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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.
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
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.
Watch the How-To Reel
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
Whipped Feta: if you prefer you can just crumble the feta cheese over the meatballs instead of whipping it.
This post was originally published on February 19, 2020
Hi! Love the recipe but don’t have olives on hand this time. Any substitutes you would recommend?
Hey Tieghan! Was planning on making this tonight and realized I don’t have anymore orzo :/ any sub suggestions?
Hey Kelly,
You could so arborio rice! I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you give it a try! xTieghan
BEST RECIPE EVER! The combination of the flavours is just beyond believable. You need everything in this recipe- the whipped feta, the vinaigrette, the lemons, the arugula. Absolutely fantastic ❤️
Hey Jen,
Wonderful! Thanks a bunch for giving this recipe a try, I am thrilled that it was enjoyed! Have a great weekend:) xTieghan
This is a staple meal in our household. Even though it’s a few different steps the complements MAKE the meal. She thinks of everything and all her recipes are so complete!
Hey Cassie,
Wonderful! I love to hear that this recipe was enjoyed and I appreciate you giving it a try! xTieghan
This was amazing! I made it as described, but realized just now that I have no idea where the olives were meant to be included, so I simply didn’t use them. It tasted fine without! But now I’m curious for next time: how were the olives meant to be integrated?
Hey Victoria,
Happy Friday! Thanks a bunch for making this recipe, I love to hear that it was enjoyed. The olives are added in step 3. Have a great weekend☀️ xTieghan
blech.
Hey Lisa,
So sorry did you not enjoy this recipe? Please let me know how I can help! xTieghan
Delicious! As someone who isn’t a very good cook and wants to try new things this recipe was the perfect way for me to do something easier (one pot) while having it bursting with flavors! I don’t have a food processor so I just mixed the feta dip and I wish that I could have done it the recipe called for it and it would have been perfect! Thanks for the awesome “healthy-ish” recipes 🙂
Hey Christina,
Awesome! Love to hear that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks a lot for giving it a try! xTieghan
How do you get your meatballs from completely falling apart? Mine can’t stay together at all. Thanks!
Hey Megan
You can try adding an egg to your meatballs to prevent this from happening:) I hope this helps for next time! xTieghan
Love. Love. Love!
We made this two nights ago exactly as written (except we used kalamata olives since we didn’t have pitted green olives). We both agreed it was bursting with so many amazing Greek flavors. The juice from the meatballs and vinegrette melted into the whipped feta making every bite so scrumptious.
This dish is more luxurious and delicious than most served at my favorite, high end Greek restaurant. It truly does taste better than it looks; and, it looks great.
The only change we both agreed was to double the orzo part next time we make it. We ran out of the orzo mix about halfway though everything else. So, we wished that we had more.
We plan to make this again next week because it was so good.
Hey Jules,
Happy Friday!! I am thrilled that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks so much for making it!! xTieghan
Do u think these would be just as good if I used ground turkey?
Hey Suzanne,
Sure, ground turkey would be great here! I hope you love this recipe, please let me know if you give it a try! xTieghan
I’ve made this several times now and it is always a hit! Easy to make the feta or salad dressing ahead of time so there are not too many steps so close to dinner time. I also leave out the lemon juice from the orzo because I found it too overpowering the first time. Its a staple now!
Hey Katelyn,
Awesome! I am delighted that this recipe was enjoyed and truly appreciate you giving it a try! xTieghan
Made this for dinner last night and it was DELICIOUS! My husband even took a photo, which is something I’d do, but he never would! 4 stars instead of 5 because the ‘one skillet’ title implied a simpler dinner to me – I ended up with so many dirty bowls, food processor, splattered cooktop, etc. I prepped the feta & dressing ahead of time – so glad I did because the meatballs and orzo both took longer to cook than the recipe said. I added extra yogurt and olive oil to the feta because as written it was still crumbly vs. creamy. I also went lighter on the lemon slices & juice. Agree with other comments regarding serving size, we had roasted veggies as a side and this was enough for only 4 servings for us. In all though, the flavors were outstanding. We assembled our bowls as suggested & it was amazing!
Hey Michelle,
I really appreciate you giving this recipe a try, I am thrilled that it was enjoyed! Sorry for all the dishes. xxTieghan
Amazing, instead of making meatballs, I had boneless chicken thighs on hand and tossed them in the seasoning with a bit of olive oil and it was a huge hit! My husband who doesn’t like tomatoes or sauces for that matter went back for seconds and stated “I think I kind of like those sun dried tomato things and I like that sauce”. So he basically gave it 10 stars with the comment ” You can make that again!”. 🙂 I served it with some homemade naan bread. Delicious.
Hey Tanya,
Happy Friday! Thanks so much for making this recipe, I am delighted that it was enjoyed! xxTieghan
This sounds great! Thanks for sharing, I wouldn’t have thought of that!?
Tanya, this sounds great! Thanks for sharing. I would never have thought of that!?
What balsamic do you like?
Hey Tanya,
I typically get my balsamic from Whole Foods! I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you give it a try! xTieghan
Added lemon peel to the meatballs as I wasn’t making the orzo and they were great with a Greek salad, the whipped feta, and pita!
Hey Laura,
Happy Friday! I am delighted that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks a lot for giving it a try! xTieghan
Adding to the rotation
Hey Beth,
So so glad this recipe was enjoyed, thanks a lot for giving it a try!! xxTieghan