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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
Is it possible to make a day ahead and warm in skillet for the next day?
HI! Yes, of course! That works wonderfully! Please let me know if you have any other questions. I hope you love this recipe! Thank you!! xTieghan
This came out great! I doubled the recipe due to my husband’s extreme appetite and I wanted to have leftovers. The meatballs taste great but definitely took longer than 10 min to cook all the way through, maybe because I made too many at once . We also served with hummus as a dairy free alternative (but the whipped feta was also awesome) Thanks for your delicious recipes and pictures!This is the 4th recipe of yours that I have made and I am a huge fan- Dinner has been much more interesting since I found your website!
This came out great! I doubled the recipe due to my husband’s extreme appetite and I wanted to have leftovers. The meatballs taste great but definitely took longer than 10 min to cook all the way through, maybe because I made too many at once . This is the 4th recipe of yours that I have made and I am a huge fan!! Thanks for your awesome recipes and pictures!
Hi Deb! Thank you so much for trying this! I hope you continue to enjoy my recipes! xTieghan
Insanely delicious – my BF doesn’t like olives so I left them out and it was still just outrageously good!
I was worried it would be more labour intensive that I was up for tonight but it was quick and easy and the clean up took minutes. Yum, yum, yum!
So glad you both loved this Melissa! Thank you so much for trying it! xTieghan
This dish was outstanding!! ???????? I cook a lot for my family. My husband rated this dinner as one of my top 5 meals. Do not skip the feta sauce and sun-dried tomato dressing – they are definitely worth the extra time and effort! Love it! Thanks, Tieghan!????
YES!! Love to hear that! Thank you so much for trying this Joona! xTieghan
Wonderful! I made this for dinner tonight and it was sooooo good. Will definitely make again, even though there were a lot of dirty dishes, bowls, etc. worth it. The whipped feta was a real plus . I don’t recommend skipping it.
Hi Sheran! I am so glad this turned out so well for you! Thank you so much for trying it! xTieghan
Did I miss what were supposed to do with the sliced, seared lemons?
HI! Just simply serve the served lemons alongside the meatballs. Please let me know if you have any other questions. I hope you love this recipe! Thank you!! xTieghan
What kind of Feta do you recommend? Sheep’s milk or cow’s milk? Stored in brine or in brick form? Thanks!
Hi! I like sheeps milk and I buy it in the brine. Please let me know if you have any other questions. I hope you love this recipe! Thank you!! xTieghan
This was soooooo good! Very easy and straight forward to make. I wish I had leftovers but we ate them all. One of my favorites! Only thing I would say is this does NOT serve six. I feel like it barely feeds 4 unless you make something with it like a salad.
Hi Connie! I am so glad this turned out so well for you! Thank you for trying it! xTieghan
Made this last night for the first time. About 40mins start to finish, and so good. I had made the whipped feta Sunday to save a bit of time. There are a ton of bold flavors going on here…lemon, balsamic, feta, green olives, wow, so good. I kinda overly browned the orzo but it still turned out great. Would be even better with some naan…next time.
Yes next time!! I am so glad this recipe turned out so well for you Johnny! Thank you for trying it! xTieghan
Made this tonight for my family – I dislike ground chicken so I didn’t personally try the meatballs, but my family LOVED THEM and said this recipe was a keeper!
Just wanted to comment that when I print out your recipes, the serving size is not shown? I do meal prep for neighbors so serving sizes are important so I know how to portion things out.
I am really enjoying your recipes and feel like they are more like “my taste” than most other recipe blogs I subscribe too – so thank you for what you do! And your food photography is gorgeous, and so helpful for knowing how to plate your recipes as well. Thank you!
Hi Caryn! I am so glad your family enjoyed this recipe!! Thank you for trying it! Also, when I go to print it as a PDF it does show the number of servings on the right hand side.. If this problem persists would you mind sending me an email at the below address? Thanks again! xTieghan
contact@halfbakedharvest.com
This was so delicious! I made it last week, and I am going to make it again tonight – served it with a salad of cherry tomatoes, cucumber and red pepper. It was also really easy and you are 100% correct – did not need eggs or breadcrumbs in the meatballs! Thank you.
Thank you so much Nicole! xTieghan
For a vegetarian/almost vegan version, I used Beyond Beef for the meatballs and plant butter. Pretty tasty!
Thank you so much Alex! xTieghan
I love your recipes, but tonight I’m not sure what I did wrong because the meatballs fell apart when I tried to cook them. Smells great so I’m totally bummed!
Hi Carrie! Is there anything that could have gone wrong while making them? Another person said they used an egg to help them stick! Let me know if that helps! xTieghan
We made this tonight and it was fantastic! We highly recommend it. The feta whip is awesome!
Thank you so much Scott! xTieghan