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Baked Lemon Rosemary Chicken Meatballs and Creamy Orzo. Quick, easy, colorful, and delicious! Baked chicken meatballs with roasted lemon, cooked together with orzo pasta and baby spinach, then finished with melty cheese. This tasty dish is all made in one pan without even having to boil any water. Simply mix, bake, eat, and enjoy!
And we’re back with yet another one-pan dinner. I’m loving these easy all-in-one recipes this month. Fortunately, they’ve been turning out so delicious!
It’s been busy over here, and long days mean my time in the kitchen is limited. I was just saying on a call today that I always keep things like this in mind when creating recipes. Of course, that should go without saying that they also need to have great taste. My intention is for my recipes to be approachable, easy, and so delicious…while also looking pretty!
It’s the combo that makes a recipe worthy of saving!
And these cheesy, garlic meatballs fit the description to a T.
My mom mentioned that meatballs sounded really delicious with all the snowy weather and cold temperatures we’ve been having. I thought about sharing another crockpot meatball, but then I had the thought to test out baked meatballs with orzo.
I’ve been enjoying my all-in-one baked dishes so much, so I was curious to test this one out. It’s ended up working out wonderfully and turned into a recipe that everyone has really been enjoying!
Ingredients
- ground chicken, ground beef, ground pork, or ground turkey
- dijon mustard
- shallot, chopped
- garlic powder or a few chopped cloves garlic
- Italian seasoning
- dried rosemary
- smoked paprika
- kosher salt and black pepper
- grated parmesan cheese or ricotta cheese
- extra virgin olive oil
- chopped lemon peel
- chopped fresh dill
- chili flakes
- dry orzo pasta
- dry white wine
- heavy cream or canned full fat coconut milk
- baby spinach, chopped
- shredded mozzarella or provolone cheese
Kitchenware needed
- large cast iron skillet or large dutch oven
- medium mixing bowl, large mixing bowl
- 9×13 inch baking dish
- serving dishes / serving platter
These are the details
Step 1: pre-heat the conventional oven and make the meatballs
I love to use ground chicken or pork for this recipe. Sometimes I’ll mix the chicken and pork if I have both on hand.
Then, add the seasonings to the meat mixture: dijon, shallots, garlic, rosemary and smoked paprika. Then mix in parmesan cheese as well.
Mix everything together and roll it into 2-inch balls. Then, place the meatballs in a baking dish with a little olive oil, chopped lemon peel, dill, and chili flakes. Make sure you have paper towels on hand for clean-up!
Step 2: bake the meatballs
Now, bake the meatballs until they start getting crisp on top.
I like to give them a head start on cooking before adding the orzo. I think this helps them form a nice shape and develop even more flavor!
Step 3: add the orzo
Next, mix the orzo with the oil and meatballs in the baking dish. Add water and wine, and then spinach on top.
No need to boil the orzo. As everything bakes together, the orzo will soak up the water and become perfectly cooked. It’s such a simple way to cook orzo pasta!
Step 4: add the cheese
Pull the dish out, add a touch of cream, then top with either mozzarella or provolone cheese, then bake again until the cheese is all melty and bubbling up.
It’s going to smell so delicious with the lemon and rosemary, and then all that cheese on top! YUM.
Step 5: serve!
Serve the lemon meatballs over the creamy, cheesy orzo. Then I like to add fresh herbs and chili flakes on top.
Simple and quick, with very little clean-up, and minimal hands-on time too.
You can serve this up on busy weeknights, but it would be equally great for a small dinner party with friends. Everyone loves this meatball and pasta dinner. Bon apetit!
Looking for other easy weeknight dinners? Here are some favorites.
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
Crockpot Garlic Butter Chicken Meatballs with Creamy Orzo
Lastly, if you make this Baked Lemon Rosemary Chicken Meatballs and 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!
What are the benefits of a Dutch oven?
A Dutch oven can maintain temperatures on the stovetop and in the oven and its tight-fitting lid ensures the recipes you are preparing is cooked thoroughly. Here is a great article that shares the benefits of cooking with a Dutch oven: https://www.foodnetwork.com/how-to/packages/food-network-essentials/what-is-a-dutch-oven
Baked Lemon Rosemary Chicken Meatballs and Creamy Orzo
Servings: 6
Calories Per Serving: 679 kcal
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Watch the How-To Reel
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 pounds ground chicken, pork, or turkey
- 1 tablespoon dijon mustard
- 1 shallot, chopped
- 1 tablespoon garlic powder
- 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
- 2 teaspoons dried rosemary
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- salt and black pepper
- 1 cup grated parmesan cheese
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1 tablespoon chopped lemon peel
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh dill
- chili flakes
- 1 pound dry orzo pasta
- 1/4 cup dry white wine
- 1/2 cup heavy cream or canned full fat coconut milk
- 3 cups baby spinach, chopped
- 1 cup shredded mozzarella or provolone cheese
Instructions
- 1. Preheat the oven to 450° F.2. Add the chicken, dijon, shallot, garlic powder, Italian seasoning, rosemary, paprika, salt, pepper, and parmesan to a bowl. Mix to combine. Roll the meat into tablespoon-size balls (will make 15-16 meatballs). 2. In a 9×13 inch baking dish, combine the meatballs, olive oil, lemon peel, dill, and chili flakes. Bake 8-10 minutes, until just starting to get crisp. Reduce the oven to 400° F. 3. To the meatballs, add the dry orzo. Pour over 2 cups of water and the wine, stir to combine. Season with salt and pepper. Place the spinach on top. Bake for 12-15 minutes until most of the water has cooked into the pasta, but not all of it.4. Stir the pasta around, mix in the cream, then sprinkle the cheese overtop. Bake another 10 minutes until the cheese has melted and the sauce is bubbling. If there's a lot of oil on top, drain off the excess. Top with fresh dill, basil, or micro greens.
This post was originally published on February 29, 2024
So easy and delicious! Thank you for another winner!
Hi Michelle,
Happy Tuesday!! I am thrilled that this dish was a winner for you, thanks a lot for making it! xT
What are some options I could use as a substitute for the white wine?
Hi Ashley,
You can use broth in place of the wine:) Please let me know if you have any other questions! xT
Really really hoping it’s one pound of orzo as the recipe calls for above and not one cup. Otherwise I have wasted a lot of food and will have some hungry family members – it’s all cooking right now. If it is 1 cup, Tieghan can you please change the recipe?
Hi Amy,
The recipe is for 1 pound of orzo:) I hope this turns out well for you! Please let me know if you have any other questions! xx
1 cup of orzo! This turned out delicious.
Hey Karen,
Happy Tuesday!! I appreciate you making this recipe, so glad to hear that it was enjoyed! xT
This is literally one of the worst recipes I’ve ever made. The orzo turned out as a gummy sticky mess being cooked with this method, it’s like a brick of pasta. Way too many steps over complicated this, just super unnecessary. You could have made this in half the time by not combining everything together and just cooking the meatballs and pasta separately. Inedible overall.
Hi there,
Sorry to hear this recipe turned out so terrible for you, please let me know if there is something that I can help with! x
Delicious!!! Made the exact recipe, no changes… will definitely make this again!!
Hi Uli,
Amazing!! Love to hear that this dish turned out well for you, thanks a lot for making it! xT
Very easy and tasty! Thanks Tieghan!
Hi Erin,
Love to hear this! Thanks so much for trying this recipe and your comment:) xT
delicious!! I had my Mom and Aunt over for dinner last night and made this with a side salad. After reading the reviews, the only ingredient I omitted was the dill. I didn’t think that rosemary and dill are complimentary herbs, so just went with the rosemary and it turned out great! I’m eating leftovers for lunch right now and it’s still super tasty! It was an easy one pay meal! Thanks for a great recipe!
Hi Autumn,
Happy Monday! Thanks so much for making this recipe and your feedback! I’m so glad to hear it was enjoyed! xT
This was incredible! Made this on Friday night and it was cold and miserable out. This was so comforting, and the lemon made it so fresh. My husband LOVED it.
Hey Kelli,
Happy Monday! I appreciate you making this dish and your comment! Love to hear that it turned out well:) xT
I made this dish tonight. FANTASTIC! Yes, the recipe means 1 CUP not pound of the orzo. I’m sure those that thought the dish came out dry used the entire 1 POUND.
I did use a glass 9×13 without issue – although I love my dutch oven. I chose to use the top shelf of my oven for each of the baking steps. My meatballs “crisped” much nicer and my orzo was cooking perfectly. One other note, I did let the dish rest and cool 20 min so that it could be served on a plate vs. a bowl as mine was so yummy and full of the cheesy sauce. It was still plenty hot. Love love the use of chopped lemon PEEL. Used and cooked in a recipe like this is so delish! I would not use lemon peel if not baked. Thanks Tieghan for another rock star recipe!
FORGOT TO GIVE THE RATING!!! So yummy!
Hi Tamara,
I appreciate you trying this dish and sharing your feedback! So glad to hear that it was enjoyed:) Have a great week! xT
This was fantastic. I love meatballs so much!
Thanks so much Trish:) Love to hear this! Have a great week! xT
I don’t cook many recipes from this web site I am 70 and an accomplished cook/chef but this one intrigued me. I did make some adjustments. In my universe meatballs are beef and pork with possibly some veal some that was changed. Also I get the 1 pot vibe but my meatballs were sauteed in a cast iron skillet first and the shallots sauteed in this fat. The pan was de-glazed and add the brown bits going forward. I also used fresh rosemary which was chopped and added with the Orzo instead of being combined in the meatballs. Also I had a lot of fresh basil which I substituted for the baby spinach. The use of orzo which I don’t use very much was brilliant very very creamy,(also reheats well). two technical coments you generally don’t “chop lemon peel” you use a micro-plane to “zest” the lemon. Which I did. Also “full fat coconut milk” is not a substitute for heavy cream. Taste and texture is very different. Maybe Cream Fraiche or even sour cream not coconut.
Hi Russell –
I also made this tonight and read your comments. One note, “lemon zest” and “chopped lemon peel” are two different things. The chopped lemon peel is a deeper flavor of the lemon and was fantastic in this recipe. I did, however, add lemon zest in addition to some dill to the top as I plated. Try it, I think you will be very surprised at the wonderful peel when baked in a recipe such as this.
Hi Russell,
Thanks so much for trying this dish and sharing all of your notes, so glad to hear it turned out well for you! xx
This was actually REALLY REALLY GOOD! Super easy and pretty fast,
The red pepper flakes added nice heat.
My dyed in the wool meat and potatoes don’t serve me anything Nuevo hubby asked if we were having Swedish Meatballs for dinner so I told him “ yeah, sure” and he loved it!😂😂😂. Ignorance can be bliss😜 thank you for yet another ahh-making recipe!
Lol thanks so much for making this dish! Love to hear that it turned out well for you:) Have a great weekend! xT
Hey! Love this. For the orzo, I think you mean 1 cup not 1 pound! Just wanted to correct if it confuses others!
Thanks so much Caroline!! I actually used 1 pound which is typically just 1 box:) I hope this helps! xT
This was more complicated than it needed to be and the cook times are off (at least for my oven.) The orzo didn’t come close to being cooked and I had to add a significant amount of chicken stock to keep it from drying out as the dish finished. I did do mine in a baking dish as the recipe suggests – if I make this again I will use a Dutch oven (as seen in the photos.)
I used ground chicken and ground pork for the meatballs which worked out very well. The flavors are nice – didn’t get the lemon at all, so I’d bump that up with more zest or add lemon juice.
I made this tonight and it was SO good! I only used a heaping cup of orzo, and a little less water. I also squeezed fresh lemon juice over the top once it was baked and even my picky daughter liked it! Putting this into the rotation. Thank you Tieghan!
Hi Kristen,
Wonderful!! I love to hear that this dish turned out well for you, thanks for giving it a try! xT
Hi Amy,
Thanks so much for giving this dish a try and sharing your feedback, so sorry to hear you had some issues. Did you also add the water to the orzo? Let me know if I can help at all! xT