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One Skillet Greek Meatballs and Lemon Butter Orzo with lemony whipped feta and sun-dried tomato vinaigrette. The perfect weeknight dinner…simple, hearty, and delicious! Pan-seared Greek seasoned chicken meatballs, cooked together with lemon butter orzo pasta for a complete dinner made in just one skillet. Serve everything over creamy, salty whipped feta cheese. Truly one of those dinners that everyone at the table will love. Great for a weeknight, but fancy and unique enough to serve to guests as well.
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You guys, this recipe? It’s one of my favorites of the week. Yes, I say that often, but I honestly mean it each time I say it.
I’m not sure if I mentioned or not, but my older brother Creighton was recently in town visiting. Creighton loves food and he is one of my favorite brothers to be able to cook for. The one thing he really loves? Any kind of meatball. The other thing he really loves? Any kind of Greek food.
Naturally, I put the two together and got this colorful bowl of crispy chicken meatballs, buttery orzo, and salty whipped feta cheese. There’s a lot happening with this recipe, but it’s worth the extra time. And my oh gosh, every bite is truly so delicious. Bonus? It’s all pretty healthy, and simple too.
To make this simple skillet dinner…
Start with the meatballs. I seasoned the ground chicken with shallots, garlic, smoked paprika, and plenty of fresh oregano, then rolled into balls and done. Typically when I make meatballs I keep the mix very simple and opt out of using any kind of egg or breadcrumb. I know this is a little controversial, but I really don’t find the egg or breadcrumbs to be needed, especially with a chicken meatball.
Once the meatballs are formed, the rest is pretty simple. You’ll pan cook the meatballs until crisp on the outside and cooked through inside. This really only takes a few minutes, so the process is quick. Once the meatballs are cooked, remove them from the skillet, then add in a couple of pats of butter and fresh lemon slices. Allow the lemons to caramelize, then toss in dry orzo pasta and some garlic.
Now stop and smell the wonderful smell of garlicky, lemony butter coming from your skillet. It’s very, very good. Let the orzo and garlic cook until lightly golden. Now pour in some water and boil the orzo until just perfectly al dente. Stir in some salty green olives and a handful of fresh dill. Toss the meatballs back in.
And now you’re done. Well, kind of, but not quite…
Let’s talk about the vinaigrette + that whipped feta.
While the orzo is cooking mix up a quick vinaigrette with some sun-dried tomatoes and the olive oil left in the tomato jar. Add in balsamic vinegar and a squeeze of lemon. This is your super simple tomato vinaigrette.
Now, the feta. Is this necessary? No, absolutely not. But do you need this? Yes, you absolutely do.
First things first, the feta is easy. If you have a food processor, all you do is whip it with olive oil until creamy. It takes just a few minutes and is worth every bit of extra effort…and even the extra dish to wash. Please trust me on this. Once the warm orzo and meatballs touch the creamy feta, it immediately begins to melt into everything creating a creamy, delicious “sauce”.
It’s the perfect amount of salty, creaminess to balance out all the savory flavors and crispy meatballs.
Finish it up.
Once you have everything all together, spread the feta out, top with orzo, and then the meatballs. Add baby arugula and fresh herbs, then spoon over that tangy vinaigrette.
DONE. It’s not my simplest skillet dinner, but it sure is GOOD. As I said, the feta melts into the orzo and meatballs making everything creamy, but perfectly salty too. It’s the perfect marriage of flavors, crispiness, and creaminess.
It’s fresh, vibrant, full of vegetables, but yet so cozy too. Perfect for these winter days that have us craving a pop of fresh color!
My only recommendation? Serve this dish with some kind of pita. It could be garlic naan, homemade pita, or something from the store. Either way, add some bread. It’s ideal for scooping up all the feta and sauces from this dish.
Delicious.
Looking for other Mediterranean inspired recipes? Try these!
One Skillet Creamy Sun-Dried Tomato Chicken and Orzo.
Greek Lamb Meatballs with Avocado Goddess Sauce
Lemony Garlic Chicken and Orzo Soup
Lastly, if you make this one skillet Greek meatballs and lemon butter 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!
Watch the How To Video:
One Skillet Greek Meatballs and Lemon Butter Orzo with Whipped Feta
Ingredients
- 1 pound ground chicken
- 1 small shallot, finely chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, minced or grated
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh oregano, (or 2 teaspoons dried)
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- kosher salt and black pepper
- 1 pinch crushed red pepper flakes
- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 lemon, sliced, plus 3-4 tbs lemon juice
- 2 tablespoons salted butter
- 1 cup dry orzo pasta
- 1/2 cup pitted green olives
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh dill, plus more for serving
- 1/2 cup oil packed sun-dried tomatoes, chopped, and reserve the oil
- 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
- arugula and fresh herbs, for serving
Whipped Feta
- 8 ounces feta cheese
- 1/4 cup plain greek yogurt
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
Instructions
- 1. Add the chicken, shallot, 1 clove garlic, oregano, paprika, and a pinch of red pepper, salt, and pepper to a bowl. Mix until just combined. Coat your hands with a bit of oil, roll the meat into tablespoon-size balls (will make 14-15 meatballs).2. Heat a large skillet or dutch oven over medium-high heat and add 2 tablespoons oil. When the oil shimmers, add the meatballs and sear until crisp and cooked through, about 8-10 minutes, turning them 2-3 times. Transfer to a plate.3. To the same skillet, add the butter and lemon slices. Sear the lemon until golden on each side, about 1 minute. Remove the lemon from the pan and add to the plate with the meatballs. To the same skillet, add 1 clove garlic and the orzo. Cook until the garlic is fragrant and the orzo toasted, about 2-3 minutes. Add the 2 1/2 cups water and 1-2 tablespoons juice from 1 lemon. Bring to a boil over high heat and cook, stirring often, until al dente, about 7-8 minutes. Stir in the olives and dill. Slide the meatballs back into the skillet and cook until warmed through. 4. Meanwhile, make the sun-dried tomato vinaigrette. In a bowl, whisk together 1/4 cup of the reserved sun-dried tomato oil, 2 tablespoons lemon juice, and the balsamic vinegar until combined. Stir in the sun-dried tomatoes, 1 tablespoon dill, and season with salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes. 5. To make the feta. Combine all ingredients in a food processor and pulse until smooth and creamy. The feta can be kept in the fridge for up to 3 days. 6. To serve, spread the feta onto plates and drizzle with the vinaigrette. Add the orzo, seared lemons, and meatballs. Sprinkle on some greens and herbs. Enjoy!
Notes
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.
Husband still thinks he ate lamb meatballs! Will definitely be making again. I served it with Naan.
Hi Jane,
Awesome!! Thanks a lot for trying this recipe out, I love to hear that it was enjoyed! xTieghan
OMG this recipe was amazing! I used ground pork for the meatballs because that’s what I had on hand. It fed my family of 3, so if I were cooking for 4-6 people I would double the recipe. My husband and I are still talking about this meal 2 days later!
Hi Kristen,
Wonderful! I really appreciate you giving this recipe a try, I love to hear that it was enjoyed!! xTieghan
This was the first recipe from HBH that I tried and I have been making it once a week since! It is my absolute favorite. I have changed it up a little depending on how lazy I am by using cut up chicken breasts in place of meatballs or just adding the cooked, ground chicken instead of making the meatballs each time. When do this, I add the shallots directly to the orzo part of the recipe (I use rice as I am gluten free). Seriously my favorite thing ever. And the whipped feta really makes the dish impeccable! 🙂
Hi Payton,
Happy Sunday! Thanks a lot for making this recipe, I love to hear that it was a winner! xxTieghan
We loved all the flavors, especially the whipped feta with the tomato vinaigrette. If you’re having this for your main meal, I would say it only feeds 3-4.
Hey Allison,
Awesome! Thanks so much for giving this recipe a try, I love to hear that it was enjoyed! xxTieghan
We very much enjoyed this but found it fairly laborious for a one skillet meal. We did not have orzo so I used Israeli pearl couscous and used stock instead of water for more flavor. A great meal but took a lot more time than I would expect of a one skillet meal.
Hi Jodie,
Awesome! I am so glad to hear that this recipe was enjoyed, thank you for making it! xxT
I’ve tried this recipe twice and I can’t seem to get the consistency of the feta right. I’ve used a blender and hand mixer. Any tips?
It was so delicious! Thank you 🙂
Hi Katie,
Awesome! I am so glad to hear that this recipe was enjoyed, thank you for making it! xxT
Thanks for this delicious recipe! Everything turned out so well but I think I did something wrong with the feta. My whipped feta seemed a bit bitter. Do you have any suggestions to take away that bitterness? I used block feta.
Hi Melissa,
Thanks so much for giving the recipe a try, sorry to hear about the bitterness! I really have no idea what would have caused that. xT
Hey Caroline,
So sorry to hear this. Are you using block feta? You can try adding some olive oil too! Let me know! xTieghan
I use crumbled feta, add some juice from the olives to make it a little thinner (and extra olive oil if necessary) and use my immersion blender! I was having trouble with it too right away but this worked best for me! (You can get an immersion blender for like $20 at Target!)
Hi Payton,
Happy Sunday! Thanks a lot for making this recipe, I love to hear that it was a winner! xxTieghan
I’ve made this recipe so many times, it’s delicious & my husbands absolute favorite meal. The whipped feta combo tho ??
Hi Sarah,
Awesome! I am so glad to hear that this recipe was enjoyed, thank you for making it! xxT
Trying this tonight but it says 6 servings but it only makes 14 meatballs? I may double the meatballs to have on hand incase someone wants more. Is it really only 2-3 meatballs per person?
Hey Courtney,
Yes, that is correct:) Please let me know if you give the recipe a try, I hope you love it! xTieghan
So I doubled the meatball recipe and I made 20 Greek meatballs using 2 pounds of ground chicken. The orzo was perfection and instead of making a sun-dried tomato vinaigrette I put the sun-dried tomatoes in the orzo while it was cooking because I wanted one less step hahaaa. We loved it and now I have extra meatballs for the week!!
Hey Courtney,
Fantastic!! I am so glad that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks a lot for giving it a try. Have the best week! xTieghan
I tried this tonight, it was fabulous! Definitely will go on our rotation. I hate frying meatballs and always end up burning them. Just not a skill I have. So I baked mine at 375 for 20 mins, and then broiled them for a few minutes to golden the tops. The 20 mins gave me the time to make the orzo, whipped feta and sun-dried tomato vinaigrette. I might try making the orzo in the instant pot next time, just to free myself up from watching & stirring the pot.
Hey Lindsey,
Happy Friday! Thanks so much for giving this recipe a try, I love to hear that it was enjoyed! xTieghan
Delicious. Love the bright flavors in this dish.
Hey Irene,
Awesome! Thanks a lot for making this recipe. I love to hear that it was enjoyed! Happy Thursday❄️ xxT
I had way too much lemon rind flavour in the sauce/orzo. Did I do something wrong? I browned the lemon wedges in butter, transferred them to the plate with the meatballs, then added them back at the end while I let it all simmer for 3-4 minutes to warm everything up. Wanted to love this – so many great flavours but I (and my wife) could not get past the over powering taste of lemon rind. Anyone else experience this or tips on what I did wrong? This is the first what I would call a fail from any of the HBH recipes we have tried so far – generally we love them and will keep trying new ones.
Hey James,
So sorry to hear this! Next time, try using a Meyer lemon, they are a little less potent and really make sure you caramelize it. I hope this helps! xTieghan
Can I substitute ground chicken for ground turkey?
Hi Katherine,
Yes, that will work well for you! I hope you love this recipe, please let me know if you give it a try! xTieghan
Excellent! Made this tonight. One kid doesn’t like Orzo so I used penne, so the sauce was too liquid-y. I thickened with a little cornstarch. Also deglazed with white wine after the meatballs were seared. Recipe says 6 servings, but 4 of us finished it no problem.
My prep time was 35 mins and my cook time was 35-40 mins.
Hey Kate,
Fantastic! Thanks a lot for making this recipe, I love to hear that it was enjoyed! Happy New Year!? xxT
This might be my current favorite!! The flavors were incredible.
Hey Dana,
Awesome! I love to hear this recipe was enjoyed, thanks for giving it a go! Happy New Year!? xTieghan
Absolutely delicious. Wouldn’t change a thing. Except I’d double the recipe!
Hey Joyce,
Awesome! I love to hear this recipe was enjoyed, thanks for giving it a go! Happy New Year!? xTieghan