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Greek Meatballs and Orzo Skillet is the perfect easy weeknight dinner the whole family will love. Hearty, healthy and full of fresh Greek flavors!
Thanks to my friends at Pacific Foods for sponsoring this post. As always all opinions are my own.
If you love Greek food and are a fan of meals that cook in one skillet, then you’ll love this Greek Meatballs and Orzo Skillet! This recipe checks the boxes for three of my favorite foods. Greek food is my favorite cuisine and I’ve got plenty of recipes on the blog to prove it. You should definitely check out this Greek Orzo Salad and these Greek Chicken Tacos.
Meatballs are another food that I’m fond of. They’re so comforting and there’s endless ways to flavor and serve them. These Greek meatballs use the same ingredients as my recipe for Greek Meatballs with Tzatziki Sauce, with the exception that I used ground turkey instead of ground beef. Orzo is the third favorite of mine. I love its shape, texture and that it doesn’t feel as heavy compared to eating a plate of spaghetti.
Ingredients Needed to Make Greek Meatballs and Orzo Skillet
- Ground turkey
- Panko breadcrumbs
- Fresh flat leaf parsley and Dill
- Onion and garlic
- Lemon
- Egg
- Dried oregano, coriander, cumin, cinnamon
- Feta cheese
- Orzo
- Pacific Foods Organic Low Sodium Chicken Broth
- Roasted red peppers
- Kalamata olives
How to Make Greek Meatballs and Orzo Skillet
- Start by mixing all of the meatball ingredients together in a mixing bowl. I like to use my hands so that everything gets combined without over mixing them. Over mixing results in tough meatballs. Scoop the mixture out with a cookie scoop or tablespoon and roll it into a ball. Place the meatballs onto a plate.
- Heat a large skillet over medium heat along with a tablespoon of olive oil. Add the meatballs to the skillet and cook them for approximately 8-10 minutes turning them often for even browning. While the meatballs cook wash the plate. Place the cooked meatballs back onto the plate and cover with a piece of foil to keep them warm.
- Wipe out the skillet if needed then add in a little more olive oil, garlic and the orzo. Stir and toast the orzo for about a minute and then add in the chicken broth, roasted red peppers and lemon juice. Stir everything together and bring it to a boil. Once boiling reduce the heat and continue to cook until the orzo is tender. You’ll want to stir often to keep the orzo from sticking to the bottom of the skillet.
- When the orzo is cooked, stir in the kalamata olives and fresh herbs. Place the meatballs on top of the orzo and sprinkle in feta and extra herbs.
Do I Need to Drain the Orzo When It’s Finished Cooking?
The best part about this skillet recipe is that you don’t have to cook the orzo in a separate pot, drain it and put it back in another pan. The amount of Pacific Foods Organic Low Sodium Chicken Broth used in this recipe is just enough so that the orzo absorbs all of it during the cooking process. I chose to use chicken broth because it adds a lot more flavor then if you were to just use water.
I went with low sodium because I like to control the amount of salt being used in my recipes. Since the addition of kalamata olives and feta cheese will add even more salt to the dish, this was especially important.
Do I Have to Use Ground Turkey for the Meatballs?
No. Ground chicken, beef or even lamb can be used in place of ground turkey. I’ve made these meatballs successfully with ground chicken, beef and turkey. I do recommend that if you’re using ground turkey or chicken that you not use the 99% lean ground meat. Meatballs taste and have the best texture when there’s some fat in them. I usually use 93% lean for turkey and chicken and 90% lean for beef.
Greek Meatballs and Orzo Skillet
Ingredients
Meatballs
- 1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 pound ground turkey or chicken
- 1/3 cup panko breadcrumbs
- 1/4 cup chopped fresh leaf parsley
- 3 tablespoons grated onion
- 1 clove garlic, grated or minced
- Zest of a lemon
- 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- 1 egg
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
- Freshly ground black pepper to taste
- 2 ounces feta cheese crumbled
Orzo
- 2 teaspoons olive oil
- 1 clove garlic grated or minced
- 1 cup uncooked orzo
- 2 1/2 cups low sodium chicken broth
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
- 1/2 cup diced roasted red peppers
- 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- 1/4 cup chopped kalamata olives
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh dill
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh flat leaf parsley
- Extra feta cheese for garnish
Instructions
- Add all of the meatball ingredients to a mixing bowl and use your hands to combine the ingredients being careful not to over mix. Coat your hands with a bit of oil and scoop out approximately a tablespoon size amount of the meat and roll it into a ball. Place the meatballs onto a plate.
- Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat along with a tablespoon of olive oil. When the skillet is hot swirl the oil to coat the bottom of it. Add the meatballs to the skillet and cook them for approximately 8-10 minutes turning them often for even browning. While the meatballs cook wash the plate. Place the cooked meatballs back onto the plate and cover with a piece of foil to keep them warm.
- Wipe out the skillet if needed, then over medium heat add in 2 teaspoons of olive oil, garlic and the orzo. Stir together and toast the orzo for about a minute. Pour in the chicken broth, roasted red peppers and lemon juice. Stir everything together and bring it to a boil.
- Cook until the orzo is tender, about 7-8 minutes. Stir the orzo often to keep it from sticking to the bottom of the skillet. When the orzo is tender, stir in the kalamata olives and fresh herbs. Place the meatballs on top of the orzo and sprinkle in feta and extra herbs.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Wow – this was fabulous. It was so flavorful, we absolutely loved it!! Can’t wait to make it again .
Happy you enjoyed it Jenny! Thanks for taking the time to leave a rating and review!
This was so good! My family loved it. Both the meatballs and orzo were so flavorful. It’s a keeper. Thank you!
Happy to hear it’s a keeper Lynne!
The fresh herbs make this dish. It was tasty and delicious. I didn’t have orzo so I subbed another grain-like pasta. Think this would be fantastic with couscous as well if you had that instead. If you’re short on time, I measured the spices with my heart and it turned out great.
Excellent recipe! Thank you.
I thought the Greek Meatballs were very good, but they were pretty typical of Greek Meatballs. But with the Orzo = YUM! I omitted the olives (didn’t have them) and used garlic and herb Feta (that’s what I had on hand). Fantastic flavor to this dish! I will definitely make this again.
I’m so glad you liked them paired together!
This was a LOT of work for me as a mom of 2 young kids, and I didn’t love the end result/taste. One of my kids ate the meatballs, and the other ate the pasta – so it wasn’t a total waste of time. I wouldn’t make it again though. Husband agrees.
Sorry to hear it wasn’t a hit with everyone in the family Jess. Thanks for trying it out anyways and hopefully you can find another recipe that the entire family will enjoy.
It was a little more complicated than what I’ve been making lately but it was very tasty! Will very likely make it again
Am I supposed to add the olive oil to the meatball mixture?
This recipe looks delicious!! If I was to use 2 cups of orzo, instead of one, do I double the liquid?
Yes. I suggest doubling all of the listed orzo ingredients for the best flavor, not just the broth.
This was great! I used ground lamb and baked the meatballs at 425° for 20 minutes while I prepared the orzo. That worked out great, timing-wise. I loved not having to use a separate pot and colander to cook the orzo. I increased the orzo ingredients by 50% because I have two teens in my family of four…. and there were no leftovers!
Could you make it not rolling the chicken into meatballs? As a sort of Greek casserole?
You can. Omit the egg, feta, and panko from the meatball mixture and combine the remaining meat ingredients in the skillet and crumble it. Remove it onto a plate while the orzo portion cooks and then stir it back in along with the crumbled feta.