We did crockpot method.
Hi Brittney,
Thanks so much for trying this recipe and sharing your feedback, so sorry to hear it was not enjoyed! Please let me know if there is anything that I can help with! xx
Hi ! I’m in the middle of cooking this dish now. I followed the directions for the stove top version. Unfortunately the orzo did not cook within 8 minutes. I added more water and it’s still cooking. Should I add the spinach, cream, tomatoes as the orzo is coming or allow the orzo to finish coming ??Hopefully it’ll be delish!
Hey Tina,
I would go ahead and finish the dish as directed, the orzo should finish cooking! I hope you love this recipe, let me know how it turns out! xx
I’m so confused by all the low reviews because this was DELICIOUS! My boyfriend said it’s the best thing I’ve ever made and to add it to our normal rotation (and he is picky AF). Can’t wait to make it again!!
Hey Elise,
Happy Wednesday! ⛅️🌈 I’m so glad to hear that this recipe worked well for you and I appreciate you giving it a try! xx
I have been on a roll making your recipes and love so many of them, but this one did not turn out well for me. I did the crockpot version and my meatballs turned out very dry.
Hi Sonia,
Thanks so much for making so many recipes, so sorry to hear that this one did not turn out for you. Please let me know if there is anything that I can help with! xx
Usually enjoy most of the recipes but this recipe was not edible. Meatballs were dry and orzo had no flavor and had a texture of glue. Tried to remedy it to be tolerable but ended up throwing it away and getting takeout.
Hi Sherri,
Thanks so much for making this dish and sharing your feedback, so sorry to hear it was not enjoyed. Please let me know how I can help! xx
Agree with Sherri. Love everything I’ve made of yours except this. Orzo was glutinous never really cooked even with additional liquid. Meatballs were edible.
So sorry to hear this Judith! Please let me know if I can help in anyway! xx
Delicious! I added an egg to the meatballs and they were yummy and moist. Used chicken broth instead of water. Did the stove top method. Loved it!
Hi Elise,
Fantastic!!🌻 I love to hear that this recipe turned out well for you, thanks so much for trying it out! xT
Hi TG and the HBH Crew,
Another winner! For some unexplainable reason, I have always been intimidated by meatball making. The crockpot “bath” cut through a lot of anxiety! The only variation to your recipe was my homemade Italian seasoning (with garlic powder and red pepper flakes for some extra oomph!) I also had to use frozen spinach but everything turned out perfect.
Not only was this dish super tasty, the entire kitchen smelled fantastic! Thank you for curing me of my meatball-phobia!
Keep ’em coming — you guys are currently responsible for at least 30% of our weekly meals now!
Michael and Dora
Republic of Cyprus
Hey Michael,
Fantastic!!🌻 I love to hear that this recipe turned out well for you, thanks so much for trying it out! Thanks so much for your kind message! xT