Today I’m going to show you a nifty little trick to cooking meatballs and orzo. No frying pan needed! Follow me…
Chicken Meatballs
Chicken meatballs are a nice switch-up from beef and pork meatballs. They come out super soft and juicy, plus they’re really easy to make!
What kind of chicken should I use?
I highly recommend using boneless skinless chicken thighs and grinding them up in a food processor. A local butcher can easily do this for you too. Thighs are much fattier and are more flavoursome than breasts.
Can I just use store-bought ground chicken?
You will find chicken mince in most shops, but I find it ranges quite widely in quality. It’s also usually low in fat and/or chicken breast. If you are going with store-bought, just make sure it’s unseasoned. Also, chicken mince from the shops can sometimes be watery, so you may need more breadcrumbs to mould into meatballs.
Can I make the meatballs ahead of time?
If you want to get ahead of the game you can certainly prepare the meatballs ahead of time (not bake ahead). I’ve added more on this in the recipe card below 😊. Process shots: add chicken thighs to food processor (photo 1), pulse until it resembles ground meat (photo 2), add to bowl with breadcrumbs, parmesan, parsley, onion, garlic, Worcestershire sauce, salt & pepper (photo 3), mix to combine (photo 4), scoop out chunks (photo 5), roll into balls (photo 6).
Meatballs and Orzo
Okay, so here’s the trick. We’re going to bake the meatballs on a wire rack ABOVE the orzo. That way, any fat/flavour that drips out of the meatballs will fall straight into the orzo. Plus, with the meatballs being on a wire rack, the hot air will better circulate them and cook them more evenly.
Tomato Orzo
Underneath the meatballs is going to be the orzo in a simple, yet rich and delicious tomato sauce. The orzo will be uncooked and will cook in the sauce. We’re using uncooked orzo for 3 main reasons: The base of the sauce is a combination of tomato passata and chicken stock. Process shots: add onion and oil to baking dish (photo 1), bake then stir in garlic (photo 2), stir in tomato passata, stock, tomato puree, oregano and seasoning (photo 3), stir in uncooked orzo (photo 4), add meatballs on top with oil (photo 5), bake until meatballs are cooked (photo 6).
Baked Orzo
The meatballs will likely cook before the orzo does, so just remove them and keep them warm to one side. From there, just give the orzo a really good stir and bake it again until al dente.
What consistency should the orzo be?
You’re looking for the orzo to be about 90% cooked through, so still a teeny bit hard. The sauce should still be fairly saucy, although if for whatever reason it’s too thick, just add in a splash more hot water to thin out as needed. From there, you’ll want to toss through heaps of fresh basil and finish with your meatballs! Process shots: remove meatballs (photo 1), stir orzo (photo 2), bake again (photo 3), add basil (photo 4), stir to combine (photo 5), stir in meatballs (photo 6).
Serving Meatballs and Orzo
When it comes to serving, I recommend plenty of freshly grated parmesan! And yes me being me forgot to take a photo after the bucket of parmesan I served it with 🤣 I also like to serve up with any leftover parsley/basil I’ve got lurking about.
How many does this recipe serve?
It’ll serve 4 comfortably (5 meatballs each), or 5 smaller portions. You could always add a side of Garlic Bread (or Cheesy Garlic Bread). Looking for another awesome meatball recipe? Check out my One Pot Meatballs and Rice! Alrighty, let’s tuck into the full recipe for these baked chicken meatballs and orzo shall we?!
How to make Chicken Meatballs and Orzo (Full Recipe & Video)
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