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One Skillet Greek Meatballs and Lemon Rice. Quick, easy, colorful, and delicious! Pan seared meatballs made with herbs, shallots, garlic, and spices are cooked together with buttery, lemon-toasted rice pilaf. These skillet meatballs are finished with garlic tahini and a generous scoop of Tzatziki sauce. A Greek-inspired dinner that’s SO GOOD – everyone will love it!
Every year around this time, I crave Greek-inspired dishes. Basically, if I can think of a dish that can be served with Tzatziki, I’m all in. Since we’re all fans of a good meatball dish (they’re always a crowd-pleaser), I came up with the idea of skillet meatballs packed with fresh spring herbs and spices, then paired with bright, lemony rice. It’s fresh, flavorful, and feels just right for the season.
The flavors sounded really nice together, so I asked my cousin Abby about the idea. She quickly agreed that I should indeed make some herby garlic meatballs, so I did just that!
Isn’t it crazy, I used to think meatball dishes were not for me. I’m so happy I finally gave them a try!
I really wanted to keep the recipe simple and not overcomplicate it. This is simply an easy yet delicious skillet and rice dinner!
The meatballs are filled with fresh springtime herbs. We love basil and dill, and I added the yummiest mix of spices. The recipe came together quickly, and ended up being so delicious!
I chose to use ground lamb mixed with ground chicken to make my meatballs. You can use beef, chicken, or lamb. My mom prefers either all beef or all chicken, but my oldest brother loves when I use lamb. He says it is his favorite. Use what you know you will enjoy the most! Create a recipe you’ll love!
Now, let’s talk about the details
Ingredients
- ground beef or lamb (or a mix)
- shallots
- garlic
- an egg
- panko bread crumbs
- basil leaves
- dill
- smoked paprika
- cumin
- chipotle chili powder
- salt and black pepper
- salted butter
- orzo
- rice
- lemon juice
For serving
- sesame seeds
- Tzatziki sauce
- garlic tahini
Special Tools
A Dutch oven, sauté pan, or skillet with a lid. Just make sure you pan has a lid.
Steps
Step 1: Mix the meatballs
To make the meatballs, use whatever type of ground meat you enjoy most. Mix the meat with a small chopped shallot, garlic, an egg, panko breadcrumbs, fresh basil, dill, smoked paprika, cumin, chipotle, salt, and pepper.
I like to use my hands to mix this all up!
Step 2: cook the meatballs
Next, use a big skillet or saute pan with a tight lid to sear the meatballs until they are browned all over.
The fat in the meat should render and help brown the meatballs beautifully! But you’ll need a little oil at first, I would just use a little butter.
Step 3: add the rice
Next, add the 4 tablespoons of butter, then add dry orzo and dry rice. I love to use jasmine or basmati rice.
Using a combination of pasta and rice makes this more like a Rice-A-Roni or a rice pilaf bake. It’s such a nice addition. It’s perfect if you have an almost empty box of orzo just sitting in the pantry waiting to be used. Something I always seem to have.
Allow the rice and orzo to toast a bit. Now add water and fresh lemon juice. Cover and let everything cook for a bit. The meatballs will finish cooking with the rice. It works out so well!!
Step 4: serve
To serve, I love to make a lemon garlic tahini. It’s simply tahini mixed with lemon juice, garlic, and toasted sesame seeds. If necessary, add a little water to thin this out.
Don’t forget my beloved tzatziki sauce!! Oh, and I always add fresh basil with a sprinkle of sea salt. Delish! This dish is healthy and full of the yummiest flavors!
Looking for other skillet dinners? Here are my favorites:
One Skillet Louisiana Style Chicken and Rice
One Skillet White Chicken Chili Bake
Lemon Butter Dijon Chicken and Orzo with Feta Sauce.
Broccoli Cheddar Chicken and Rice Casserole
Lastly, if you make this One Skillet Greek Meatballs and Lemon Rice, 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!
One Skillet Greek Meatballs and Lemon Rice
Servings: 6
Calories Per Serving: 557 kcal
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 pounds ground beef or lamb (or a mix)
- 1 shallot, chopped
- 4 cloves garlic, chopped
- 1 egg
- 1/2 cup panko bread crumbs
- 1/2 cup fresh basil leaves
- 1/4 cup fresh chopped dill
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 1/2 teaspoon chipotle chili powder
- salt and black pepper
- 4 tablespoons salted butter
- 1/2 cup dry orzo
- 1 cup rice
- 1/3 cup lemon juice
- sesame seeds, tzatziki, and tahini for serving
Instructions
- 1. Add the meat, shallot, garlic, egg, panko, basil, dill, paprika, cumin, chipotle, salt, and pepper to a bowl. Mix until just combined. Roll the meat into tablespoon-size balls (14-15 meatballs).2. Heat a large skillet or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the meatballs and sear until crisp on all sides, 5-8 minutes.3. Add the butter, orzo, and rice. Cook until the rice is toasted. Add 3 cups of water and the lemon juice. Season with salt and pepper. Bring to a boil. Cover the skillet and turn the heat down to the lowest setting possible. Allow the rice to cook for 15 minutes. Turn the heat off and allow to cook another 10-15 minutes or until the meatballs are cooked through.4. Serve the meatballs and rice topped with tahini, tzatziki, and fresh basil. Sometimes I like to add avocado too!
This post was originally published on April 9, 2025
I have a question. Do you remove the meatballs before you add the rice/orzo and water/broth?
Hi Sharon,
I did not remove the meatballs for this recipe. Please let me know if you have any other questions! xx
So good!! Such a great recipe and I will definitely be making this again!
Hey Nina,
Wonderful! Thank you so much for making this recipe and your comment, so glad it was a winner! Have the best weekend:)
This was flavorful and delicious! Based on another reviewer commenting that the meatballs turned out dry, I used two eggs but other than that followed the recipe as is. My husband was scraping the plate clean.
Hi there,
Wonderful! Thank you so much for making this recipe and your comment, so glad it was a winner! Have the best weekend:)
I’ve always admired your recipes and photography for years. Yet this is the first recipe I’ve tried. It was easy, flavorful and tasty. My family said this is one to save in my recipe archives. I served with warm pita, roasted beets and asparagus. Will make again. Thank you! Can’t wait to try more of your recipes
Thanks so much, Lauren:) I’m so glad this recipe turned out well for you, thanks for making it! Happy Friday!
Is it orzo OR rice, or are you suggesting both together? I know they have different cooking times so I wanted to check before attempting this dish.
Hi Carol,
For this recipe, you are going to use both orzo and rice. Please let me know if you have any other questions! xx
How do I account for the different cook times?
Hi Carol,
I had no issues with the cook times, they both cook very nicely in this dish. You can follow the recipe as written:)
This did not turn out – the orzo cooked quicker than the rice and turned out mushy. Frustrating!
The wide variety of spices did not go together… I was surprised to see cumin and chipotle in a Greek recipe, but I was willing to give it a try! I also feel like the meatballs turned out dry. I followed the recipe exactly, but unfortunately, this was a miss for me.
Hi Amanda,
Thanks for trying this dish and your feedback, sorry to hear you did not enjoy the flavors.
Hi! Is the rice cooked or dry? Thank you!!
Hi Taylor,
The rice is dry:) Please let me know if you have any other questions! xx
This dish is awesome! My entire family loved it! Thank you ☺️
Thanks so much, Melanie! Love to hear this recipe was enjoyed by your family! Thanks for giving it a try! xx
I made your Greek meatballs with lemon orzo, a recipe you had from a few years ago. Is this recipe the same minus rice instead of orzo?
Hi Janet,
There are some changes, definitely a similar recipe, but they are different:) Let me know if you give this one a try!
Curious what is Greek about these? 🙂
Hi Mike,
The seasonings and flavors in this dish are Greek-inspired. Please let me know if you give this recipe a try! xx
Could you please share the lemon garlic tahini recipe as well as the tzatziki sauce recipe? I couldn’t find them. Thank you.
Hi Joy,
The lemon garlic tahini is simply tahini mixed with lemon juice, garlic, and toasted sesame seeds. If necessary, add a little water to thin this out. Here is my tzatziki recipe:
https://fett-weg.today/easy-tzatziki/%3C/a%3E%3Cbr /> Please let me know if you have any other questions!
What makes these Greek-inspired?
Hi Elliot,
All of the flavors in the dish are Greek-inspired:) Please let me know if you have any other questions!
I love your greek meatballs with lemon orzo recipe from a few years ago, this looks very similar except with rice! Can’t wait to try it.
Thanks so much, Josie! I hope you love this recipe as well:) Let me know when you give it a try! xx
I got it 3 cups of water. Can’t wait to try this recipe.
Thanks so much, Robin! Let me know how it turns out for you:)
How much water?
Hi Robin,
You are going to use 3 cups of water in step 3:) Please let me know if you have any other questions! xx
Tieghan, thank you sooo much . This recipe rocks!
Can’t wait to try them all.