One Pan Chicken Meatballs Orzo (Print-Friendly Version)

Flavorful chicken meatballs in creamy Parmesan sauce over orzo make for a hearty, easy one-pan dinner any night of the week.

# Ingredients You'll Need:

→ Chicken Meatballs

01 - Ground chicken, 454 grams
02 - Breadcrumbs, 55 grams
03 - Parmesan cheese, 35 grams, finely grated
04 - Milk, 60 milliliters
05 - 1 large egg
06 - Fresh parsley, 15 grams, finely chopped (optional)
07 - Italian seasoning, 1 teaspoon
08 - Salt, 1 teaspoon
09 - Minced garlic, 1 teaspoon
10 - Onion powder, 0.5 teaspoon
11 - Black pepper, 0.25 teaspoon

→ Garlic Parmesan Orzo

12 - Finely minced garlic, 2 cloves
13 - Low sodium chicken broth, 600 milliliters
14 - Dry orzo pasta, 278 grams
15 - Cream, 160 milliliters (preferably heavy cream)
16 - Shredded Parmesan cheese, 25 grams
17 - Salt, 0.5 teaspoon
18 - Black pepper, 0.25 teaspoon

→ For Searing

19 - Oil, 2 tablespoons

# How to Make It:

01 - In a spacious mixing bowl, mix together ground chicken, breadcrumbs, Parmesan, milk, egg, parsley, Italian seasoning, salt, minced garlic, onion powder, and black pepper until everything's well blended. Don’t overmix, as it’s better for the texture. Let it sit for 10 to 20 minutes so the breadcrumbs can soak in some moisture.
02 - Make uniform meatballs roughly 2.5 to 3 centimeters across for even cooking throughout.
03 - Warm oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the meatballs and cook them until they’re browned all over. If needed, do this in batches. Once done, move the meatballs to a plate and cover to keep them warm.
04 - Toss in the minced garlic to the same skillet and stir it around for 1 minute until it’s fragrant.
05 - Add chicken broth to the skillet and scrape up any bits stuck to the pan with a wooden spoon. Bring this to a light boil.
06 - Add orzo pasta, cream, shredded Parmesan, salt, and black pepper. Stir everything together until it’s well mixed.
07 - Put the meatballs back into the skillet, nestling them into the orzo. Cover the pan and let it simmer on medium-low for about 10 minutes, or until the orzo’s tender and the liquid has thickened up.
08 - Check the seasoning, and add more if you need to. Serve it hot, and top with extra parsley or Parmesan if you want.

# Extra Information:

01 - For a creamier texture, go for heavy cream. If you switch to light cream, keep an eye out to prevent curdling as you simmer.
02 - You can swap orzo with any small pasta that cooks in a similar time, but make sure the meatballs are cooked all the way through.
03 - Meatballs can be baked at 200°C for about 12 minutes until their internal temperature hits 74°C if you prefer that method.
04 - Cool leftovers to room temp before putting them in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.
05 - You can freeze the meatballs before or after browning; freeze them on a tray first, then move to sealed bags for up to 3 months.

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