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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.

overhead photo of One Skillet Greek Meatballs and Lemon Butter Orzo

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.

Greek Meatballs on plate after cooking

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…

sun-dried tomato vinaigrette in bowl

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.

overhead close up photo of One Skillet Greek Meatballs and Lemon Butter Orzo

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.

overhead photo of One Skillet Greek Meatballs and Lemon Butter Orzo and bite taken out of meatball

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

Author: Tieghan Gerard
Prep Time 25 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 45 minutes
Servings: 6
Calories Per Serving: 563 kcal

Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.

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Watch the How-To Reel

Ingredients

Whipped Feta

US Customary – Metric

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

Whipped Feta: if you prefer you can just crumble the feta cheese over the meatballs instead of whipping it. 
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horizontal photo of One Skillet Greek Meatballs and Lemon Butter Orzo

This post was originally published on February 19, 2020
4.21 from 1638 votes (1,344 ratings without comment)

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Comments

  1. So yummy!! Made everything according to the recipe and not only was it super easy, it was amazing! Your recipes never disappoint! Im quickly becoming a HBH junkie lol!

    Reply

  2. 5 stars
    This recipe was absolutely delicious. Made it tonight with my husband. The whipped feta is a must to enhance dish. Thanks for such great instructions.

    Reply

    1. Hey Kathryn,
      I am so glad that the recipe was enjoyed, thanks so much for making it! Have a great week:) xTieghan

      Reply

  3. Delicious. Market didn’t have sun dried tomatoes so used marinated artichoke hearts. It was so good!
    Definitely company good. Can’t wait till we can have people over!

    Reply

    1. Hey Carol,
      I am so glad that the recipe was enjoyed, thanks so much for making it! Have a great week:) xTieghan

      Reply

    1. Hey Dave,
      I am so glad that the recipe was enjoyed, thanks so much for making it! Have a great week:) xTieghan

      Reply

  5. 2 stars
    Sorry, not a fan of this dish. Very labor intense with so many ingredients. A one pot meal sounds like it’s going to be easy but there are several bowl and a food processor to clean. I doubled the meatball recipe to freeze some. They are unbelievably dry and don’t have much flavor. I was really excited to make something unlike I’ve ever made before but this wasn’t the recipe for me. I’m not giving up though. I’ve also bought all the ingredients for Buffalo Chicken Crunch Wraps. Maybe something with less ingredients will work out better for me.

    Reply

  6. So I’m usually wild about your stuff and this was good but I had to make some adjustments. The orzo came out way too flavored – I think the lemon rind is what did it. Also, the orzo took more like 20 minutes to actually cook and I had to keep adding water. I ended up just making more pasta on the side and adding it to the orzo to cut the intense lemon rind flavor. Also I think half the amount of shallots would be advised. The shallot ratio was pretty high. Otherwise super yummy – especially the feta with the dressing!

    Reply

    1. Hey Kristen,
      Thanks so much for trying the recipe and sharing your adjustments, I am glad it was enjoyed! xTieghan

      Reply

  7. 4 stars
    I had a hard time getting the meatballs to stay together! A lot of them fell apart in the pan. But delicious nonetheless! Will definitely try again!

    Reply

    1. Hey Samantha,
      So sorry you had issues with the meatballs, next time try popping the meat in the fridge so it is super cold. I hope this helps! xTieghan

      Reply

  8. 5 stars
    This was absolutely DELICIOUS!!! The whipped feta and sun-dried tomato vinaigrette are incredible. This is probably one of my favorite recipes I’ve ever made. Thank you!!!

    Reply

    1. Hey Katie,
      I am thrilled that you liked the recipe, thanks so much for giving it a go! Have an awesome week:) xTieghan

      Reply

  9. Could you sub ground chicken with ground turkey or lamb? Any changes you would make with seasonings if you did sub the meat?

    Reply

  10. I’ll begin by saying that I loved this dish. The flavors are off the charts. My issue is with the directions regarding orzo cooking method. Two and a half cups of water wasn’t nearly absorbed in the few minutes the pasta cooked. I suspect it would be better to cover the pot and simmer it until the water is absorbed. Like rice. But I followed the directions as written, and I had to pour off a bunch of water (and flavor) in order not to have a soup on my hands.

    Reply

    1. Hey Janet,
      Thanks so much for giving the recipe a try! I am so glad it was enjoyed, sorry about the orzo cooking instructions, this is what works best for me! xTieghan

      Reply

  11. Hi there, I was wondering if you had any recommendations for any substitutes for the ground chicken, just not a big fan of ground chicken but this recipe sounds amazing! Thanks!

    Reply

    1. Hey Alli,
      I would say a cup of orzo and 4-5 meatballs plus some feta for serving! I hope you love the recipe:) xTieghan

      Reply

  13. 5 stars
    Made this during our current COVID lockdown over Zoom with my daughter and my sister. So fun. Flavours incredible. Awesome

    Reply

    1. Hey Christine,
      Thanks so much for giving the recipe a try, I am so glad it was enjoyed! Happy Sunday! xTieghan

      Reply

  14. This dish was amazing! I made it along side with the no knead bread from your book and it was perfect! Even my two year old loved it. Can’t wait to make more dishes that you post and from your books.

    Reply

  15. I’m going to try this recipe soon!
    But what about your comment from 2018:
    “Whenever I make meatballs, I always, always roast them in the oven as opposed to pan frying them. I’m pretty sure none of us wants to stand at the stove and tend to meatballs for thirty minutes. No, that is just not fun. I’ve also found that roasted meatballs just taste better. They hold their shape and never turn out dry.“

    Should I be worried these chicken meatballs will be dry? ?

    Reply