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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!
Hello! I am going to try this recipe for my 30th birthday! My thought is, I want to have the meal prepped and ready about an hour after guests arrive, but I don’t want to be cooking while they’re there.
Do I have to put the meatballs under broil? Could I keep them as is in the crockpot?
Would this meal work if I had one crockpot for the orzo and one for the meatballs?
Could I double the recipe and have it cook evenly in the crockpots?
Thank you!!
Hi Olivia,
If you are planning to double the recipe, I would use the 2 crockpots to do one batch in each and then just follow the recipe as written:) You could skipped broiling the meatballs, they just won’t be crispy. I hope this helps! Happy Birthday! xT
The dish was amazing – over-the-top! I switched out the orzo for quinoa because I had it in my pantry. Another great recipe – thanks.
Thanks so much Lyn!! Love to hear that this dish turned out nicely for you, thanks for trying it! xT
I added extra parmesan to my orzo so my kids loved the final product, but the process of getting there was a bit wonky. The meatballs cooked perfectly in the crockpot, but next time I’ll chop the garlic first (and make the onions smaller). It may have been user error, but my garlic was mushy after being in the broiler, and I didn’t want to mess around with chopping it. I also ended up dumping my orzo and water into a pot on the stove, because cooking it in the crockpot was not working. I kept having to add more water and cooking time was way longer than 30 minutes, but once I moved to the stove, everything came together quickly and easily! So going forward, I’ll probably do meatballs in the crockpot and everything else on the stove.
I agree with some other reviews about the taste of the meatballs. They tasted strongly of Italian seasoning, but since my kids loved the dish (especially with Parmesan sprinkled on top), I’ll come back to this and try some modifications!
Hi Nicole,
I appreciate you making this dish and all of your feedback! Sorry to hear you had some issues with the crockpot cooking method! Thanks again for sharing what worked best for you:) xx
This was effin’ delicious.
Lol love to hear this Devan! Thanks a bunch for trying this dish and your comment! Have a great Sunday! xT
Slow cooker method… what exactly are you supposed to do with the onions? It says to quarter them but then never mentions them again.
Hey Natalie,
You will leave the onion in the slow cooker to cook with the orzo and then serve with the dish. I hope you love this recipe! xT
This was phenomenal! My family never agrees on anything but we were all licking the crockpot clean. Will 100% be adding this into my meal rotation. I did cut the butter in half and skipped roasting the garlic head – just added garlic to the meatballs.
I don’t know how I accidentally gave it 3 stars…should be 5
No worries, thanks again:)
Hey there,
I appreciate you trying this recipe and sharing your feedback, love to hear that it was enjoyed! xT
Creamy and Delicious!!!
I love all of your recipes and they truly are budget friendly!!
Thank you 😊
Hi Claudia,
Amazing!! Thanks so much for making this recipe, so glad to hear it turned out well for you! Thanks for your comment! xx
“Let the butter butter” cmon, tieghan. Get an editor!
Made it on stove.. loved it
Hi Amy,
So glad to hear this! Thanks for making this dish and your comment! Have a great Thursday! xT
This recipe was really lacking in taste. The chicken meatballs were bland; only tasting Italian seasoning which was overpowering. I won’t make this dish again.
Hi Sheryl,
I appreciate you 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! xT
I have had this dish on my “want to make” list for a long time, and I finally decided to make it. And unfortunately, we were very disappointed. I made this dish exactly as Teagan instructed, slow cooked them for 3 hours, and they came out dry and bland. We used ground chicken. I am also confused on what to do with the onions, like the previous comment mentioned; they were mentioned once then never again. I left them with meatballs on the pan. The orzo was bland as well, and again, I followed her instructions to a T. I may try to tweak it and try the pan method one day, but we’ll see. This one was just a miss for us. Sorry Teagan, Xx
Hi Hannah! Oh no!! I am SO sorry that these meatballs didn’t turn out for you! Thank you for letting me know, I appreciate this input! xT
Wait, what happens to the quarters of onion? You say to put quarters of onion in the crock pot and then they’re never mentioned again
I made a couple tweaks to the meatballs based on previous reviews (added some bread crumbs, milk, and an egg) and everything turned out fantastic! I made the stove top version and it was quick and easy. Everybody went for seconds! Thanks for another hit!
Hey there! So glad you enjoyed this recipe! Thank you so much for giving it a try! xT
meatballs dry af. orzo was great!
Hi Jessica! Thanks for the feedback! Is there anything I can do to help? xT
This was a perfect, comfort food recipe and my family really enjoyed it! I’m surprised by comments saying that the meatballs were dry since ours were moist and had a great texture. I used the slower cooker method on high the whole time as reference for how I cooked this dish.
Hi there! Thank you soooo much for trying out this recipe! I’m so glad you enjoyed it! 🙂 xT